Due to the lack of rolling stock for operating the service in the GAM, the Incofer has announced that it is processing the purchase of between eight and ten new trains.
The train collisions that happened in the years 2016 and 2017, have meant that currently only seven of the 13 Apollo trains are in use in the system, therefore the Costa Rican Railway Institute (Incofer) has had to reduce trips.
The government of Costa Rica wants to develop the project with the help of a private partner, who would contribute $1.3 billion for construction, among other things, of the new railway, wiring, tunnels and monitoring systems.
The project to build a rapid train service connecting Alajuela to Cartago, and which would fix the transportation problem affecting the Greater Metropolitan Area, requires a total investment of close to $2 billion, of which $1.3 billion would have to be contributed by a private company, through means of a concession for both the construction and operation of the line.
The electric train planned for development in Costa Rica would cover a length of 80 kilometers of track, and the physical infrastructure of the project alone would have an estimated cost of $1.353 million.
At the end of December 2017 the Instituto Costarricense de Ferrocarriles presented an Environmental Impact Study (EIA) to build an electric train transport system in the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM).
With $40 million from the state insurer, the Costa Rican Railway Institute could bring back into issue the railway line from Río Frío de Sarapiquí to the port of Limón.
Although the efficiency in the planning and execution of projects is not something that Instituto Costarricense de Ferrocarriles is famous for, the initiative to restore the railroad and reimplement the container transport service from the port of Limón to Río Frio could, if it finally materializes, help improve the damaged reputation of the state run railway company.
After a long process, a $7 million contract to install traffic lights and points on 91 railroad crossings in the Greater Metropolitan Area has finally been awarded.
Since the tender was announced at the end of last year, the process came up against several obstacles which caused delays, such as appeals by the state railway company and participating companies.
A proposal has been made to raise the "Marchamo" (vehicle ownership tax) and selective consumption tax on vehicles in order to finance the construction of the modern train system which the Solis administration insists on implementing.
Despite the fact that last year proposals very similar to this were rejected in the Legislative Assembly, the Solis administration insists on raising funds to finance the construction of a modern train for the Greater Metropolitan Area.
Public companies from Italy, Spain, China and Switzerland have expressed interest in taking part in the proposed implementation of an urban electric train system.
Carlos Vargas, president of the Instituto Costarricense de Ferrocarriles (Incofer) confirmed with Nacion.com an interest on the part of foreign public companies and noted that"... for now we can not give out details of the persons concerned or the type of partnership that could be used to operate the transport system, as they are awaiting the results of a prefeasibility study."
The law passed in first debate allows the government to establish trusts with state banks, to design and build transportation infrastructure, particularly railways.
From a statement issued by the Legislature:
Deputies approved this afternoon in the processing of the first debate, record 19497, a law authorizing the development of transport infrastructure through trusts, which aims to authorize the Executive Power and the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT) or the National Council of (CONAVI), or both together, to form trusts in the public interest.
The Incofer has allocated $11 million to install a security system that includes boom barriers, illuminated and audio signals.
Christian Vargas, executive president of the Costa Rican Institute of Railways (Incofer), told Nacion.com that "..."The tender for a safety system to help prevent further collisions with the train could be ready this month'It would include boom barriers, luminous signs and audio signs ... we have over 200 crosses from Cartago and going towards Alajuela and Belen.'"
Having been given legislative authorization to borrow and with the CABEI willing to provide financing, the Costa Rican railway entity is going shopping.
The president of the Instituto Costarricense de Ferrocarriles, Guillermo Santana, announced plans to buy eight new units in France, Spain, the Czech Republic or the United States.
The new law allows the Incofer to borrow up to about $440 million to build an electric inter-urban train line through means of a public-private partnerships or trusts.
Under recent government administration's proposals to build a train in the metropolitan area of the country have always been on the agenda, and the current government of Luis Guillermo Solis is no exception.His administration proposed an initiative which has now passed into law, therefore the Instituto Costarricense de Ferrocarriles has the legislative backing to seek funding and build a metro train.
Although the funds are not yet available, nor is there legislative authority to borrow, the Instituto Costarricense de Ferrocarriles has announced that it intends to acquire 8 trains.
An article on Crhoy reports that "...Guillermo Santana, CEO of Incofer, said the new units will have to comply with national railway infrastructure conditions, for which reason the rolling stock must be modified by the manufacturer and will take longer to arrive. "
The Costa Rican Institute of Railways has announced that it is analyzing the purchase of machinery from abroad in order to set up an electric railway system in the capital.
Although an amount for investment in the purchase of electric trains has not yet been established, nor are there any feasibility studies to justify it, the Instituto Costarricense de Ferrocarriles (Incofer) is looking for offers from abroad, especially in Europe and China.
Each new government brings with it a new railway project with new fundraising for further new feasibility studies and new promises of international tenders.
The new plan by the new president of the Instituto Costarricense de Ferrocarriles (Incofer) requires "... at least $600 million to cover about 100 kilometers of track, which includes the route up to Alajuela."
The government announced that it is studying the feasibility of the project based on an electric train, and some companies have expressed interest in a possible freight service between the port and the greater metropolitan area.
The Ministry of Foreign Trade (Comex) and the authorities of the Instituto Costarricense de Ferrocarriles (Incofer) announced that for funding for the possible launch of the train they will evaluate "...