For the third time in the last 8 years a feasibility study has been done for the development of rail links within the Greater Metropolitan Area of Costa Rica's capital.
Funding for this study now comes from a donation of $800 thousand from the Spanish state run company Ferrocarriles de Vía Estrecha (FEVE), which in recent years has worked with railroad equipment currently in use by the Costa Rican Institute of Railways (Incofer).
In Costa Rica, authorities debate the future of passenger and cargo rail systems.
Opposing interests have arisen between the proposed urban transportation system, which would use a narrow gauge (1.067 mm), and a private cargo train project linking the ports of the Caribbean and the Pacific, which would use a standard gauge (1.435 mm).
An article in Nacion.com explains both points of view, one by the Costa Rican rail authorities at INCOFER (Costa Rican Rail Transportation Authority), who argue in favor of keeping narrow gauge for both systems, and representatives from the National Concessions Council, who proposed an urban train system ("TREM"), running over standard gauge.
Costa Rica's growing trade has opened an important niche market for the nation's freight trains. This year cargo traffic is expected to grow by 40 percent.
Investment this year will be the highest since the rail system was reshaped for cargo traffic. Though steel and fruit are the main products carried, the aim is to add to the range.