Tardiness, crowded wagons, poor trains and low frequency are part of the regular complaints of train users.
Elizabeth Briceño, president of the Costa Rican Railways Institute (INCOFER), said that the “genesis” of these problems occurs for several reasons, including the fact that 43 percent of the available fleet is in poor condition.
According to the hierarch,
this situation forces us to make decisions on a security issue. I think it is much more irresponsible to take a train that can cause a major catastrophe (than cancelling trips).
This was one of the conclusions reached by the institution after the experience they had during the closing of the Puente Alfredo González Flores (AFG), where they worked on alternate schedules to mitigate the endless traffic jam caused by the roadworks.
When questioned about the wagons that have water leaks, the official explained that this is because a piece -called an accordion – has deteriorated greatly.
A new accordion, brought from abroad, cost ¢18 million. Therefore, we went to the domestic industry, made an initial prototype that did not work, but after several tests we were able to adjust it. Now we will ask for more (…). In addition, the windows are being changed,”
said the hierarch.
She was also emphatic when saying that the solution to most of these problems is the purchase of new trains and that she is working on that.
Meanwhile, users are asked to be patient.