There are no trains in Nikaragua. In the past, there was a network of narrow-gauge state railways (1,067 mm) and private standard-gauge lines that were not connected to the state railway network. A few railway stations and short sections of unstolen tracks railway lines remain heyday of the railway in Nicaragua.
Last update: 02.12.2023
History of the railway in Nicaragua
The first plans to build a railway in Nicaragua were announced in the 1860s. In 1873, the government signed a contract to build the Managua-Granada line with J. E. Hollembeck & Co. and with Enrique Meiggs Keith for the construction of the Corinto – León line. The plans were abandoned.
In 1876, President Joaquim Chamorro Alfaro issued a decree to build a railway from Corinto through Chinandega and Leon to Granada, almost the entire length running along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. The newly built line was called the Western Line. The construction started in 1878. The first section of the railway was opened in early 1882 between Corinto and Pasocaballos (7 km). Three months later first train made his journey from Corinto to Chinadega.
At the same time, plans were made to build an Eastern Line from Managua to Granada through the city of Masaya along the Tipitapa River. However, construction of this line began only six years later, in 1884.
In 1883, the railway reached the city of Leon, and a year later to Puerto Momotombo (present day Momotombi on Lake Managua). Goods from Puerto Momotombo weretransported by steamships.
Between 1895 and 1898, a branch of the Western Line was built between Chinandega and El Viejo.
Construction of the Eastern Line began in 1883. Already in 1884, the tracks reached the city of Masaya, and two years later they reached Granada. In 1887, the construction of the Ferrocarril a Los Pueblos de Carazo was completed – a branch of the Eastern Line leading from Masaya to Diriamba along the coffee plantations.
At the beginning of the 20th century (1900-1902), the construction of the Central Line connecting the Western Line and the Eastern Line was completed. This made it possible to transport goods and people along Lake Managua, and the Leon – Puerto Momotombo branch was closed.
In 1903, a contract was signed for the construction of a railway line along the Atlantic coast and connecting the existing line with the Atlantic coast. About 16 kilometers of tracks were built for six years, but the project was later abandoned.
In the 1920s and 1930s, several private standard-gauge railroads were built to transport timber and bananas around Puerto Cabezas and Cocoland. The total length of these lines was approximately 100 kilometers.
By 1940, several branches from the state line were also built. In the early 1940s, the length of the Nicaraguan Railways was 382 km.
Trains operated on the following lines:
Corinto – Granada – 191.98 km
Masaya – Diriamba – 43.49 km
Leon – El Sauce – 72.00 km
San Jorge – San Juan del Sur – 31.00 km
Chinandega -Puerto Morazan – 31.00 km
El Sauce – Río Grande – 13.00 km
The 1960s and 1970s saw the decline of railways in Nicaragua. The 1972 earthquake destroyed much of the railway infrastructure.
In 1982, the Corinto – Leon line was closed due to flood damage that washed away tracks and bridges.
In 1993 President Violeta Chamorro who ordered closure of the all railway lines.
The 1960s and 1970s saw the decline of railways in Nicaragua. The 1972 earthquake destroyed much of the railway infrastructure.
In 1982, the Corinto – Leon line was closed due to flood damage that washed away tracks and bridges.
In 1993 President Violeta Chamorro ordered closure of the all railway lines. Due to order the rolling stock and rail were demolished and sold for scrap. The last passenger train in Nicaragua made his journey on December 31, 1993. Despite the protests, railway lines were soon dismnatled and rolling stock sold. The money obtained from the sale were used to pay off the railway’s debts.
Only the short Chichigalpa – Ingenio San Antonio railway line (6 km) serving the local sugar refinery, survived. Eventually it was closed down in September 2001, which definitively ended the history of railways in Nicaragua. Afterwards, the steam locomotive was left as a monument in Chichigalpa.
Granada train station
The most famous railway remnant in Nicaragua is the Granada Railway Station, one of the city’s biggest tourist attractions.
The construction of the station began in 1882, and four years later (March 1, 1886) the first train rolled into the station. The building was built in the neoclassical style, experts will notice the influence of English and French architecture.
In 1912, the station was occupied by US troops and rebuilt. In 1993, the train from Granada to Managua departed for the last time.
Two years later a vocational school was moved into the station building.
In 1997, the station was restored. A waiting room has been made available for tourists, in front of the station there is an old steam locomotive and several passenger carriages, as well as a freight carriage on a turntable.
See also:
Railways in Americas by country
