Train travel in Puerto Rico is limited to a metro system serving San Juan and neighbouring communities inaugurated in 2004. Almost all railways in Puerto Rico were closed in 1950s.
In addition to the railways described in the article, there was also the Parque del Tren de Bayamón park railway. 1000 mm narrow gauge railway was the last remaining rail line open to the general public until the inauguration of the Tren Urbano. In the early 2000s the park was demolished to make way for the Tren Urbano.
Train travel in Puerto Rico – tram systems
The first railway in Puerto Rico was opened in 1875. It was a horse tram line in the city of Mayagüez. The rail system was intended for transporting residents of the city, mainly along the current Mendez Vigo Avenue and connected the center part of the town with the Playa sector. The horse tram stopped in 1887 but was reinstated in 1895. The routes were altered to pass through McKinley Street with better road conditions and less inclined than previous routes. The horse drawn ceased in 1912. Next year new larger electric-powered cars were introduced by the third operator – Mayagüez Tramway Company. The tram line was badly damaged after a powerful earthquake in 1918 and was closed permanently in 1926.
In 1878 passenger steam railway between San Juan and the town of Río Piedras with total distance of 11.4 km was built. In 1901 steam trams were replaced by electric trams. The line was operated by San Juan Light & Transit Company. In 1901 the new tram line was constructed by Porto Rico Railway, Light & Power Company. It was a modern line with comfortable cars. Total length of the line known as Trolley de San Juan was 23.1 km.
In 1932 cyclones caused serious damages to tram lines in San Juan. The last tram line in San Juan was closed on 31 October 1946. The trams lost the competition from cars and buses.
Passenger trains in Puerto Rico
The first passenger railway in Puerto Rico was inaugurated in 1891. 15 year earlier a Spanish engineer proposed building a steam railroad line along the coast of Puerto Rico. The railway connected San Juan and Manatí and was constructed by a Spanish Company. It was built to 1000 mm gauge. In 1892 the extensions to the towns of Carolina (to the east) and Arecibo/Camuy (to the west) were opened. In 1898 the rail network had 270 km tracks.
In 1902 the line was taken over by the American Railroad of Puerto Rico.
In 1904, a southern line between Hormigueros and Yauco was constructed.
In its heydays the Puerto Rico railway network was more than 500 kilometers long.
On 7 November 1944 there was a train distaster – passenger train derailed in Aguadilla. 16 passengers died, 50 were injured.
In the late 1940s the U.S. and Puerto Rican governments heavily invested in road transport. New freeways and highways were constructed. Railways also lost the competition from cars and buses. In 1947 American Railroad Company filed for bankruptcy. Passenger trains ceased in 1954, sugar cane railways continued operating until 1957.
Short industrial lines were in operation until the collapse of the sugar cane industry in the early 1990s.
Remnants of the main system and lines can still be seen in some parts of Puerto Rico.
Train travel in Puerto Rico – Tren del Sur
One of the most interesting attractions in Puerto Rico was Tren del Sur – a tourist train running since 1984 on a part of the sugar railway line near Arroyo. A train composed of a diesel locomotive and small carriages transported tourists along the sugar cane plantation. The 6.4 km long line with a rail gauge of 914 mm was intended to commemorate the glory days of the sugar railways on the island. Unfortunately, the train service was suspended in 2005. The official reason was a planned rehabilitation of the line, but Tren del Sur was never reinstated. The only reminder of this railway is a rusting locomotive.
Train travel in Puerto Rico – Tren Urbano
Tren Urbano is an automated public transport system called metro, which means a light rail line connecting the island’s capital – San Juan – with the suburbs of Guaynabo and Bayamó. Construction of the line began in 1996, completion was planned for 2001. Due to lawsuits between the contractor and the Puerto Rico Department of Transportation, the work was prolonged and the line was opened to passengers only in mid-2005. Tren Urbano is a 17.6 km long railway line with 16 stations. Train departures and arrivals are synchronized with the bus timetable from each station. The trains reach a speed of 55 km/h and the journey between the starting and ending stations takes 30 minutes.
There were plans to extend this system but no construction work has commenced yet.
Tren Urbano – official website
Related articles:
Railways in Americas by country
