Costa Rica adds a commuter train to link San José and Heredia

After several years of speculation and anticipation, a commuter train finally began service last week, connecting San José [2] and the nearby city of Heredia [3]. Operated by TUASA (Transportes Unidos Alajuelenses), which also operates local bus service, the route is served by four Spanish-made, air-conditioned two-carriage deisel-powered trains along its 10-kilometer route between San José's Terminal Pacífico and the Terminal Heredia.

The trains will make two stops along the route, at Santa Rosa de Santo Domingo, and Cuatro Reinas and Cinco Esquinas, in Tibás.

A total of 42 trips a day are scheduled.

The trip takes 30 minutes and costs 355 colones (a bargain-priced 0.70 cents). Not bad for a service that has cost Costa Rica's INCOFER rail agency some $3.5 million to purchase and install. And the trains make the commute oh-so-much easier, as the congestion on the roads linking the capital with the country's third largest city can mean that people commuting by car are often stuck for up to one hour in traffic.

Meanwhile, on May 25, the Costa Rican government announced plans to introduce a high-speed electric train (dubbed TREM, for Electric Metropolitan Train) on the route. Way to go!