The Costa Rican Railway Institute (Incofer) has already defined how the 8 new trains (16 units) that will provide services in the country next year will be.
A group of officials of that institution traveled the previous week to China, in order to define the aspects related to the physical and technical design of the new team. At least 50 technical specifications were requested for operability within the national rail system.
Among the announcements made by the Incofer, it is indicated that the new units will have air conditioning, preferential seating, space for 2 wheelchairs, information systems for the passengers by means of LED screens, sound warnings, and panoramic windows.
“We are very excited for this to be a reality next year, Costa Rica deserves a modern train service system and we want it to be a reality for our users who loyally use us every day”, said the executive president of Incofer, Elizabeth Briceño. .
The CRRC Qingdao factory is responsible for building the new trains, which would arrive in the country in the second half of 2020. With the new equipment, it is expected to reinforce the current routes and enable new routes such as Paraíso de Cartago and San Rafael de Heredia.
Within the negotiations, the Incofer managed to increase the capacity of the units, which went from 24 to 36 seats per car. It was extended without representing an additional cost. The 8 new trains will have a capacity of 372 passengers per train. That is more than double the current capacity.
In addition, it was agreed to improve “the technology used in the engines that make them 90% less polluting of particulate material, more efficient and with state-of-the-art technology, this in order to go according to the government policies to reduce the emission of pollutants“, reported the Incofer.
Maintenance guarantee
During this 2nd meeting, between the authorities of the Incofer and the Chinese company, there were also confirmed aspects related to the warranty of the units and the equipment necessary to perform the maintenance.
According to the entity, it coordinates the arrival of 14 teams that will be installed in the workshops of the Incofer to provide maintenance. In addition, the purchase includes a stock of spare parts and the accompaniment of the company in the process of operation. The
The contract, signed with the Chinese company, establishes a period of 16 months for the delivery of the equipment. This schedule was activated since last December. By the way, these new units are worth more than US$ 32 million.
