Cuba: Branch Line to Sancti Spiritus Reopened

After two months of work on an urban segment of the capital Sancti  Spiritus,  the movement of trains along the branch that links the Central Railroad with the city of Sancti Spiritus and the coastal area of Tunas de Zaza, south of the province, has been restored.

By JUAN ANTONIO BORREGO (Translated by Granma)

Executives of the Base Business Unit of the Railways General Services in Sancti Spiritus province explained that the reopening of the section is key to normalizing the movement of both passengers and freight to and from the provincial capital, activities limited by the poor condition of the track, specifically on grounds of the Camino de La Habana.

To address the situation they had to cut off traffic in that area, which involved isolating the Sancti Spiritus-Tunas de Zaza branch line and create alternative means for the departure and arrival of passenger trains from the area of La Ranfla and for the movement of goods .

Given the level of deterioration of the line, the forces of Works Construction Engineering Enterprise (ECOi-30), the Construction Ministry, and the Union of Railways were forced to work on the construction of a new landfill and the displacement of the track from its original layout, in addition to leveling and alignment, and the replacement of several sections, all with a view to achieving safer transportation for the area.

In order to terminate the work, they are still placing concrete gutters and building a channel to dump the sewage from the surrounding homes, which ECOI 30 is currently doing.