Freight Train Derails in Camagüey, Disrupting Passenger Service

CAMAGÜEY, Cuba – At 3:10 p.m. on Thursday, a freight train (Extra Train 83, locomotive 52582) operating in container transport service suffered an accident in Camagüey that caused the derailment of 14 of the 27 cars in the consist, of which 25 were loaded. The train was covering the route between the provinces of Artemisa and Holguín and was traveling at Km 477.0 of the Central Line, near the locality of Piedrecita. According to preliminary observations, no damage to the cargo has been reported.

The local railway maintenance brigade was activated immediately and is already working to assess actions for the prompt restoration of train circulation.

With the interruption of traffic along the Central Line, passenger train No. 12, which covers the Santiago de Cuba – Havana itinerary, has been halted in the city of Camagüey. Provincial authorities and local railway officials are attending to the passengers. Likewise, the return to the originating station is being organized for the passenger train traveling from Guantánamo to Havana, from the Carrera Larga station in the municipality of El Salvador. Measures are being taken to assist the passengers on that train.

In compliance with the established protocol, an investigative commission has been created to clarify the causes and conditions that led to the incident. As soon as information about the event became available, local authorities, territorial railway executives, the Railway Transport Administration, and members of the National Revolutionary Police (PNR) and other control agencies of the Ministry of the Interior (Minint) proceeded to the site.

The Directorate of Cuban Railways offers its apologies to travelers for the inconveniences caused by this unfortunate event.

Automotive Transfer of Passengers from the Santiago-Havana Train

As a consequence of the freight train accident that occurred on the afternoon of August 20 in the Piedrecita locality of Camagüey, traffic on the Central Line was interrupted at kilometer 447.0, and the passenger train covering the Santiago de Cuba–Havana itinerary was halted in the city of the Tinajones without being able to continue to its destination.

Under very complex conditions regarding fuel availability, the transfer of all passengers to their respective destinations has been organized as follows:

• Camagüey-Havana: 15 buses and 625 passengers.

• Camagüey-Matanzas: 1 bus with 44 passengers.

• Camagüey-Sancti Spíritus: 2 buses and 65 passengers.

• Camagüey-Ciego de Ávila: 4 Diana buses and 41 passengers.

• Camagüey-Santa Clara: 1 bus with 27 passengers.

• Sancti Spíritus-Havana: 2 buses with 81 passengers.

A total of 25 buses are being used to transport 873 people.

From the command post of the Ministry of Transport and the Union of Cuban Railways, this operation is being monitored with the support of the authorities of Camagüey province and its railway system.

The Union of Cuban Railways will continue to provide information, offers its apologies to all affected individuals, and expresses gratitude to everyone participating in the transfer of passengers from the Santiago-Havana train to their destinations.