A new commuter train in the Central Valley for Costa Ricans and retired expats
Many cost conscious expat retirees never purchase an automobile in order to save money while living here. Thus, they depend heavily on public transportation such as buses, taxis and Uber to economize.
Good news! As I have alluded to in previous articles the government plans to construct an electric train network across the Central Valley where most ticos and expats reside. This rail system will both revolutionize and modernize transportation between four of the country’s biggest cities. It will run 52 miles in length from Paraíso de Cartago in the east, through San José and to Coyol de Alajuela in the west.
When finished it will have 46 stations, ten of which will connect directly with with taxis, bus systems and bicycles. Two-hundred thousand (200,000) daily users and 50 million per year are expected to ride the system’s 72 light rail tram-like cars. The trains will run from 5 a.m. until 11 p.m. During rush hours (horas pico) there will be a train every five minutes and at non-rush hour times (horas valle) the frequency will be from 15 to 30 minutes.
The system will also feature five main lines with most of them interconnected to help passengers access different areas.
As stated in the Tico Times newspaper (I am one of their guest columnists), “The electric train will play a major role in helping Costa Rica decarbonizing by 2050. (The country’s electrical grid currently has run on more than 98 percent renewable energy).”
This project will help the country’s economy by creating 1,200 jobs during the construction phase and 1,470 permanent jobs once the system is operational.
Other benefits of the new mass transit system will be reduced automobile traffic, shorter communing times, a reduction of car accidents and less environmental pollution and noise from traffic.
Indeed the quality of life in the Central Valley will improve for both Costa Ricans and expat retirees, thus making the area an even more desirable place to reside.
