SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – The Dominican Republic government has announced it will build a new rail line from Santo Domingo to the popular tourist destination Punta Cana, Resumen Turismo reported. Other lines will link several coastal settlements on the island’s Southeastern coast. The Santo Domingo – Punta Cana section will be the first constructed and will be named the Taino Train.
Six stations are planned along a 93-mile route. It will help Punta Cana resort guests reach the national capital more easily, without resorting to irregular bus service or privately-arranged transfers. Between the two cities the new line will serve the cities of Juan Dolio, San Pedro de Marcoris, La Romana, Chavon, and Higuey.
Resumen Turismo also reported that the new railroad is expected to spur further development is expected in towns where the train will stop, such more hotels, museums, restaurants, and supermarkets. The higher speed line will make the trip from Punta Cana to Santo Domingo in 58 minutes. The privately funded project, headed by Empresas Ares, is estimated to cost $3 billion.
Let me rephrase that statement about money being wasted on the space program. When you compare the amount of money that is spent on space and I should also throw in military spending as well, which amounts to billions of dollars and only a fraction is actually spent on railroads and also public transit in cities across
America, it just shows where our country and government thinks and shows their priorities. And yes billions are spent on highways and airports and millions paid out to the bumbling and inefficient wizards that are running Amtrak off the rails. We have a government that is hostile or just plain indifferent to rail transportation and just don’t understand that rail transport plays a very important rolein the movement of goods, services and people across this nation. This nation is just too heavly involved with air and road travel and the dangers and pitfalls of depending too much on just one form of travel and when that shuts down or collapses you have mass confusion and everything grinds to a halt. Look at what happened just last year at Christmas when the airlines had a meltdown leaving thousands of travellers stranded for days at airports across the country because of worker shortages, equipment shortages and of course poor weater conditions in several areas of the country. Or let’s go back to 9/11 when the nation’s air network was shut down because of security and terroism issues and concerns. Amtrak was the only thing running across the nation and its trains did the job of filling in for the travelling public. Yet they never got reimbursed or even received reconigition for their service. Had Amtrak received better attention and funding, last year’s debacle with holiday airline travel would have been eased with better train travel and service and folks would have gooten home or to their destinations. Maybe not the fastest way but at least they would be moving and getting to where they needed to be instead of sitting around in an airport for days waiting and wondering when they would be finally moving. In short more money and funding needs to be extended to our rail systems to maintain a smooth, efficient and seamless transportation netowrk and system
Joseph C. Markfelder
Railroading and trains are very much alive around the world and these forementioned countries see and realize the value of trains for moving both goods and people. Only in this country are we tossing away our railroads while we waste billions of dollars to go into space and build colonies on the moon which is a vast wasteland. Railroads and trains are very much alive and doing well just not in this country. Hats off and kudos to the DR and Mexico for building rail lines and realizing the potential and value of the steel rails
Joseph C. Markfelder
You’re not wrong about wasting our rail lines (both Canada and US), but the space program is hardly responsible for rail’s decline (20G$ per year). How much is spent today on competing roads, airports, airline subsidies, ports and inland waterways?
The difference is that other countries more easily accept the involvement of governments in managing rail infrastructure (as any other transportation mode) and they do not expect rail operations to turn enough profits to pay hefty dividend to shareholders, buy back shares and record bonuses to executives.
Interesting how DR, the UAE, Mexico are building new lines.