Diario las Américas., 1958-02-01
Know thy
Neigh.botr.
BY ANTO RUIZ

CUBA - More than 100 years
ago, when Spain, the Mother Coun-
try, did not have any railways as
yet, King Ferdinand VII, on Oct
ODER IL, 1884, authorized the De-
yelopment Bureau, of which the
Count of Villanueva was President,
to negotiate a loan from England
for two million pesos, which would
be invested in the construction of
a railroad between Havana and
GuineS. On November 10, 1887, the
first section, between Havana and
Bejucal, was inaugurated, and on
its first anniversary, November 10,
1888, the second section, from Be-
Jucal to Guines, was put into SER
vice. The name of Havana-G uines
Railroad was given to this line.
On January II, 1912, the Hava-
na-Guines Railroad was sold in
public auction, and was purchased
by the Havana Railway Company.
One of the conditions of the sale
was the construction of a branch
from Rincon to San Antonio, an
other one from San Felipe to Ba-
tabano, and a third n from Gui-
mes to La Union. On December
., l843, the first train arrived in
Batabano; on December 8. 1874.
the first one reached San Antonio,
and finally on November 26, 1848,
another one arrived in La Union
and in Guanabajay on October is,
1849.
On March IS, 1857, a conces-
sion was given for the construc-
ton of a branch from Guines to
Matanzas, and the first section,
from Guines to Catalina, was in
augurated on October 4, 1859, and
on October IS, 1861, the first train
arrived at the station of San Luis.
Matanzas. Also on March 18, 1857,
a concession was given to the Bay
Railway Company for the construc-
ton of a railroad from Regla to
Matanzas, and the first section,
from Regla to Minas, was inau.
gurated on April 4, 1859 and in
May, 1853, the first train arrived
in Matanzas.
On November 1, 1857 the same
company was authorized to build
a branch from Regla to Guanaba.
Goa and this service was inaugural.
ed on July 26, 1858. The branch
from Matanzas to JovellanoS was
built in sections by different com.
panies and the branches they
built were Joined together, be
tween Guanabacoa and Matanzas
on February 26, 1861.
On the Cardenas Railroad, a con
ceSSion was granted on May %
1887, for the construction of a line
from Cardenas to Jovellanos, anC
the first section, to Contreras, was
~inaugurated in June of 1910. The
first train arrived in Jovellanos il
December OF the same year. In Jan
uary, 1874, this line was extended
to Navajas. The same company was
granted a concession to construct
a line from Jovellanos to Aguica
and little by little it was extended
arriving in Santo Domingo in Dec,
ember, 1871. In 1885 it was ex
tended from Santo Domingo to La
Esperanto.
On the Matanzas Railroad, a con
cession was granted by the Gov
ernor General of Cuba in 1889 fol
the construction of a line from
Matanzas to Las Piedras, and or
November l., 1843, the first section
was inaugurated from MatanzaS tt
Guanabana. The locomotive "Ls
J%unta," which carried the first
train is on exhibition at the Hava
ma Terminal. This Railroad was ex
tended to Union in 1913; to Qua
r%eiras, where the first rain arriv
ed on May II, 1870 and to Colon
in November 1872.
The Consolidated Railways Of
Cuba have their services in the
provinces of Las Villas, Camagiiey
and Oriente. They have more than
one thousand miles of tracks, over
200 locomotives and several thou
sand passenger and freight cars
There are other railroads in Cuba
which is, in relation with its area
the country with the best distribu
ton Of railroad services in all O
Latin America.
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