Transportation in Cuba

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Transportation in Cuba is comprised of a system of railways, roads, buses, airports, waterways, ports and harbours:

Contents 1 Railways 2 Roads 3 Long-distance Buses 4 Urban buses 5 Waterways 6 Seaports and harbours: 7 Merchant marine 8 Airlines 9 Airports 9.1 Airports with paved runways 9.2 Airports with unpaved runways 10 See also 11 References 12 External links

[edit] Railways

• total: 4,226 km
• standard gauge: 4,226 km 1.435-m gauge (140 km electrified)
• note: an additional 7,742 km of track is used by sugar plantations; about 65% of this track is standard gauge; the rest is narrow gauge (2003)

Cuba sported the first railway system in the Spanish empire, before the 1848 start in the Iberian peninsula. While the rail infrastructure dates from colonial and early republican times, passenger service along the principal Havana to Santiago corridor is increasingly reliable and popular with tourists who can purchase tickets in Convertible Pesos. As with most public transport in Cuba, the vehicles used are second hand, and the flagship Tren Francés ("French train") between Havana and Santiago de Cuba is operated by coaches originally used in Europe between Paris and Amsterdam on the ex-TEE express. The train is formed by 12 coaches and a Chinese locomotive. With the order of 12 Chinese locomotives last year, built specially for Cuban Railways at China Northern Locomotives and Rolling Stock Works, services have been improving in reliability. Those benefiting the most are long distance freight services with the French train Havana-Santiago being the only passenger train using one of the new Chinese locomotives regularly. Various orders are in place for 100 locomotives from China and various freight wagons and passenger coaches to start arriving later this year or during the course of next one.

[edit] Roads

Highways:

• total: 60,858 km
• paved: 29,820 km (including 638 km of expressway)
• unpaved: 31,038 km (1999 est.)

Much of this including the Central Highway, the Via Blanca and Via Azul existed prior to 1959.

[edit] Long-distance Buses

There are two national bus companies in Cuba. Viazul operate a fleet of modern and comfortable coaches on longer distance routes designed principally for tourists. Slower and less reliable services are provided by Astro Bus, generally with much older vehicles, many imported from the Soviet Union. These services are significantly cheaper than Viazul, and are therefore increasingly popular with budget conscious tourists and visitors to Cuba. However, ASTRO (Asociacion de Transporte por Omnibus) has recently purchased from the Chinese manufacturer Yutong Bus a fleet of nearly 1000 air-conditioned units. They are being used on most of the long distance routes nationwide and some services have been increased. However, the ticket price was also raised recently, making it less affordable for the regular Cuban that chooses ASTRO to travel. Routes that have benefited most so far are those from Havana to each of the 13 provincial capitals of the country.

[edit] Urban buses

In Havana urban transportation is provided by a colourful selection of buses imported from the Soviet Union or Canada. Many of these vehicles are second hand (such as the 1500 decommissioned Dutch buses, which the Netherlands donated to Cuba in the mid 1990s) and despite the United States trade embargo, American-style yellow school buses (imported second-hand from Canada) are increasingly common sights. On seven key lines in and out of the city, service is provided by camellos ("camels" or "dromedaries", after their "humps"), articulated trucks that haul as many as two hundred passengers in a passenger carrying trailer.

After the upgrading of Seville's public bus fleet to CNG-powered and new vehicles, many of the decommissioned ones were donated to the city of Havana. These bright orange buses still display the name of Transportes Urbanos de Sevilla, S.A.M., their former owner, and Seville's coat of arms as a sign of gratitute.^[1]

[edit] Waterways

240 km

[edit] Seaports and harbours:

Cienfuegos, Havana, Manzanillo, Mariel, Matanzas, Nuevitas, Santiago de Cuba

[edit] Merchant marine

• total: 13 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 54,818 GRT/81,850 DWT
• ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 4, liquified gas 1, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 2
• registered in other countries: 35 (2003 est.)

[edit] Airlines

Besides the state owned airline Cubana (Cubana de Aviación), the two major Cuban airlines are Aero Caribbean and Aerogaviota, both of whom operate modern European and Russian aircraft.

[edit] Airports

• 170 (2003 est.)

[edit] Airports with paved runways

• total: 79
• over 3,047 m: 7
• 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
• 1,524 to 2,437 m: 20
• 914 to 1,523 m: 6
• under 914 m: 37 (2003 est.)

[edit] Airports with unpaved runways

• total: 91
• 914 to 1,523 m: 29
• under 914 m: 62 (2003 est.)

[edit] See also

• Infrastructure of Cuba

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Cubana Airlines
• Aero-Caribbean
• Aero-Gaviota
• Viazul long distance coaches
• Information on train travel in Cuba
• photos of antique Cuban cars