QCOSTARICA — Panamanian President, José Raúl Mulino, met this Monday with other authorities and executives of an American company to begin to develop the “master plan” for a train that will connect Panama’s capital with the border with Costa Rica.
“(The train project) has an important concept of territorial integration of the country with emphasis on achieving the development of many areas through which the route must pass. But, also, an important concept of expansion of tourism,” said Mulino.
The train, in addition, “can offer Central American countries an additional option in the cargo concept, which is to have a real viable option to transport from Paso Canoas (border with Costa Rica) to Panama City (capital) canal and ports, the exports of many of those countries that do not have or do not count with the logistical infrastructure, geographic opposition and strategy that Panama has.”
– Advertisement –
This “master plan,” which is being developed by AECOM USA, “will determine the specific layout and route of the train, as well as the requirements of the work, establishing an estimated cost in about six months,” according to official information.
AECOM (Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Operations and Management) is an American engineering, consulting, and infrastructure management company based in Los Angeles, California. Given this train project, it will provide technical advice to review and update the plan.
In addition, AECOM, “in coordination with government entities,” will be responsible for “establishing the most efficient route, with the least impact on the environment and the best cost-benefit ratio for the country,” the Panamanian Presidency’s statement said.
In addition, Panama’s national secretary of the Railway, Henry Faarup, AECOM, the Minister of the Presidency, Juan Carlos Orillac, and the Secretary of Goals and Minister for Canal Affairs, José Ramón Icaza, among others, were present at that working table which took place at the headquarters of the Panamanian Presidency.
On December 26, the Panamanian government signed a contract for US$2.2 million dollars with AECOM USA to update the master plan for that train to connect the Panamanian capital with the border with Costa Rica.
This ambitious train project had already been promoted by the Government of Juan Carlos Varela (2014-2019), who commissioned it to China in 2017 during his first visit to Beijing after the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries that same year.
– Advertisement –
On the Costa Rica side of the border, there are no official plans to connect the train to San José, Costa Rica’s capital city. Emails sent to Casa Presidencial for comments if any such plans have not been answered at time of this post.
– Advertisement –
Source link
Rico
