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Guatemala had a network of 914 mm (3 ft) narrow gauge railroads.
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Construction of the first railway in Guatemala commenced in 1878[1] and the first section began operation in 1880, connecting Puerto San José and Escuintla,[1][2] being extended to Guatemala City in 1884.[1]
The line to Puerto Barrios, known originally as Northern Railroad of Guatemala was completed in 1908.[3] The network was soon acquired by United Fruit, and in 1912 renamed the International Railways of Central America which was also known as IRCA.[1]
The railroad prospered until 1957. In 1954, United Fruit had to divest following an antitrust suit[4] and in 1959, a parallel highway caused a serious competitive pressure. In 1968, the company defaulted, was taken over by the government and renamed Ferrocarriles de Guatemala which was also known as FEGUA.[4] The condition of tracks continued to deteriorate and regular traffic was shut down in 1996.[4]
In October 1997, a 50-year concession was given to Railroad Development Corporation (RDC) which started to rehabilitate the network.[5] They were delayed by the need to evict squatters who built their cottages on the right-of-way during the previous years and to repair damage caused by thieves and nature. A serious blow was Hurricane Mitch in 1998, which destroyed parts of the line. The first train under RDC management went from Guatemala City to El Chile cement plant on April 15, 1999, and the rest of the line to Puerto Barrios was put into operation in December of that year.[6]
From 1999 until September 2007, Ferrovías Guatemala (FVG), as a subsidiary of RDC, operated 15 engines and 200 railcars on freight trains between Guatemala City and Puerto Barrios. It transported containers, steel, cement, paper and bananas between the Caribbean coast and the capital over a network of 320 kilometres (200 mi) as of 2006[update], but quit in September 2007.[7] It connected Guatemala City to Puerto Barrios with short branches in Guatemala City container terminal and Puerto Santo Tomás.[8]
Steam charter trains ran on parts of the network in the period 1997 to 2007.[9][10]
Other lines previously existing in Guatemala (such as to Ciudad Tecún Umán on the border with Mexico, to Anguiatú in El Salvador and to Puerto San José) have not been repaired since 1996.
A short cross-border link from Ciudad Hidalgo, Chiapas in Mexico to Ciudad Tecún Umán was rebuilt with 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge in 2019.[11]
In August 2006, the government of Guatemala declared a 2003 contract for the usufruct of rolling stock and other equipment as contrary to public interest (es:Declaración de lesividad), invalidating it. FVG believed that this was a response to its earlier request for arbitration regarding the usage of US$2 million from National Railroad Trust, designated for the development of railroads in Guatemala but used to support an overstaffed governmental oversight agency.[12]
The result of the governmental action was a decline of shipments and operational difficulties, such as inability to obtain credit or take additional revenues from the leasing of station buildings or right of way. In March 2007, RDC declared its intent to seek protection of investment through arbitration against the government of Guatemala according to Chapter 10 of CAFTA.[13][14] The case was registered with ICSID on August 20, 2007, with number ARB/07/23. Due to the continuing uncertainty leading to losses, FVG decided to suspend all operations as of October 1, 2007,[7] while continuing with legal actions against the Guatemalan government.[15] The arbitration case was finally decided in favor of RDC and US$14.6m paid as compensation.[16] As of 2011[update], most of the bridges have been dismantled and sold for scrap by thieves, making a potential revival of railways in Guatemala difficult, as it would cost millions of dollars to rebuild.
In August 2012, there were proposals to start some new passenger services, including a link from La Aurora airport to Guatemala City.[17]
The following table shows the main rail network and linked plantation railways (mostly United Fruit Company) at its historic extent and is based on the source work[1][18] with additional original research. Details of the plantation railways are vague. An incomplete series of 1:50,000 maps are held by / published online by The University of Texas under the Perry-Castañeda Library (PCL) Map Collection website
| Location | Section Distance (km) | Cumulative Distance (km) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puerto Barrios | 0 | 0 | |
| (junction) | 4 | 4 | |
| Entre Rios | 19 | 23 | |
| Bananera | 36 | 59 | |
| Quirigua | 36 | 95 | |
| Zacapa | 70 | 165 | |
| Guatemala City | 151 | 316 | |
| Santa Maria | 88 | 404 | |
| Rio Bravo | 68 | 472 | |
| Palo Gordo | 17 | 489 | |
| Mulua | 26 | 515 | |
| Las Cruces | 21 | 536 | |
| Tecun Uman | 64 | 600 | Link to Mexico |
| (junction) | 0 | 0 | |
| Santo Tomás de Castilla | 6 | 6 | estimated by Google measure |
| Entre Rios | 0 | 0 | |
| La Inca | 26 | 26 | |
| El Quetzalito | 10 | 36 | estimated by Google measure, plus additional plantation lines. Source: Open Street Map "antigua linea ferrea" (ancient iron line) |
| Bananera | 0 | 0 | |
| Oneida Empalme | 4 | 4 | |
| Quirigua | 36 | 40 | plus additional plantation lines |
| Oneida Empalme | 0 | 0 | |
| Playitas area | 60 | 60 | estimated by Google measure, approximately 60 km network of lines serving fruit plantations |
| Zacapa | 0 | 0 | |
| Anguiatu | 113 | 113 | link to El Salvador |
| Guatemala City | 0 | 0 | |
| Guarda Viejo | 4 | 4 | |
| Santa Maria | 0 | 0 | |
| El Empalme | |||
| San Jose | 33 | 33 | |
| Puerto Quetzal | 7 | 7 | branch from El Empalme, Google measure based on historic map (ref 2057iv) |
| Rio Bravo | 0 | 0 | |
| Empalme Sur | 42 | 42 | Tiquisate plantation |
| Palo Gordo | 0 | 0 | |
| San Antonio | 5 | 5 | |
| Mulua | 0 | 0 | |
| San Felipe | 15 | 15 | |
| Las Cruces | 0 | 0 | |
| Champerico | 29 | 29 | |
| Tecun Uman | 0 | 0 | |
| Ocos | 21 | 21 | |
| Ferrocarril de Los Altos | |||
| San Felipe | |||
| Quetzaltenango | 45 | 45 | |
| Ferrocarril Verapaz | |||
| Panzós | 0 | 0 | |
| Pancajche | 45 | 45 | |
Outside of the IRCA network, an electric railroad Ferrocarril de Los Altos used to connect Quetzaltenango and Retalhuleu between 1930 and 1933. It was destroyed by a hurricane in 1933 and never rebuilt. The remains are on display in a dedicated museum in Quetzaltenango (Ferrocarril de Los Altos).[19]
Another isolated railroad, Ferrocarril Verapaz de Guatemala (also known as Ferropazco), used to connect Panzós and Tucurú in Alta Verapaz Department. Its construction was authorized in 1884 and completed in 1895.[20] Its main purpose was to transport coffee from farms (fincas) controlled mainly by Germans to the port of Panzós on Polochic River, which merged to Lago de Izabal and the Caribbean Sea. The company was nationalized in 1943.[21] In 1956, the government created a national company Ferrocarril Verapaz y Servicios Anexos.[22] Operations along Ferrocarril Verapaz y Servicios Anexos stopped in 1963.[23]
Charter passenger trains with steam engines, mainly for European and U.S. tourists, were organized usually once a year by UK based Ffestiniog Travel or other operators.[8] Traffic control used a modified Track warrant Control method. The main station in Guatemala city also serves as railroad museum.
The Museo del Ferrocarril FEGUA is located in the railway station at Guatemala City and displays steam engines, a diesel engine, passenger and freight cars, and other memorabilia of the Ferrocarriles de Guatemala.
A light rail system called Metro Riel is planned for Guatemala City.
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