In an event that sets a precedent for the Dominican Republic and positions it at another level in the region of Central America and the Caribbean in terms of transportation, mobility, innovation and sustainability, President Luis Abinader drove this Sunday the first trip with passengers of the Santiago Monorail.
The President drove the train and 4 cars, from station 3, in the Espaillat widening, in a journey that began at 11:45 am, to station 2, in San Lorenzo, where he arrived at 11:58 am, in a journey of about 2 kilometers, at a reduced speed of approximately 15 kilometers per hour, in this test.
After concluding the test run, the Head of State expressed his excitement at being able to participate in this test of the Monorail, which he said is the most modern in the entire region, with the latest technology for mass transportation, and that Santiago will have it to ensure that the city continues its economic growth, its competitiveness, increase its productivity and that it will be of benefit to all.
“I am very happy, the test was excellent, tests will continue and we hope that next year all the people of Santiago will be able to use it”, said President Abinader.
He considered that quality mass transportation is fundamental for the economic development of any society and of any country and affirmed that “this is what we are doing in Santiago, the capital, the heart city and the capital of the entire region”.
Likewise, he indicated that in this province there are fundamental industries, not only for the region, but for the country, such as the free zones, the industries, everything related to cigarettes and the agricultural industry which serves the whole national territory.
He pointed out that when the construction of the Monorail is completed, from the Cienfuegos station to Pekin, it will be about 14 kilometers and it will be possible to make the trip in 25 minutes.
President Abinader also announced that they are executing the integrated transportation system of Santo Domingo, which is already in the bidding process for the metropolitan train that would go from the center of the city, from John F. Kennedy and Máximo Gómez, to the International Airport of the Americas, José Francisco Peña Gómez.
He also indicated that the Santo Domingo West Cable Car is already in the bidding process, reaffirming that this type of work is fundamental for the economic development of a city.
Tour of the Monorail Route
After concluding the test run with passengers, President Abinader toured the route of the first stage of the Monorail, making a stop at the Parque Lineal Arroyo Gurabo and at the Las Carreras Cable Car Central Station in Santiago.
The governor was accompanied during the tour by the vice-president Raquel Peña; the minister of the Presidency Joel Santos; the current senator of Santiago Eduardo Estrella; the governor, Rosa Santos; the executive director of the Trust for the Development of the Mass Transportation System of the Dominican Republic (Fitram), Jhael Isa.
This movement of the Santiago Monorail is a promise fulfilled by the President of the Republic, a commitment he made in 2021 when the construction process of the Santiago Integrated Transportation System (SIT-Stgo) began, with Line 1 of the cable car of that city. On April 30, 2022, work began on the Santiago Monorail, a project that has been under construction for two years and 4 months.
The Monorail is a high-tech rail transportation system that will have the capacity to transport 20,000 passengers per hour in each direction and 200,000 passengers per day in the city of Santiago. It will run on a structure of reinforced concrete beams (single girders), on a viaduct that will cross the entire city, from Cienfuegos to Pekín.
The system will have an approximate length of 13.2 kilometers of viaduct, with 14 stations and a central terminal for integration with the cable car. It will also have a maximum speed of 80 km/h with an interval between trains of 180 seconds, being able to arrive in 25 minutes from Cien Fuegos to the Pekin sector.
This project will have a direct impact on more than 500,000 citizens, with benefits that translate into a 30% reduction in transportation costs and traffic congestion, increased productivity and reduced environmental impact.
Also present were the directors of Opret, Rafael Antonio Santos; of Intrant, Milton Morrison; of Coraasan, Andrés Burgos; of Cesmet, Major General Manuel Antonio Lachapelle De Los Santos; the senator-elect of Santiago, Daniel Rivera; the mayor, Ulises Rodríguez; the general manager of Edenorte, Andrés Cueto; the director of the Santiago Oeste Municipal District, Eddy Báez, and representatives of national and international contractors.
Source:presidencia.gob.do
