First Yutong brand railbus to operate in Cuba

The first Yutong brand railway bus that will operate in Cuba is scheduled for its “premiere” this June 28.

The island, which was one of the first countries in Latin America to have a railway, now has to find solutions to prevent its railway equipment from coming to a standstill.

One of these alternatives is the adaptation of the first Yutong brand railway bus that will operate in Cuba. Although the process began in 2020, it was not until now that it was completed.

Luis Beltrán Pérez, deputy logistics director of the Camagüey Provincial Transport Company, said Canal Caribe that they had to look for “important pieces with a group of insurers,” because they were not entering the country “due to the blockade.”

According to the information offered, the fender, sandbox and railway wheels, among other accessories, were incorporated into the railway bus. These will allow it to circulate on the railway, while the engine and transmission could be used from the bus.

The report also notes that the most complex task carried out in the manufacture of this equipment was the adaptation of tires for railway wheels with which several couplings were made.

Yutong railbus

The Yutong railway bus received mechanical and electrical tests for its commissioning, scheduled for the end of this month. Another report indicates that it was due to premiere this June 28.

According to what was announced, the facility has a capacity for 36 people seated and 25 standing. It will benefit 12 communities in the municipalities of Santa Cruz del Sur and Vertientes, in the province of Camagüey.

“They are populations that are isolated, the only transportation they have is by rail service, provided by the train or the railway,” they informed the aforementioned media.

The state TV report highlights that “the blockade affects the purchase of lubricants, engines and other supplies to guarantee the sustainability of the railway infrastructure in Cuba.”