Colonial Cuba

In 1836 Gaspar Betancourt Cisneros established a horse-drawn railway service called Ferrocarril de Camagüey a Nuevitas in Camagüey (Puerto Príncipe).

Cuba's railway history began on October 12, 1834, when the Queen Regent of Spain, Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies, approved the building of the first line. When the Compañía de Caminos de Hierro de la Habana opened the 27.5 kilometers (17.1 mi) line from Havana to Bejucal on November 19, 1837, the first steam railway line in Latin America. At that date Spain itself did not possess any railway lines.

The line from Havana was extended by 17 kilometers (11 mi) to reach Güines on November 19, 1839. By December 1843 the cities San Felipe and Batabanó were added to the rail network. Further extensions were opened in 1847, adding another 17 kilometers (11 mi), followed by 21 kilometers (13 mi) the next year and then 21 kilometers (13 mi) in 1849.

Havana had its first streetcar (Ferrocarril Urbano de la Habana) when its service commenced on February 3, 1859.

Pre-Revolutionary Cuba

Boxcar used on Cuban Central Railway to transport sugar cane. ca 1913

Flatcar used by the Cuban Central Railway for transportation of sugar plantations, circa 1913

American-born Canadian railway builder Sir William Cornelius Van Horne helped expand Cuba's railway network in the early 20th century. He was an investor in the Cuba Railroad Company (founded 1900).

In 1924 Ferrocarriles Consolidados de Cuba was created from a dispute between Ferrocarriles Consolidados de Cuba and Ferrocarriles de Cuba.

Other railway companies formed and merged in the 1920s:

• Ferrocarriles del Norte de Cuba 1916
• Ferrocarril Espirituano Tunas de Zaza
• Ferrocarril Guantánamo y Occidente

From 1940 to 1959, Cuba's railway system was modernized by the acquisition of train stock from Budd and Fiat. These trains provided medium-speed self-propelled (diesel) four-car service on the main line between Havana and Santiago de Cuba. Also after World War II, a large network of diesel intercity buses was created with four or five major carriers competing in the east–west corridor between Havana and the provinces to the east.

A few sugar factories switched over to diesel-electric locomotives to haul freight. In 1958, Cuba had more railway trackage per square mile than any other country.

Train ferry

• Prior to the revolution there was a train ferry between Miami and Havana.
• The West India Fruit and Steamship Company was one of a number of companies to provide such service.

Post-revolutionary Cuba

Diagram of Cuban rail network length in km (1980-2007)

The destruction of President Fulgencio Batista's so-called armoured train (it seems to have been an ordinary train carrying soldiers and weapons) by the revolutionaries in the Battle of Santa Clara in December 1958 was an important stepping stone in the Cuban Revolution.

After the revolution in 1959, the Ferrocarriles Nacionales de Cuba was created by nationalizing the private and public railway systems. MINAZ continued to operate a separate railway system, mainly to transport sugar products.

From 1963 to 1966, British Rail helped the national railway obtain newer locomotives which were based on the Brush Type 4 locomotives (later Class 47) at the time being built at Brush Traction in Loughborough, but the final assembly of the Cuban locomotives was performed in the Clayton assembly shop at International Combustion Derby operated by Clayton Equipment Company Hatton, Derbyshire.^[3] After the Cuban Missile Crisis, it became harder for Cuba to buy new railway equipment because of the United States embargo against Cuba. Some trains were shipped from third countries, British locomotives were shipped from Hull using Yugoslavian ships.

Cuba's purchase of new trains and parts from the Western Bloc, stopped from the late 1960s, was replaced through trade with the Eastern Bloc. The Soviet Union delivered 107 TE-114K locomotives between 1978 and 1984 but this trade link collapsed with the fall of the Soviet Union.

Cuba was able to obtain used trains and new locomotives, from friendly nations not affected by the embargo:

• 5 RSC18 locomotives were shipped from Canada
• 9 electrical motor coaches were shipped from Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) (Catalan Government Railways) of Spain

Many of Cuba's trains are diesel and only a handful of steam locomotives remain for the sugar industry and tourism.

Recent developments

Starting in 2000, the Cuban railway network was improved by more second-hand equipment. Used vehicles came from Canada, China, Mexico, and Europe. In 2002 used light rail-cars (BR771) were acquired from Germany.

In 2006 China became Cuba's major supplier of railway equipment. China Northern's February 7 Locomotive Works in Beijing began delivering 12 DF7G-C diesel locomotives. Follow-up orders for 40 and 60 more meant 112 locomotives were delivered between 2006 and 2010. China Railway also sold some of its retired cars.^[4]

On September 25, 2007, investors from the Venezuelan Bank for Socio-Economic Development (BANDES) reached an agreement with transportation officials in Cuba to invest US$100 million for infrastructure improvements and repairs to Cuba's rail network. The work was expected to help increase the average speed of trains on Cuba's railways from 40 to 100 kilometers per hour (25 to 62 mph). As part of the agreement, Cuban engineers will also work on similar projects on Venezuela's rail network.^[5]

In October 2007, the Cuban railways ordered 200 passenger and 550 freight cars from Iranian manufacturer Wagon Pars. They were never delivered because of UN sanctions against Iran, Cuba purchased coaches from China instead.^[6]

In May 2010 the Cuban government announced wide-ranging plans to repair the railway network, buy new rolling stock, and open four centers to train railway workers.^[7]

Improved Relations between Cuba and the United States has increased interest in Cuban rail travel.^[8] However, in 2017 a new US administration imposed more sanctions.^[9]

In 2016 Russian manufacturer Sinara Transport Machines signed a contract for 60 TGM8 km (ТГМ8КМ) and fifteen TGM4 km (ТГМ4КМ) diesel locomotives to be delivered in small lots by the end of 2021. The TGM8 km has been designed especially to work in the humid tropical climate conditions of Cuba. New spare parts for older Russian locomotives will be part of the order. Sinara will also begin rebuilding older locomotives.^[10]

In March 2017 Russian manufacturer RM Rail, who had just delivered 363 freight cars, signed a contract to deliver an additional 225. They also contracted for twenty-eight four-car passenger train-sets. In September Russian Railways subsidiary RZD International signed a contract for modernizing the system.^[11][12]

In March 2018 France's SNCF entered into an agreement to supply equipment, upgrade two shops to modern standards, and train people in both Cuba and France. Training will include repairing and renovating older equipment.^[13]

In August 2018 a decree-law updated and organized the railroad laws and regulation. From September 2018 foreign corporations can operate rail lines. A Safety Commission and other administration changes were made. Part of long-term infrastructure improvements include every track having a right-of-way of at least 15 meters for railroad use only. Any land that borders it must keep a fence in good condition.^[14]

As of January 2019, Sinara Transport Machines had delivered 43 diesel locomotives to Cuba as part of a contract to supply 75 locomotives by the end of 2021. A new contract for 23 LDE-2500 diesel locomotives was signed in January 2019. Prototype four-unit DMU rail-cars are being received.^[15][16][17]

In 2019, the Cuban railways received the first delivery of new Chinese-built coaches, and new services with these began in July 2019.^[18][19]