URUGUAY: A number of problems have been preventing the operation of passenger and freight services, with some not expected to be resolved until a new government is formed in March 2025.
The railway union is negotiating with the transport ministry for a reorganisation of national railway AFE to address a lack of staff following the retirement of 136 people on January 31 2023. Track maintenance workers were also due to be transferred to the ministry but this has not yet happened.
Meanwhile, railway staff are operating a free Tacuarembó – Rivera passenger service twice a week to avoid leaving people near the intermediate stations without transport.
Passenger services between Montevideo and 25 de Agosto are not expected to restart until at least 2025, when either new rolling stock arrives or AFE’s existing Y1 railcars are allowed to run without having ETCS.
Meanwhile a lack of action to implement ETCS means that national freight operator SELF does not expect to be able to operate freight trains on the Ferrocarril Central route using its 10 GE 18-7i locomotives in the immediate future.
