Rail transport in the Dominican Republic


Rail transport in the Dominican Republic is provided by one state-owned operator and several private ones, mainly for sugar mills. There are no connections with the neighbouring Haiti.

History

The first line, connecting Santo Domingo to Puerto Plata through Santiago de los Caballeros, was opened in 1877.

System

National railways

The network consists of several lines, for freight and passenger transport, using several gauges. Due to the closure of some of them, during the 20th Century, the network has been partly reduced to a series of scattered branches, mainly concentrated around the cities of San Pedro de Macorís and La Romana.
The list below shows an overview about the original network:
The first rapid transit system opened in the state, inaugurated at the end of 2008, is a metro network serving the capital Santo Domingo. It consists of two lines for a total length of 27.4 km, with planned expansion. A light rail system has been planned for Santiago de los Caballeros, the second Dominican city.