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New Chinese coaches enter service in Cuba

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NEW passenger coaches entered service in Cuba in July, operating on the Havana to Santiago de Cuba route. 

The vehicles are the first of 240 carriages to be supplied by Chinese firm CRRC from its Tangshan plant.

Historically, Cuban Railways have used a wide variety of older rolling stock, including second-hand carriages from European operators.

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The major order for new Chinese-built coaches comprises 70 air-conditioned First Class coaches (72 seats) and 130 Second Class coaches (72 seats), plus 20 baggage/generator cars and 20 buffet cars (56 seats). 

An all-Chinese train in Cuba:  Chinese-built DFG7C class diesel locomotives Nos. 52568 and 52581 lead the new Chinese carriages from Havana to Santiago de Cuba in Havana on July 16, 2019. This was the first public service to use them. WILDY

All 240 carriages will be delivered by the end of 2021.

The first 12 coaches arrived in May and were officially handed over on the 20th in Havana.

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These were then used as a test train, running from Havana to Holguín, Guantanamo, Santiago de Cuba, Bayamo and Manzanillo in early June.

Read more News and Features in the October 2019 issue of The RM –on sale now!

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