History
Construction of the first railway in Guatemala commenced in 1877 and the first section began operation in 1880, connecting Puerto San José and Escuintla, being extended to Guatemala City in 1884. The line to Puerto Barrios, which still exists, was completed in 1908. The network was soon acquired by United Fruit, and in 1912 renamed the International Railways of Central America which was also known as IRCA. The railroad prospered until 1957. In 1954, United Fruit had to divest following an antitrust suit and in 1959, a parallel highway caused a serious competitive pressure. In 1968, the company defaulted, was taken over by the government and renamed Ferrocarriles de Guatemala which was also known as FEGUA. The condition of tracks continued to deteriorate and all traffic was shut down in 1996. Only nostalgic tourist trains (by Trains Unlimited) ran on parts of the network in 1997 and 1998.
Read more about this topic: Rail Transport In Guatemala
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