In commemoration of the 145 years of the rail connection between ports, Guatemala railroads (Fegua) announced the celebration of the month of the railroad, a tribute to those who worked in the locomotives and historical lines of this means of transport, introduced in the country in 1880.
June 20 has been designated as the main date of this celebration. According to David López, of the Department of Communication of Fegua, this date was chosen because the historical records indicate that the inauguration of the first station of the port of San José coincided with the birthday of former President Justo Rufino Barrios, on June 20, 1880.
López emphasizes that this fact marked a change in Guatemala, since three decades later the railroad had become an interconnection from Puerto to Puerto.
“This extended from the port of San José to Escuintla, arrived in Guatemala City in approximately 1894. In 1908 it extended to the Atlantic. By 1912, the railroad was already like a whole functional infrastructure.”
This story led Fegua to take on June 20 as the official date of the railroad anniversary in Guatemala.
“We, as a museum, celebrate the fact that this transport has belonged to our land since that year.”
With the purpose of honoring this legacy and who worked in the rail system, Fegua will carry out different activities, including railway walks, guided tours of the museum and theatrical performances of legends of drivers that are part of the Guatemalan oral tradition.
Activities scheduled by Fegua
Inauguration of the Railroad Festival
To celebrate the 145th anniversary, Fegua has allocated June 8 as the opening date of the festival. An artistic presentation will be included that will transport the public to the time of yesteryear. Among the activities are photographic spaces, a marimbas assembly and the traditional train walks, which will cost Q50.
The tour will start at the Central Station of the Railroad Museum and will go to the Gerona station, with an approximate duration of 30 minutes, according to López.
Marimba assembly
In a completely free celebration, on June 15 there will be a marimba assembly so that the public enjoys the facilities, especially the older adults who lived the railway era.
The presentation will be made from 10 am to 3 pm, with the accompaniment of labor recreation, of the Ministry of Labor, as an entity responsible for entertaining the environment.
Presentation “Railroad ghosts”
To end with a gold brooch, the play will be presented on June 20 and 21 Railroad ghostsbased on legends that have transcended between railroads.
As part of this celebration, a night -train night tour will be held through the railway courtyards, where people can live the history of this transport, López stands out.
Tours of the “Historical Train”
As part of the Patrimonial Dissemination project, the Railroad Museum opened on May 7, 2022 the historical train project, which consists of routes within the courtyard of the central station or longer routes towards the La Ermita station, in zone 6.
- Complete Tour: It covers from the central station to the enabled stations of the capital city. It lasts approximately one hour and a cost of Q100.
- Half tour: It goes from the central station to the Gerona station. It lasts approximately 30 minutes and costs Q50.
- Express tours: These trips, scheduled only by Fegua, have a duration of 15 minutes within the railway courtyards. They have a cost of Q35, which includes the entrance to the museum (Q25 of the route and Q10 of entry).