The Cuban Ministry of Transportation reported a new derailment that occurred in the early hours of November 8th in the province of Villa Clara, which has once again generated concern.cupActions among Cubans regarding the state of the national railway system.
The incident occurred at 2:50 a.m., when locomotive 52501, which was leading freight train 83 with a 22-car container train, derailed at kilometer 264,6 of the Central Line, near the Esperanza station. The train was traveling between the Angosta station in Artemisa province and the city of Holguín.
According to release Officially, no major damage was reported to the infrastructure or the train cars, and the locomotive was sent to specialized workshops for inspection. However, the accident caused a temporary disruption to rail traffic, affecting passenger train No. 16 (Holguín–Havana), which resumed its journey to the capital after a four-hour delay.
The Ministry announced the creation of an investigative commission to determine the causes of the derailment, although the event adds to a series of similar incidents reported in recent months, especially in the central part of the country.
On the minister's own account, reactions were swift. Some users expressed their confidence in the authorities, while others pointed out technical and structural deficiencies that, they claim, are evident in Cuban railways.
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Among the most frequent comments were criticisms of the deteriorating rail connections, the lack of line maintenance, and the loss of specialized technical personnel due to low wages. “The Central Line is falling apart, and the only thing that matters is that the trains run,” commented one citizen, highlighting the urgent need to invest in repairs and in motivating track maintenance personnel.
Other participants in the debate argued that the frequent derailments cannot be attributed to chance and demanded a comprehensive review of the railway system. “You don’t have to be an expert to realize there’s a structural problem,” wrote one internet user.
The Minister of Transport himself acknowledged that, after a period without accidents, there has been an increase in these incidents, and assured that the Ministry is working on a prevention plan whose details will be released soon.