A new protagonist is about to roam the heart of Costa Rica, and it’s not a giant insect, although its name suggests so.
“tibi”which means in the Ngabe language “centipede”— the largest railway project in the region: the first metropolitan train which will transport hundreds of thousands of people daily and which promises to change the way people travel around the country.
Costa Rica is getting a train ride with international support and historic funding
The initiative is promoted thanks to a agreement between Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) in South Koreawhich will provide technology and strategic cooperation.
Added to this support European Unionhe Green Climate Fund and strategy A global gatewaywhich together will fully finance the construction, equipment and start-up of the initial lines for a sum close to 800 million dollars.
We are talking about the first 100% electric rail system in Central Americaa key step in the development of sustainable urban mobility.
What Tibi will be like: lines, stations and capacity
The project includes two main lines that will add more than 51 kilometers on a two-track:
- Carthaginian Paradise – San Jose,
- San Jose – Alajuela.
The plan includes the purchase of 28 new electric trains, 30 stationstwo fully modern terminals and nine overpasses. According to official estimates, the system will be able to transport over 100,000 users per daywith an approximate frequency 10 minutes between trains.
CABEI Executive President Gisela Sanchez emphasized that this will be a service zero emissionsintegrated with buses, bike lanes and pedestrian crossingsmaking it one of the most advanced transportation projects in the region.
South Korea: Key technology for the project
Korean cooperation is not limited to financing. According to Sanchez herself after her visit to Seoul, South Korea will contribute technologiesinnovation and technical advicecentral elements for promotion the first fully electric train in the country.
Estimated impact exceeds two million peopleespecially in urban areas where traffic jams are a daily problem.
Why is it called “centipede”?
Name “tibi” was elected in Costa Rican Railway Institute (Incofer) as a tribute to the indigenous Ngabe communities in the south of the country. For these communities, “Tibi” evokes movement, collective strength and a connection to the territory.
The executive president of Incofer, Álvaro Bermúdez, explained that the train aims to reflect this spirit: a highly developed transport that connects regions and moves Costa Rica towards cleaner and more efficient mobility.
