US reportedly interested in Honduras interoceanic rail corridor

A US government delegation met with the Honduran commission in charge of planning the US$10bn-20bn interoceanic rail corridor, local media reported. 

According to daily El Heraldo, the commission presented the project to the US representatives on March 14 and on March 19 the US government expressed interest, along with officials from other nations like Japan, South Korea and Spain, in investing in the project. China was not included in the group. 

Nevertheless, there is a long way to go as the commission, known as Confi, is currently drawing up its internal regulations. 

The next step will be to present the project to congress and have norms approved to facilitate its continuity across different administrations. 

According to details published in January, the project could be built in two stages and would take up to 20 years.

Construction of the first stage would take two to five years and comprise refurbishment of rail lines connecting Cortés port on the Caribbean coast and the San Pedro Sula area. Around 120km of new track to transport containers from San Pedro Sula to a dry port in La Barca would also be built.

The stage involves maintenance of the CA-5 highway to prepare for increased cargo traffic from La Barca to a dry port that would be built in Goascorán municipality. Lastly, 80km of track would be built to transport cargo from Goascorán to a new port planned for Amapala on the Pacific coast.

The second stage includes a new rail link between Castilla port, in Trujillo on the Caribbean coast, and Amapala port. Completion of that stage would take 10-15 years.

Last week, Confi declared Castilla port a site of interest for the project.