Cuba welcomes Chinese-made trains

The first batch of Chinese-made rail cars are rolling out a new travel experience for Cuba.

For the first time in 44 years, Cubans are traveling aboard new railroad cars.

Passengers aboard one from Havana to Holguin province in east Cuba said they were happy with the ride.

A boy aboard one of Cuba's first Chinese-made train cars at La Coubre train station, Havana, Cuba, July 13, 2019. [Photo: VCG]

"Compared to the old trains, this is totally another world!" says one passenger.

"The train is wonderful; therefore, we need to protect it," says another.

"I feel really comfortable on the train. It's much easier for us to meet our relatives from afar," says a mother taking her daughter to visit her grandparents.

The first 80 Chinese-made cars arrived in May, with another 80 to be sent to Cuba each year through 2021.

A first class seat from Havana to Holguin costs 3 US dollars for 734 kilometers, much cheaper than a plane ticket.

Cuba's first Chinese-made train cars at La Coubre train station, Havana, Cuba, July 13, 2019. [Photo: VCG]

The train's body is corrosion-resistant to the high heat and humidity. To improve the overnight travel experience, reading lights are installed above the seats and the space is wider between rows.

The first train departed Havana on July 13, and arrived at Guantanamo on the eastern end of the island, after a 15-hour, 915-km journey.

Cuba's railway system was launched in the 1830s. Today, it suffers from lack of maintenance and new equipment.