For those travelers wishing to explore more of the Dominican Republic, a new tourist train is set to launch between Punta Cana and Santo Domingo. While the former is a popular resort and beach town, the latter is an exciting cultural and historic destination, giving visitors a better experience of the Caribbean island.

New train to launch in the Dominican Republic

In recent years, there has been much talk about reviving trains as a preferred mode of travel. Not only does this reduce a traveler’s carbon footprint, but often the journey is a vacation in itself. However, in the case of the Dominican Republic, a new tourist train is set to take visitors between two exciting locations on the Caribbean Island.

Punta Cana is among the most popular destinations for American travelers with its well-developed resort scene and excellent services. However, right now, exploring outside that all-inclusive resort can be difficult. Unless visitors have a car, currently, public transportation is limited, and buses are not always reliable. Meanwhile, relying on tour companies to explore the Dominican Republic can be very costly.

However, with the latest news, guests staying in Punta Cana will be able to explore other areas of the island in comfort. Initially, a new tourist train will link Punta Cana to the island’s top cultural destination, Santo Domingo. In fact, it will be possible to board a fast train to spend a day in the island’s capital.

When can visitors expect the train to launch?

As recently reported by Resumen Turismo, the Dominican Republic will start the construction of a new National Railway System by the end of this year. Eventually, not only will tourists (and, of course, locals) be able to conveniently journey between Punta Cana and Santo Domingo. Plans are for the new railway system to cover the whole of the island.

The new train service, named Taino Train, will leave from the island’s capital, Santo Domingo, and will also link a number of coastal settlements on the southeastern coast before arriving in Punta Cana.

Meanwhile, the new National Railway System is privately funded by Empresas Ares at an estimated cost of more than US$3 billion. Local sources confirm that the funds for the project are available and construction will begin with “five phases of execution.”

While more detail is currently unavailable, Jose Alberto Ares, the company’s president, has announced that the rail service will cover the “entire” country, while connecting all provinces, airports and ports.

More development in the Dominican Republic

Meanwhile, Resumen Turismo notes that further development is expected in towns along the rail line. This will reportedly include new shopping centers, hotels, restaurants, museums and supermarkets.

So far, the following towns will be served by the new Taino Train:

• Santo Domingo
• Juan Dolio
• San Pedro de Marcoris
• La Romana
• Chavon
• Higuey
• Punta Cana

Reportedly, the entire journey from Santo Domingo to Punta Cana will only take 58 minutes, which is faster than buses or cars. Meanwhile, plans are to make tickets for the train affordable, although so far no prices have been announced.

Currently, visitors vacationing in Punta Cana would rarely think of visiting Santo Domingo as it is around a two-hour drive away. Meanwhile, the same can be said of visitors in Santo Domingo, who wouldn’t really go out of their way to head to Punta Cana. Once the Taino Train is up and running, it will give visitors a convenient way to explore the modern beach resort and historic cultural destination on the same trip.