What Happened to Hershey's Electric Railway in Cuba?

The Hershey's Electric Railway, also known as the Hershey Railway, was originally conceived by American chocolate magnate Milton S. Hershey in 1916 to support his extensive sugar operations in Cuba. Constructed by the Hershey Cuban Railroad Company, the railway's primary purpose was to transport sugar cane and refined sugar from his Central Hershey mill to the ports of Havana and Matanzas. It began electric passenger service in 1922, connecting Havana's Casablanca terminal with Matanzas, spanning approximately 90-92 kilometers of main line and numerous branches, making it Cuba's only electric interurban railway.

Following the 1959 Cuban Revolution, the railway, along with all other foreign-owned enterprises, was nationalized in 1960. It was integrated into the state-run Ferrocarriles de Cuba system and renamed the Camilo Cienfuegos Electric Railway Division. This marked a significant turning point, shifting ownership and management from private American hands to the Cuban state. The Hershey sugar mill itself closed in 2002, further diminishing the railway's original freight purpose and emphasizing its role in passenger and tourist transport.

Over the decades, the railway suffered from a lack of consistent maintenance and investment, leading to a gradual decline in its infrastructure and rolling stock. Original Brill cars from the 1920s were eventually replaced by second-hand units from Spain in the 1990s. A major blow came in September 2017 when Hurricane Irma caused significant damage, leading to the suspension of most main line passenger services. While some limited operations, particularly on the Hershey-Jaruco branch, continued sporadically into early 2025, the overall service remained severely disrupted, isolating many rural communities that relied on the train.

In June 2025, the Cuban government announced plans for the 'recovery' and rehabilitation of the Hershey train route. However, this recovery involves a fundamental change: the railway will no longer operate as an electric line. Instead, the plan is to restore service using diesel-powered 'ferrobuses' and to restore the Matanzas station for operational, tourist, and cultural purposes. As of April 23, 2026, the implementation of this plan is still pending. Officials have stated that the ferrobús is 'not technically ready,' and no specific date for a trial run or full resumption of service has been set, leaving the future of this historic line in a state of uncertainty, albeit with a clear direction away from its electric heritage.