PROPOSED METHOD FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF RAILROADS FOR FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION

Abstract

Honduras is a country that lacks the development of rail transport for the mobilization of cargo within the territory, generating congestion on the roads and problems of merchandise since practically only road transport is available within the country. The country has a privileged geographic location due to its location in the heart of America, making it attractive for several entities to be part of a project to implement a 730 km freight train from the customs office in Puerto Cortes, making the entire journey in the Honduran territory and returning to its starting point. The objective of this work is to propose a graphical method to determine the route of a freight train in Honduras. This method is based on identifying on a map protected zones, import/export zones, cargo ports and customs, determined by the number of containerized cargo passing through the country. As a result, a route for the freight train is obtained that prioritizes the areas with the highest container movement, avoiding the passage through the highways of some of the country's major cities. The main contribution is the proposal of a graphic and systematic methodology to evaluate the possible logistic transport routes that give continuity to this initiative.