Before.
It's an interesting history. The tunnel near Puerto Plata on the way to Navarette was originally a train tunnel.
Trujillo was upset with some North coast folks at one point and had all of the tracks removed.
Here's an earlier post on DR1:
The railway was inaugurated on 16th. August 1897 by then President Ulises Heureaux (Lilis). It ran from Puerto Plata to Santiago and was managed by a state company, the F.C.D. (Ferrocarril Central Dominicano). It was originally financed by a Dutch bank but in 1892 debts were passed to the Santo Domingo Improvement Company of New York. In 1906 Ramon Caceres signed the contract for the line extension to Moca. Most of the work was carried out under President Horacio Vasquez, and the extension became operational on the 24th. of October 1909. The tunnel that people going from PP to Santiago are familiar with was built sometime in the early 20th century.
It was used for transporting agricultural produce from the Cibao to the port at PP for export and imports shipped to PP were taken from there by train to Santiago.
The PP station itself is now the Civil Defence HQ on Avenida Colon. Station buildings were originally brought in from Germany. I think the railway ceased functioning around 1952.
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