The Technical Secretary of the Presidency, Rafael Calderon reported that the government is studying offers of a private company that would build and operate train service in the DR. He said the first route would communicate Santo Domingo and Santiago and would offer both cargo and passenger service. Thereafter, routes would continue to Puerto Plata, Monte Cristi and the southern provinces. The terms of the deal have not yet been revealed, but Calderon advanced that the US and Puerto Rican businesspeople would be making the entire investment, estimated at US$200 million for the Santiago route. Furthermore, he said the government is still studying offers from German, French, Spain, the US and Canadian companies that want to set up a tramway crossing Santo Domingo. He also told the press yesterday that his department is preparing a frontier development project. The idea is to build several free zones on both sides of the Dominican-Haitian frontier.
