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FROM
CUBA
Train delayed for lack of flashlight batteries
HAVANA, Cuba, November 4 (Reinaldo Cosano
Alén / www.cubanet.org) - The departure
of the Espirituano from the Santa Clara
terminal was delayed last week due to the
lack of flashlight batteries. The Espirituano
is the train that covers the route between
Sancti Spíritus and Havana.
"I had my ticket on the train that
was supposed to leave at five minutes before
midnight," said Dr. Sandra Domínguez,
of Santa Clara. She said passengers were
told that the train was delayed and that
they should wait inside the terminal, but
that no reasons had been given. After more
than two hours, the passengers were told
to board the train.
"Getting to the train was not easy,"
said Domínguez. "Another train
was in the way. To get to the Espirituano,
we had to walk through a tunnel that had
no lights. On top of that, they had only
opened one of a set of double doors, and
passengers had to squeeze through, carrying
bundles and cases. We had to help one another
so as not to stumble."
Domínguez said passengers were exasperated
by the delay. One man said we are three
hundred years behind other countries, when
the fact is we had trains in Cuba in colonial
times, before Spain had them.
Then, Domínguez said, a young man
boarded the train and said the delay was
due to the lack of batteries. The other
passengers wanted to know what batteries
had to do with the train. The young man
explained that inspectors in the terminal
had to inspect the undercarriage, but had
no batteries for their flashlights.
Versión
original en español
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