In Uruguay, the modernised Ferrocarril Central railway line from Paso de Los Toros to the port of Montevideo was inaugurated on 16th April 2024. The inaugural journey was made with a freight train loaded with cellulose and 18 freight wagons. The project began in May 2019 and included the renovation of the 273 km line, which is expanded to double-track for the first 26 km from Montevideo and then single-tracked with 12 passing tracks. New rails were laid for 343 km and the infrastructure was renewed to European standards with welded rails and concrete sleepers. The line is designed for freight trains with a speed of 80 km/h and a maximum axle load of 22.5 t. The line is mainly used to transport cellulose pulp and chemical products to the port of Montevideo. Finnish forestry company UPM-Kymmene is expected to transport up to 4 million t of freight per year via this line. The line will also be used for passenger trains between Montevideo and 25 de Agosto. French engineering company Setec has agreed to carry out a feasibility study for the introduction of hydrogen-based passenger transport on the line.
