Train service to benefit students

BY DONNA HUSSEY-WHYTE Observer staff reporter husseyd@jamaicaobserver.com

Monday, April 18, 2011

THE newly relaunched passenger rail service could provide a safer method of transportation for schoolchildren than existing public transport systems, says Minister of Education Andrew Holness.

He was speaking Saturday during the inaugural trip of the revived Jamaica Railway Corporation's services, noting that it was a viable option in light of recent accidents involving students.

Jamaica's passenger train service was locked down in October 1992.

"The rail service provides a safer environment, a more controlled environment, and I believe a more economical alternative to public passenger transport using buses or taxis," Holness told the Observer.

"The train is generally safer than road transportation and you would have seen the very serious accidents that have happened to our students in public transportation involving buses and taxis," said the minister.

He noted, however, that supervision would have to be in place to maintain discipline among students travelling aboard the trains.

"If we have the level of supervision it will certainly improve behaviour, because clearly we would have to have supervision and rules on the train so that students behave in such a way that the train is safe and general behaviour in public is acceptable," he said.

Holness also noted that getting to school would be quicker for students travelling long distances and reduce traffic congestion on the road.

"The train is also quicker in many respects, taking you over longer distances. I believe if most people use the rail services, it will reduce the traffic on the road network making it easier for everyone to move about," Holness added.

But, to top it off, Holness noted that the train is an important part of Jamaica's heritage.

"I recall taking the train from Linstead to Spanish Town to get to school, so it is good that this generation would have this experience as well, and I believe it will be a more modern service that will eventually expand to freight and cargo."

While the return of the trains will be good for students, Holness said the provision of a rail service is expected to be a major boost for Jamaica's development.

"Once you are able to have redundancies in your transportation network — you are able to move people by road, by sea, by air and by rail. That is the basis for economic growth. You begin to open up economic opportunities by reducing time and reducing distance."

The education minister explained that he works closely with Transport Minister Mike Henry and has just implemented a national student registration system where, instead of students only registering at their local schools, their information will also be uploaded into a national database which will help to pinpoint areas where additional transportation services are needed most.

"So, we will be able to know all our students, where they live, and the distance they will have to travel," he explained.

"That is fed into the JIS (Jamaica Information Service) database's — geographic information system, and then we use that to co-ordinate with the ministry of transport and works to plan the various routes. So we will know how many students live in a particular community. But not just that.

"At a particular time we will be able to plan, because we would have had students' information as they enter primary school at grade six. So we know that a student is in the system (and) the student has a unique ID, so we will know where the students are placed and be able to change and manoeuvre, and be able to make far more strategic decisions about how we deploy transportation resources. So we are being very strategic in what we do."

The Ministry of Transport and Works and the Jamaica Railway Corporation (JRC) on Saturday relaunched the passenger rail service in Jamaica with a test run by a six-coach train carrying some 200 passengers from May Pen to Linstead, with a commemorative ceremony held at the Bread of Life Ministry's Church Hall in Linstead.

Hundreds of residents turned out to view the train as it passed through various communities along the route from May Pen to Bog Walk, Linstead, Spanish Town and then back to May Pen. On board the new train was Transport Minister Mike Henry, Education Minister Andrew Holness, Minister of Youth and Culture Babsy Grange, representatives from the JRC, a number of councillors and caretakers from Clarendon, media representatives, and specially invited guests.

The train service is set to start running regular routes within a month.

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COMMENTS (12)

Elli Deedo
4/18/2011

@My Views; Criminals who hang around Taxi Stands demanding Money from Drivers will have less Taxis around. There will be Security on the trains;as much as I can remember there was no robbery on the trains. I believe there are several who will be trying to rat a ride, by not buying a ticket, this must be controled. If it's done like here in Europe where people can buy a 1mth ticket, it would be more economical for passengers. I fully support the return of the rail service. Comfortable 1st class?)

Richard White
4/18/2011

I don't always share the sentiments of the ruling party ,but I think this is a big one. Respect a million.

My Views
4/18/2011

Alberto Alba: Yes, they did reduce the frequency of the trains (as any business minded person would do). I guess you weren't aquainted with the whole train system after it headed out of Gregory Pk towards the rural areas, as you would be aware of this. Anyway, let's see how this will work but I am still concerned about passenger safety and economic viability

Elli Deedo
4/18/2011

If we can re-introduce the Rail service with proper management, this would create more facilities to accommodate tourism, and not just to serve the People of our Country. The rail service is a safe and more effecient way to travel. Several Taxi are not insured to compensation passengers who might have an accident while travelling with them. The Rail reduce's traffic congestion; the population can move quickly. Trains normally run's on time. Time to abolish un-licenced private transportation.

Alberto Alba
4/18/2011

@My Views: Easy problem to solve. If 10am - 2pm are low periods reduce the number of trips in that period and increase the trips in peak periods. Proper scheduling eehh? Secondly though, remember that there are far more people travelling now than twenty years ago. There are more housing schemes in Sp Twn and environs now. The train will be faster too, it wont have the traffic jams that the taxis have.

My Views
4/18/2011

Alberta Alba: Trust me, I lived near a train station so all I had to do was step outside my yard; trains between like 10 am - 2:00 pm had VERY few passengers. True, the early morning trains were okay, in terms of 'ridership' so you may have had problems embarking at some points.

Le View
4/18/2011

So happy to see the trains up and running again---and they are so pretty too;I can see there won't be any need for graffiti since they are already wonderfully decorated. I like that the ministers are being strategic in their approach. I like that the trains will be for everyone; the minister of transport alluded to a 'class' system similar to that used in planes. I suspect the trains will also be used to enhance the tourism product. This will help to offset any downtime. I like the progress!

My Views
4/18/2011

You know some of us Ja. we will take the train in the first month or so but 6 months later...wi cut wi eye offa di train because, it too slow. Mr Henry, how do u plan on making the train viable; esp. since baxite nah seh nutten again suh wi cyan even rely pon di baxite company??

Alberto Alba
4/18/2011

@My Views: I cant recall trains running with five in a coach. What I remember is how difficult it was to get on to a coach in Gregory Park in the morning.
Bobby Pickersgill, if you dont have something sensibale to say its better you shut up. Shatta taxi take over Jamaica and is causing a mess on the streets with great risks to people. Competition is always good...as Mr Paulwell...

My Views
4/18/2011

Nice to know that the train is back but I still have serious questions. Firstly, how safe will the passengers be? I remember the past, passengers would suffer dearly at the hands of criminals, & this led to the train stopping around 6:30 pm. Secondly, is this really economically viable? I remember sometimes only 5 persons or less in 1 coach because people complained that the train was too slow/too much robberies or plain unreliable. All this resulted JRC being bankrupt; what will b different?

Ghengis Khan
4/18/2011

I am elated to see the old dinosaurs up and running again. Its great to see some forward thinking by our elected officials for a change. Hopefully the JRC won't get "railroaded" by incompetitence and curruption once again.

Ainsworth Cole
4/18/2011

Clarendon Park to Spanish town calling at all stations and halts including Four Paths,Denbigh, May Pen, Cross, Sandy Bay,Free Town, Old Harbour, Spanish Town. Bog Walk, Linstead, starting May. The next phase should be Williamfield to Kingston so please get the Sandy Gully bridge inplace as soon as possible, Jamalco and the JRC could build that bridge and rehabilitate the Kingston leg of tracks in 3 months time. We can be running trains between these areas in August. Then on to Mobay and Portland

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