KINGSTON, Jamaica— The Jamaica Railway Corporation (JRC) will be entering a partnership with the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information (MoEYI) to transport schoolchildren from Old Harbour and Linstead into Spanish Town by rail.                     

“Along with the students, teachers, parents, healthcare and other essential workers will be prioritised for this service at first,” Minister of Transport and Mining, Robert Montague, disclosed as he made his 2021/22 Sectoral Debate presentation in the House of Representatives today. 

Montague said the ministry is moving to create a safe and orderly system to take children to and from school.                                                                                                                                  

The minister said that under the agreement, the JUTC will pick up the students at the Spanish Town Railway Station and drop them off at various schools in Spanish Town and that the reverse would take effect in the afternoon.                                                       

Pointing out that the train went on a test run from Spanish Town to Linstead and back the week before, Montague said “This is not talk; this is a clear demonstration of the will of this Government to build back stronger.”                                   

He expressed hope that that the JRC will be able to expand the service over time.        

Montague also noted that the workshop of the JRC in Kingston has been restored and a solar light project has been completed in order to provide the necessary support to restart the school train service.                                                                                                             

He added that the JRC is also working with the Jamaica National Heritage Trust to restore station houses, especially in Old Harbour.

Acting General Manager for the JRC, Donald Hanson, said that the corporation has been mandated to commence a school train programme in time for the new school year that would include Spanish Town to Old Harbour and Spanish Town to Linstead, doing two round trips per day.                                                                                                             

“The plan is to begin in September with the new school term, but we are planning some runs before that to sensitise people that we are about to embark on this project,” he explained.