Jamaican Railways Update
Randolph Resor
company has been advising the National Investment Bank of Jamaica on how
to reopen the railway, perhaps I know something about the subject.
Jamaica originally had about 200 miles of standard-gauge railroad,
consisting of a line from Kingston to Montego Bay and a branch from
Spanish Town to Linstead, with another line branching from that one at
Bog Walk and extending to Port Antonio. There was also an agricultural
branch into the Cockpit Country.
The Port Antonio line was abandoned after massive washouts caused by a
hurricane in 1978. The line to Montego Bay continued in operation, in
increasingly poor condition, until 1992 when passenger service was
suspended (general freight service was suspended in 1989).
Two segments of the railroad continue in service: the main line from
Spanish Town to Williamsfield, and the Linstead branch from Spanish
Town. Both carry bauxite trains, typically two or more per day on each
line. They diverge from the Jamaican Railway Corp. line at Bodles
Junction, using a private railroad south to Port Esquivel, where the
bauxite is dumped into ships. Trackage from Spanish Town into Kingston
(10 miles) is marginally in service to move locomotives to and from the
shop, which is still quite functional and run by JRC, which also
dispatches the railroad and performs maintenance. JRC maintains
privately owned locos and leases some of its own to Alcan and Alcoa, the
bauxite mining cos.
There are also three private railways on the island which carry bauxite;
one crosses the JRC line (but does not connect) at a place called
Jacob's Hut.
The current plan being considered by NIBJ would open the Kingston -
Spanish Town segment (10 miles) for commuter rail service, using
refurbished JRC cars and locos. Following that, we have advised that
JRC should begin offering carload freight service to on-line shippers on
the active bauxite lines, using the newly opened line into Kingston to
move goods to and from Kingston Free Port (a short spur into the port,
about a mile, would be needed. ROW is owned by JRC already).
Finally, we have suggested an incremental re-opening of the line from
Williamsfield to Montego Bay. There are two potentially large shippers
about 15 miles from the current end of the active line at Williamsfield,
and a cluster of potential shippers at Montego Bay Port.
Jamaica's transportation system is a mess, and we believe that reopening
the railroad would produce benefits for everybody. Whether NIBJ does it
or not is up to them.
One historical note: the first railroad on Jamaica was opened in 1845.
The line to Montego Bay is very scenic, passing through a half dozen
tunnels and over a summit 1,760 feet above sea level. If tourist trains
are revived (we have recommended that as well) ride them.
John Timm
Randolph,
I greatly appreciate your update. Should I return at some future point, I
hope to be able to spend some time "railfanning" the line.
John Timm