Students benefit from rail service in St Catherine

The Government’s student rail service rolled out in St Catherine today.

Under the initiative, passenger trains are used to transport students from Old Harbour and Linstead to Spanish Town.

The Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) then picked up and dropped off students at the six participating schools in Spanish Town.

In the afternoon, the reverse will obtain.

This morning, the turnout was low but the numbers improved in the afternoon.

Minister of Transport Robert Montague, in welcoming the students this morning, explained that the non-collection of pass cards by pupils was the main factor in the low ridership.

“The Ministry of Education has indicated that they [students] will get their cards today and tomorrow in full because all the students don’t come back on the same day, so it will take a couple of days to get to the full 400 students,” Montague disclosed.

He said that he expects the cohort to be increased over time.

Montague said that he will be proposing an expansion of the country’s rail service to Cabinet as a means of easing traffic on the nation’s roads.

Meanwhile, student Elicia Thompson said she was happy for the rail service and hopes it continues.

“Where we live at Heartlands it is very hard to get a taxi so the fact that there is a train coming it is very good for us. All we have to do is just wake up and catch it. It was our first time on it and we didn’t know what to expect but the ride was very good,” she said.

- Ruddy Mathison

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