The railway train: Awesome engine of the new Jamaica

Gilbert Kodilinye, Contributor

Recently, I had the beautiful experience of travelling on the newly restored passenger train service from Spanish Town to Linstead and Charlemont and back. So much excitement had been generated among Jamaicans since the test run back in April, when Minister of Transport Mike Henry, cut the tape to launch the restored service, that I was eager to participate in this momentous event, albeit as a mere passenger, and to experience the train ride for myself.

I must, first of all, confess to having been an inveterate railway buff for well over half a century, being brought up in industrial northern England where many adults used the train to travel to work, children to go to school, and holidaymakers to reach their destinations. The railway was virtually woven into the fabric of everyday life. For me, and many other boys of my age, the express train, with its magnificent steam engine thundering down the line at the head of a long rake of passenger carriages, was a thing of awe and wonder, while the slow local trains on the branch lines had their own fascination as well. A remarkable and well-known fact about the Jamaican railway is that, after the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States, Jamaica was the first country in the western hemisphere to have a railway system, and a 'standard gauge' railway at that, while most of the other colonies had to make do with 'narrow gauge' tracks.

Before imploring the powers-that-be to make rehabilitation of the railway system a priority, I would like to relate my most vivid impressions of that all-too-brief journey from Spanish Town to Charlemont and back. My first impression was that the Spanish Town railway station, although a bit run-down, had all the basic facilities for passenger rail travel: a ticket office; a waiting room; functioning ladies' and gents' toilets; and a platform long enough to accommodate a passenger train of normal length. Boarding the train, I noticed that the carriages were very spacious.

This must mean that the 'loading gauge' on the Jamaican railways is very generous. This is another 'plus', in that large freight containers and wide passenger carriages can be accommodated on the system. Being curious as to the origin of the passenger carriages, which seemed to be extremely well-made, I searched for, and eventually found the answer: they were manufactured by Schindler Waggon of Switzerland - a country that, like other Continental European countries, uses a wider loading gauge than that used in the UK. Another notable feature of the carriages was their cleanliness: even the WC was clean and functioning - something not to be taken for granted, as those who have travelled on trains abroad will acknowledge. The scenery on the journey was, of course, quite stunning, particularly around the Bog Walk area, and one can only imagine how fascinating, even 'romantic' , such a journey would be for tourists, many of whom may come and go away again without having experienced the beauty of the Jamaican landscape.

Cleanliness and punctuality

Yet, another favourable impression I had of the train was its punctuality. We were scheduled to depart Spanish Town at 3:30 p.m. At about 3:27 p.m., the driver of the diesel engine sounded three 'blasts' to warn passengers to get on board. At 3:30 precisely, the guard signalled the order to depart, and the train slowly drew away from the platform. To my mind, such matters as cleanliness and punctuality are a great credit to the train staff; I observed, at first hand, their professionalism and love and respect for the railway and its passengers: another 'plus' for the Jamaican railway. What is more, this respect had clearly made an impression on the young schoolchildren on board, whose behaviour throughout the entire journey was exemplary. They were clearly happy to be able to go to and from school by a comfortable, safe, inexpensive and 'fun' means of transport.

So, those of us who love and appreciate the Jamaican railway would like to see a way forward for rehabilitation. There have, apparently, been expert reports which have suggested that the railway is economically viable. That is a matter for the economists, the engineers, the planners, and the Ministry of Transport. I humbly submit that Minister Mike Henry deserves enormous credit and gratitude for his foresight and tena-city in restarting the railway service, using whatever limited resources were available. But for his efforts, and those of the artisans who refurbished the fine Swiss-made carriages to a comfortable standard, the Jamaican passenger railway, one of the country's most priceless resources, might well have remained in indefinite limbo.

No politics

This, in my humble opinion, is not a political matter: it is a matter of common sense and national pride. As so many former colonies have discovered, one of the biggest mistakes their successive governments made after Independence, was to allow their railways to collapse into disrepair. It was as if one of the precious legacies of colonial rule had been wantonly and shamefully abandoned. Now, many of those governments have realised the gravity of their error, and are scrambling to resuscitate their moribund railway systems. They are now aware that they must reactivate their railways in order to relieve the extreme pressure on their roads, which are now not only affected by horrendous gridlock, but are being seriously damaged by over-use. This is not a new phenomenon, and many experts as well as 'amateurs' like me, have spoken and written about it. Of course, as we all know, the problem is financing. It is said that maintaining a railway requires substantial resources, a high standard of technical know-how and costly equipment, and that it is an expensive undertaking which even governments in rich countries find burdensome. For that reason, it is often said that no railway makes a profit. That may or may not be true but, if true, the same could be said of schools and hospitals, and no-one would ever suggest that they should be abandoned because they are loss-making. In any event, as far as the Jamaican railway is concerned, have we not been told that expert reports have assured the powers-that-be that it is indeed economically viable?

Marketing experts

It is obvious that, in order to be economically viable, the railway must attract sufficient freight and passenger business. These are matters for the marketing experts but, as far as the passenger service is concerned, all the evidence seems to point to a potentially great demand among commuters, at least on the May Pen-Kingston and Linstead-Spanish Town-Kingston lines.

I would also suggest, from my knowledge of several 'heritage' railways in England, that there is much revenue-generating potential in the tourism market. The heritage railways are private organisations, registered as charities, and receiving no direct government funding. They are economically viable partly because they have a substantial volunteer workforce, but also because, in addition to scheduled services during the summer months, they put on 'special events' to raise extra revenue, such as the 'dining trains', where passengers are served three-course dinners on board; the 'historic' trains, where stations are decorated with paraphernalia depicting a particular historical event, and commemorative performances are staged on the platforms; and the 'music' trains, where jazz and folk groups perform at the stations and on board the train. As well as tourists, I would expect that many Jamaicans would patronise such events, perhaps for birthday or anniversary celebrations, or perhaps for the pleasure of a romantic evening with a special friend.

In conclusion, it is my fervent wish that all those who have the power to do so will make it their mission not only to restore the Jamaican railway to a completely functional state, but also to modernise and improve it so that it can stand comparison with any railway system in the world. An efficient railway will serve the following groups: commuters; businesses needing to transport goods from one centre to another; traders and farmers requiring transportation for themselves and their produce; students and children going to and from school; tourists and local residents, for recreational purposes.

Above all, it is well known that railways bring economic and cultural progress to those communities which they serve, and no modern and progressive country in the 21st century can do without a functioning railway. Jamaica is such a country, and the railway should be recognised as 'the awesome engine of the new Jamaica.'

Gilbert Kodilinye is professor of property law in the Faculty of Law, UWI, Mona. Email: gkodilinye@gmail.com