..now THIS is Jamaica moving in the right directio

[neutral]

Re: ..now THIS is Jamaica moving in the right directio

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: barosa</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

Natral. find your adventure very amusing and interesting; I just need a little clarity.. If it was you and a friend and only this girl which you describe as a &quot;butch&quot;, why couldn't you two overpower her and gotten away without she beating the both of you so badly that a tailor had to rescue unnu... You guys must have been real &quot;small boys' at an age that you couldn't fight her off to escape.. Maybe you guys were too small to be hopping trains



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We were both about 13 or 14,as soon as we got off the train the assault started,my friend who was a bit of a joker took one look at this butch girl and said....&quot;a wah dat&quot; pretty loudly and started laughing,she searched around for a couple stones,...started throwing,we started throwing back stones,.....once one claawt me on the side of the face I took flight,my friend also ran,that was when the chase started with her hot on our heels pelting us with rocks.

[Wahalla]

Re: ..now THIS is Jamaica moving in the right directio

I dont want to seem the snake in the grass, but is there any transit train system that runs at profit or even breaks even.?

The train system stopped because it was not commercial... Has anything changed ???

dont get me wrong I would like it to work but I am afraid that this is not going to work..unless there is massive public money input..

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: ..now THIS is Jamaica moving in the right directio

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Wahalla</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I dont want to seem the snake in the grass, but is there any transit train system that runs at profit or even breaks even.?

The train system stopped because it was not commercial... Has anything changed ???

dont get me wrong I would like it to work but I am afraid that this is not going to work..unless there is massive public money input.. </div></div>
Like it to work?!.....

You mean you would like the demonstration the minister promised to work??

That will work of course.
Now about it being an ongoing operation now, that was not promised neither does it seem likely to happen in the near future.

For one it suggest private investors is being courted.
That is most unlikely to happen.
For the mere fact That rail is usually not very attractive As a means of reasonable returns on investment.
The Chinese subsidized banks would be the midtown likely investment partners.
On a possible BOOT strategy similar to the toll highway.

[Wahalla]

Re: ..now THIS is Jamaica moving in the right directio

no doc I mean the entire project of return of rail to Jamaica not simply the PR stunt.....I simply cant see how it could break even much less make a profit....

[X]

Re: ..now THIS is Jamaica moving in the right directio

if the transit system here is anything to go by, a transit system will require huge amounts of public funds to even stay aflot.
I doubt that there are any monetary benefits to running transit. Its not a business for profit.
Its the cost to properly develop a country.

[barosa]

Re: ..now THIS is Jamaica moving in the right directio

Nothing is wrong with sober second thoughts to be discussed..

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">=Wahalla]I dont want to seem the snake in the grass, but is there any transit [train system that runs at profit or even breaks even.?</div></div>
<span style="font-style: italic">I'll venture a response in the absence of statistics ; I would say that 40% may be making various level of profits. CNR (Canadian National Railway) is making money. ~ 30% could be operating at break evens ; the remaining 30% losing money at various level of losses.. It's safe to assume that a revived train system in Ja. would start off not making money until Break Even within a year or two.. ~ <span style="font-weight: bold"> IMO a rail system in Jamaica being profitable should be a Goal, but not be a millstone around the neck of the Corporation as long as the benefit to Jamaica's economy is realized. </span></span>


The train system stopped because it was not commercial... Has anything changed ???[/quote]

<span style="font-style: italic"> True, but it was not started as a private corporation. Remember, it was the Jamaican Government Railway established during British Colonial Rule.. It became the JRC, a Corporation after Independence.. The NWU moved in and the rest is history.</span>


dont get me wrong I would like it to work but I am afraid that this is not going to work..unless there is massive public money input.. [/quote]

<span style="font-style: italic">Wahalla, It's not like the Railway is starting from scratch, the Govt owns the existing assets which is quite formidable with the exception of a large portion of its &quot;Rolling Stock&quot;. It will take time to modernize ~ Mike Henry has said that he has gotten offers from foreign &quot;investors&quot; who are willing, and he is pursuing others which means that private investors &quot;want in&quot; as long as the govt. is fair and not too restrictive.. If we get 30 to 40 percent private &quot;investment&quot; during the initial stages, that should be it, and it will be &quot;a GO&quot; ~ Jamaicans are not going to be willing to sell off their Railway...</span>

[Wahalla]

Re: ..now THIS is Jamaica moving in the right directio

All the transit systems have had goverment money invested...is there enough passengers for this work in Jamaica ?????

I ask because the gurus of the privitisation of the UK rail and transit systems confessed that there was no chance that the for their systems ever to be profitable ... ten years adter the event...i was surprised that the CNR was profitable to be honest..

The NWU is still there...

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: ..now THIS is Jamaica moving in the right directio

The rail dydtrm in Jamaica was not built by the British government.
It was built by an American corporation That operated it for some time before selling it to the colonists.
it was operated as tshe Jamaican government railway up u til independence When it became the Jamaica railway corporation until it reduced operation to the freight system That now serves the bauxite industry.

[Tuff Gong]

Re: ..now THIS is Jamaica moving in the right directio

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Wahalla</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I dont want to seem the snake in the grass, but is there any transit train system that runs at profit or even breaks even.?

The train system stopped because it was not commercial... Has anything changed ???

dont get me wrong I would like it to work but I am afraid that this is not going to work..unless there is massive public money input.. </div></div>

No the Train system was not stopped because it wasn't commercial.
The trains were stopped for two reasons that is very peculiar to PNP Governments.

A. it was already damaged from the hurricane and the GOJ did not want to put more money into it.....see B

B. Unlike the JPS, Water Commission, JAMINTEL...the trains needed professional to run it. The Comrades could not just pad it with Party workers and collect the revenue. It took a lot of time, money and more important skilled workers to maintain the rolling stock...hence it was not attractive to the slash and burn methods of the Comrades.

[Jazz]

Re: ..now THIS is Jamaica moving in the right directio

Oh brother... anyway....

I remember taking the train from Williamsfield in Manchester all the way to Montego Bay with my Mother - it was a fun , fun ride for me...

The vendors used to ride the train and sell fry fish and bammy and peppa swims... they used to keep the fish in these little cabinet looking things and let me tell you dem fish was nice!! with lost of scotch B and onions - -mmm mmm

Along the way we passed through all these towns that I probably would never have seen otherwise - as we pass through some country towns... the pikni dem used to run beside the train and I would stick my head out and wave at them...

My mom said the wheels of the train were singing a song... it said &quot;bad conducta, ketch yuh mash yuh, bad conducta ketch yuh mash yuh&quot; - and I would look out the window and sing that song all day... *sigh* - such good memories...

We also passed a tourist train going in the opposite direction and we would wave at them and they would try to take our pictures - my Mom didn't like that - she would tell me to sit down and shut the window...

I think it's wonderful that they are looking into utilizing it again... Wahalla - things are every different down there now... Many people who work in Kingston are living further and further away as housing in Kingston is very expensive... I know people who commute from Mandeville every day into Kingston (not so hard to do now with the highway) - still it creates a lot of traffic on the road every day... especially from Old harbour into Kingston... I am sure that if they could provide a safe means of alternate transport that many of these people would utilize it.

Look out for train bandidos - yes - just as it provides new employment - it provides new teefing opportunities too...

I can;t wait to see how this develops - XXX - you should really go help them plan up the thing man fe real!

[jah_yout]

Re: ..now THIS is Jamaica moving in the right directio

hail up Jazz;

these are my childhood memories as well...
i do not know the politics of it, i just remember how much i enjoyed riding the train to mo-bay basically across the island &amp; how spectacular the sights were...
not to mention i hated driving to mo-bay as i would always get car sick...

however they work it out i think it would be great for jamaica to re-institute a railway system!

[X]

Re: ..now THIS is Jamaica moving in the right directio

Jazz.. see thats eduction for me as I didnt even know we had &quot;tourism trains&quot;
Thats even another advantage to rail in Jamaica. Rail/Tourism partnership could potentiall bring some serious revenue..

We can think of many reasons why this may not work.
Since I have a little haulage contracting business in Ja, I could very well be looking at retooling to adjust if my customers decide to ship their goods via rail as oppose to using my trucks.
<span style="font-style: italic">(personally i'd prefer the short shuttle trips from station to retailer as the cost to transit goods across the island is stifling business... u dont want fi see my diesel bill)</span>

No matter what the &quot;cons&quot;, efficient, mass transit is a critical component for any develop/ing nation. A properly run rail system will pay off in spades..

[RichD]

Re: ..now THIS is Jamaica moving in the right directio

the tourist train was the tour that went from montego bay to appleton estate..usually just a single coach

[MsExced]

Re: ..now THIS is Jamaica moving in the right directio

My last train ride in Jamaica was Kingston to Buff Bay, I was about 12yrs going camping.

When the train used to go thru the tunnell we would scream so loud.

Good memories man, bring it back.

[X]

Re: ..now THIS is Jamaica moving in the right directio

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RichD</div><div class="ubbcode-body">the tourist train was the tour that went from montego bay to appleton estate..usually just a single coach </div></div>

ahh ok.. a guess It would take some doing to get one from bay to say portie