JA DISCONTINUING TRAIN SERVICE: omg

[Tuff Gong]

Re: JA DISCONTINUING TRAIN SERVICE: omg

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BlackStar</div><div class="ubbcode-body">So the JLP put the train back on track and PNP derail it. LOL
I know that's too simplistic, but still. </div></div>
It is<span style="font-weight: bold"> fact</span> even if it sounds <span style="font-weight: bold">simplistic</span>!

[Tuff Gong]

Re: JA DISCONTINUING TRAIN SERVICE: omg

In any case the real reason the railway is been closed is not about economics.
or rather good economics. Main reason the railway cannot operate in Jamaica is the agreement made under Highway 2000.

<span style="text-decoration: underline">The only way to operate the railway in Jamaica with a chance to be profitable is:</span>

A. close down JUTC which is eating up millions of tax-payers a and borrowed dollars and like Air Jamaica did not/ does not serve all of Jamaica.
B. let the Railway compete on equal terms with the highways.
Sad to say, no Government of Jamaica is going to allow this. Not one formed by the JLP and certainly not a PNP Government.

The railway service even though is was brought forward by the JLP was never going to be sustainable based on the model that was chosen, because the JLP like the PNP had fallen in love with the highways.

A real GOJ would mandate that end to end shipping take place over the rails or via sea. Less need for Highways and if you still have Highways. Less wear and tear.
The argument that the train does not have arterial branches is BS. That is what truckers and route taxis are for. They could all terminate at the train station and fill the void that the Rail Service cannot span.

No heavy duty rail system have branches to every little hamlet. It is not practical.
I live in a town where Amtrak, ConRail runs and the train does not stop here. If i want to go via train to somewhere I have to hike or ride 7 miles down the road to the next town

Jamaica Government and its advisers lack foresight. The Train Service had the potential to be a tool that unified Jamaica and bring much needed economic benefits to rural villages. The demand for local engineers, mechanics and coach builders would have enable us to collectively improve our technical expertise.

[Blackstar*]

Re: JA DISCONTINUING TRAIN SERVICE: omg

<span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'">Don’t abandon rail service, warns Henry</span></span>
BY TANESHA MUNDLE Observer staff reporter [email protected]
Wednesday, August 15, 2012


FORMER Transport and Works Minister Mike Henry is warning the current administration not to turn its back on the railway system as it is critical to the country's development.

&quot;Let us hope to God that we don't think it is not viable or important in the development of the country as no modern world develops without the railway system,&quot; Henry told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.


&quot;So let us just continue to pursue it and not look at the railway system as being abandoned for other movement of traffic by road because that will be at a high cost and will retard the total development of the country,&quot; he added.

Henry's warning comes in the wake of an announcement by the Omar Davies-led ministry that the passenger train service, which operates between Spanish Town and Charlemont via Linstead, will be terminated next Tuesday, August 21.

Partial rail service was reintroduced to Jamaica by Henry last April after being dormant for 19 years, to facilitate commuters during the closure of the Bog Walk Gorge and to minimise disruption of pipe-laying by the National Water Commission.

However, the current ministry said that with the works completed and the Gorge reopened, the service has proven to be uneconomical.

Transport Minister Omar Davies told the Observer that the train has been operating at a monthly loss of $2.5 million and as a result will be privatised as Government does not have the resources to keep it afloat. He said an enterprise committee has already been set up to explore privatisation.

As such, it is not yet clear whether under that new dispensation the rail service will be rolled out across the island or if it will be kept to the current routes.

But Henry, known for constant advocation of a &quot;multi-modal&quot; approach to transportation while he headed the ministry, does not agree with the move. According to him, Government should have pursued extending the service to Gregory Park in St Catherine. This, he said, was part of a comprehensive programme he formulated for the revitalisation the railway system.

&quot;If it is that you are looking at passengers, you have to relate that to the amount of people and students who are attending school and it can only be economical when you start to run it from a major section of the island such as Gregory Park to Spanish Town, so you pick up the hub of the large population in Portmore,&quot; Henry said.

In addition to that, he said there were plans for the service to operate from Williamsfield to Spanish Town and perhaps Linstead, via May Pen. However, he blamed the management of the Jamaica Railway Corporation for not having bought into his vision.

Henry said his plans also included the privatisation of the system. He reported that he had received an offer from an American company interested in buying and operating the service then transferring it back to the Government. He is now not sure what has become of that offer, he said.

The former minister maintains that the way forward includes a new management and modernisation of the system.

&quot;You can't have an old time management trying to run what must be a modern approach to railway,&quot; Henry said.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Don-t-abandon-rail-service--warns-Henry_12291001

[Blackstar*]

Re: JA DISCONTINUING TRAIN SERVICE: omg

<span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'">May Pen highway leg to shave 12 mins off travel time</span></span>
BY LUKE DOUGLAS Observer senior reporter [email protected]
Tuesday, August 14, 2012


MOTORISTS using the newest leg of Highway 2000 from Sandy Bay to May Pen, will only take six minutes during peak hours, down from the current 18 minutes on the existing road.

However, it will come at a cost of between $60 and $180 per trip.

More...

[Tuff Gong]

Re: JA DISCONTINUING TRAIN SERVICE: omg

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BlackStar</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'">May Pen highway leg to shave 12 mins off travel time</span></span>
BY LUKE DOUGLAS Observer senior reporter [email protected]
Tuesday, August 14, 2012


MOTORISTS using the newest leg of Highway 2000 from Sandy Bay to May Pen, will only take six minutes during peak hours, down from the current 18 minutes on the existing road.

However, it will come at a cost of between $60 and $180 per trip.

More... </div></div>

Well I hope it all works out. I strongly doubt it will.
As for Mike Henry I don't think he did a great job in pushing the rail service.
As I said the proper way to do it was to privatize the JUTC and extend the rail service end to and let is compete directly with the Highways.

[Yuriatin]

Re: JA DISCONTINUING TRAIN SERVICE: omg

Wow - totally depressing. One step forward, 6 steps back.

... happy 50th ...

[Blackstar*]

Re: JA DISCONTINUING TRAIN SERVICE: omg

Interview with former transport minister, Mike Henry

[Wahalla]

Re: JA DISCONTINUING TRAIN SERVICE: omg

Tuffy I live in a similar situation.. in the 1960's there was a reduction in the rail services in the UK lead by a fellow called Beaching... He severly reduced the amount of track.. I live in a village that had a station which was closed and the land is now a housing estate...

but in the 80's in the hey day of Thatcherite reform the rail way system in the UK was furthr reduced...and privitised.. I recall them saying that privitisation would lead to a more efficent profitable system of transport.. it has never happened. the private companies are still supported.. Then in an interveiw memembers of the Thatcher govemenent admitted that they knew privatisation would never make the rail system profitable, that no commuter system could be profitable.. That from a tax persepctive road is better for revenue.... Every mass transport system is subsidised...

[Magician]

Re: JA DISCONTINUING TRAIN SERVICE: omg

The Railway service was a JLP election promise in their manifesto for the 2005 election. They had to do it so they could bring their 'fulfilled promises' ratio up from dire straights.

They painted some rusty pop dung carriages with bashy colours and made it run on some wobbley track for a half hour journey that takes 20min in a car.

Railways are necessary for progress but this was not really a railway. It was just a tick in a box for the manifesto, and one made in pencil only.

[Blackstar*]

Re: JA DISCONTINUING TRAIN SERVICE: omg

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Wahalla</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Tuffy I live in a similar situation.. in the 1960's there was a reduction in the rail services in the UK lead by a fellow called Beaching... He severly reduced the amount of track.. I live in a village that had a station which was closed and the land is now a housing estate...

but in the 80's in the hey day of Thatcherite reform the rail way system in the UK was furthr reduced...and privitised.. I recall them saying that privitisation would lead to a more efficent profitable system of transport.. it has never happened. the private companies are still supported.. Then in an interveiw memembers of the Thatcher govemenent admitted that they knew privatisation would never make the rail system profitable, that no commuter system could be profitable.. That from a tax persepctive road is better for revenue.... Every mass transport system is subsidised... </div></div>I remember one of my friends telling me that Dutch rail is privatized and gives satisfactory service. That is the only example I know of though.

In the UK, rail is a decrepit mess because there is no investment in anything that is not immediately profitable, such as maintaining the infrastructure, improving service, upkeep of the stations, etc. In fact, operators make more money running fewer coaches at higher occupancy, so you know what that means for passenger comfort and convenience.

Anyway, I'm sorry to see rail service halted in JA. I'm not convinced that they couldn't have made a go of it. Just lack of political to best serve the transportation needs of the population and business...

[Blackstar*]

Re: JA DISCONTINUING TRAIN SERVICE: omg

See the final bittersweet ride: http://www.televisionjamaica.com/Pro...x/Videos/20308

[Yuriatin]

Re: JA DISCONTINUING TRAIN SERVICE: omg

Blackstar - nuh worry come wid it ...

I am SOOOOOO distraught. I have personal issue with train service at home. I'm to come down in a few weeks and RIDING the train was an actual point of plan that my Mom and I were going to do.
<span style="font-style: italic">
Po wi - whatta country ...</span>

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BlackStar</div><div class="ubbcode-body">See the final bittersweet ride: http://www.televisionjamaica.com/Pro...x/Videos/20308

</div></div>

[Yuriatin]

Re: JA DISCONTINUING TRAIN SERVICE: omg

Oh well -<span style="font-style: italic"> happy 50th anniversary!!! </span>

[Gen]

Re: JA DISCONTINUING TRAIN SERVICE: omg

mi did want tek a ride pan it again

used to take it from the spain town station guh portland.

well this wasn't even a full station where we used to get off, these were known as &quot;halts&quot;

[Blackstar*]

Re: JA DISCONTINUING TRAIN SERVICE: omg

JA still talking about the train. Funny though, in all the reports and articles, no JRC rep give any direct interview and quotes.

Report starts at the <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="color: #009900">8min</span></span> mark.

<object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JTVh_yDYkEU"></param> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JTVh_yDYkEU" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"> </embed></object>