Why Minister Omar Davies killed the JRC Passenger Train Service and Islandwide JUTC Bus Service

“This administration is actively pursuing the resuscitation of the railway......It (Enterprise Team) is moving full speed ahead to entertain requests for proposals and consider these requests, and we expect a railway operation in the future of this country and indeed in the future of this Administration”

Finance Minister Dr. Peter Phillips comments in Parliament on Tuesday December 11^th 2012 while seeking the Upper House’s approval for North-South Link of Highway 2000 by the National Road Operating and Constructing Company Limited

I am today both confused and elated in one go. This as the GOJ’s (Government of Jamaica) made yet another strange announcement as summarized above and thus far only reported by The Jamaica Observer in the article “Now Gov’t wants to revive train service”, published Sunday, December 16, 2012, The Jamaica Observer. In short, the GOJ’s planning to revive the JRC (Jamaica Railways Corporation) Railway Passenger Service as described in my blog article entitled “Jamaican Transport Sector and Railways - The Money Train is Coming with Senator Mike Henry”.

First the confused part!

A strange about-face from their previous held position some six (6) months after the Minister of Transport and Works Omar Davies made the decision in Parliament on Wednesday June 20^th 2012 to abandon the Railways as reported in “The train's not coming, baby!”, published Thursday, June 21, 2012 by Ingrid Brown, The Jamaica Observer. At the time, the argument was that it was seen as being too costly to maintain, losing some JA$2.5 million per month.

So by this about-face again, the GOJ’s tacitly agreeing with former Minister of Transport and Works Mike Henry’s statement that, quote “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” as per the article “Don’t abandon rail service, warns Henry”, published Wednesday, August 15, 2012 BY TANESHA MUNDLE Observer staff reporter, The Jamaica Observer.

For those with very short memories it was under the former Minister of Transport and Works Mike Henry watch that the Passenger Railway Service had been revived, officially inaugurated on Saturday April 16^th 2011AD as stated in the article `“Spanish Town excited about train service”, published Tuesday April 12 2011 17:28:47, Go-Jamaica and “Train coaches roll into Old Capital for Test Run”, published Wednesday April 13, 2011, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Now for the Elated part!

GOJ’s decision means that the Multi-Modal Transport concept of Planes, Trains and Aeroplanes necessary for easy travel islandwide as prognosticated in my blog article entitled “JRC Trains and JUTC Buses coming in Fourth Quarter of 2011AD - Fifth Dimension's Up, Up and Away” is on track to be fulfilled.

Eventually the market sellers and Farmers from Clarendon along with School Children may one day be able to travel to Kingston with Freight making up the bulk of traffic back into the island’s interior as envisioned in my blog article entitled “JRC, Scotts Pass and Senator Mike Henry –  Molly Wood Keeping up with the Kardashians”.

Hopefully too, this announcement by the Finance Minister Dr. Peter Phillips, curiously based on advice by the same Minister of Transport and Works Omar Davies, also includes further development of the Downtown Municipal Transport Centre and expanding the JUTC’s (Jamaica Urban Transport Center) service islandwide as reported in my blog article entitled “JUTC and the Downtown Municipal Transport Centre - Planes, Trains & Automobiles”.

This multi-modal concept is not just for FDI (Foreign Direct Investors) and Jamaicans to have options for easier in transportation to the Rural interior and back to civilization in Kingston or Montego Bay. It’s mainly, in my eyes, to aid the continued development of our Jamaica’s Future: our Education System and the many children having difficulty traveling to school in the rural Areas.

A Well-developed robust Multi-modal System aid in lowering the cost and makes it easier for them to travel; making this of interest to the Minister of Education Ronald Thwaites as it would eliminate this idea of not being able to go to the school of your choice because of lack of transportation due to expense and safety issues as noted in the article “Expensive and Unsafe”, published Tuesday December 11, 2012, The Jamaica Gleaner.

This time around, too, I hope the GOJ finds a suitable FDI (Foreign Direct Investor) via an open bidding process and replaces the current Trains with Trains that use LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) as described in my blog article entitled “JUTC, Challenger and LNG - Journey to the Center of the Earth”. This would reduce maintenance costs associated with the JRC Trains, making them more efficient by avoiding the use and consumption of Bunker “C” Oil or Heavy Diesel used in Trains currently and easily fouls the Engines.

Throw in contracts for Freight from Private Sector companies interested in reducing their transportation costs. Even making them partners in the JRC by having them own Trains in much the same way you can own a container should generate enough Revenue for the venture to be successful and eliminate the JA$2.5 million in monthly maintenance costs, thus making the Railways break-even, if not profitable.

The GOJ’s change of mindset as it relates to Trains is a good step back in the right direction, and puts the Multi-Modal approach to Transportation in Jamaica back on track, pun very much intended.  Hopefully, it will also be reflected in a change of mindset as it relates to an islandwide rollout of the JUTC to replace the confused system of JATOO affiliated taxis and buses as predicted in my blog article entitled “JATOO and the Transportation Revolution in Jamaica - Babylon By Bus”.

Proving in the long run that the GOJ isn’t Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away (2012) but has revived this necessary service so it does Not Fade Away (2012)! Folks, stay turned to my blog as I track this breaking development as the GOJ gets back on track with the Multi-Modal Transportation concept.