“The
plan is to have the trains up and running in December. That is the view of
Minister Mike Henry. Herzog is in Jamaica now doing preliminary work to do the
resuscitation”
Communications
Department at the Ministry of Transport, Vando Palmer on Wednesday April 20th
2016
Looks
like the railways are coming in December 2016 after all as Minister of
Transport and Works Mike Henry has promised.
United
States-based Herzog International has plans to fix the railway tracks to launch
a downtown Kingston to Linstead journey on the trains as reported in the
article “Herzog
Set To Resuscitate 207 Km Of Jamaican Rail”, published Sunday April 24,
2016 by Steven Jackson, The Jamaica
Gleaner.
The
Jamaican Government, then led by the PNP (People's National Party) received a
revised plan from United States-based Herzog International in December 2015.
This plan involves:
1. Fixing
nearly two-thirds of Jamaica's rail network
2. Restarting
the Railway service targeted by December 2016
3. Initial
Launch of downtown Kingston to Linstead leg by September 2016
This
turns out to be some 207 kilometres of the 334.9km rail track as stated in the
Fiscal Policy Paper 2016-17, quote: “Herzog has undertaken necessary due
diligence, and at December 2015, the company submitted a revised business plan
to rehabilitate approximately 207 kilometres of the 334.9km rail track. The
work will be undertaken on a phased basis”.
Hopefully
this will include seating and railway cars made out of Bamboo and come with
free Wi-Fi as predicted in my blog article
entitled “How
Mike Henry's Railway Revival means Wi-Fi and Bamboo Train Carriage seats by
September 2016”.
Herzog International
Inc and the Jamaican Railway Network - How US$500 million investment may be
derailed by Highway 2000 and Squatters
It’s
good to note at this point that the Railway's revival isn't a PNP or JLP
Proposal; both political parties have floated this idea in one way or another.
In
fact, Herzog International Inc had been negotiating with the Jamaican
Government and had plans to privately invest some US$500 million in the
Jamaican Railway Corporation as noted in the article “Henry
rails Government over train service”, published Monday, January 04, 2016, The Jamaica Observer.
The
real problem is the compensation of some 2000 squatters who live on lands owned
by the Jamaica Railway Corporation. They are Jamaican citizens too and have to
be compensated, especially if they've been on the land longer than 12 years and
can furnish documents to prove this as noted in the article “How
To Apply For Title By Adverse Possession”, Published Monday December 15,
2014 by Sherry Ann McGregor, The Jamaica
Gleaner.
However,
there is no problem with the developement of the Railway as it relates to the
Highway 2000 Project. Despite an agreement to not build any other modes of
transportation that would compete with the highway due to the concession
agreement for Highway 2000, the DBJ (Development Bank of Jamaica) says that
this isn't an issue.
In
fact, they point out that any in highway revenues that can be attributed to any
new transportation system that give people an option to the Highway would
result in the Government of Jamaica compensating the High operators.
The
level of compensation would be determined by the an independent traffic adviser
mutually agreed between the National Road Operating and Construction Company
that represents the Jamaican Government and TransJamaican Highway, the
developer and concessionaire for Highway 2000.
This
was considered recently when improvements wee being considered to improve the
Mandela Highway ability to handle traffic and flooding due to rains as noted in
the article “Mandela
Highway Upgrade Could Trigger H2K Compensation”, published Sunday November
1, 2015 by McPherse Thompson, The Jamaica
Gleaner.
It'll
be interesting to see if their plans to launch by December 2016 will be
achieved. And hopefully, with free Wi-Fi and Bamboo Train Carriage seats for a
trial run in of the downtown Kingston to Linstead leg by September 2016!
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