Railways of Jamaica
Encyclopedia
The Railways of Jamaica, constructed from 1845, were the first railway lines opened to traffic outside Europe and North America, and the second British Colony
after Canada
's Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad
of 1836 to receive a railway system. Construction started only twenty years after George Stephenson
's Stockton and Darlington Railway
commenced operations in the United Kingdom
.
The public passenger railway service in Jamaica
which was closed in October 1992, re-opened in 2011 (see below). The Parliament of Jamaica
debate leading towards a revival under a public joint venture corporation proposed with an offshore partner. Private freight transport continues on limited tracks leading to the various docks
around the Caribbean
island, transporting bauxite
and sugar cane for export.
who owned land in Jamaica, and his sugar planter brother David.
The system approved by the Assembly of Jamaica in 1843 was for a double track between Kingston and Spanish Town, with branch lines to Angels, Port Henderson
and the Caymanas sugar estate. On 21 November 1845 the Governor of Jamaica James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin
and ten carriages of passengers, pulled by the companies two locomotives Projector and Patriot built by Sharp Brothers of Manchester, travelled 12 miles (19.3 km) from Kingston to Spanish Town
. The first train came after the UK Government had enacted the Sugar Duties Act 1846
and just after the emancipation of slaves, meaning the sugar industry needed the efficiency that the railway would bring to the difficult too passage island.
The construction of the first single-track section was budgeted to cost £
150,000, but cost £222,250, or £15,377 per mile. As a result of the cost of building and a downturn in the sugar industry, only another 11 miles (17.7 km) were added until 1869 in the form of an extension from Spanish Town to Old Harbour at a cost of £60,000.
After a period of decline, new Governor Sir Anthony Musgrave
agreed a deal in 1879 to buy the existing 26 miles (41.8 km) of the system for £93,932. After an investment and improvement program, the expansion of the citrus and banana industries led to two extensions, extending the total system to 65 miles (104.6 km): westward from Old Harbour to Porus
(24½ miles); northwards from Angel to the interior district of Ewarton
(14¼ miles). Both were completed in 1885 at a total cost of approximately £280,000. Main article: Railways of Jamaica: Spanish Town to Ewarton
.
After debates about extensions, on 1 January 1890 the railway was transferred to an American
consortia headed by New York
merchant Frederick Wesson, and extensions from Porus 62 miles (99.8 km) to Montego Bay
in 1895, and an extension through the banana, cacao, citrus and coconut
districts of St Catherine, St Mary and Portland was developed over 54 miles (86.9 km) from Bog Walk
to Port Antonio
in 1896. Main article Railways of Jamaica: Bog Walk to Port Antonio
.
The Jamaican system now had a total of 185 miles (298 km) of railway lines stretching from the south-eastern to the north-western and north-eastern ends of the island.
However, the loans taken out to secure railway ownership by the company, together with its purchase of 76000 acres (308 km²) of prime Crown land in various parts of Jamaica, proved too strenuous. After defaulting in 1897 and 1898, by order of the Jamaican Supreme Court the company fell into receivership. In 1900 the government assumed responsibility for the railway again, and made it a department of government. It appointed a Railway Advisory Board in 1902 to advise, which remained in place until 1960 when the statutory 100% government owned J$
6million company the Jamaica Railway Corporation was created.
Between 1900 and 1950, less than 50 miles (80.5 km) of track was added, mainly to support opening of the interior to banana cultivation:
After a post WW2 report by C. E. Rooke recommended closure of the Port Antonio to Spanish Town line, the government only closed the Linstead to Ewarton branch in 1947. The 1951 hurricane brought about a recommendation by the United Nations
envoy to invest in the railway to keep the bauxite traffic, and hence the passenger rates economically viable.
The first diesel power had entered Jamaica in 1939 with two D Wickham & Co diesel coaches. After the creation of the Jamaica Railway Corporation in 1960, management increased this transformation significantly from 1963 onwards:
In 1967, two ALCO RS-3
1,050 h.p. diesel-electric locomotives were purchased. With the phasing out of the steam power, by 1970 Jamaica's railways had fourteen diesel-electric locomotives and only one steam locomotive was still in operation. Between 1972 and 1976, an additional 18 ALCO RS-8's, manufactured by MLW in Canada, were purchased in three batches of six locomotives.
By 1975 there were: of standard gauge
in control of JRC
Public pressure forced the government to reopen the Port Antonio line at a cost of J$1.4 million in 1977. The condition of the track resulted in reclosure of the line in 1978. Hurricane Allen in 1980 damaged much of the JRC railway system, and totally destroyed a section of the Port Antonio line running along the coast between Buff Bay and Orange Bay.
In October 1992 public rail transport services finally ceased operating on Jamaica, although four of the private industrial lines continue to operate today, in part using JRC lines. Of the total of 272 kilometres (169 mi) standard gauge at the time on the island, 207 kilometres (128.6 mi) of common carrier service belonging to JRC are no longer operational, leaving 65 kilometres (40.4 mi) in private hands.
In November 1990 JRC signed a 30-year Track User Agreement with Alcan Jamaica, which was renegotiated with the successor Windalco in December 2001.
The company makes J$40 million per year through track user fees for the hauling of alumina and bauxite, and the residual from the rental of real estate and its three operable locomotives. The company has a staff of 76, who fulfill contractual obligations to users of the company's facilities.
and then Rail India
Technical and Economic Service (RITES)
; and now with the China Railways
after a deal was signed by the Prime Minister P J Patterson with Chinese vice-president Zeng Qinghong
in Jamaica in February 2005. During the 1990s, a plan was considered which would see commuter services between Kingston and Spanish Town
, later extended to Linstead
. It was proposed to cost US$8 million and be up and running by January 2001, with the government holding 40% of a public-private venture.
Passenger service returned to Jamaica for the first time since February 1992 on 16 April 2011, when an inaugural train operated from May Pen
to Linstead
. Regular service was planned to begin in July, with three round-trips a day between Spanish Town and Linstead, with extensions to Williamsfield
and Gregory Park opening in September and December, respectively. Service to Kingston is expected to begin in 2012, after a bridge is constructed. Passenger service is provided by two diesel locomotives and five coaches, each with an 80-passenger capacity.
There has also been talk of establishing a tourist route
on Jamalco's line between Rocky Point and Breadnut.
In 1878, a limited mail collection system was established with the placement of a post office receiving box at each of the Kingston, Spanish Town, and Old Harbour stations. Whether this service continued between 1890 and 1900 when the West India Improvement Co. owned and operated the railway is not known. However, with the resumption of government ownership in 1900 a concerted effort was made to give the railway a more active role in the collection of mail. A few stations were stops at major plantations and although the volume of mail from these locations was very small, timely pick-up of this correspondence, much of it commercial, was deemed vital to the well being of the economy.
The railway station clerk was responsible for cancelling the stamps on correspondence with a date-stamp. Each station already had its own date-stamp (used to validate passenger railway tickets); this same date-stamp was used to cancel stamps on mail. Forty one stations are known to have cancelled mail though some of them handled very little mail. Inland mail to and from the Jamaica Government Railway could be sent postage free if it related to official business.
From 1913-09-01 sorting carriages were added to trains on the main routes: Kingston to Port Antonio and Kingston to Montego Bay. These carriages were fitted with posting boxes.
Following World War I, the Jamaican economy experienced a decline and the government decided to eliminate the expense of maintaining a railway station postal system; by then, these offices duplicated the services of most nearby post offices. Effective 1924-12-31, the government withdrew the facilities for posting mail at railway station windows and receiving boxes, thereby eliminating the system of clearing the railway station postboxes ten minutes before a train was due. However, a few of the stations continued to accept stamped parcels for four more years. Stamp-less official mail continued as late as 1948.
The travelling post office service resumed on 1927-03-28. Its last run was on 1966-05-14. An official note c1954 stated that "passenger trains between Kingston and Montego Bay (TPO 1) and Kingston and Port Antonio (TPO 2) are each equipped with a Post Office with a postman in charge. There is a letter-box at each station which the train postman clears en route."
. Although under the care and maintenance of the JRC, those that are not used for commercial purposes and rented out to traders are presently in a state of disrepair.
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
after Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad
Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad
The Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad was a historic railway in Lower Canada, the first Canadian public railway and one of the first railways built in British North America.-Origin:...
of 1836 to receive a railway system. Construction started only twenty years after George Stephenson
George Stephenson
George Stephenson was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who built the first public railway line in the world to use steam locomotives...
's Stockton and Darlington Railway
Stockton and Darlington Railway
The Stockton and Darlington Railway , which opened in 1825, was the world's first publicly subscribed passenger railway. It was 26 miles long, and was built in north-eastern England between Witton Park and Stockton-on-Tees via Darlington, and connected to several collieries near Shildon...
commenced operations in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
The public passenger railway service in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
which was closed in October 1992, re-opened in 2011 (see below). The Parliament of Jamaica
Parliament of Jamaica
The Parliament of Jamaica is the legislative branch of the government of Jamaica. It is a bicameral body, composed of an appointed Senate and an elected House of Representatives....
debate leading towards a revival under a public joint venture corporation proposed with an offshore partner. Private freight transport continues on limited tracks leading to the various docks
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...
around the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
island, transporting bauxite
Bauxite
Bauxite is an aluminium ore and is the main source of aluminium. This form of rock consists mostly of the minerals gibbsite Al3, boehmite γ-AlO, and diaspore α-AlO, in a mixture with the two iron oxides goethite and hematite, the clay mineral kaolinite, and small amounts of anatase TiO2...
and sugar cane for export.
1845 to World War II
The first railway called the Western Jamaica Connecting Railway was built in 1845 from Kingston 14.5 miles (23.3 km) to Angels. The railway was proposed and started by William Smith, originally from ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
who owned land in Jamaica, and his sugar planter brother David.
The system approved by the Assembly of Jamaica in 1843 was for a double track between Kingston and Spanish Town, with branch lines to Angels, Port Henderson
Port Henderson
Port Henderson is a fishing village on the south west shore of the Gair Loch near the village of Gairloch, Ross-shire, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland....
and the Caymanas sugar estate. On 21 November 1845 the Governor of Jamaica James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin
James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin
Sir James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin and 12th Earl of Kincardine, KT, GCB, PC , was a British colonial administrator and diplomat...
and ten carriages of passengers, pulled by the companies two locomotives Projector and Patriot built by Sharp Brothers of Manchester, travelled 12 miles (19.3 km) from Kingston to Spanish Town
Spanish Town
Spanish Town is the capital and the largest town in the parish of St. Catherine in the county of Middlesex, Jamaica. It was the former Spanish and English capital of Jamaica from the 16th to the 19th century...
. The first train came after the UK Government had enacted the Sugar Duties Act 1846
Sugar Duties Act 1846
The Sugar Duties Act 1846 was a statute of the United Kingdom which equalized import duties for sugar from British colonies. It was passed in 1846 at the same time as the repeal of the Corn laws by the Importation Act 1846...
and just after the emancipation of slaves, meaning the sugar industry needed the efficiency that the railway would bring to the difficult too passage island.
The construction of the first single-track section was budgeted to cost £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
150,000, but cost £222,250, or £15,377 per mile. As a result of the cost of building and a downturn in the sugar industry, only another 11 miles (17.7 km) were added until 1869 in the form of an extension from Spanish Town to Old Harbour at a cost of £60,000.
After a period of decline, new Governor Sir Anthony Musgrave
Anthony Musgrave
Sir Anthony Musgrave KCMG was a colonial administrator and governor. He was born at St John’s, Antigua, the third of 11 children of Anthony Musgrave and Mary Harris Sheriff...
agreed a deal in 1879 to buy the existing 26 miles (41.8 km) of the system for £93,932. After an investment and improvement program, the expansion of the citrus and banana industries led to two extensions, extending the total system to 65 miles (104.6 km): westward from Old Harbour to Porus
Porus, Jamaica
Porus is a village in Manchester, Jamaica. It overlooks a plain to the south with hills behind it to the north. A tributary of the Rio Minho runs parallel to the main road, helping to keep the atmosphere cool.-History:...
(24½ miles); northwards from Angel to the interior district of Ewarton
Ewarton
-History:The name is most likely a compound of the surname "Ewart" and the suffix -ton, meaning town.The town's economy prospered particularly from 1957 when ALCAN established a bauxite plant nearby...
(14¼ miles). Both were completed in 1885 at a total cost of approximately £280,000. Main article: Railways of Jamaica: Spanish Town to Ewarton
Railways of Jamaica: Spanish Town to Ewarton
The Spanish Town to Ewarton line was built to serve the citrus growing regions in the interior of Saint Catherine, particularly those around the towns of Bog Walk, Linstead and Ewarton.All external links below are to WikiMapia....
.
After debates about extensions, on 1 January 1890 the railway was transferred to an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
consortia headed by New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
merchant Frederick Wesson, and extensions from Porus 62 miles (99.8 km) to Montego Bay
Montego Bay
Montego Bay is the capital of St. James Parish and the second largest city in Jamaica by area and the fourth by population .It is a tourist destination with duty free shopping, cruise line terminal and the beaches...
in 1895, and an extension through the banana, cacao, citrus and coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
districts of St Catherine, St Mary and Portland was developed over 54 miles (86.9 km) from Bog Walk
Bog Walk
Bog Walk is a town in the parish of Saint Catherine, Jamaica...
to Port Antonio
Port Antonio
Port Antonio is the capital of the parish of Portland on the northeastern coast of Jamaica, about 60 miles from Kingston. It had a population of 12,285 in 1982 and 13,246 in 1991...
in 1896. Main article Railways of Jamaica: Bog Walk to Port Antonio
Railways of Jamaica: Bog Walk to Port Antonio
The Bog Walk to Port Antonio was built to serve the banana, cacao, citrus and coconut districts of St Catherine, St Mary and Portland.All external links below are to WikiMapia.-Construction, operation and closure:...
.
The Jamaican system now had a total of 185 miles (298 km) of railway lines stretching from the south-eastern to the north-western and north-eastern ends of the island.
However, the loans taken out to secure railway ownership by the company, together with its purchase of 76000 acres (308 km²) of prime Crown land in various parts of Jamaica, proved too strenuous. After defaulting in 1897 and 1898, by order of the Jamaican Supreme Court the company fell into receivership. In 1900 the government assumed responsibility for the railway again, and made it a department of government. It appointed a Railway Advisory Board in 1902 to advise, which remained in place until 1960 when the statutory 100% government owned J$
Jamaican dollar
The dollar has been the currency of Jamaica since 1969. It is often abbreviated "J$", the J serving to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. It is divided into 100 cents.-History:...
6million company the Jamaica Railway Corporation was created.
Between 1900 and 1950, less than 50 miles (80.5 km) of track was added, mainly to support opening of the interior to banana cultivation:
- 1911 - 13 miles (20.9 km) branch off the Montego Bay line, from May PenMay PenMay Pen is the capital and largest town in the parish of Clarendon in the Middlesex County, Jamaica. It is located on the Rio Minho river , and is a major market centre for the Parish...
to ChapeltonChapelton, JamaicaChapelton is a market town in Clarendon Parish, Jamaica and the former parish capital.-Name:According to a long time resident:-Amenities:*Clarendon College, secondary school.*Clarendon Hospital, built c1903, now a community Type 3 hospital.*....
, completed in 1913 and extended in 1925 by 10 miles (16.1 km) to FrankfieldFrankfieldFrankfield is a town in Clarendon in central Jamaica. It is located near the top of Jamaica's central ridge of mountains overlooking the south coast...
. Main article Railways of Jamaica: May Pen to FrankfieldRailways of Jamaica: May Pen to FrankfieldThe May Pen to Frankfield line was built to serve the fast developing citrus industry in the upper Clarendon regions of Chapelton and Frankfield.All external links below are to WikiMapia.-Inception:...
. - 1921 - 3 miles (4.8 km) from LinsteadLinsteadLinstead is a town in the parish of St. Catherine, Jamaica in the West Indies. In 1991 its population was 14,144. It is located 12 mi/19 km NNW of Spanish Town.-Description:...
to New Works, opened on the Bog Walk to Ewarton extension Main article Railways of Jamaica: Linstead to New WorksRailways of Jamaica: Linstead to New WorksThe Linstead to New Works branch was a mere three miles of standard gauge track constructed in 1921 to serve a citrus growing region to the north east of Linstead.Beyond this, very little is known about it...
. - 1942 - in support of military needs for World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, a 6.5 miles (10.5 km) branch line from Logan's Junction near May Pen, to the US military base at Fort Simmonds in Vernamfield. The British government purchased four USATC S161 ClassUSATC S160 ClassThe United States Army Transportation Corps S160 Class is a class of 2-8-0 Consolidation steam locomotive designed for use in Europe during World War II for heavy freight work...
to provide transport for the military base. After the line closed in 1956, these were subsumed by JRC.
Bauxite lines
In the 1940s deposits of Bauxite were discovered in the interior, and companies developed both interconnected as well as independent lines to extract, process and ship the minerals:- AlcanAlcanRio Tinto Alcan Inc. is a Canadian company based in Montreal. It was created on November 15, 2007 as the result of the merger between Rio Tinto PLC's Canadian subsidiary, Rio Tinto Canada Holding Inc., and Canadian company Alcan Inc. On the same date, Alcan Inc. was renamed Rio Tinto Alcan Inc..Rio...
- used the JRC lines from Bodles to ship its product to Port Esquiville, completing 3 miles (5 km) of lines in 1951 - AlcoaAlcoaAlcoa Inc. is the world's third largest producer of aluminum, behind Rio Tinto Alcan and Rusal. From its operational headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alcoa conducts operations in 31 countries...
- built an 19 miles (31 km) railway in 1962 to connect its Woodside mines with the port at Rocky PointRocky PointRocky Point may refer to:in Australia:*Rocky Point, New South Wales*Rocky Point, Queensland in Canada:*Rocky Point Park in Port Moody, British Columbiain Mexico:...
Port. Leased to the JRC, Alcoa provided locomotives, rolling stock and its staff operated and maintained the line under JRC management - Kaiser Bauxite Company - built 12 miles (19 km) of independent track and 7.5 miles (12.1 km) of sidings running from mines in upper Saint Ann ParishSaint Ann Parish, JamaicaSaint Ann is the largest parish in Jamaica. It is situated on the north coast of the island, in the county of Middlesex, roughly halfway between the eastern and western ends of the island. It is often called 'the Garden Parish of Jamaica' on account of its natural beauty...
to Discovery BayDiscovery Bay, JamaicaDiscovery Bay is a town in Saint Ann Parish on the northern coast of Jamaica. The city is also known locally as Dry Harbour Bay, because it sits in the shadow of the Dry Harbour Mountains in St. Ann. There is a dispute as to whether Christopher Columbus first landed in Discovery Bay or Sevilla la...
. The company tended to run BaldwinBaldwin Locomotive WorksThe Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...
locomotives, and purchased eight between 1952 and 1971. - AlpartAlpartAlumina Partners of Jamaica, also known as Alpart, is a company that owns and operates a bauxite refinery in Nain, Jamaica. Alpart was founded in 1969 as a joint venture by Kaiser Aluminum, Reynolds Aluminum, and Anaconda. Alpart exports 1.65 million tonnes of alumina overseas per year, and...
- built 11 miles (17.7 km) of independent track in the 1970s to connect its refinery at NainNain, JamaicaNain is a settlement in Jamaica. It has a population of 2,331 as of 2009....
with Port Kaiser near Alligator PondAlligator PondAlligator Pond is a fishing village on the southwestern coast of Jamaica in the parish of Saint Elizabeth.Unlike the tourist-oriented coasts in the northern part of the country, Alligator Pond's shoreline is as much about work as play; here fishermen launch their boats to catch some of the island's... - Reynolds - built a short independent railway to link mines, drying plants and ports
- Windalco- Bauxite Line
Post-World War II
The agricultural driven growth of the railways were created by a harsh interior geography, and developing consumer need meant that post WW2 only two days after cutting, bananas had to be on a ship. Having shipped 330,000 stems in 1880 to 24 million stems in 1930, a quickening decline in the industry meant that by 1969 the transport of bananas by rail ceased. In 1895 Jamaica had exported 97 million fruits; by 1940 the figure had plunged to 40 million, and hit by the loss of the monopoly of the British market and the 1951 hurricane, in 1975 it was just 5 million. Passenger figures had also started to fall, as pre WW2 the government had started a bridge building program. By 1971 Jamaica had 7200 miles (11,587.2 km) of roads, 1,350 of which were paved; alongside motorbuses which were accessing further inland, private cars had increased from 15,000 in 1950 to 142,300 by 1975.After a post WW2 report by C. E. Rooke recommended closure of the Port Antonio to Spanish Town line, the government only closed the Linstead to Ewarton branch in 1947. The 1951 hurricane brought about a recommendation by the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
envoy to invest in the railway to keep the bauxite traffic, and hence the passenger rates economically viable.
1960 to 1975
The government agreed change of the railway after the 1 September 1957 crash, the worst transport accident in Jamaica's history, in which a 12-car wooden body train carrying 1,600 passengers derailed at Kendal, killing 175 passengers and injuring over 800.The first diesel power had entered Jamaica in 1939 with two D Wickham & Co diesel coaches. After the creation of the Jamaica Railway Corporation in 1960, management increased this transformation significantly from 1963 onwards:
- 19 multi-unit Metro CammellMetro CammellThe Metropolitan Cammell Carriage and Wagon Company was a Birmingham, England based manufacturer of railway carriages and wagons, based in Saltley and subsequently Washwood Heath....
railcars, powered by Rolls-RoyceRolls-Royce LimitedRolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
C6T Mark IV engines of 350 hp acquired at a cost of J$ 621,000. These were all composite in two formation, with 7 cars carrying 20 first-class and 58 second-class passengers; and 30 cars with 83 second-class passengers - The unique "market car wheel" built by Metro Cammell, a modified boxcar fitted to carry passengers and their goods to market
- Two Clayton Equipment CompanyClayton Equipment CompanyClayton Equipment Company Ltd, now known simply as Clayton Equipment Ltd or CEC and CEL, is a locomotive construction company that specialises in locomotives for underground mining operations.-Inception:...
shunting locomotives with the same Rolls Royce driving system as the Metro Cammell boxcars - Two English ElectricEnglish ElectricEnglish Electric was a British industrial manufacturer. Founded in 1918, it initially specialised in industrial electric motors and transformers...
750 h.p. locomotives to handle bauxite traffic
In 1967, two ALCO RS-3
ALCO RS-3
The ALCO RS-3 is a 1,600 hp , B-B road switcher railroad locomotive. It was manufactured by American Locomotive Company and Montreal Locomotive Works from May 1950 to August 1956, and 1,418 were produced — 1,265 for American railroads, 98 for Canadian railroads, 48 for Brazilian and 7...
1,050 h.p. diesel-electric locomotives were purchased. With the phasing out of the steam power, by 1970 Jamaica's railways had fourteen diesel-electric locomotives and only one steam locomotive was still in operation. Between 1972 and 1976, an additional 18 ALCO RS-8's, manufactured by MLW in Canada, were purchased in three batches of six locomotives.
By 1975 there were: of standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
in control of JRC
- 29 miles of private industrial railways in Jamaica.
- Totalling 230 miles (370 km)
- Carrying 1.2 million passengers per annum
- Transporting 900 million tonnes of goods, 95% bauxite and alumina which had driven the shippage from 900,000 tonnes in 1959.
Closure
By 1973 JRC's operational deficit had risen to J$3.4 million, and in 1975 it was nearing J$4 million and carrying a J$11 million loan. The government was paying over J$1.4 million in subsidy to keep the island's trains running. However, the financial crisis had led to a backlog of deferred maintenance, with stock and buildings also neglected. In 1974 the May Pen-Frankfield line closed, with the Bog Walk-Port Antonio line closing in 1975.Public pressure forced the government to reopen the Port Antonio line at a cost of J$1.4 million in 1977. The condition of the track resulted in reclosure of the line in 1978. Hurricane Allen in 1980 damaged much of the JRC railway system, and totally destroyed a section of the Port Antonio line running along the coast between Buff Bay and Orange Bay.
In October 1992 public rail transport services finally ceased operating on Jamaica, although four of the private industrial lines continue to operate today, in part using JRC lines. Of the total of 272 kilometres (169 mi) standard gauge at the time on the island, 207 kilometres (128.6 mi) of common carrier service belonging to JRC are no longer operational, leaving 65 kilometres (40.4 mi) in private hands.
Current operations
The Jamaican Railway Corporation still exists today -see below under "Revival". It is responsible for management of the JRC interests and property, and maintaining its locomotives but not the rolling stock.In November 1990 JRC signed a 30-year Track User Agreement with Alcan Jamaica, which was renegotiated with the successor Windalco in December 2001.
The company makes J$40 million per year through track user fees for the hauling of alumina and bauxite, and the residual from the rental of real estate and its three operable locomotives. The company has a staff of 76, who fulfill contractual obligations to users of the company's facilities.
Revival
The Jamaican Government is discussing resumption of national rail services, initially with Canadian National RailwayCanadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
and then Rail India
Indian Railways
Indian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....
Technical and Economic Service (RITES)
RITES Ltd.
RITES Limited is an engineering consultancy company, specializing in the field of transport infrastructure. Established in 1974 by the Government of India, the company's initial charter was to provide consultancy services in rail transport management to operators in India and abroad...
; and now with the China Railways
China Railways
China Railways is the national railway operator of the People's Republic of China, under the Chinese Ministry of Railways.China Railways operates rail commuter and freight transport via several smaller companies....
after a deal was signed by the Prime Minister P J Patterson with Chinese vice-president Zeng Qinghong
Zeng Qinghong
Zeng Qinghong was the Vice-President of the People's Republic of China from 2003 to 2008. He became a member of the Politburo Standing Committee and member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee during the 2002 16th Party Congress. Although he was formally ranked fifth in the nine PSC...
in Jamaica in February 2005. During the 1990s, a plan was considered which would see commuter services between Kingston and Spanish Town
Spanish Town
Spanish Town is the capital and the largest town in the parish of St. Catherine in the county of Middlesex, Jamaica. It was the former Spanish and English capital of Jamaica from the 16th to the 19th century...
, later extended to Linstead
Linstead
Linstead is a town in the parish of St. Catherine, Jamaica in the West Indies. In 1991 its population was 14,144. It is located 12 mi/19 km NNW of Spanish Town.-Description:...
. It was proposed to cost US$8 million and be up and running by January 2001, with the government holding 40% of a public-private venture.
Passenger service returned to Jamaica for the first time since February 1992 on 16 April 2011, when an inaugural train operated from May Pen
May Pen
May Pen is the capital and largest town in the parish of Clarendon in the Middlesex County, Jamaica. It is located on the Rio Minho river , and is a major market centre for the Parish...
to Linstead
Linstead
Linstead is a town in the parish of St. Catherine, Jamaica in the West Indies. In 1991 its population was 14,144. It is located 12 mi/19 km NNW of Spanish Town.-Description:...
. Regular service was planned to begin in July, with three round-trips a day between Spanish Town and Linstead, with extensions to Williamsfield
Williamsfield, Jamaica
Williamsfield is a settlement in Jamaica. It has a population of 3,299 as of 2009....
and Gregory Park opening in September and December, respectively. Service to Kingston is expected to begin in 2012, after a bridge is constructed. Passenger service is provided by two diesel locomotives and five coaches, each with an 80-passenger capacity.
There has also been talk of establishing a tourist route
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
on Jamalco's line between Rocky Point and Breadnut.
Mail carriage
Exactly when mail began to be carried by the railway is not known, but it is known that in 1873 the postmaster terminated a mail contract with the railway because he found the service to be more unreliable than the road service.In 1878, a limited mail collection system was established with the placement of a post office receiving box at each of the Kingston, Spanish Town, and Old Harbour stations. Whether this service continued between 1890 and 1900 when the West India Improvement Co. owned and operated the railway is not known. However, with the resumption of government ownership in 1900 a concerted effort was made to give the railway a more active role in the collection of mail. A few stations were stops at major plantations and although the volume of mail from these locations was very small, timely pick-up of this correspondence, much of it commercial, was deemed vital to the well being of the economy.
The railway station clerk was responsible for cancelling the stamps on correspondence with a date-stamp. Each station already had its own date-stamp (used to validate passenger railway tickets); this same date-stamp was used to cancel stamps on mail. Forty one stations are known to have cancelled mail though some of them handled very little mail. Inland mail to and from the Jamaica Government Railway could be sent postage free if it related to official business.
From 1913-09-01 sorting carriages were added to trains on the main routes: Kingston to Port Antonio and Kingston to Montego Bay. These carriages were fitted with posting boxes.
Following World War I, the Jamaican economy experienced a decline and the government decided to eliminate the expense of maintaining a railway station postal system; by then, these offices duplicated the services of most nearby post offices. Effective 1924-12-31, the government withdrew the facilities for posting mail at railway station windows and receiving boxes, thereby eliminating the system of clearing the railway station postboxes ten minutes before a train was due. However, a few of the stations continued to accept stamped parcels for four more years. Stamp-less official mail continued as late as 1948.
The travelling post office service resumed on 1927-03-28. Its last run was on 1966-05-14. An official note c1954 stated that "passenger trains between Kingston and Montego Bay (TPO 1) and Kingston and Port Antonio (TPO 2) are each equipped with a Post Office with a postman in charge. There is a letter-box at each station which the train postman clears en route."
Architecture
The railway architecture, developed and seen through the stations which were built between 1845 and 1896, is a reflection of classical Jamaican Georgian architectureJamaican Georgian architecture
Jamaican Georgian architecture is an architectural style that was popular in Jamaica between c1750 and c1850. It married the elegance of Georgian styling with functional features designed to weather Jamaica's tropical climate...
. Although under the care and maintenance of the JRC, those that are not used for commercial purposes and rented out to traders are presently in a state of disrepair.
Accidents
The Jamaica Railways have a good record on accidents, but two incidents stand out:- July 30, 1938 - a passenger train was heading from Kingston to Montego Bay. The engine jumped the rails at BalaclavaBalaclava, JamaicaBalaclava is a small town in St Elizabeth, Jamaica.Balacalva has a lively pretty Market, and the St Luke Anglican Church , where many victims of the Kendall Train Crash are buried....
and embedded itself into the mountainside, followed by coaches which were forced on from the rear. 32 people died and over 70 were injured.
- September 1, 1957 - a diesel hauled train of 12 wooden carriages leaves Kingston for Montego Bay. The outbound journey had 900 passengers on board, correlating with the design limit of 80 passengers per carriage. However, the return journey had 1,600 passengers loaded at 130-150 persons per carriage including hundreds of members of the Holy Name Society of St. Anne's Roman Catholic Church, hundreds of pickpocketPickpocketingPickpocketing is a form of larceny that involves the stealing of money or other valuables from the person of a victim without their noticing the theft at the time. It requires considerable dexterity and a knack for misdirection...
s, and their targets the tourists who made up over 1,000 of the total passenger loading. At 23:30 near Kendal, Manchester three shrill whistle blasts signalled that the driver had lost control of the train, and it derailed minutes later at speed. 200 people lost their lives, and 700 sustained injuries in the worst transport disaster in Jamaica's history, and the second worst rail disaster in the world at that time. The cause of the accident was determined to be the closure of an angled wheel (brake) cock, with survivors suggesting that the pickpockets had tampered with the brakes while riding on the carriage platforms. Confidence in the rail service was shaken and much looting and robbing of the dead and injured occurred after the crash. The ensuing investigation found a number of deficiencies within the Jamaica Railway Corporation, which was resultantly given its independence in 1960.
Natural disasters
- 1907-01-14 - Kingston experienced a great earthquake1907 Kingston earthquakeThe 1907 Kingston earthquake which shook the capital of the island of Jamaica with a magnitude of 6.5 on the moment magnitude scale on Monday January 14th, at about 3:30 pm local time , was considered by many writers of that time one of the world's deadliest earthquakes recorded in history...
which demolished many railway buildings and killed or injured a number of officials, officers and employees. - 1909-05-18 - Number 2 railway pier in Kingston destroyed by fire.
- 1951 - Hurricane CharlieHurricane Charlie (1951)Hurricane Charlie was the deadliest tropical cyclone of the 1951 Atlantic hurricane season. The third named storm, second hurricane, and second major hurricane of the season, it developed from a tropical wave east of the Lesser Antilles. It moved briskly west-northwest, passing between the islands...
causes extensive damage to railway infrastructure. - 1988 - Hurricane GilbertHurricane GilbertHurricane Gilbert was an extremely powerful Cape Verde-type hurricane that formed during the 1988 Atlantic hurricane season and created widespread destruction in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. It is the second most intense hurricane ever observed in the Atlantic basin behind only...
causes extensive damage to railway infrastructure.
Managers
| 1845–1865 | David Smith |
| 1900-???? | James Richmond |
| c1945 | H R Fox H R Fox H R Fox was the General Manager of the Jamaica Government Railway at the time of its centenary in 1945.-Publications:*The Jamaica Railway 1845-1945, H R Fox, The Railway Magazine Volume 91 Number 560, Pages 313-317, November and December 1945.-References:... |
| c2005 | Owen Crooks |
See also
- Railways of Jamaica: Bog Walk to Port AntonioRailways of Jamaica: Bog Walk to Port AntonioThe Bog Walk to Port Antonio was built to serve the banana, cacao, citrus and coconut districts of St Catherine, St Mary and Portland.All external links below are to WikiMapia.-Construction, operation and closure:...
- Railways of Jamaica: May Pen to FrankfieldRailways of Jamaica: May Pen to FrankfieldThe May Pen to Frankfield line was built to serve the fast developing citrus industry in the upper Clarendon regions of Chapelton and Frankfield.All external links below are to WikiMapia.-Inception:...
- Railways of Jamaica: Linstead to New WorksRailways of Jamaica: Linstead to New WorksThe Linstead to New Works branch was a mere three miles of standard gauge track constructed in 1921 to serve a citrus growing region to the north east of Linstead.Beyond this, very little is known about it...
- JamaicaJamaicaJamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
- Transportation in Jamaica
- Rail transport by countryRail transport by countryThis page provides an index of articles on Rail transport by country.Other indexes available include:*List of railway companies by country*List of countries by rail transport network size*Rail usage statistics by country...
- Lists of rail accidents
External links
- Official website of the Jamaica Railway Corporation
- Jamaica Railway Corporation Finances - FY 2007/08
- Historic Railway stations from the Jamaica National Heritage TrustJamaica National Heritage TrustThe Jamaica National Heritage Trust is responsible for the promotion, preservation, and development of Jamaica's material cultural heritage .The organisation maintains a list of National Heritage Sites in Jamaica....
- Jamaica Railway, Keith Moh, 2008-2009.