The Kingston to Montego Bay line was Jamaica's main railway. It linked the capital Kingston

Kingston, Jamaica

Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...

 with the second city 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...

, passing enroute most of the major towns.

Construction, operation and closure

The first 14.5 miles (23.3 km) of standard gauge track were laid from Kingston to Angels (just North of 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...

) in 1845 at a cost of £222,250, or £15,377 per mile against a budgeted cost £150,000.

An 11 mile extension from 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...

 to Old Harbour was added in 1869 at a cost of £60,000.

A further 24½ mile extension 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:...

 was added in 1885 at a cost of around £187,000.

The final 62 miles (100 km) from 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:...

 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...

 was completed in 1895.

Much of the line closed in October 1992 when all passenger traffic on Jamaica's railways abruptly ceased. Some sections remain in use for Bauxite and Aluminium freight while the section from Montego Bay to the Appleton Estate remained open for a while as a tourist attraction.

Gradients and curvature

From Kingston the line ran west along the coastal plain, within 50 feet (15.2 m) of sea level, for about 40 miles (64.4 km) before starting a gentle climb over 5.25 miles (8.4 km) from Bodles to 250 feet (76.2 m) near Lancaster Halt. From here there was a plateau for about 24.25 miles (39 km) to the Milk River and the start of the 20 miles (32.2 km) climb through Scotts Pass and Porus to 1500 feet (457.2 m) just north of Kendal.

Between Kendal and Mile Gully the line reaches its summit at around 1700 feet (518.2 m); in this section the ruling curvature was 300 feet (91.4 m) and the ruling gradient was 1 in 30.

From Mile Gully there was a gentle descent over 17 miles (27.4 km) to 500 feet (152.4 m) near Raheen. From here the line ran on the level across the Appleton Plain to Maggotty and the start of a climb to 1000 feet (304.8 m) near Stonehenge. From here to Catadupa the line ran on the level then descended to 500 feet (152.4 m) at Seven River. Another level section brought it to Long Hill Tunnel and the final descent into Montego Bay.

Stations and Halts

There were 22 stations and 17 halts:

Kingston (Terminus) Kingston railway station, Jamaica Kingston railway terminus was built in the Jamaica Georgian architectural style using brick. It was constructed on a grand scale, symbolising its importance as the main terminus of the Jamaica railways. It has prominent arcades on both levels of the east entrance end. Victorian cast iron brackets... Greenwich Town Halt Marcus Garvey Drive Halt                  Hunts Bay Halt Gregory Park Station Grange Lane Station Spanish Town Station Horizon Park Halt Hartlands Halt Bushy Park Halt Old Harbour Station May Pen Station Jacob’s Hut Four Paths Station Rock Halt Clarendon Park Station Scott’s Pass Halt Porus Station Williamsfield Station Kendal Station Grove Place Halt Greenvale Station Comfort Hall Halt Duck Pond Halt Oxford Halt Balaclava Station Siloah Halt Appleton Station Appleton Tourist Halt Maggotty Station Ipswich Station Breadnut Walk Halt Stonehenge Station Catadupa Station Cambridge Station Montpelier Station Anchovy Station Ailford’s Halt Gordon’s Halt Montego Bay (Terminus)

Tunnels

There are 13 tunnels on the line:

No.	Name	Mi from Kingston	Km from Kingston	Parish	Length feet	Length meters
1	Scotts Pass	44.25	71.2	Clarendon	70	21.3
2	Scotts Pass	44.50	71.6	Clarendon	170	51.8
3	Comfort Hall	65.50	105.4	St. Elizabeth	688	209.1
4	Balaclava	70.00	112.6	St. Elizabeth	348	106.1
5	Highworth	84.00	135.2	St. Elizabeth	182	55.5
6	Y S	84.50	136.0	St. Elizabeth	218	66.4
7	Ipswich	86.25	138.8	St. Elizabeth	855	260.6
8	Unnamed	87.75	141.2	St. James	555	164.6
9	Merrywood	88.50	142.4	St. James	362	115.8
10	Anchovy	104.50	168.2	St. James	102	31.1
11	Ramble	108.00	173.8	St. James	182	55.5
12	Bogue Hill	108.50	174.6	St. James	1276	388.9
13	Bogue Hill	108.75	175.0	St. James	458	139.6

Bridges

There were 51 significant bridges and one viaduct on the line

• Trench Town Gully
• Shoemakers Gully
• Cockfight Bridge (gully)
• Salt River
• Rio Cobre
• Irrigation canal east
• Irrigation canal west
• Creek Town Gully
• Track (rail over)
• Irrigation canal
• Cut Throat Gully
• Spring Garden River
• Irrigation canal east
• Irrigation canal west
• Coleburns Gully
• Church Pen Gully east
• Church Pen Gully west
• Stony Gully
• Fraser's Gully
• Old Harbour(?) River
• Bowers Gully
• Palmetto Gully
• Hunts Pen road (rail over)
• A2 road (rail under)
• Rio Minho - originally completed in 1874, it was completely rebuilt during the second decade of the twentieth century by Hewson (of the Jamaica Government Railway) using the then new method of concrete blocks
• Jacks or St Annes Gully #1
• Jacks or St Annes Gully #2
• Jacks or St Annes Gully #3
• Jacks or St Annes Gully #4
• Flemings (sic) Gully east
• Flemings (sic) Gully west
• Milk River
• Milk River (seasonal)
• Track (rail over)
• Kendal - Mandeville road (rail over)
• B6 road, Balaclava (rail under)
• Black River #1
• Black River #2
• Black River #3
• Ipswich - Merrywood road (rail under)
• Richmond Hill road (rail under)
• B6 road, Jubilee (rail under)
• Seven River #1
• Seven River #2
• Seven River #3
• Seven River #4
• Seven River #5
• Browns River
• Anchovy Gully
• B8 road, Mount Carey (rail under)
• Bogue Viaduct
• Montego River

Junctions

There were 3 branch line junctions, 3 railway works junctions and 4 estate railway junctions on the line:

Branch lines

• Spanish Town Junction to Bog Walk
  Bog Walk
  Bog Walk is a town in the parish of Saint Catherine, Jamaica...
  
  , 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...
  
  , New Works and 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...
  
  .
• May Pen Junction to Frankfield.
• Logans Junction to Fort Simmonds.

Railway works

• Kingston railway workshops.
• Kingston permanent way department.
• Kingston engine sheds.

Estate railways

• Caymanas estate.
• Bridge Pen.
• Raheen.
• Appleton.

Bauxite lines

• Bodles.

Piers

• Kingston railway piers numbers 1, 2 & 3.