Trinidad Rapid Railway
Encyclopedia
The Trinidad Rapid Railway was a proposed passenger railway system in Trinidad and Tobago
.
On April 11 2008 the TriniTrain consortium of Alstom
Transport SA, Alstom T&T Ltd, Bouygues
Construction and RATP Développement announced it had been selected by the government to plan and build two new passenger railway lines in Trinidad. WSP was advising the government on the routes.
In a meeting with Prime Minister Patrick Manning
on 28 April 2009, Minister of Works & Transport, Colm Imbert said construction of the Trinidad Rapid Railway would commence in mid-2010, with the first train rolling out of the capital city approximately 36 to 39 months later as detailed by the National Infrastructure Development Company Limited (NIDCO).
In September 2010, the project was scrapped.
The lines were planned to be constructed simultaneously in five sections, Westmoorings
through Port of Spain
to St Augustine
, St Augustine to Arima
, and Arima to Sangre Grande
, Port of Spain to Chaguanas
, and Chaguanas to San Fernando.
Consultants hired by the government investigated the alternative of taking the railway underground because of the expense of the acquisition of land, building elevated platforms and the congestion at the interchange
taking traffic in and out of the capital.
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
.
Project
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
Transport SA, Alstom T&T Ltd, Bouygues
Bouygues
Bouygues S.A. is a French industrial group headquartered in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France. Bouygues is listed on Euronext Paris exchange and is a blue chip in the CAC 40 stock market index. The company was founded in 1952 by Francis Bouygues and since 1989 has been led by his son Martin...
Construction and RATP Développement announced it had been selected by the government to plan and build two new passenger railway lines in Trinidad. WSP was advising the government on the routes.
In a meeting with Prime Minister Patrick Manning
Patrick Manning
Patrick Augustus Mervyn Manning was the fourth and sixth Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, as well as the former Political Leader of the People's National Movement . He served as Prime Minister from 17 December 1991 to 9 November 1995 and held that office again from 24 December 2001 until 26...
on 28 April 2009, Minister of Works & Transport, Colm Imbert said construction of the Trinidad Rapid Railway would commence in mid-2010, with the first train rolling out of the capital city approximately 36 to 39 months later as detailed by the National Infrastructure Development Company Limited (NIDCO).
In September 2010, the project was scrapped.
Lines
- University of the West Indies in St AugustineUniversity of the West IndiesThe University of the West Indies , is an autonomous regional institution supported by and serving 17 English-speaking countries and territories in the Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica,...
- San FernandoSan Fernando, Trinidad and TobagoThe City of San Fernando with a population of 55,419 according to the 2000 census, is the larger of Trinidad and Tobago's two cities and the second largest municipality after Chaguanas. It occupies 18 km² and is located in the southwestern part of the island of Trinidad...
50 km (north-south) - WestmooringsWestmooringsWestmoorings is a residential area on the island Trinidad, west of Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago. This suburb consists of mainly upper middle class to upper class families and is generally known throughout the country for its upscale housing, although this has changed in recent...
- Sangre GrandeSangre GrandeSangre Grande is the largest town in northeastern Trinidad, in Trinidad and Tobago. It is east of Arima and southwest of Toco. Sangre Grande is sometimes abbreviated to just "Grande". It is the seat of the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation. The town falls into the Toco/Sangre constituency of the...
54 km (west-east)
The lines were planned to be constructed simultaneously in five sections, Westmoorings
Westmoorings
Westmoorings is a residential area on the island Trinidad, west of Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago. This suburb consists of mainly upper middle class to upper class families and is generally known throughout the country for its upscale housing, although this has changed in recent...
through Port of Spain
Port of Spain
Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...
to St Augustine
Saint Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
St. Augustine, a town on the East-West Corridor of Trinidad and Tobago, is the site of one of the four campuses of the University of the West Indies. It is located east of Curepe and west of Tunapuna....
, St Augustine to Arima
Arima
The Royal Borough of Arima is the fourth largest town in Trinidad and Tobago. Located east of the capital, Port of Spain, Arima supports the only organised indigenous community in the country, the Santa Rosa Carib Community and is the seat of the Carib Queen...
, and Arima to Sangre Grande
Sangre Grande
Sangre Grande is the largest town in northeastern Trinidad, in Trinidad and Tobago. It is east of Arima and southwest of Toco. Sangre Grande is sometimes abbreviated to just "Grande". It is the seat of the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation. The town falls into the Toco/Sangre constituency of the...
, Port of Spain to Chaguanas
Chaguanas
The Borough of Chaguanas is the largest municipality 2000 census) and fastest-growing town in Trinidad and Tobago. Located in Central Trinidad about south of Port of Spain. It grew in size due to its proximity to the Woodford Lodge sugar refinery. It remained a minor town until the 1980s when it...
, and Chaguanas to San Fernando.
Consultants hired by the government investigated the alternative of taking the railway underground because of the expense of the acquisition of land, building elevated platforms and the congestion at the interchange
Interchange station
An interchange station or a transfer station is a train station for more than one railway route in a public transport system, and allows passengers to change from one route to another. Transfer may occur within the same mode, or between rail modes, or to buses...
taking traffic in and out of the capital.
See also
- Transport in Trinidad and TobagoTransport in Trinidad and TobagoTrinidad and Tobago, a Caribbean country which relies heavily on industrialisation and tourism, has various transport systems. Trinidad is the larger island, with a business-oriented economy and the seat of the country's government and Piarco International Airport, the country's major airport...
- List of tram and light-rail transit systems
- Trinidad Government RailwayTrinidad Government RailwayThe Trinidad Government Railway existed between 1876 and 28 December 1968. Originally built to connect Port of Spain with Arima, the railway was extended to Couva in 1880, San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago in 1882, Cunapo in 1897, Tabaquite in 1898, Siparia in 1913 and Rio Claro in...
- closed 1968