Jamaican government in rail revival talks

Jamaica Minister of Transport and Works Michael Henry told the House of Representatives on June 8 that the government is holding discussions with Herzog regarding the possibility of establishing a public-private partnership (PPP) to resurrect part of the island’s passenger railway network.

After decades of decline, Jamaica Railway Corporation (JRC) withdrew all remaining services in 1992. Passenger services resumed between May Pen and Linstead in April 2011 but the revival was brief and operations ceased once more in August 2012.

In 2013 two companies submitted unsolicited proposals for a PPP to rebuild and operate part of the network.

”It should be noted that the proposal does not require any government guarantees or direct support to rehabilitate, operate, and maintain the rail service,” Henry says.

Discussions on the proposals are being facilitated by the Ministry of Transport and Mining and the Development Bank of Jamaica.