Jamaica-India railroad project running out of steam

Friday, October 3, 2003

KINGSTON, Jamaica: The governments of India and Jamaica are reportedly arguing over a stalemate over a proposed rail project the Jamaica Observer newspaper has reported.

Jamaican transport minister, Mr. Robert Pickersgill, apparently is blaming foreign partners of a Indian/Canadian consortium for not making certain changes to their proposed project while India's high commissioner to Jamaica, Mr. Inder Chopra has insisted that it was up to Jamaica to move on the railway deal.

But Mr. Pickersgill has rejected that the deadlock was due to fears the railroad would compete with Highway 2000, a toll road between Kingston and Montego Bay, being developed by the French construction Bouyges and managed by Jamaica Infrastructure Operators and whose first 13km segment was formally opened last month.

According to the minister, the railway would be used exclusively for cargo. "The railway, to the best of my knowledge, is not predicated on commuters but on cargo," Mr. Pickersgill said. However, Indian firm Rail India Technical and Economic Service initially had indicated it wanted to also operate a passenger service in addition to moving cargo, the newspaper reported.

The proposed first segment of the rail service would run from Spanish Town to Kingston. 

Since the late 1990s government has been negotiating with Rail India Technical and Economic Service to re-open rail service on the island.

National Investment Bank of Jamaica is overseeing the joint venture negotiations. 

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