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Jamaican Train Station
Are There Still Trains In Jamaica?

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Jamaican Train Station | (Photo Credit: Jamaica Information Service)Jamaican Train Station | (Photo Credit: Jamaica Information Service)

by Venesha Johnson | Associate Writer

In many parts of the world, trains are a major method of transportation. Unfortunately for Jamaica, that is no longer the case. 

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Does Jamaica Have A Train Service?

No, Jamaica currently has no active train service.

A Little History

It might come as a surprise to many but the first train line to be used for commerce outside of Europe and North America was the Jamaica Railway, which was built in 1845.

The train station/railway services began in The United Kingdom (1825), before they began operating in The United States (1830) and Canada in 1836.

The Jamaica Railway not only had the distinction of being built so quickly after the first public railway in Britain, but it was also the first to be built in a British colony.

William Smith and his brother David Smith presented a plan to build the railway line to the Jamaican House of Assembly in 1843.

The Assembly approved the construction of the double-track railway between Kingston and Spanish Town, and the Jamaica Railway Company was founded that same year.

Jamaica Railway Corporation

After the 1 September 1957 tragedy, the deadliest transportation accident in Jamaica's history, in which a 12-car wooden body train carrying 1,600 passengers crashed near Kendal, killing 175 people and injuring over 800 more, the government agreed to change the railway.

Two diesel coaches from D Wickham & Co. were the first diesel vehicles to reach Jamaica in 1939. Management considerably enhanced this transition starting in 1963 after the Jamaica Railway Corporation was founded in 1960.

The truth is railway and train station operations were extremely expensive and the Jamaica railway corporation could not keep afloat, as a matter of fact by 1973 they had an outstanding loan of almost 11 million dollars and an additional outstanding debt of 4 million.

The Bog Walk-Port Antonio line was shut down in 1975 as a result of the government having to pay over J$1.4 million in subsidies to keep the island's trains operating.

The Port Antonio line was reopened in 1977 for J$1.4 million due to public demand. In 1978, the line was once again closed due to the state of the track. A segment of the Port Antonio line that ran along the shore between Buff Bay and Orange Bay was completely wrecked by Hurricane Allen in 1980, causing significant damage to the JRC railway infrastructure.

Public rail transportation in Jamaica was discontinued in October 1992.

The Jamaican Railway Corporation, which is still in operation today, is in charge of managing the company's assets and interests plus keeping its locomotives in good working order, but not its rolling equipment.

Through tracking user fees for the transportation of alumina and bauxite, as well as the residual from the rental of real estate and its three operational locomotives, the company earns J$40 million annually.

What Made The Railway Stations

The use of the Jamaican/Georgian style of architecture may be seen in the railway stations built between 1845 and 1896. It should be noted that even though the majority of the stations were built as part of a significant line extension, they all exhibit a wide range of individual forms and features.

Railway Stations In Jamaica

  1. Anchovy Railway Station - is a two-storey Jamaica/Georgian timber structure.
  2. Appleton Railway Station - is a two-storey Jamaica/Georgian timber structure.
  3. Balaclava Railway Station - is a Jamaica/Georgian two-storey building constructed of timber throughout.
  4. Bog Walk Railway Station - consists of a simple two-storey timber structure.
  5. Cambridge Railway Station - is a two-storey timber, unique Jamaica/Georgian style building.
  6. Four Paths Railway Station - is a two-storey concrete building.
  7. Greenvale Railway Station - is a two-storey Jamaica/Georgian timber structure.
  8. Kingston Railway Station - was built along the Jamaica/Georgian lines of architecture.
  9. Linstead Railway Station - boasts a very simple Jamaica/Georgian style of architecture.
  10. Montego Bay Railway Station - is a simple timber building.
  11. Montpelier Railway Station - is a unique two-storey designed Jamaica/Georgian style of architecture.
  12. Old Harbour Railway Station - is a two-storey Jamaica/Georgian structure.
  13. Orange Bay Railway Station - demonstrates Jamaica/Georgian features.
  14. Riversdale Railway Station - is a two-storey Jamaica/Georgian timber building.
  15. Spanish Town Railway Station - is a Jamaica/Georgian style brick building set on a stone base.
  16. Suttons Railway Station - is a Jamaica/Georgian timber house set on a stone base.
  17. Williamsfield Railway Station - has elements of the Jamaica/Georgian architectural style.
  18. Catadupa Railway Station - is a two-storey Jamaica/Georgian timber structure.

Watch Video! Jamaican Train Station - Catadupa

We actually did a tour of Catadupa and got a chance to see the train station. You can watch that below.

Today, the majority of the stations are in disrepair. Some are currently being used as bars, grocery stores, or homes. Although many stations have undergone modifications from their original shape, the original design elements are still there.

On April 16, 2011, an inaugural train ran from May Pen to Linstead, marking the resumption of passenger service to Jamaica for the first time since February 1992. A tourist route between Rocky Point and Breadnut was also discussed. However, all passenger services were once again halted in August 2012.

However, To coincide with the complete start of face-to-face classes after their halt due to the covid 19 pandemic, the Jamaica Railway Corporation (JRC) released a revised schedule for the student train service on March 7, 2022.

Students are driven from Old Harbour and Linstead to Spanish Town, where they board JUTC buses to go to their individual schools. The situation is reversed in the afternoon.

This is a significant step and hope for the future resumption of railway services in Jamaica. 

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References & Sources For Jamaican Train Station

  1. Railway Stations, http://www.jnht.com/railway_stations.php

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