BRING BACK THE RAILWAY

Aug 04, 2016 Editorial

In Guyana, transportation is very expensive. The number of minibuses is not enough to transport the people to and from their destination, especially during rush hour. The minibuses are concentrated in the area around the Stabroek Market Square.
Many are constantly involved in accidents resulting in the loss of lives. The reason is that most drivers are always speeding because they have to meet the financial quota for the rental of the buses.
Not long ago, there was talk about resurrecting the railway in Guyana to meet the transportation needs of the people and to ease the traffic congestion on the roads. Guyana had the first railway system on the South American continent known as the Demerara—Berbice Railway. It was built by the British in the mid-19th century and spanned the 70 miles between Georgetown and Rosignol.
The second railway system, the West Coast Railway was built in 1912 and ran for 18.5 miles from Vreed-en-hoop to Parika. It provided the only reliable land link for passengers from the Essequibo islands, Adventure and Bartica to Georgetown. It was taxed heavily each week, especially on weekends when the trains had to connect with the Parika/Adventure ferries. Like the Demerara-Berbice railway, the West Coast Railway was the main carrier of goods, molasses, rice and sugar.
The railway was profitable for cargo at a time when the roads in rural Guyana were horrible. They were so horrible that vehicles could not use them with ease. Instead of using the roads, people used the trains. Rice farmers made the most use of the railway system which was organized so that there was a link with every service offered by the department. For example, trains had to run at a certain time to catch a certain ferry. If the train was delayed, so too was the ferry.
Older Guyanese who travelled by train through the glorious countryside decades ago will readily understand the potential value of a revived rail service. Back then, the trains traversed one branch along the exotic eastern and western coastlines of the country. Its longest route-the Georgetown to Rosignol corridor skirts the country’s spectacular landscapes.
It was cheaper to travel by train, but was slower than by road. The only complaint from passengers was the length of the journey. Towns and communities at stops along the railway lines were thriving because of the railway.
However, when oil became cheap to fuel vehicles, the government undertook some massive road works from Georgetown to Rosignol and from Vreed-en-Hoop to Parika. Travel by vehicles became cheaper and the railway became redundant. By 1972, the government saw no use for the railway system and scrapped altogether. Then came the 1973 oil crisis. Even as Guyana was reaping a windfall from the sale of bauxite, rice and sugar, the oil crisis had begun to bite.
The local currency devalued rapidly and suddenly the government recognized that scrapping the railway system was a horrible mistake. As Forbes Burnham said, “Never in my wildest dreams did I expect that oil would have been the devil it is, wreaking havoc on many economies.”
Indeed, scrapping the railway turned out to be a colossal mistake by the government, even though no one had expected the backlash when the Middle East oil producing countries decided to use oil as a weapon against the West.
Today, had there been a rail service in Guyana, the long lines at the various bus parks would not have been a reality. People spend hours at the bus park and then literally fight to board the buses. On many occasions, some of them watch helplessly as buses refuse to take them and their children. The government should know the advantages of a railway system and bring it back. It will be good for the country’s economy.