SOME PORTLAND residents have described the construction of a tunnel at the Rio Grande Bridge to accommodate the return of the railway service as a waste of money.

The Jamaica Railway Corporation (JRC) is continuing to sell off non-core assets to finance the reinstatement of rail services to targeted communities across the island, with officials saying that property valued at about $3 billion was being offloaded.

WHEN Port Antonio Mayor Floyd Patterson correctly halted the reckless dismantling of the abandoned railroad equipment in his city, he inadvertently exposed some continuing deficiencies in the social, political and economic culture of Jamaica.

PORT ANTONIO, Saturday, May 14 – Workers with cutting torches and backhoes arrived here early today intent on cutting up a major part of this community’s heritage. Only swift action by Port Antonio Police kept these historical treasures from the smelting pot. The workers identified themselves as employees of Kurbriton Ltd., a licensed scrap dealer and exporter, represented to be working for the Jamaica Railway Company.

For some time now we have seen the removal of the train tracks moving into Portland from the West. While there has been a lot of speculation that the tracks are being sold off, the official line is to the contrary.