Rapid
rail on track
By Sherwin Long
The Trinidad Guardian
Port
Spain
Petroleumworldtt.com
01 21 07
Government’s
decision to build a rapid rail to help ease public
transportation pains has been met with criticism
and scepticism by some members of the business community.
However,
on Tuesday, Works and Transport Minister Colm Imbert
answered critics to the project while addressing
representatives of the community.
Imbert
rattled off a list of statistics on the cost, feasibility
and need for the rapid rail.
He
was speaking at a Chamber of Commerce breakfast
meeting held at the chamber’s Columbus Circle,
Westmoorings headquarters.
Imbert
maintained that Government’s goal for the
rapid rail is in sync with its Vision 2020 development
policy.
“We
see it as far more than buildings and railways.
It represents a paradigm shift of self appraisal,”
he said. “We are moving from a vision of ourselves
that is limited by our geographical boundaries to
one that puts us on equal footing with the developed
world.”
In
spite of his re-affirmation of his Cabinet’s
goal for T&T’s future, he still had to
go further to convince some members of the audience.
Vice-Chairman
of the T&T Transparency Institute Victor Hart
was one such audience member.
Hart
said he was not against the rapid rail, but called
for a financial feasibility study to precede any
rail project.
He
suggested Government’s financial reporting
on the cost of the rapid rail was skewed.
Imbert
noted that the construction budget for the project
will be $7 billion and the projected annual operating
cost will be $300 million.
Hart
was not convinced with his arithmetic.
“He
said things are not being done by vapse but in fact
his method of estimating sounds like it was done
by vapse,” Hart said. “It was $20 billion,
it was $15 billion now it has gone to $7 billion.”
Imbert
countered that the operating cost was based on a
detailed study of the length of track, energy costs,
the number of trains, repairs, operating hours and
wage rates.
He
said the wage rates and energy costs were based
on North American averages.
Two
consortiums remain in the bidding war for the rapid
rail undertaking: the Trinitrain consortium led
by Bouygues Travaux Publics and the T-3 Group led
by Vinci Construction and Bombardier.
During
the meeting, several questions were raised on the
ability of the National Infrastructure Development
Company to evaluate the quality of the two bids.
But
Imbert said foreign consultants were hired to assess
the quality of the companies bidding.
In
the end, Imbert envisaged the rail as helping “turn
Port-of-Spain into a modern metropolis”.
Imbert
said by 2010 the project is expected to be complete
from Curepe to Port-of-Spain and Curepe to Chaguanas.
By
February 28, a design contract will be awarded for
the rail and Imbert promised by then the country
will know whether the rapid rail will lay the tracks
for our transport detriment or benefit.
In
spite of his enthusiasm, he still acknowledged that
the project will be criticised.
To
other uncharitable persons, it is a pie in the sky
vision fraught with impracticality and uncontrolled
institutional spending. We in the Government think
differently” he said.
Where
will the train run?
In
his speech, Imbert said the railway will run parallel
to the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway along the East-West
Corridor, but did not give any details about where
the North-South railway would operate.
The
following is the full list of proposed stops for
the rapid rail from East to West and North to South.
Stops
From East to West: Sangre Grande, O’meara
Road (Arima), Maloney, Golden Grove Road (Piarco),
Trincity Mall, Tunapuna, Grand Bazaar, El Socorro,
City Gate (Port-of-Spain), City Port (Port-of-Spain),
Stone Street (Woodbrook), the Hasely Crawford Stadium,
West Mall (Westmoorings).
From
South to North: San Fernando, Bonne Aventure, Cedar
Hill Road, Chaguanas, Endeavour, Ramarattan Trace
(north of Caroni River), Grand Bazaar.
In
total, the rapid rail will cover 72 miles at a cost
of US$15 million a mile.
The
Trinidad Guardian
Thursday
18th Janurary, 2007
Copyright
©2006 Trinidad Guardian. All Rights Reserved.
