As it readies to roll out a cashless transit system for students in St Catherine, the Jamaica Railway Corporation (JRC) is assuring that all COVID-19 protocols will be strictly observed on its trains.

In a tweet yesterday (December 8), the Office of the Prime Minister highlighted the initiative which was announced back in May and had been scheduled to get under way in September.

SAFE AND ORDERLY SYSTEM

At the time of the announcement of the transportation plan – a partnership with the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information – Transport and Mining Minister Robert Montague had said during his contribution to the Sectoral Debate tha his ministry was moving to create a safe and orderly system to take children to and from school via a system that would take them from Old Harbour and Linstead into Spanish Town by rail.

“Along with the students, teachers, parents, healthcare and other essential workers will be prioritised for this service at first,” Robert Montague had disclosed as he addressed the House of Representatives.

Under the agreement, the JUTC was to pick up students at the Spanish Town Railway Station and drop them off at various schools in Spanish Town. The reverse would take effect in the afternoon.

Last August, the Government indicated that it was ready to roll out the school train service, which currently has two trains available, for 720 students in St Catherine.

TRAINS EXPECTED TO BEGIN RUNNING FOR NEW SCHOOL TERM

But with face-to-face classes only resuming last month, and for just some categories of students, the roll out was put on hold.

On Wednesday, in its tweet about the anticipated transit system, the OPM said: “Trains will transport school children from Old Harbour and Linstead into Spanish Town by rail. This move forms a critical part of the government’s thrust to revive our railways and transform the local transportation sector.”

Our Today understands that the trains are expected to begin running in January, to coincide with the new school term.