Trinidad Government Railway
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f4/Last_train_San_Fernando_Trinidad_Harris_Promenade.jpg/250px-Last_train_San_Fernando_Trinidad_Harris_Promenade.jpg)
The Trinidad Government Railway existed between 1876 and 28 December 1968. Originally built to connect Port of Spain with Arima, the railway was extended to Couva in 1880, San Fernando in 1882, Cunapo (now Sangre Grande) in 1897, Tabaquite in 1898, Siparia in 1913 and Rio Claro in 1914.
Background[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Railroad_Map_of_Trinidad_-_1925.png/220px-Railroad_Map_of_Trinidad_-_1925.png)
The first attempt to establish a railway was a private affair in 1846 by the .[1] Trinidad Railway Company's very first steam locomotive was the "Forerunner" which was built by Hunslet of Leeds and arrived in 1864.[2]
Railways construction began in the 1870s. The Arima line was completed in 1876, followed by the San Fernando line in 1882. The railway to Princes Town was completed in 1884. These were followed by railway lines to Sangre Grande in 1897 and Cunupia-Tabaquite in 1898.[3]: 14–15
Overview[]
At this, its greatest extent, the railway covered 173 km (107 mi).[4]
After the end of World War I, the appearance of the automobile led to changes that culminated with the phased closure of the railway April 1953 and 28 December 1968 saw the complete closure of the Trinidad Government Railways.
Statistics[]
The TGR appeared to have 640 route-km and was 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge.[5]
Stations[]
The principal stations, termini and junctions were:
- Port of Spain – terminus, capital and port
- Tunapuna – junction in east
- Sangre Grande – terminus in east
- Tunapuna – junction in east
- Chaguanas – junction in north central
- Rio Claro – terminus in south east
- Chaguanas – junction in north central
- Couva – station in west central
- Gasparillo – station
- Princes Town – terminus
- Claxton Bay – station in south central
- Marabella – junction in south west
- San Fernando – station in south west
- Penal – station in south
- Siparia – terminus in south
New railway[]
On 11 April 2008 the Trinitrain consortium was chosen to plan and build two new Trinidad Rapid Railway passenger lines. This plan was cancelled in 2010.[6]
References[]
- ^ "History". Public Transport Service Corporation on. Archived from the original on 10 April 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
- ^ "Real story of Engine D". Trinidad Express Newspapers on. 16 November 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
- ^ Brereton, Bridget (1979). Race Relations in Colonial Trinidad 1870-1900. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- ^ Anthony, Michael (2001). Historical Dictionary of Trinidad and Tobago. Scarecrow Press, Inc. Lanham, Md., and London. ISBN 0-8108-3173-2.
- ^ "Railroad Gauge Width". Parovoz.com. Archived from the original on 11 January 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2010.
- ^ "Trinidad rapid rail consortium confirmed". Railway Gazette International. 11 April 2008. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011.
- Rail transport in Trinidad and Tobago
- Standard gauge railways in Trinidad