Trinidad’s Own Subway?

The government of Trinidad and Tobago is definitely working towards having a first world infrastructure. Most likely, we will be having a rapid rail that goes underground similar to those subway stations found in metropolitan centers like New York and London.

The rapid rail design is set on accommodating both urban and suburban Trinidad. They are proposing going underground because going above ground would require land, with the rail tracks being built on platforms, and this would be more expensive. By going underground they would cut cost and there would be no need to worry about excessive land acquisition. The only land they will have to acquire would be for the entrances and exists, air ducts and emergency tunnel.

I do hope the consultants are aware that Trinidad is synonymous with flooding and that they will also need to make accommodations for this as well. Other consultants in the past had objected to the rapid rail going underground because of the coastal soil. They had even ruled out the idea of the rapid rail project entirely because in their estimation it would be too expensive and not cost effective. However, the government of Trinidad and Tobago has already hired consultants to move on with the first phase of the project as of April 2008. This first phase alone is costing $453 million. The entire project, however, is estimated at $7 billion.

I personally am for anything that can help alleviate our traffic situation; so whether it goes above or below ground, I don’t really care. I’m all for it, as long as it is safe and efficient.

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Posted by trinimix on Feb 12th, 2009 and filed under Transportation, Vision 2020. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response by filling following comment form or trackback to this entry from your site

7 Responses for “Trinidad’s Own Subway?”

  1. Pierre M. T. says:

    I guess when it floods we will all drown.

  2. Pierre M. T. says:

    Anyone who has to face city gate every evening truly does not care whether the rapid rail goes above or below ground. Just build it and we will come.

  3. Ushma Magoon says:

    Waiting for hours to get a red band maxi to take you from Arima to Port of Spain, is very frustrating. To begin with on mornings there are insufficient maxi to transport the traveling population. Secondly the majority of the maxi only go “short”. Although it my be an expensive venture, the construction of the rapid rail is the only thing that can alleviate the existing traffic and transport situation.

  4. Indra M. says:

    What about the poor PBR Maxi Divers who have invested so much in their vehicles. Won’t they be losing out?

    • So what, you feel everybody will travel everyday on the Subway..

      • Dion F. says:

        Those “poor PBR Maxi Drivers” are some of the worst drivers in the country, they don’t see you as a passenger but a dollar sign…simply put they just don’t care, the majority of them anyway.
        Let the subway come, if they lose anything they have no one to blame but themselves…Karma has a funny way of creeping up on you when you least expect it.

  5. Seth Brown says:

    Setta damn chupidness!

    Why we can’t do what the Indians do? Buy a motorbike. Beat the traffic. The whole of India travels by motorbike. We clogging up the road with cars.

    Well, if you want to waste time in traffic, more fool you!

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