There is no active
Rail transport
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a p ...
in
Belize
Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...
, although there were lines in the past.
Overview
Historically, one of the major railways in
Belize
Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...
was the
Stann Creek RailwayLost railways of Belize (ambergriscaye.com)
/ref> used by United Fruit
The United Fruit Company (now Chiquita) was an American multinational corporation that traded in tropical fruit (primarily bananas) grown on Latin American plantations and sold in the United States and Europe. The company was formed in 1899 fro ...
, which connected Middlesex Estate with the port of Dangriga
Dangriga, formerly known as Stann Creek Town, is a town in southern Belize, located on the Caribbean coast at the mouth of the North Stann Creek River. It is the capital of Belize's Stann Creek District. Dangriga is served by the Dangriga Airpo ...
. The railway was narrow gauge
A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and .
Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structu ...
, and operated from 1913 till 1937, when it was abandoned. Many remains are still visible along the Hummingbird Highway
Hummingbird Highway is one of the four major highways in Belize. It connects the George Price Highway outside of Belmopan, Cayo District to the Southern Highway outside of Dangriga, Stann Creek District. It partially follows, and sometimes uses ...
(between Dangriga and Belmopan
Belmopan () is the capital city of Belize. Its population in 2010 was 16,451. In addition to being the smallest capital city in the continental Americas by population, Belmopan is the third-largest settlement in Belize, behind Belize City and Sa ...
). This road uses some of the old railway bridges, though they are gradually disappearing as bridges are modernized.
A second abandoned railway ran from Hill Bank, at the south end of a lagoon on the New River, west through Sierra de Agua to Gallon Jug, an abandoned community about 10 km from the Guatemala border.
There have been no railway connections to other countries.
See also
* Belize
Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...
* Transport in Belize Transport in Belize mostly consists of bus transportation on Belize's roads. There are some navigable waterways.
Public transport
Most Belizeans travel the country using public buses as their primary form of transportation. In the larger towns an ...
References
*''Railways of the Caribbean'' by David Rollinson (2001, Macmillan, Oxford England)
see link
External links
Railways and Trains in Belize. A Guide to the Past
with facts, pictures and background information to the Belize railway history.
with a mention of the railway and a picture with a train in Dangriga port.
3 ft gauge railways in Belize
{{Belize-stub