The Trinidad Government Railway existed between 1876 and 28 December 1968. Originally built to connect

Port of Spain Port of Spain ( Spanish: ''Puerto España''), officially the City of Port of Spain (also stylized Port-of-Spain), is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago and the third largest municipality, after Chaguanas and San Fernando. The city has a muni ...

with

Arima Arima, officially The Royal Chartered Borough of Arima is the easternmost and second largest in area of the three boroughs of Trinidad and Tobago. It is geographically adjacent to Sangre Grande and Arouca at the south central foothills of ...

, the railway was extended to

Couva Couva is an urban town (48,858 in 2011 census) in west-central Trinidad, south of Port of Spain and Chaguanas and north of San Fernando and Point Fortin. It is the capital and main urban centre of Couva–Tabaquite–Talparo, and the Greate ...

in 1880, San Fernando in 1882, Cunapo (now

Sangre Grande Sangre Grande is the largest town in northeastern Trinidad and Tobago. It is located east of Arima and southwest of the village of Toco. It is the seat of the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation and capital of the region. Overview and history ...

) in 1897,

Tabaquite Tabaquite is a town in central Trinidad, north of Rio Claro and west of the Navet Dam. Overview Miss Trinidad and Tobago 2015 Kimberly Singh hails from Tabaquite. Tabaquite is a primarily rural area and suffers from infrastructural neglect. I ...

in 1898, Siparia in 1913 and

Rio Claro Rio Claro (Portuguese and Spanish for "clear river" or "clean river") may refer to: Cities *Rio Claro, Trinidad and Tobago, the largest town in southeastern Trinidad and Tobago * Rio Claro, Rio de Janeiro, a Brazilian municipality in the state of ...

in 1914.

Background

The first attempt to establish a railway was a private affair in 1846 by the Trinidad Railway Company. Trinidad Railway Company's very first steam locomotive was the "Forerunner" which was built by Hunslet of Leeds and arrived in 1864. 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.

Overview

At this, its greatest extent, the railway covered . After the end of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, 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

Trinidad Government Railway Locomotive 21

The TGR appeared to have 640 route-km and was . By the end of 1921 the company owned 37 steam locomotives, 105 coaches and 738 goods wagons. In 1931, a Sentinel-Cammell twin articulated

steam railcar A steam railcar, steam motor car (US), or Railmotor (UK) is a railcar that is self powered by a steam engine. The first steam railcar was an experimental unit designed and built in 1847 by James Samuel and William Bridges Adams in Britain. In 1 ...

was acquired. By 1936, there were 29 locomotives, 1 railcar, 82 coaches and 925 freight wagons.

Stations

The principal stations, termini and junctions were: *

– terminus, capital and port ** Tunapuna – junction in east **

– terminus in east * Tunapuna – junction in east ** Chaguanas – junction in north central **

– terminus in south east * Chaguanas – junction in north central **

– station in west central ** Gasparillo – station **

Princes Town Princes Town is a town within the Princes Town Regional Corporation, located on southern Trinidad island in Trinidad and Tobago. The population of the town is 28,335. History Founded as the Amerindian '' Mission of Savana Grande'', the 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.

References

{{coord missing, Trinidad and Tobago Rail transport in Trinidad and Tobago Standard gauge railways in Trinidad