THE majority of respondents to a questionnaire about an Islander’s plans to reintroduce a railway service to Jersey have indicated support for the project.
Jersey Western Railway founder Alex Sparrow said he was “absolutely blown away” by the initial public reaction to his proposal.
Mr Sparrow recently told the JEP about his plans for a railway service that would utilise around 30 electrically-operated locomotives, with a terminus at Trenton Square at the International Finance Centre.
The intended JWR route between St Helier, Corbière and the Airport would follow much of the Island’s “original” western railway, which opened in 1870 and closed in the 1930s.
Mr Sparrow estimated that the project would cost around £101m and said he was “in communication with specialist locomotive and project management companies in the UK to source the appropriate funding”.
He is also due to discuss his ideas with the Infrastructure Department.
Islanders interested in the project can visit the jerseywesternrailway.co.uk website, where they can complete a questionnaire.
Mr Sparrow revealed that, of the 105 people who had responded to the questionnaire so far, 75% said they would like to see the return of a railway in Jersey, while 11% said maybe and 14% said no.
And 80% said that they would support government investment in the railway even if they didn’t use the service, while 1% said maybe and 19% said no.
“It proves that there is a sentiment out there in the Island, that people want alternative commuter services,” Mr Sparrow said.
“Anyone who supports, or is critical, or doesn’t know about the railway are strongly encouraged to respond [to the questionnaire] because all feedback is valuable.
“It gives us a better landscape and a better picture of what Islanders truly want.”
Alan Merry, the chair of independent think tank Policy Centre Jersey, said the proposal “needs to be given due consideration”, but pointed out that there were already a number of major infrastructure projects being discussed – citing debate over the potential construction of a wind farm in the Island’s territorial waters as an example.
“My view from a Policy Centre point of view would be, calculate whether it is a priority and actually meets objectives for the Island,” he continued.
“If it does, by all means get it on the list.
“But if it doesn’t make that list, then stop it – we don’t need a distraction. We need to focus on the things that will make a difference for the Island.”
