Last Updated on January 27, 2025, 7:54 AM AST by Anthony Morris
A tourist train operated by St. Kitts Scenic Railway derailed in St. Paul’s early on Sunday, January 26, 2025. The place where the incident took place is known for challenges on track during rains. No serious injuries were reported and the derailment is believed to have been caused by heavy precipitation earlier in the morning.
Videos emerged from the spot showing tourists, including foreigners, disembarking from the derailed coach safely.
Derailment of trains run by St. Kitts Scenic Railway is not new. In January 2023, several coaches of a tourist train got derailed in Tabernacle region, allegedly due to heavy rain and land issues. Some passengers suffered minor bruises while most escaped unhurt. Rescue officials immediately rushed to the spot to address the issue. The train was carrying cruise passengers on a 30-mile train and bus tour of the island.
About St. Kitts Scenic Railway
The St. Kitts Scenic Railway is one of the key attractions of the island-nation’s tourism sector. It takes passengers for a three-hour ride that includes making a 30-mile circle around the island of St. Kitts. The tour includes a narrow-gauge train ride of 18 miles and a sightseeing bus journey of 12 miles.
The railway was built between 1912 and 1926 to carry sugarcane, of which St. Kitts and Nevis was a major producer once, from the island’s plantations to the factor in Basseterre. Today, the “Last Railway in the West Indies” works towards boosting the tourism industry by giving visitors an opportunity to relish the nature and culture of the Caribbean island-nation.
The last ‘Sugar Train’ was shut in July 2005 due to mounting losses and other challenges. The government and the people were concerned about the loss of a unique heritage. Before the sugar train ran its final course, the government made a unique partnership with a private enterprise and the privately owned St. Kitts Scenic Railway began tourist services in January 2003.
The trains are double-decked and provide an open–air observation platform on the upper deck that gives the passengers a clear 360-degree viewing, along with a lower air-conditioned “parlour”.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
