Proposed road from Anse-a-Galets to Pointe-a-Raquette

There is an idea to connect part of the island of La Gonave.  Possibly you have heard the calls from some to have a road built between the cities of Anse-a-Galets to Pointe-a-Raquette.  There is even a petition the is asking the President of Haiti to take this on, and build such a road.  Below is roughly the location and route of the road that is being proposed.

As you can see based on how I plotted it, it follows the route that a few other sites and experts have asked for.  The need to connect the two cities is very important.  The drive time to connect the two cities is horrible, and to get patients to hospitals in Anse-a-Galet from Pointe-a-Raquette is more than a mission.  So many have said that a road is needed.

I have a problem with this on some fronts.  I do support a road, preferably a two lane bi-directional highway.  I even signed the petition to get this project done.  I even feel that along the route a solar panel strip along the length of the road would help solve the island electricity issues.  Keep in mind this is a 20 mile road that would be built over rough terrain and a base made of limestone.  The cost would be from $2 to $5 million PER MILE in US dollars.  So that cost to build that small highway would be $38 million on the low end to more than $95 million.  I think that the road is important, but is there a better solution.

In comes the train.  With a train you build a single track line for the length of the route.  Also the route wouldn't have to follow that plans above and could be a much smaller line.  The cost for rail would be cheaper since it would be an open track using standard gauge.  A system such as this could use a DMU unit, or Diesel Multiple Unit train system, which wouldn't rely on electricity.  The line would have only a point A (Anse-a-Galets), and a point B (Pointe-a-Raquette).  Given the distance, only one train would be needed and have a headway of 1 hour.  Bio-fuel could power the train, so having a potential bio-fuel farm growing sugarcane or vetiver would work.

See below of my idea of the type of system that would work on La Gonave.

 

Now keep in mind this train cost about $4.3 million per train, and for safety measures the La Gonave line would need two trains.  That puts the cost at $12 million.  Given that no utility work would need to be moved, and just two basic train stops are needed, the cost per rail mile would be less than $1 million US.  So the total is roughly $32 million for two trains, and 20 miles of track.  Keep in mind that the track could be much less miles if a more direct point is figured.  Also given that no fuel would need to be imported, this line wouldn't be super expensive to run.

Even the below type of system of DMU could work and the cost of these old Budd DMU's are just a few hundred thousand US dollars.

The city of Portland purchased a few of these as backup for their commuter system.  The video shows you what a remodeled Budd could look like.

So in my opinion to lower the need for roads that content repair, the potential for growing need of automobiles, and the associated cost with that, and the expense of building a road, rail is the way to go.

Go Gonave!