WITHIN the next six weeks, the Ministry of Housing will complete a study for the possible construction of a commercial rail link along the East Bank and East Coasts of Demerara corridors, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has said.

The Head of State, during a visit and assessment of several road works ongoing at Buzz Bee Dam to the Land of Canaan interconnecting highway on Tuesday, identified a high dam that could possibly facilitate the construction of a railway.

“That is a dam that we had identified for the possibility of a rail link, so that high dam is left there as the rail link possibly and right now I have asked the ministry of housing to come up with a study within the next six weeks as to the cost for commercial rail link along the East Coast, East Bank Corridor,” the President said.

Back in 2023, President Ali had announced that should the Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) secure a second term, the government will look at the viability of bringing back the railways.

This was in response to complaints of traffic congestion along the EBD and ECD corridors. The government has already taken crucial steps to address this issue by building critical infrastructure.

Since 2023, the government has completed the Ogle to Eccles (Haags Bosch) four-lane highway. This 7.8-kilometre highway cost approximately US$106.4 million and was constructed by the India-based firm, Ashoka Buildcon Limited.

The highway connects the East Coast Demerara to the East Bank Demerara, significantly reducing travel time between Eugene F. Correia International Airport and Cheddi Jagan International Airport and easing congestion by bypassing central Georgetown.

Additionally, the government has completed over 5,600 community roads since returning to office in 2020.

Other major highway projects such as the Linden to Mabura Road upgrade and the East Coast Road Improvement projects are underway; this is now 77 per cent completed.

Notably, President Ali recently officially opened the new $10.1 billion Great Diamond to Buzz Bee Dam highway.

This highway will be further expanded to Soesdyke and eventually to Linden (Region 10).

The highway, part of a broader national infrastructural plan, is designed to ease traffic congestion, boost economic activities and open up previously inaccessible areas to development, with over 56.5 km of major roadways completed or underway.

These included the Eccles to Great Diamond interlink road, commissioned back in 2021; the Mandela Avenue to Eccles Highway commissioned in 2022 and the Eccles to Great Diamond highway also commissioned in 2022.

The Great Diamond extension four-lane highway, commonly known as the Heroes Highway was commissioned in 2023.

Some decades ago, Guyana had two public railways: the Demerara-Berbice railway and the Demerara-Essequibo railway, which are no longer functional.