Promoting road safety at the railway crossing
Published:Saturday | February 5, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Christopher Serju, Gleaner Writer
RHYMESBURY, Clarendon: THE WORKSTATION looks hardly to be more that 8ftx6ft, but the job they do is of the utmost importance. Tanya and her colleague are rostered to work from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Gleaner stops by and find Tanya in good spirits, despite a nagging headache, at the point where the Rhymesbury main road and the railway line intersect.
Their job is to monitor the operations of trains and trolleys operated on behalf of Jamalco. The number of trains crossing varies from day to day; depending on bauxite output or the track maintenance schedule, so there is no time for complacency. Whenever the radio crackles they are on full alert, and upon being apprised of the situation, spring into action. Their safety is paramount and so even as they both spring into action, signalling oncoming vehicles to stop, they must be alert to delinquent motorists. Swinging the gates into place on each side of the road, effectively blocking it to vehicular traffic, they await passage of the train which can have as many as 27 cars attached.
Not an exciting job
It's not an exciting job by any stretch of the imagination, despite its importance, but Tanya, who has been employed for about a year, is grateful. After applying to Jamalco, she had to wait some time, being interviewed and processed before finally getting the job. The cramped quarters are secure, with few creature comforts - including bathroom facilities. Two solar panels atop the rook catch the eye and my reluctant interviewee explains their importance in the event of a power failure. The two-way radios through which they are kept abreast of the train schedule must be kept charged.
While I wait for the chance to see a train, approaching vehicles slow, coming to a halt before negotiating the train line but I am unlucky, no trains are in sight. Reluctantly, I leave with a greater appreciation for the ongoing excitement and unpredictability of my job from day to day, and renewed respect for Tanya and her colleagues for their key role in promoting road safety.