Government has made no decision to proceed with the proposed Swift Rail transportation system

GREAT BAY--Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication Grisha Heyliger-Marten has clarified that Government has made no decision to proceed with the proposed Swift Rail transportation system, stressing that the concept remains at the proposal and assessment stage while Government develops a broader approach to mobility and traffic management for St. Maarten.

The unsolicited Swift Rail proposal was formally submitted to TEATT on August 20, 2026, and must now undergo assessment of its technical, financial, legal and operational aspects. Heyliger-Marten said Government currently has no formal position on the proposal and will determine any next steps only after it has been properly reviewed.

Following the Minister’s reference to Swift Rail during the Budget debate, The People’s Tribune conducted its own review of the company and discovered that Swift Rail’s website already features images of recognizable St. Maarten landscapes with the company’s elevated transportation system superimposed onto them. The images appear to illustrate what the system could potentially look like if developed on the island.

The presence of St. Maarten imagery on the company’s website does not, however, mean that Government has approved the project or entered into an agreement for its implementation. Heyliger-Marten’s comments make clear that the proposal only recently entered TEATT’s formal assessment process and that no decision has been taken.

Swift Rail describes itself as an elevated transportation concept that has been under development for more than a decade. The company says the system uses small, energy-efficient electric vehicles travelling on elevated tracks, allowing pedestrians, vehicles and other activity to continue beneath the infrastructure. Swift Rail also says its vehicles are quiet, produce no direct emissions and can be charged using renewable energy.

One of the features being promoted by the company is the relatively small amount of ground space required by an elevated system, an issue that could be particularly relevant for St. Maarten given the island’s limited available land and existing traffic congestion.

Swift Rail also promotes the system as a potentially lower-cost alternative to conventional rail. The company estimates an all-in cost of approximately US $3 million to US $5 million per mile, compared with much higher costs commonly associated with conventional light-rail systems. It further states that some routes could potentially operate profitably without ongoing operating subsidies.

Those figures and projections are company claims and would have to be independently assessed by Government as part of any serious consideration of the St. Maarten proposal. The concept is also designed to connect with other transportation options through what is commonly referred to as Mobility-as-a-Service, allowing different public and private transportation providers to operate as part of a wider mobility network.

Heyliger-Marten was careful not to characterize any of these claims as having already been accepted or validated by Government. The Minister said the fact that Swift Rail representatives have engaged Government, made presentations or formally submitted a proposal should not be interpreted as approval, endorsement or a commitment to implement the system.

This includes claims surrounding the financing structure. Swift Rail has been described as a potentially self-funded concept that would not require direct Government financing, but that too would have to form part of the financial and legal review before Government could rely on such a model.

The Swift Rail proposal is being considered against the backdrop of Government’s wider work on traffic congestion, public transportation and mobility. TEATT is currently gathering information on possible solutions while developing a more structured mobility framework for the country.

Heyliger-Marten explained that Government does not want to select a transportation technology first and determine afterward whether it actually fits St. Maarten. The approach is to first understand the mobility problem through data, determine the realistic capacity and needs of the existing transportation network, examine available technologies and financing options, and then determine what should move forward.

As part of that process, Government has conducted a Request for Information, RFI, exercise to better understand transportation technologies and approaches available in the market. Areas under consideration include intelligent traffic management, vehicle and fleet tracking, public transportation technology and possible financing arrangements such as public-private partnerships and concessions.

Heyliger-Marten also stressed that various private entities have presented transportation concepts to Government, including presentations to the Council of Ministers. Such presentations, however, do not constitute procurement exercises and do not give any company an entitlement to a Government contract.

The RFI submissions are being assessed by an interministerial team of technical experts for feasibility, scalability and potential value. Those findings will also be considered alongside a comprehensive carrying-capacity study designed to determine what St. Maarten’s existing road and transportation infrastructure can realistically accommodate.

If viable and cost-effective options emerge, the information gathered could eventually assist Government in preparing terms of reference for a formal procurement process. Any procurement would still have to comply with the applicable open and competitive procedures.

Heyliger-Marten said Government’s objective is not simply to produce another traffic plan, but to establish a mobility system that is safer, more organized, data-driven and suited to the realities of a small island with limited land and significant congestion.

For now, however, a proposal is being evaluated and nothing has been decided. Swift Rail has not been approved, Government has made no commitment to implement the system, and the company has not been selected as St. Maarten’s transportation solution.

The St. Maarten images appearing on Swift Rail’s own website make clear that the company has already envisioned how its system might potentially fit into the local landscape. Whether that vision ever moves beyond a proposal will depend on Government’s technical, financial, legal and operational assessment and whatever formal process follows.

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