Island Railway Opens

1864

The Isle of Wight's first railway line opened in 1864, running between Cowes and Newport. Further lines followed rapidly: Ryde to Shanklin in 1864, Sandown to Newport in 1875, and branches to Freshwater, Ventnor and Bembridge in subsequent years. By the early twentieth century the island had an extensive railway network connecting all the main towns. The railways transformed the island's economy, making the resort towns accessible to holidaymakers arriving by steamer from Portsmouth and Southampton. Most of the lines closed during the Beeching cuts of the 1960s, but the Ryde to Shanklin line survived as the Island Line, now operated using former London Underground stock. The railway heritage is celebrated at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway, which operates heritage trains between Smallbrook Junction and Wootton.