Rail transport in Guernsey

There have been two railways within the state territories of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown Dependency consisting of eight islands.

• The Guernsey Railway operated from 1879 to 1934 on the principal island, Guernsey.
• The Alderney Railway opened in 1847 and continues to operate on the second largest island of the bailiwick, Alderney.

Guernsey

There are currently no railway services on the island of Guernsey. The Guernsey Railway, which was virtually an electric tramway, and which began working on 20 February 1892, was abandoned on 9 June 1934. It replaced an earlier transport system which was worked by steam, and was named the Guernsey Steam Tramway. The latter began service on 6 June 1879 with six locomotives.^[1] During the Occupation of the Channel Islands in the Second World War, light railways were built in Guernsey to help build and supply coastal fortifications, such as Fort Hommet. This included railway sidings at L'Islet. ^[2] They were dismantled after the occupation.

Alderney

The Alderney Railway provides a rail link of approximately two miles, with a regular timetabled service during the summer months and at seasonal festivals including Easter and Christmas. It is now the only working railway on the Channel Islands to provide a public transport link. It is also one of the oldest railways in the British Isles, dating from 1847, and carried Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as the first 'official' passengers in 1857.^[3]

There is also a 7 ¹⁄₄ in (184 mm) gauge miniature railway on Alderney, which operates during the summer months.^[4]

References