Which countries/territories have abandoned railways altogether?

[Chris999999]

Albania is incredibly close to doing so, but amazingly it still hangs on.

Cambodia briefly did but then it restarted with outside funding.

I might have agreed with you about Albania until the recent announcement about about the Black Sea and Adriatic Sea link in the IRJ https://www.railjournal.com/freight/agreement-to-complete-adriatic-sea-black-sea-connection/

Of course agreeing to do something and actually doing it are two different things.

 

[duesselmartin]

I suppose if we're talking regions rather than countries, there's also the Peloponnese railway in Greece, which I think remains shut.

Its not as bad as you think. Aigo to Athens, Patras commuter and the mountain line from Kiato.

 

[Bungle158]

I suppose if we're talking regions rather than countries, there's also the Peloponnese railway in Greece, which I think remains shut.

I believe there was also a small industrial system in Heraklion, on Crete. Used primarily for construction of the port. For many years, a standard gauge tank loco sat on a plinth at the harbour, but l think this was an "import" from the Athens Piraeus line on the mainland.

 

[Calthrop]

At one time I embarked on a project to find out about islands in assorted parts of the globe, with public railways (such lines, mostly no more) -- feel that unless I take care, could carry on ad taedium on this theme. One location maybe worth mentioning in respect of "had railways --all now gone except for a little preservation activity", is Hawaii -- a US state, of course, but geographically far removed from the rest. "At peak", there were public railways on three islands of the group; and plentiful agricultural lines -- chiefly in the service of sugar-cane growing -- on those three islands and also on others. As per best understanding of the present-day scene: all that now remains active, are modest preservation doings at two venues. A relatively small part is preserved, of the 3ft. gauge system which once comprehensively served the island of Oahu; and there is a still smaller preserved operation on Maui -- which once had a public line; but the preserved bit, is on 3ft. gauge former sugar trackage.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

At one time I embarked on a project to find out about islands in assorted parts of the globe, with public railways (such lines, mostly no more) -- feel that unless I take care, could carry on ad taedium on this theme. One location maybe worth mentioning in respect of "had railways --all now gone except for a little preservation activity", is Hawaii -- a US state, of course, but geographically far removed from the rest. "At peak", there were public railways on three islands of the group; and plentiful agricultural lines -- chiefly in the service of sugar-cane growing -- on those three islands and also on others. As per best understanding of the present-day scene: all that now remains active, are modest preservation doings at two venues. A relatively small part is preserved, of the 3ft. gauge system which once comprehensively served the island of Oahu; and there is a still smaller preserved operation on Maui -- which once had a public line; but the preserved bit, is on 3ft. gauge former sugar trackage.

Honolulu is building a new metro though I believe. Speaking of places that have abandoned railways only to bring them back, we had a thread a while back on the ambitious (and admittedly unlikely to happen) Malta Metro project.

 

[Calthrop]

Honolulu is building a new metro though I believe. Speaking of places that have abandoned railways only to bring them back, we had a thread a while back on the ambitious (and admittedly unlikely to happen) Malta Metro project.

They're all at it ! In principle, I approve of such rail renaissances -- in extremely different form -- in such places, many decades on. As an enthusiast of the hopeless-sentimentalist kind, though: I can't find these ventures appealing in the way in which I do, charmingly sleepy branch-line-ish / narrow-gauge undertakings.

 

[Gag Halfrunt]

we had a thread a while back on the ambitious (and admittedly unlikely to happen) Malta Metro project.

Malta Metro

Hi, The Maltese government have funded a study in to a potential mass transit system. More info here: https://www.metro.mt/ Of course, being Malta this may never happen, and there is also an election soon. But I found it interesting, the website seems serious.

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Baxenden Bank]

They're all at it ! In principle, I approve of such rail renaissances -- in extremely different form -- in such places, many decades on. As an enthusiast of the hopeless-sentimentalist kind, though: I can't find these ventures appealing in the way in which I do, charmingly sleepy branch-line-ish / narrow-gauge undertakings.

If only there were a group of enthusiasts willing to take on the portage railway in the Central African Republic. Only 7km length, potential UNESCO listing, lots of tourist potential with a remote jungle experience and all that. You might even get a generous development grant from a wealthy nation as part of an aid project. The earlier post which mentioned CAR had me scratching my head!

Although guilty of the offence myself, wandering off into mineral and agricultural lines I think, if a list of countries were to be produced, that there is a need to define parameters. Are we talking about public railways, that is common carrier / passenger services or private railways for specific construction projects / agricultural / industrial locations which might have had passengers riding on wagons and a bit of 'on-the-side' goods transport?

Definition, definition, definition.

That is before we mention temporary and portable railways:

Decauville's major innovation was the use of ready-made sections of light, narrow gauge track fastened to steel sleepers; this track was portable and could be disassembled and transported very easily. The first Decauville railway used 400 mm (15+3⁄4 in) gauge; Decauville later refined his invention and switched to 500 mm (19+3⁄4 in) and 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) gauge.

 

[Bertone]

Not surprisingly, the railways in Iraq are somewhat depleted.
Before all the conflicts they had a “reasonable” network of standard and one metre gauge.
In fact, under Sadam Hussain, milions of Iraqi dinars were being invested in new railway projects.
I was involved in the design and testing of such a scheme which ran from Kirkut in Kurdistan, down SW across the country for about 250km.
No expense was spared with the main stations built like a palaces with a “Ceremonial“ platform just for use whenever Sadam H visited!
This line was being constructed (with Hyundai as the main contractor with GEC providing the design, supply and testing of the signalling) when Iraq was at war with Iran in the late 1880’s.
My understanding is that it never really reached its full usage before the impressive viaducts, infrastructure and control centres were destroyed mainly during US led invasion of the country in the early 2000’s.
What a b****y waste!
Obviously fairly insignificant when you consider what has happened to the country overall!
Since then any remaining railways were subject to ISIS attacks and vandalism.
However, it seems now a regular service is now in operation between Baghdad and Basra (550km) in the south, plus a 30km “branch” with Chinese built multiple units.
There are plans also to go north from Baghdad again but that is in the distance future.
When you think that once you were able to travel from London across Europe to Baghdad on the Orient Express, will that ever return- I don’t think so!

 

[Gag Halfrunt]

Have you seen Andrew Grantham's website on railways in Iraq?

 

[Cloud Strife]

one wonders whether the railway would have lasted even as late as 1951.

Yes, it seems that the colonial authorities had very little interest in the railway. It is really quite strange, because Famagusta was a well developed port city by the time of independence, and much of the trade had shifted to Famagusta from Larnaca. My only guess is that the British authorities had little interest in spending money in Cyprus after WW2, and from what I've seen of Cyprus in the 1960's, it was still a very, very poor place.

It is a great shame that the island doesn't have a functioning rail network today. A Nicosia-Larnaca Airport-Limmasol line would surely be viable, especially given the difficulties of getting public transport from the airport onwards.

 

[Mwanesh]

Zimbabwe the trains only move when they want political mileage and publicity. Intercity travel is non existant

 

[Bertone]

Have you seen Andrew Grantham's website on railways in Iraq?

Thanks, I’ll have a look.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Just a quick note:

If anyone wants detailed information about the historic railway coverage in a particular country this web site - Railway Station Lists is a very good resource. Also available on the Branch Line Society website (see introduction notes). It has a pdf file for each country (or a small group of countries) and lists stations and distances line by line. Best used in conjunction with a map eg Open Street Map or Open Railway Map. Not always easy to follow due to the format of some of the older sheets, but one of those 'a lifetime of work' by an individual.

 

[S&CLER]

Today's Jamaica Observer says that a train service for school students has started in Kingston, but only attracted a handful of passengers on the first train. Sorry, not sure how to do a link to the website, but it was on the MSN news feed.

 

[StephenHunter]

This one?

 

[Gerald Fiennes]

Bermuda's railway was turned into a 22 mile footpath/cycle track, recommended if you are ever there. https://www.bermudarailway.net/ No prospect of reopening I think, although the island remains unusual in limiting cars to one per household and banning hire cars altogether (tourists go by bus or taxi).

 

[S&CLER]

This one?

Thanks but not quite, it was the issue dated 14 January.

 

[Calthrop]

Bermuda's railway was turned into a 22 mile footpath/cycle track, recommended if you are ever there. https://www.bermudarailway.net/ No prospect of reopening I think, although the island remains unusual in limiting cars to one per household and banning hire cars altogether (tourists go by bus or taxi).

Something which I find an interesting oddity: is that on closure of the Bermuda Railway in 1948, after a short life of seventeen years: much of its equipment (internal-combustion railcars; diesel locos; rolling stock -- being the kind of outfit which it was, and having come along late in the day, it never had steam locos) was passed on to the railways of Guyana (then British Guiana) -- not clear to me whether this is mentioned in the linked material given by @Gerald Fiennes). With Guyana's mention in post #5 as having once had railways, but now being without them; the territory / country came on the rail scene early for that part of the world (first section opened 1848) -- essentially, had lines running parallel to the coast including serving the capital Georgetown; one part of the route standard-gauge, the other part 3ft. 6in.

With the Bermuda Railway being standard gauge, it was to the s/g part of Guyana's railways that its "cast-offs" went; I gather that the line concerned was as at 1948, much "the worse for wear", especially re motive power and stock -- the "reinforcements" from Bermuda were a timely blessing. Guyana's railways continued to operate for another generation; abandonment coming in 1972.

 

[Gag Halfrunt]

The FAQ page covers it. Even rails and sleepers were flogged off.

In 1946 the Bermuda Government purchased the Bermuda Railway from the private company which owned it for £115,000. The decision to close the railway came two years later. In 1948 the government sold all the railway rolling stock and other equipment, right down to most of the rails and wooden sleepers, to the government of British Guiana (now Guyana), which ran that colony’s railway. The Bermuda Government received £86,000 for the railway equipment and material.

Unlike Bermuda, British Guiana had decided to renew their equally worn-out railway rather than close it down. Of course, British Guiana had a much longer history of railway operations; the first railway line there opened in 1848. The British Guiana Railway kept running until 1972.

 

[Calthrop]

The FAQ page covers it. Even rails and sleepers were flogged off.

Thanks. I struggled with the link: probably nothing wrong there -- just my stupidity with computers !

 

[High Dyke]

Mention of Sierra Leone, and a search of the Internet reveals this. Whilst the railway has no operational ability, at least it has something to show it once did.

Hyperlink is for the Sierra Leone Railway Museum.