The only wagon left to immortalise the short stint of the Maltese train system has been moved to a “safe place” to be restored after it was massacred by vandals.
It is the first time in more than 30 years that the third-class carriage has been moved out of Ġnien l-Istazzjon, in Birkirkara.
Vandalised for years, the carriage has been included in a proposal for funding under a €1 million scheme launched by the government earlier this month.
Birkirkara mayor Joanne Debono Grech said the council planned to restore the wagon and turn a childcare centre into a train museum.
The carriage would be placed in a structure, probably made of glass, to protect it from the elements and CCTV cameras should deter vandalism.
No target date has yet been set for the restoration, however, this morning it was moved to another place, to protect it from further vandalism until the necessary funds are allocated to restore it.
The restoration job would be done in consultation with the Malta Railway Foundation.
Known as il-vapur tal-art, the Malta railway ran between 1883 and 1931, when the service was halted because it could not compete with trams and buses.