The only remnant of the Malta Railway, a carriage found at Ġnien l-Istazzjon, in Birkirkara, could be restored to its former glory (right) and sheltered from the elements and vandals if the local council manages to secure the necessary funds under a government scheme.The only remnant of the Malta Railway, a carriage found at Ġnien l-Istazzjon, in Birkirkara, could be restored to its former glory (right) and sheltered from the elements and vandals if the local council manages to secure the necessary funds under a government scheme.

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.

The only remaining carriage that formed part of the Maltese train system is in need of restoration. Photo: Chris Sant FournierThe only remaining carriage that formed part of the Maltese train system is in need of restoration. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

 

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.