200 Years of the First Public Rail Journey

The history of public rail travel began in 1825 between the towns of Stockton and Darlington in England: on September 27, 1825, a steam locomotive with 36 attached carriages and a maximum speed of 24 km/h traveled through the English countryside for the first time. In addition to the many spectators along the route, almost 600 passengers did not miss this event. However, it was not necessarily comfortable – some of the passengers were sitting or standing on the wagons loaded with coal. The 39-kilometre journey marked the beginning of modern rail transport and revolutionized travel and trade.

The stamps “Outward journey at sunrise” (face value CHF 1.90) and “Return journey at sunset” (face value CHF 2.50) commemorate this historic event. Liechtenstein has had a single, almost ninekilometre-long railroad line running through the Principality since 1872. It is part of the connection from Feldkirch (Austria) via Schaan (Liechtenstein) to Buchs (Switzerland) and is operated jointly by the three countries.