The proposal to build a railway in Malta was made in 1870 so as to connect the capital city, Valletta to Mdina the ancient capital of Malta. Total travelling time was to be reduced from three hours by horse-drawn carriage to under half an hour. Land acquisition difficulties, the siting of stations and the overall general logistics generated by this modern novelty all led to considerable delays in planning and construction. The line was finally inaugurated on 28 February 1883 when the first train voyage left the Valletta terminus for destination Mdina.
The first two stations, Valletta and Floriana, were underground. The railway extended over a distance of 11 km and connected several platforms and stations at Hamrun, Msida, Santa Venera, Birkirkara, Balzan, Attard and Mdina. Besides the locomotive, the train consisted of various wooden passenger carriages both in First and Third Class. Of particular interest where the mailbags placed on the outside of First-Class carriages to receive mail, thereby incorporating the Malta Railway route into the national postal distribution network.
In 1890, the Malta Railway Company Ltd. went bankrupt bringing the railway to an end. As a result of this, the Government took over the operation, further invested in the infrastructure and reopened for business on 25 January 1892. Three years later, works commenced on an extension of the line to provide a better service to the British soldiers stationed at Mtarfa barracks. A tunnel was dug under Rabat and Mdina and a new station (Museum) was built at the foot of Mtarfa. The extension was opened to the public in 1900. Throughout its operation, the finances of the Malta Railway were a constant challenge. The arrival of the Malta Tramway in 1905, and the gradual introduction of the motor bus network throughout the 1920s, eventually signaled the end of the railway. The train operation was forced to shut down on 31 March 1931.
Fortunately, structures such as train stations, embankments, tunnels and street names survive as reminders of this important part of our heritage. To commemorate the event, MaltaPost, is issuing a sheet of 5 stamps portraying various scenes related to the Malta Railway. One stamp shows the railway route, with three others portraying artworks by John N Scerri, of scenes from the Birkirkara, Hamrun and Mtarfa train stations respectively. One stamp shows the train leaving the tunnel in St. James Ditch, Valletta. This painting is by local artist Richard J.Caruana
