Railway
The only railway in the Channel Islands is another reminder of the military build-up in Victorian times. The Alderney Railway was constructed in the 1840s by the British government with the aim of conveying stone from the eastern end of the island to build the breakwater and the forts.
It was the first nationalised railway run by the Admiralty. It opened in 1847 and is one of the oldest lines in the British Isles. The first official passengers, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, were carried on August 8, 1854, in a horse-drawn tender. The railway continued in its mineral-carrying capacity for the rest of the 19th century.
The year 1985 saw the arrival of the Vulcan Drewry 0-4-0 diesel locomotive Elizabeth, which after more than 20 years is still providing sterling service. In 2001 the Alderney Railway acquired two replacement 1959 former tube cars from London Underground.
The railway operates on bank holidays and weekends through the summer season along a scenic coastal route from the harbour up to the north-east coast, cutting across country towards Mannez Quarry and the nearby Mannez Lighthouse.
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