THE CYPRUS GOVERNMENT RAILWAY
1905 TILL 1951
A NARROW GAUGE RAILWAY
The Cyprus Government Railway was a linear, narrow gauge railway that operated continuously in Cyprus for 46 years. The railway served British administrators and the people of Cyprus from its first conception in October 1905, to its untimely liquidation in December 1951. The 122 km line was originally designed to be a freight railway carrying goods to and from the port of Famagusta, but was later adapted to also accommodate passengers. At its height, the railway serviced a total of 39 stops, which included stations, halts, and sidings. The steam powered locomotives reached a maximum 48 kilometres per hour, which meant that it took just over 3 hours to complete a full journey from one end of the line to the other.
THE CYPRUS CONVENTION
In the late 19th century the British Empire identified that Cyprus’s proximity, in the Eastern Mediterranean, to the heavily relied upon Suez Canal could be utilised to help protect its interests. The island’s Ottoman rulers, under pressure from Russia were open to negotiations and 1878, Cyprus became a British protectorate. This agreement became known as the ‘Cyprus Convention’ and stipulated, that although the island was still attributed to the Ottomans, full control of the island would be ceded to the British Empire. In exchange for this, Britain promised to guarantee to use its position to buffer any possible Russian expansion at the time. Soon after taking control, the British immediately identified that modernisation of the island’s infrastructure was desperately needed.
RAILWAY PLANS
Animals including camels were used as the main mode of transport for both passenger and freight at the time and British administatiors were keen to introduce new modern transport links to the island. A new modern road and rail network were required and they set about immediately planning these works. The first High Commissioner of Cyprus submitted the first proposals for the construction of a new railway to serve the port of Famagusta in the east of the island, but his plans were almost immediately shelved, as it was decided that priority would be given to a new road network on the island. Road construction went on to delay the introduction of the railway for 25 years, but after several revisions, plans to build a new freight railway connecting the port of Famagusta in the east to Evrychou in the west were finally approved. Construction of the new railway began in 1904 and the whole project took a total of 12 years to fully complete.
BUILT IN SECTIONS
Section 1
Earthworks for the first stage of the new railway began in May 1904. This section of track would stretch 58km from the port of Famagusta to Nicosia and took over a year to complete. The inauguration for this phase of the rail network took place at the port of Famagusta on October 21st, 1905. Local wood and oil, as well as coal was used to fuel the steam locomotives that were imported directly from England at the time. Cyprus’s hard water however, had to be softened by chemicals to prevent damage to the locomotive’s main boiler and this led to the installation of treatment facilities along the route. This section of the railway began to move freight to and from the Port of Famagusta and Nicosia almost immediately with two trains each day servicing the route at regular intervals. The headquarters, which also acted as the administrative centre for the Cyprus Government Railway, was established at the Nicosia station that same year.
Section 2
Work on the second stage of the line preceded the completion of the first and earthworks began on this section in July 1905. This section of track would stretch to 40km extending the main line from Nicosia to Morphou and although the distance was shorter than the first phase, this part took longer to complete because of the difficult terrain. The inauguration for this phase of the rail network took place in Nicosia on March 31st, 1907.
Section 3
Work on the third and final stage of the line began after a 5-year gap in 1913. This section of track stretched to 24km extending the line from Morphou to Evrychou. The inauguration of this phase of the rail network took place at the village of Evrychou, on June 14th 1915.
Section 4
After the main part of the railway was complete, further track was used to connect Famagusta Station with other parts of Varosha. Other small sections of track was also introduced to serve the Cyprus Mines Corporation, which used the railway to transfer ore and minerals to the Port of Famagusta. Track was also introduced to connect the copper mines in Kalavasos and Drapia, and the preparation plant in Vasiliko to the railway.
A FRIEGHT RAILWAY
When the Railway was complete, the main commodity for transport was timber from the Troodos Mountains that was transferred across Cyprus and exported via the Port of Famagusta. The port would eventually attract other exports the new rail system would later transport Cypriot produce that included everything from fine wines to potatoes. In 1912, the railway began to carry overseas mail, which was collected via ship fro the Port of Famagusta. This directly led to some stations, that wre easily identified by the large white official signs, becoming multifunctional centres of activity. The station also began to function as post offices, and then as a place for the exchanging of goods and services and they would later also operate as telephone centres and telegram offices.
THE GREAT WAR
The First World War led to a drastic role change for the Cyprus Government Railway, when it began for the first time to serve passegers. Cargo wagons were replaced by passenger coaches and the rail service was mainly used to transport troops and to carry munitions to the Port of Famagusta throughout the war. The new passenger service was also open to Cypriots who also provided troops for the ongoing war effort. After the war, the passenger service, which had become very popular, remained in place and this meant that new stations and stops were introduced along the route. Road vehicles, would for the first time, ferry waiting passengers at stops and stations to other locations all over the island, fuelling a fledgling taxi industry. The railway that was going from strength to strength, saw its services and transport connections develope further in 1929, when a new bus service began to operate from the main Nicosia Station, which at its peak became a hive of activity. At its height, the railway owned a total of 12 locomotives, 17 passenger coaches and about 100 multi-purpose wagons and it had over 200 employees servicing the entire rail network.
THE RIOTS OF 1931
It seemed for a time that the Cyprus Government Railway would recover its investment and go on to expand its service to other areas on the island, but this all changed when the political landscape in Cyprus began to slowly change. A little while after the war, a new solidarity movement began on the island and several Cypriot organisations began demanding autonomy and a closer association with Greece. The British Empire’s reluctance to engage in meaningful talks led to the railway, which represented to many as a symbol of British colonial rule on the island, becoming a target. Incidents of what seemed to be random sabotage, by Cypriot rebel groups on the railway, became frequent and this disruption began to cause an unstable and irregular service bringing an uncertainty for the railway’s future. Cypriot rioters went on to systematically destroy several vehicles and they also tore up track at random locations across the rail netwok. These actions often crippled large parts of the railway, creating an unstable environment for the service. The route from Morfou to Evrychou, was effected the most and this directly led to its permanent closure. In October 1931, mass rioting against colonial rule spiralled out of control, leading to the burning of the British Governor’s residence in Nicosia.
ANOTHER WAR EFFORT
All hostilities between British Colonial forces on the island and Cypriots ceased by the beginning of World War II and the Cyprus Government Railway again became a focal point. British administrators knew that the railway would become crucial to the war effort and once again was pressed into service. The Port of Famagusta remained as the focal point on the island throughout the war and the railway was once again pressed into service by effectively ferrying allied troops and munitions around the island. After the Cyprus Volunteer Regiment was formed, the regiment that was solely made up of Cypriot volunteers, initially supplied security for the railway after the Axis powers unsuccessfully bombing campain of the railway during the war.
NEW CONNECTIONS
After the war, Cyprus was used as a transit point for European Jewish refugees. The railway resumed normal service and was responsible for ferrying up to 50.000 people from the Port of Famagusta to Jewish internment camps on the island. The railway was also later expanded to accommodate two major developments on the island. Aviation was fast becoming prominent and a track was laid to connect the International Airport of Nicosia. Extra track was also laid to connect the Nicosia Hippodrome and extra passenger trains were organised to service Sunday racing at the horse racing track.
THE LAST TRAIN TO FAMAGUSTA
By 1950 the Cyprus Government Railway had transferred almost 8 million passengers and nearly 4 million tons of cargo. However, by this time irregular cargo, spiralling costs, a fatal collision, and the mass introduction of motorised vehicles to the island meant that the railway had became commercially unviable. After several attempts to save the project had failed, British administrators were left with no choice and reluctantly had to de-commission the railway. As a result, the final train departed from Nicosia Station on December 31st 1951, and arrived at the Port of Famagusta Station by the late afternoon. After the railway closed, most of its employees found new employment within state services and governmental organisations and the all of the projects assets were eventually sold on.
THE PROCESS OF DISMANTLING
The process of dismantling and removing the track took more than two years to fully complete. Some of the equipment was distributed to different government departments and ten of the twelve locomotives, along with track and other parts of the rolling stock were auctioned. Rail companies from abroad purchased the bulk of the equipment, but some locals purchased some wagons for novel uses. Locomotive 1 was preserved as a monument and is still displayed outside the Port of Famagusta Station today. Local municipalities took control of stations, which fell under their remit, and they were either demolished or converted to other uses. The former stations at the villages of Angastina and Kokkinotrimithia became police stations and the Public Works Department converted stations in Famagusta, Morphou and Nicosia into warehouses. Evrychou Station was briefly used as a sanitary centre and then as a dormitory housing forest workers, eventually becaming the Cyprus Railway Museum. Although the railway was officially de-commissioned, the Cyprus Mines Corporation continued to operate their section of track until 1974 and the lines connecting the copper mines of Kalavasos and Drapia along with the preparation plant in Vasiliko carried on operating until 1977.
THE CYPRUS RAILWAY MUSEUM
The Cyprus Railway Museum, located in the village of Evrychou, offers a fascinating glimpse into the island’s railway history, which dates back to the early 20th century. The museum is housed in a restored railway station and features various exhibits related to the operation of the railway in Cyprus, including historical locomotives, carriages, and other railway artefacts. Visitors can explore the museum’s collection of artifacts, which highlights the role of the railway, in the island’s transportation network both for goods and passengers. There are also photographs, maps, and documents that chronicle the development of rail travel in Cyprus during the British colonial period.
