The Malta Story – Capture 15 further information

Dave Buckley revisited Malta in 2025 and has provided us with an update and information with regard to the railway that once ran on the island:

The Porta Reale Bridge and Kingsway (aka City Gate) at the top was removed some years back, while the area in front of the gate, which when we first visited in 1993, was the main bus terminus, has moved about 100 yards to behind the camera and the terminus area paved over. The fountain in the middle has been refurbished.

The bridge into the city definitely remains, but it is the lower bridge that’s interesting. Between 1883 and 1931, there was a single track metre gauge railway with passing places, that ran from Valletta to Mdina. This lower bridge can be seen behind Alec Guinness and carried the railway into Valletta station, through an archway which is obscured by the bush. The old station and arch are still there, although the arch is now a glazed access door to an area of the parliament building used for document storage and a library.

There is a museum at Birchircara which is housed in what was one of the stations (the building also has a layout of the tram system plus information). This museum has limited opening hours as it is run by volunteers – as at this time it is only open Tuesdays about 10am to mid afternoon and Wednesdays from around 3.30pm to 7pm.