Train travel in Barbados is limited to only one narrow gauge railway. Barbados is a beautiful island with rolling hills, lush tropical forests, white sandy beaches and clear turquoise sea. The island has one of the most unforgettable coastlines in the Caribbean.
Last updated: 21.01.2024
Barbados Railway (history)
Construction of the first railway in Barbados started on 23 June 1877. The first section of the line from Bridgetown to Carrington was opened on 20 October 1881. One-way trip took 40 minutes. Traffic was suspended shortly after due to derailments. After additional construction work railway traffic was resumed.
The line from Bridgetown to Belleplaine was officially inaugurated in 1883 with presence of dignitaries. Initially there was a large traffic of passenger and freight trains, but the owners don’t invest their money into the maintenance and the railway line was vulnerable to rain and flooding. In 1896 flooding damaged long sections of the track. Two years later the railway line was re-gauged to 762 mm gauge. The line has a total length 39 km.
In the early 20th century, the Barbados government cut subsidies and the operators went into financial difficulties. In 1904 railway was temporily closed. A new company named with the name The Barbados Light Railway Company Limited took over an operation in 1905. The branch to hotel in Crane have been built. The company bankrupt in 1914. Two years later the Government of Barbados took over the railway.
There were problems with maintenance – repairs, poor state of rolling stock and tracks. Passenger traffic was ceased in 1934 due to safety concerns. The railway line was closed on 12 October 1937. In 1938 tracks were dismantled.
St. Nicholas Abbey Heritage Railway
If you want to travel by train in Barbados, you can ride St. Nicholas Abbey Heritage Railway – a part of St. Nicholas Abbey Great House Plantation and Distillery. The narrow gauge railway was opened in 2019. The train with a locomotive (usually steam) and 3 carriages carrying 32 passengers each along, passes through the plantation fields and mahogany woods. Passengers can enjoy highland view of the east coast of the island from Cherry Tree Hill. At the Cherry Tree Hill is the turntable.
The steam locomotive Tjepper No. 5 was built in 1914 by Arnold Jung Lokomotivfabrik in Germany and formerly operated in Indonesia.
The route is 3 km long. A scheduled journey on the heritage railway will last around 45 minutes.
Train run from from a 6 days a week from Sunday to Friday, except for Saturdays.
St. Nicholas Abbey Heritage Railway – official website
