Train travel in Martinique is currently limited to only one tourist train. In former times Martinique has a railway network of sugar cane railways.
Last updated: 19.01.2024
The first project of the railway line in Martinique appeared in November 1873 – notary Mr. Huc planned to build a railway line between Saint-Pierre and the mouth of the Capot. The proposed railway line was routed to service all towns in the north and east of the island. The project failed, but soon after the sugar cane railway was constructed to serve sugar factory in Sainte Marie, founded in 1872.
At the end of the 19th century and in the first half of the 20th century, a network of railway lines with a length of 250 to 300 kilometers was built in Martinique. Railway lines were used to transport sugar cane.
There are no information about passenger trains, except for public horse drawn tramway (or mule tramway) in the city of Saint-Pierre. The tram line connected Place du Mouillage in the center of town with the northern suburb of Quartier du Fort and Usine Guérin on the Blanche river. The whole city was destroyed in 1902 by the eruption of Mount Pelée volcano.
From the 1950s, the importance of the sugar industry began to decline and the railways were gradually closed. The last railway was closed in 1970s in Sante Marie. Martinique railway network disappeared from landscape.
In 1995 a group of volunteers proposed to rebuild part of the railway line in Sante Marie sugar plant for tourist purposes. The original project involved the reconstruction of a long section of the railway line from Sante Marie to Limbe (dozen kilometers), where is located the museum of banana industry.
The line was rebuilt in stages from 2002 to 2008. opened to tourist traffic from Saint-James in stages from 2002 to 2008. The line has an unusual gauge of 1168mm. Total length is 2,8 km. Diesel locomotive was dug up from river and restored.
Tourist train is operational. The narrow gauge train runs from Rhum Museum at the Saint James Distillery in Sainte-Marie through sugarcane and banana plantations over two Bailey bridges to the Banana Museum. Timetable and prices are available on official website.
See also:
Railway in Americas by country
