The history of rail transport in Mauritius began in the 1860s. The Mauritian rail network was quickly built and it soon provided service to most of the island. It was a key factor in the social-economic development of Mauritius during its period of operation. However, due to persistent unprofitability from 1948 to 1953, it was closed in 1964. In 2019, the Metro Express light rail system opened, bringing rail passenger traffic back to Mauritius.
Mauritius was developing rapidly in the 1860s. To progress further, it needed to modernize its transportation system. As such, introduction of a railway network was essential for the future development of the island. With Port Louis as hub, the railway network quickly developed and was soon covering most of the island.
The first line opened in 1864; it was named the North line. The second line, the Midlands line, started functioning in 1865. With developing urbanisation, secondary lines were gradually extended. All of these lines were 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge .
The North line covered 50 km (31 mi) and started operation on 23 May 1864. It passed through the districts of Pamplemousses, Rivière du Rempart and Flacq, to end at the station of Grand River South East.
The Midlands line covered 56 km (35 mi). It connected Port Louis to Mahébourg, and opened on 22 October 1865. This line contributed to the development of urban agglomerations by passing through the secondary stations of Beau Bassin, Rose Hill, Quatre Bornes, Phoenix, Vacoas, Curepipe and Rose-Belle.
As the rural areas developed, the railway network was gradually extended. There were four secondary lines:
At its apogee, the Mauritius Government Railways had a fleet of 52 steam locomotives, including three Garratts, numbers 60 to 62, two 500 hp (370 kW) diesel-hydraulic locomotives ("Jessop"), together with nearly 200 passenger coaches and 750 goods wagons. Mauritian rail vehicles and operating practices were predominantly British in style. [1] [2]
Mauritius also once had a number of narrow gauge industrial railway lines, each connecting a sugar mill with nearby sugar cane plantations. Some of the steam locomotives used on these lines are now preserved, mostly at various sugar mills around Mauritius.
The maximum length of the Mauritian railway network was 250 km (155 mi). The railways contributed, to a great extent, to the socio-economic development of the island from the late 19th century to the middle 20th century.
Secondary lines were crucial in boosting development in some of the rural villages, such as in Black River, where plantations of tobacco, sugar cane and aloe were the main economic activities; as such the railway provided an opportunity of commercial exchange for the rural areas. Goods and crops, mainly sugar cane, were carried with efficacy and in increasing quantity. From 1880 to 1910, approximately 100,000 tons of sugar cane were carried by trains. This changed with the introduction of lorries in 1920.
The railway network also contributed to the field of education, as it provided transport to the major towns of the island, where the schools were found. The railway had a great impact on the lifestyle of the population; everybody traveled by train. From the richest to the poorest, the railway provided a relatively fast and affordable way of travelling between the different towns of the island. As a result, towns were getting ‘closer’ to each other; facilitating commercial exchanges. The development of the railway network also led to the creation of new agglomerations: future towns, near the stations.
While some villages progressed with the introduction of railways, the railway was also, at a certain point, a deterrent for the progress of villages such as Port Louis, which saw a major exile of its population towards Curepipe and Rose Hill: this was because the railways allowed the population to leave the capital, which was considered an insalubrious place due to the raging fever epidemic that was killing thousands of people in the capital and its neighborhoods during 1866–1968.
The most serious accident to occur on the network was on 22 February 1894 at Pailles. Partly caused by a storm, six passenger carriages ended up in the Saint Louis river, causing the deaths of 40 passengers and injuring many others. [3]
The railway network continued its operation, well after World War II. At the same time, the road networks were developing quickly and the number of road vehicles doubled in the after-war period. Faced with the railway's persistent deficit, the colonial authority decided to close the railways.
The last passenger train made its journey on 31 March 1956, between Port-Louis and Curepipe. Transport of sugar, heavy goods and general merchandise continued till 1964. The railway network was then dismantled and sold as scrap metal. Some of the rolling stock was sold as scrap to Bethlehem Steel of South Africa and some of the rail went to India.
In 2017, construction of a 26 km (16 mi) light rail line between Port Louis and Curepipe commenced. [4] The newly constructed line partly follows the route of the former Midlands line (between Port Louis and Quatre Bornes). Operations on the northern section started in December 2019, the full line originally was scheduled to open in 2021; [5] later, the opening date was pushed back to December 2022. [6] A connection between Rose Hill and Réduit, following the route of the old Moka-Flacq line, is under construction as well.
Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about 2,000 kilometres off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island, as well as Rodrigues, Agaléga, and St. Brandon. The islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues, along with nearby Réunion, are part of the Mascarene Islands. The main island of Mauritius, where the population is concentrated, hosts the capital and largest city, Port Louis. The country spans 2,040 square kilometres (790 sq mi) and has an exclusive economic zone covering 2,300,000 square kilometres.
Transportation in Mauritius is characterized by the network of roadways, ports, and airports. The island was originally only accessible by boat until 1922, when the first flight landed in Mauritius.
Port Louis is the capital and most populous city of Mauritius, mainly located in the Port Louis District, with a small western part in the Black River District. Port Louis is the country's financial and political centre. It is administered by the Municipal City Council of Port Louis. According to the 2018 census conducted by Statistics Mauritius, the population was 147,066.
Moka is a village in Mauritius located mainly in the Moka District. The western part of the village lies in the Plaines Wilhems District. Since 1967 it forms part of Constituency No. 8 Quartier Militaire and Moka. The village is administered by the Moka Village Council under the aegis of the Moka District Council. According to the census made by Statistics Mauritius in 2011, the population was at 8,846. The elevation is 203 meters and can be up to 425 meters in some places. Moka is directly on the other side of the Moka Range from Port Louis. The village is close to the mountain Le Pouce and the town Beau-Bassin Rose-Hill. Réduit is a suburb of the village where the State House and University of Mauritius is situated. The village is also home to the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation and the Mahatma Gandhi Institute.
Curepipe also known as La Ville-Lumière, is a town in Mauritius, located mainly in the Plaines Wilhems District. Its eastern part lies in the Moka District. The town is administered by the Municipal Council of Curepipe. Curepipe lies at a higher elevation, often referred to as the "Central Plateau". According to the census made by Statistics Mauritius in 2018, the population of the town was at 78,618.
The Districts of the Republic of Mauritius are the second-level administrative divisions after the Outer Islands of Mauritius.
Plaines Wilhems is a district of Mauritius. It is the most populous district, with an estimated population of 366,506 at the end of 2018. The district is mainly urban; it consists of four towns, the village of Midlands and part of two other villages. The Plaines Wilhems district does not have a District Council; it has four Municipal Town Councils. The towns are Beau-Bassin Rose-Hill, Curepipe, Quatre Bornes and Vacoas-Phoenix. The villages are Midlands, Cascavelle and Moka. The district was named after Wilhem Leicknig. Of Prussian origin, he settled on the island of Mauritius, then known as Isle de France, in 1721.
The Mauritius Football Association (MFA) is the governing body of football in Mauritius. It was founded in 1952, affiliated to FIFA in 1964 and to CAF in 1965. The association was formerly known as the Mauritius Sports Association but renamed to Mauritius Football Association in 1984 through the introduction of a Sports Act by the government. The founding members of the association were FC Dodo, Faucon Flacq SC, CSC, Hounds, Royal College of Curepipe, and Saint Joseph College, all of which were based out of Curepipe and, with the exception of Flacq SC, have since ceased to exist. The Mauritius Football Association organizes the national football league and the national team.
The rail network in Queensland, Australia, was the first in the world to adopt 1,067 mm narrow gauge for a main line, and, in 2013, was claimed to the second largest narrow gauge network in the world, consists of:
The Mauritian Cup is the top knockout tournament of the Mauritian football. It was created in 1957 by the Mauritius Football Association.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Mauritius:
Constituencies of Mauritius are the electoral boundaries within the Republic of Mauritius. They are also commonly referred to as Circonscriptions amongst the locals. The country follows the Westminster system and elects 60 members of parliament for a term of 5 years. There are in all 21 Constituencies in the republic, each of them returning 3 members with the exception of Constituency n°21, which returns only 2 members. The Constitution stipulates that there shall be 20 constituencies and one created specially for the Rodrigues island.
Football is the most popular sport in Mauritius. The national governing body is the Mauritius Football Association. Internationally, Mauritius is represented by Club M in senior competitions, and by the U-17 and U-20 teams in youth competitions. The top domestic football league in Mauritius is the Mauritian League, and the top knockout tournament is the Mauritian Cup.
The Mauritian Republic Cup is an annual Mauritian football competition created by the Mauritius Football Association in 1990. It usually takes place in the summer of each year. Along with the MFA Cup, it serves as a major cup competition for teams in the top flight of Mauritian football, the Mauritian League.
A railway system existed in Mauritius from the 1860s until 1964. In 1956 the decision was made to close the railway due to unprofitability. At this time, Mauritius Government Railways had 146 km (91 mi) of 1,435 mm track and 47 locomotives. Freight transport continued until 1964 when the railway was scrapped.
The following is an index of Mauritius-related topics by alphabetical order. For a list by topic, see list of Mauritius-related topics
The Metro Express is a light rail public transport system in Mauritius.
The Uba riots of 1937 or simply the Mauritian riots of 1937 refers to an outbreak of riots and civil disturbances that broke out amongst small scale sugar cane growers on the island of Mauritius in August 1937. The riots led to the death of 4 people with an additional 6 people being injured.
Alliance Lepep is a coalition of parties in the island state of Mauritius.
Media related to Rail transport in Mauritius at Wikimedia Commons
