The "Island Line" Page
(a Jules's Bits website page)
This page is dedicated to the 8½ mile remnant of a once extensive railway network on the Isle of Wight with a bit of a London twist!
THE "RESHAPING" OF THE ISLAND'S RAILWAYS
When the infamous Beeching report was first published back in the early 1960's it was intended that the railway network on the Isle of Wight would be reduced from approximately 55 route miles extending right across the Island to just 2 miles between Ryde pier head & Ryde St Johns Road, Indeed this was the case for a short while . Mysteriously in 1965 the decree came from the transport ministry that the remaining line would in fact run between Shanklin & Ryde Pier . There is no doubt that whilst Beeching had done his homework with the accountancy figures, the actual physical (some would say criminal) destruction of the islands railway system (and indeed those of the uk mainland) beyond the point where anyone could rebuild it would be regretted for many decades to come and indeed with the ever increasing road traffic on the Island still is. Nevertheless there is still an operating railway on the Island and has recently achieved fame by being the most punctual railway in Britain!! Mention should also be made here of the Isle of Wight steam railway which whilst an "operating railway" it is not part of our national railway network as such but is nevertheless a fitting monument to what was the order of the day before Beeching swung his axe.
THE ISLAND LINE TODAY
The main operating railway on the island runs between Shanklin and Ryde Pier head, a distance of some 8½ miles with intermediate stations at Lake, Sandown, Brading, Ryde St Johns Road, Ryde Esplanade & Ryde pier head. There is another intermediate station at Smallbrook junction which serves solely as an interchange between the Island line and the Isle of Wight Steam Railway. The passenger operating franchise is currently held by Stagecoach and the line is marketed aptly as "Island line" The franchise has been extended to September 2003.
THE TRAINS & THE "LONDON TWIST"
The line is electrified throughout using 750v 3rd rail electrification but that is where similarity between it and the rest of the "southern" 3rd rail system ends. There is a tunnel at Ryde which dives under the esplanage just east of Ryde Esplanade station. This tunnel is not built to normal UK loading gauge dimensions and is some 10 inches too low for standard size trains to run. A solution to this problem was found by purchasing redundant tube stock from London transport in 1967. Some of these original tube stock trains dated back as far as 1923 but soldiered on well into the eighties. (Incidentally a couple of tube cars from this batch were returned to London and are to form part of the preserved "standard stock" train at the London transport museum "depot" in Acton.) A picture of LT "Standard" tube stock is shown below courtesy once again of the Tube Prune website
Below is a picture of one of the standard stock driving motor coaches that were returned from the Isle of to London for preservation seen inside what looks like Ruislip depot..
The "standard" stock eventually became completely life expired and further approaches were made by BR to purchase more redundant tube stock in 1987/8, this time slightly "younger" 1938 tube stock,the last of the red painted tube trains. The 1938 tube stock entered service on the Island in 1989 and is still running on the line today although four of the original nine two-car units have now been withdrawn, three units being scrapped on site at Ryde St Johns road and the fourth is rotting away in a siding at the same location. They are a fitting tribute however, both to the designers & builders as well as the staff at Ryde St Johns Road who keep these veterans in running order. Unit 007 has been painted LT "train" red ( a slightly darker shade of red than the "Bus" red ) as a tribute to the long service these trains have given.
THE FUTURE
Who knows what the future holds for the little "Island Line", there have been many suggestions, guided busways, light transit trams, reopening the line to Ventnor etc etc. Whatever happens the 1938 stock is due for heavy overhaul again in 2003/4 and at least one future franchise bidder has indicated that they may enter negotiations with LUL (or whoever runs the tube by then!!) to purchase further redundant tube stock (either 1972 or 1983) if they win the franchise. The SRA report into the future of the railway has also indicated this as a recommendation if the line is to be kept as an operating railway. One thing I will say is that there seems to be an air of "if we don't need it we'll just let it rot" attitude about the infrastructure on the line and it is sad to see so many once proud aspects of the line (Brading junction station and the shuttle line from pier head to esplanade spring to mind!!) just quietly rusting or fading into a sea of weeds & foliage. I only hope they look after the pier and don't try to do a "Ribblehead Viaduct" closure by stealth attempt!!
In April 2002 I visited the Isle of Wight and took time to take a few pictures of what I call "The Island Tube". Having been born & bred in London when I shut my eyes sitting on these trains I imagine I am on the Piccadilly line in the 1960's/ early 70's running between between Hammersmith & Acton town .. the noise, the speed, the bumpy track it's all there. When you open your eyes again it is a much better view out of the window though!!
SOME PICTURES TAKEN ON 5-7th April 2002
Unit 006 stands at Ryde Esplanade waiting to depart for Shanklin
A quick shot of the red painted unit 007 at Ryde St Johns Road depot. The photo was taken from a moving train which was lurching about and I unfortunately managed to get the lamp post in the way!! What a great pity about the yellow warning panel too which ruins the feel of the 1938 red livery ( I don't think they ever had white roofs either!!)
The late running ( note clock says 17.45 whoops!) 17.44 departure from Ryde to Shanklin arrives at Ryde Esplanade after it is due to depart!!
A grainy night time shot of unit 006 at Shanklin (grainy due to the constraints of my somewhat basic camera)
The interior of one of the cars from unit 006 looking a bit more like the interior of a 1959/62 tube train except that the lights are in the wrong place and there are no strap hangers to swing from!!
I strongly recommend to anyone visiting the Isle of Wight to visit and travel on the Island Line and experience "an Island railway with a London twist"
Further info on the trains/Island line can be found by clicking on the link below which has a few more pictures of the trains before they were repainted into "dinosaur" livery
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