The Volk’s Electric Railway – The world’s oldest operating electric railway.
Wednesday 31st July – Brighton from 12:45 hrs.
The railway was opened on the 4th August 1883 by Magnus Volk, a pioneering electrical engineer. The railway became the first electric railway in the United Kingdom and is still the world’s oldest operating electric railway. In 2023 the railway celebrated its 140th anniversary. This Members’ Day gives you a chance to hear about the history of the line, ride the full length to the Black Rock Station near the Marina. On the return we will alight at the Halfway Station where we wll get a guided tour of the Depot and then return to the Aquarium Station.
Magnus Volk drew inspiration from the success of electric trams and envisioned a similar system for transporting people along Brighton’s seafront. The initial track spanned just over a quarter of a mile, offering awe-struck tourists their first taste of futuristic electric travel. The railway employed a ground-breaking innovation—an electrified third rail—which can still be observed today in a modified and updated form on the mainline out of Brighton Station.
The cost of the visit will be £12 that includes the return fare and a donation to the Volk’s Electric Railway Association whose members will be giving us the talks and the Depot tour and volunteer for the upkeep of this operational railway. Through their dedication, in 2024 Heritage Railway Association awarded them Railway of the Year.
We met outside the Aquarium Station In Madiera Drive at 12:45 on Wednesday 31st July 2024 for a 13:00 prompt start with the introductory talk.