# Trains on islands



## CHamilton (Feb 21, 2014)

So, Honolulu is building a light-rail system. Now Okinawa is looking to bring back trains.



> Trains set to return to Okinawa
> OKINAWA, the only Japanese prefecture without a railway, is to develop plans this year for a 69km line linking the capital Naha on the southern part of Okinawa Island with Nago in the north.
> According to a report on the proposals in the Japan Times on February 20, the prefecture suffers some of the worst traffic congestion in Japan. ...
> 
> The article states that detailed plans for the project will be drawn up by 2015 with the aim of starting construction in 2019, although the line will not be completed until 2029. Services will be run by a private company and the prefecture expects operations to be profitable if ridership exceeds 40,000 passengers per day.



What other passenger train services exist on islands beyond Long Island, Staten Island, New Zealand and Vancouver Island (not running currently)? Let's exclude Australia so as to avoid the question of whether it's an island or a continent.


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## the_traveler (Feb 21, 2014)

I think some Caribbean Island (maybe PR or Dominican Republic) has a railway - but mainly for the sugar crop.

And don't forget about GB and Ireland!


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## jphjaxfl (Feb 21, 2014)

Bermuda had a railway from one end to the other at one point, but was abandoned in the 1940s, I believe. With today's traffic there, it would be a faster way to travel. Much of the right of way has been developed.


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## Eric S (Feb 21, 2014)

Just off the top of my head, in addition to the ones mentioned above -

Japan (multiple islands)

Philippines (multiple islands)

Hispanola/Dominican Republic (Santo Domingo has a metro system)

Cuba

Indonesia (multiple islands)


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## Carolyn Jane (Feb 21, 2014)

The Sugar Train ins on St. Kitts, strictly a tourist operation. In the winter, it is operated by the same people who operate the White Pass and Yukon Scenic Railawy in Skagway. CJ


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## jis (Feb 21, 2014)

Here are some more:

Sri Lanka (Ceylon) [sri Lanka Railway]

Madagascar [Madarail]

Manhattan (New York, USA) [Amtrak, LIRR, MNRR, NY Subway, PATH]

Puerto Rico [Tren Urbano]

Pamban Island (Tamilnadu, India) [indian Railways, Southern Railway]


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## George Harris (Feb 21, 2014)

Since you mention New Zealand as islands, how about Taiwan which has multiple railroads:

1. Taiwan Railway, which has a complete loop around the island, the first part built in the late 1800's with the last portion of the loop completed in the 1990's.

2. Taipei Rapid Transit,, with multiple lines.

3. Taiwan High Speed Rail (my employer for 9 years.)

4. Kaohsiung Rapid Transit.


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## tp49 (Feb 21, 2014)

How about

Singapore (MRT and IIRC train to KL from Woodlands checkpoint)

Hong Kong (Hong Kong Island only) (MRT)


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## Devil's Advocate (Feb 21, 2014)

I'm surprised about Puerto Rico. From Mayaguez to Fajardo I never saw anything that looked remotely like a railway. Maybe I'm just blind. Singapore may technically have retained rail access but after re-purposing their main passenger station into a mall it's not what I would consider an especially practical connection. Hong Kong has a limited amount of passenger rail thus far but does a decent job of leveraging connecting buses for reaching your final destination. Japan uses passenger rail to great effect with a network and schedule that dwarfs everything else on the list. I'd consider them the gold standard among the various countries and territories I've visited.


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## fairviewroad (Feb 21, 2014)

A significant portion of the Danish railway system, not to mention the Copenhagen metro, is on islands.

Also in Europe, there is a rail network on the Italian island of Sicily. Apparently the train from the mainland is put on a boat

and ferried across to the island.


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## jis (Feb 21, 2014)

The original example given by the OP is a light rail system in Honolulu. So all Metro systems and LRT systems are fair game. Singapore and Hong Kong both have extensive Metro systems. Singapore also has several light rail/people mover systems, and Hong Kong has the great tram system on the island. Puerto Rico's Tren Urbano is an urban rail system.

Strictly speaking there are two major islands involved when talking about Hong Kong.One is the Hong Kong (erstwhile Victoria) Island, and the other is Lantau, where the Disney Resort is located, and both have parts of the Metro system on them. Also technically Chek Lap Kok is a separate island on which Hong Kong International Airport and its Airport Express station is located, separate from the main Lantau Island, though the landfill for it came to a large extent from Lantau. And there is the little Tsing Yi island that is crossed by both the highway and the Metro line to get to the Tsing Ma Bridge across the Ma Wan Channel to Lantau


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## CHamilton (Feb 21, 2014)

Montréal is on an island (or a couple of islands) and has an extensive metro system, as well as being a hub for conventional trains. One of its metro stations is on Ile Sainte-Hélène, where Expo 67 was located.


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## Anderson (Feb 21, 2014)

Cuba has a railway system, I know that. There's a tourist-oriented one on each the Isle of Man and Isle of Wight.


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## fairviewroad (Feb 21, 2014)

jis said:


> Also technically Chek Lap Kok is a separate island on which Hong Kong International Airport and its Airport Express station is located, separate from the main Lantau Island


Come to think of it, the Vancouver Canada airport is also on an island, so technically the rapid transit line that serves it would qualify as a train on an island.


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## beautifulplanet (Feb 22, 2014)

Some more passenger rail services on islands. 

_Italy:_ Sicily - Trenitalia main line services, Ferrovia Circumetnea narrow gauge railway, metropolitana di Catania subway, Palermo commuter rail, Messina tramline.

Sardinia - Trenitalia main line services, ARST Gestione FdS narrow-gauge railway.

City of Venice, located on an island - Trenitalia main line services, at the Santa Lucia station.

_France:_ Corsica - Chemins de Fer de la Corse metre-gauge railway.

_Spain:_ Majorca - Serveis Ferroviaris de Mallorca metre-gauge railway network, Palma de Mallorca Metro, Ferrocarril de Sóller narrow-gauge railway.

_Germany:_ Sylt - Deutsche Bahn main line services.

Ruegen - Deutsche Bahn main line services, PRESS local services, narrow gauge Rügen Resort Railway (Rasender Roland).

Fehmarn - Deutsche Bahn and DSB main line services.

City of Lindau in Bavaria is located on an island - Deutsche Bahn main line services, on Lindau (Bodensee) train station.

_Sweden:_ Gotlands Hesselby Jernväg museum trains.

_Denmark: _As most of Denmark consists of islands, also a majority of the Danish rail services are located on islands. At least the islands of Zealand, the North Jutlandic Island, Funen, Lolland and Falster have rail services. With the capital Copenhagen being located on Zealand, both the S-trains and the metro can be found there. Copenhagen Metro is driverless, which allows low operating costs and attractive headways, like every 2 minutes in peak-hours and operating all through the night one never has to wait more than 20 minutes for the next ride. It's exactly the rapid transit system that Honolulu (mentioned above) is about to construct, so it can even be found on another island.


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## Bob Dylan (Feb 22, 2014)

It's Long Gone but the Santa Fe used to run Daily Trains from Houston's Union Station to Galveston Island! Last year they ran a "Special" to/ from Houston when the Museum was Reopened after the last Big Hurricane!(Great Madi Gras, Galveston is sort of a Poor man's New orleans on the Gulf)  There is a Nice Rail Museum @ the Old Restored Santa Fe Station on the Strand in Downtown Galveston! Alas, to reach it you have to Drive or arrive via Bus!! (The Ambus that meets the Texas Eagle in Longview Runs via Houston to/from Galveston with Advance Reservations for the Train and Bus! (You can also connect via the Free San Bolivar Peninsula Car Ferry across Galveston Bay if coming/going to/from Beaumont and Louisiana)


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## George Harris (Feb 22, 2014)

jimhudson said:


> It's Long Gone but the Santa Fe used to run Daily Trains from Houston's Union Station to Galveston Island! Last year they ran a "Special" to/ from Houston when the Museum was Reopened after the last Big Hurricane!(Great Madi Gras, Galveston is sort of a Poor man's New orleans on the Gulf)  There is a Nice Rail Museum @ the Old Restored Santa Fe Station on the Strand in Downtown Galveston! Alas, to reach it you have to Drive or arrive via Bus!! (The Ambus that meets the Texas Eagle in Longview Runs via Houston to/from Galveston with Advance Reservations for the Train and Bus! (You can also connect via the Free San Bolivar Peninsula Car Ferry across Galveston Bay if coming/going to/from Beaumont and Louisiana)


Galveston may not have passenger trains, but they still have railroads, with both UP and BNSF service, just freight only.


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## caravanman (Feb 22, 2014)

The Isle of Wight is just off the south coast of the UK, they have a rail service which includes refurbished former Northern Line underground carriages from 1938!

http://foundation-multimedia.co.uk/iowcrp/

Ed


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## railiner (Feb 22, 2014)

Carolyn Jane said:


> The Sugar Train ins on St. Kitts, strictly a tourist operation. In the winter, it is operated by the same people who operate the White Pass and Yukon Scenic Railawy in Skagway. CJ


I recently rode the St. Kitts Scenic Railway, as a shore excursion from the Norwegian Breakaway cruise ship. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride, the equipment, the friendly personnel, the open bar, the delicious coconut sugar cane snacks, the crew serenading us.....every thing in fact....I highly recommend the experience to anyone visiting that beautiful island.

http://www.stkittsscenicrailway.com/


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## FriskyFL (Feb 23, 2014)

Indonesia

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_transport_in_Indonesia


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## cirdan (Feb 26, 2014)

Eric S said:


> Just off the top of my head, in addition to the ones mentioned above -
> 
> Japan (multiple islands)
> 
> ...


How about Mallorca, Sardinia, Corsica, Sicily, Isle of Man


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## CHamilton (Mar 22, 2014)

A friend posts on Facebook:



> Manx steam railroad. Still works and not just for tourists. There is a large Tesco right at the Douglas station so it is also a shopping train.














He notes that it's not so much Hogwarts Express as Thomas the Tank Engine, which was filmed there.


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## FriskyFL (Mar 24, 2014)

Iceland has a couple of small freight lines:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_transport_in_Iceland

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Amtrak Forum mobile app


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## NS VIA Fan (Mar 24, 2014)

Newfoundands narrow-gauge railway might be gone but nearly the entire 550 mile right-of-way across the island is preserved as the TRailway hiking & biking trail.......and with some nicely preserved equipment displays too!

http://www.trailway.ca/


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