Rail Connection Restored from Ryde Pier to Shanklin
Rail services between Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin resumed on Friday 2 May, following months of maintenance work on the Island Line. The closure, which began in September 2024, was linked to structural improvements on the Ryde Pier. Trains are back on track sooner than expected, just in time for the start of the holiday rush.
Over the course of eight months, the project involved the installation of new sleepers and rail supports, as well as updates to the pier’s foundations. Signal testing and a brief full-line closure were also part of the work, aimed at ensuring continued operation of the railway connection between the ferry terminal and towns along the route.
We’re very pleased to be running trains along the full length of the Island Line, from Ryde Pier Head to Shanklin, after a long but vitally important closure. In the year we celebrate 200 years of the modern railway, it’s great to see that the historic Ryde Pier structure has been repaired and refurbished to support the railway long into the future. We are very grateful to our customers and stakeholders for their patience over the last eight months and look forward to welcoming them back on our services.
The reopened section enables direct access to towns served by the Island Line. The route facilitates movement between the northern pierhead and the southern resort of Shanklin, supporting both local travel and longer connections. It simplifies transfers for ferry passengers arriving at Ryde and is expected to reduce car dependency for those visiting the island’s interior.
The restored route passes through several towns that offer points of local and historical interest. In Ryde, the railway connects directly to the pier and provides access to the town’s transport museum and extended coastal area. Brading lies further along the line and includes an excavated Roman villa site and marshland nature reserves. Sandown is located on a flat stretch of coast and includes a regional museum focused on fossils. At the southern end, Shanklin contains preserved 19th-century architecture, wooded footpaths, and a chine that links the town with the beach below.
Getting trains running again shows that there's a plan in place to keep public transport going strong on the island in the years ahead. With rail services once again operating along the full route, local mobility is supported during the summer season, and travel continuity between port arrivals and inland destinations is re-established. Ongoing assessment will determine how the improvements affect service reliability over time.
