Railway Walk

Jersey had two railways and both closed by 1936, and the western line from St Aubin to Corbière survives as a walking and cycling route of about seven kilometres, running through a tunnel, along cuttings and past the old halt platforms to end above the lighthouse at Corbière. It is level for its whole length, which is unusual on this island, and the surface is made. The line is wooded for much of the way.

History

A law of 1864 allowed Jersey's first railway, and the first train ran from St Helier to St Aubin on 25 October 1870. Meanwhile a quarry owner at La Moye began a narrow-gauge line to St Aubin in 1873, but the company went bankrupt before it opened. In 1883 the two were merged, the old line was relaid to the 3 ft 6 in gauge, and on 31 August 1884 the first through train ran from St Helier to La Corbière; an extension to the Corbière Pavilion followed in 1899. Steam railcars from 1923 revived its fortunes - in 1925 it ran 32 trains each way a day and carried almost 1.1 million passengers - but buses and cars took the traffic, and the line closed in 1936 (Wikipedia, Jersey Railway).

What's there

• The tunnel - the bored section on the route out of St Aubin.
• The old platforms - the surviving halts along the line.
• The level grade - a flat route in country that is otherwise steep.
• The Corbière end - the lighthouse and causeway at the western terminus.

When to go

April to October is the best season for walking and cycling. The route works year round on a made surface. Corbière causeway depends on the tide.

Before you go

The line is wooded and enclosed for much of its length, so there are fewer views than the coastal position suggests. It is shared with cyclists throughout. The tunnel is dark and can be wet.

Nearby

St Aubin is the eastern end, and Corbière is the western.