Malta considers building railway system to ease traffic congestion

Maltese Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Joe Mizzi said on Thursday that introducing a railway system is among government's options to reduce traffic congestion on the archipelago.

Addressing at the annual general conference of the Malta Chamber of Engineers, Mizzi said Transport Malta was working on a national transport strategy which would pave the way for transport policies till 2050.

The transport minister added that the government was also working on a transport masterplan incorporating areas for intervention and respective mitigation measures.

The minister noted that the government was already exploring a new mode of mass transport, but gave no further details.

"At this stage we are looking at the options available with an open mind," he said.

In operation from 1883 to 1931, the only railway that the Maltese islands ever had consisted of a single railway line from Valletta to Mdina, which served as the island's capital from antiquity until 1530.

Along the years, damage and decay has affected the remaining railway infrastructure after the last train made its final voyage on March 31, 1931. Endit