The Cyprus Government Railway (1905-1951)

8/20/2019 The Cyprus Government Railway (1905-1951)

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The Cyprus Government

Railway (1905-1951)

Alexander Michael Hadjilyra


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The arrival of the British in Cyprus

• On July 8, 1878, as a result of theTreaty of San Stefano, Vice AdmiralJohn Hay disembarks in Larnaca fromHMS Minotaur , and the British becomethe new masters of our island, follow-ing an agreement to pay an annualrent of £92.800 to the Sublime Porte.

The first High Commissioner, SirGarnet Wolseley, conceived the idea of creating a railway, which would

mainly serve the military interests of the British.

However, the uncertainty about the

British stay in Cyprus suspended theseplans.


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Cyprus in 1878The Cypriots of that era wereessentially a technologically under-

developed people (around 175.000souls - 74% G/C, 24% T/C and 1%Armenians, Maronites, Latins andothers) living almost exclusively fromagriculture and farming, withcompletely antiquated means and insqualid living conditions.

The only carriage road on the island

linked the capital, Nicosia, with themost important harbour, the town of Larnaca. This road was primarily usedfor the transportation of goods on

camels and mules.


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The proposal for the creation

of a railway in Cyprus

Despite the broader geopoliticalupheavals in the Levant, eventuallythe British ensure their stay in Cyprus.

The various proposals for the creationof a railway included Larnaca as well,

until when, on behalf of the CrownAgents, a proposal was submitted in July 1903 by Frederick Shelford ,providing for the construction of a

railway line that would begin fromFamagusta and, through Nicosia andMorphou, would end up atKaravostasi, with a total cost of

£141.526.


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The construction of the Railway begins

Following the approval by theLegislative Council, in November1903, the process of constructing theRailway starts, beginning with theconnection of the existing harbourrailway line to Varosha [1 mile (1,6

Km)] and continuing as follows:

▪ Study: February 1904

▪ Earthworks and building of the various

Stations: May 1904

Upon its completion, Section 1(Famagusta-Nicosia) had a totallength of 36 miles (57,9 Km).


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The inauguration of Section 1From the archives of the era, it seemsthat the first General Manager of theCGR, George Bert Day , did not favourthe Railway’s operation before its fullconstruction, however immediatelyafter the completion of the works forSection 1, this was inaugurated on 21October 1905, the 100th anniversary of the Trafalgar navy battle.

• The brilliant inaugural ceremony washeld by the High Commissioner, SirCharles Anthony King Harman, at the

brand new Famagusta Station.


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A walk-through of Section 1• Section 1 had a total length of 36 miles(57,9 Km). It began from Famagusta

and, traversing the Mesaoria plain, itreached Nicosia, with the followingstops:

▪ FAMAGUSTA STATION, Engomi, Styllos,Gaidhouras, PRASTIO STATION, Pyrga,

Yenagra, Vitsadha, Marathovouno/

Mousoulita, ANGASTINA STATION, KourouMonastir, Exometokhi, Epikho, TRAKHONI

STATION, Kaimakli, NICOSIA STATION.

• Let us note, however, that the variousstops and sidings did not always co-exist simultaneously, and not all had

the same use.


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Section 2The initial subsidy for Section 1 hadbeen £107.000, of which only £87.396

was used, thus justifying thecontinuation of the project.

The study for the construction of Section 2 began in March 1905 and the

earthworks in July. The inaugurationof the 24 miles (38,6 Km) was held on31 March 1907, at Morphou Station.

• Overall, there was only one stop forevery 3 miles, compared to one forevery 2 miles in Section 1, reflecting thenecessary economic cut-backs for the

construction of the project.


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A walk-through of Section 2Section 2 had a total length of 24 miles(38,6 Km) and its construction cost

£34.731. It began from Nicosia andended up in Morphou town, with thefollowing stops:

▪ NICOSIA STATION, Ayios Dhometios (Race

Course), Nicosia Airport, Yerolakkos,KOKKINOTRIMITHIA STATION, Dhenia,Avlona, Peristerona, Kato Kopia, Argaki,MORPHOU STATION.

• As it was previously noted, the variousstops and sidings did not always co-exist simultaneously. Also, some stopswere used only for the transport of

goods and/or animals, while others forthe transport of passengers.


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Section3

• Three years after the operation of Section 2, the Railway continued to

operate on damages, so in 1910 FrankBedford Glasier undertook a study forthe future of the CGR, which waspublished in January 1913.

This study suggested, among otherthings, the construction of theterminal station at Evrykhou instead of Karavostasi. It was sanctioned in June1913, and the earthworks began inNovember. The official inaugurationwas held on 14 June 1915 and theestimated cost was £21.800.


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A walk-through of Section 3

• Section 3 had a total length of 15 miles(24,1 Km) and its construction

eventually cost £31.683. It began fromthe town of Morphou and ended toEvrykhou, as follows:

▪ MORPHOU STATION, Nikitas, Baraji (for

Prastion), Ghaziveran, Pendayia, KaryotisJunction, KALO KHORIO STATION,Skouriotissa, Phlasou, EVRYKHOU STATION.

• On 31 December 1931, Evrykhou Stationclosed down, as an act of revenge for thetins thrown at the Governor, ir RonaldStorrs. The tracks were lifted and sold,never to be replaced, despite the strongappeals by the local authorities.


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An epitome of the CGR

• The CGR had a narrow gauge (2 ft. 6in.), with a total length of 76 miles(122,3 Km). Its total cost was £199.367,

a sum that remained almost constantthroughout the duration of itsoperation.

• The Stations, which were designatedwith large trilingual white signs, wereoften places of exchange of goods and

services. In parallel, about 40 specialroutes operated on special occasionsthroughout the year, such asApostolos Varnavas, Ayios Loukas,

Elia and Kataklysmos fairs or theOrange festival.


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Overall,the CGR carried 3.199.934 tons

of paying goods and 7.348.643

passengers, not including the long listof dignitaries with a free pass and thematerials carried for war purposes!

The CGR carried timber and cord woodfrom Troödos, however their hugebulks were reduced after the

abolishment of the Grain Tithe, in1926.

During World Wars I and II, the CGRwas the prime mover of allied troopsfrom and to Famagusta harbour, theRoyal Air Force airfield in Nicosia,

Xeros and other camps in Cyprus.


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• The CGR Stations, among others, alsofunctioned as telephone centres, while

its installations were also used astelegraph and postal offices.

• The mail service from Famagusta

prospered between 1912 and 1939,especially in conjunction with theKhedivial Mail line.

• Distinguished officials were oftentransported with the CGR trains, suchas the Undersecretaries of Colonies,Winston Churchill, in October 1907,

and Drummond Shiels , in October1930. Travellers and tourists were alsotransported, mainly Egyptian Greeks,as well as (to Evrykhou) those British

and others who went for summerholidays on Troödos.


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• There were special wagons for the

transportation of water, as well as forthe transportation of animals, goods,freight and ammunitions. At the sametime, some wagons were used for

carrying minerals and ores, in co-operation with the Cyprus MinesCorporation, established by CharlesGodfrey Gunther.

• During the Two World Wars, the CGRwas the target of the Central Powersand the Axis Powers, while during the1931 October Enosis riots, 120 yards of railway track were torn up inTrakhoni, as many regarded the CGR asa symbol of the British colonial rule.


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• The CGR owned 12 locomotives intotal, which initially operated on coal

and cord wood. The lack of the aboveand the increased traffic during WorldWar II necessitated their conversion tooil-firing.

• There were also 17 coaches and about100 multi-purpose wagons, 50 of whichhad been purchased in 1921 from the

Egyptian Delta Light Railway and thePalestine Military Railway.

• Around 200 people were employed at

the CGR. The CGR’s workers/employees participated in the bigstrikes of 1941 and 1944, while theyorganised a big strike in 1951. During

the dismantlement, 352 people werebeing employed at the CGR.


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The full route of the CGRThe CGR covered a total route of 75,855 miles (122,0768 Km), as follows: Famagusta harbourVarosha: 0,9875 miles (1,5892 Km), Varosha Nicosia: 35,75 miles (57,5341 Km), Nicosia Airport:6,1175 miles (9,8451 Km), Airport Morphou: 17,6375 miles (28,3848 Km), Morphou Kalokhorio:10,6125 miles (17,0792 Km) andKalokhorio Evrykhou: 4,75 miles (7,6444 Km).


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The end of the CGR

• The increased use of the CGR duringWorld War II, and also between 1946-

1949, for the transportation of a largepart of the 52.384 Jewish refugees toKaraolos concentration camp, to thenorth of Famagusta, left the CGR in

immediate need of repairing itsramshackle equipment.

• Apart from that, there was an uneven

competition with the improved roadnetwork and the automobiles, whichwere faster and had a greaterflexibility in their pricing, stops and

routes.


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• As of June 1948, Section 2 reached only

until Nicosia International Airport,causing the CMC ’s reactions, while inNovember 1950 an announcement wasissued by the Government regarding

the future of the CGR.

• On 10 November 1951 the definiteclosing down of the CGR was decided.

Strikes ensued, which were supportedby telegrams from railway employeesfrom Finland, France and theNetherlands.

The last train departed from Nicosia at14:57 on Monday, 31 December 1951, toreach Famagusta Station at 16:38.

h h d l f


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• In March 1952 the dismantlement of the tracks was completed. The 10 out

the 12 steam engines were cut up andan auction was announced in theCyprus Gazette: what remained was soldto Meyer Newman Co. , for the

amount of £65.626 and wastransported to Italy on the Mar Corrusco and Verax steamships.

• Locomotive 1 was placed outside theFamagusta Railway Station, while

many of the wagons were purchased

by locals.

• The employees were mainly employedin public and semi-governmentalservices, while the equipment was

distributed among five governmentaldepartments.


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• The various Stations had their own

conclusion, too: some became policestations or Public Works Departmentstores, while others were rented to thelocal authorities or were demolished.

The Station in Evrykhou operated as asanitary centre and, later on, as aforest dormitory, while in Morphou itbecame a grain store and a veterinary

centre.

The brutal Turkish onward march toMesaoria, in August 1974, erased many

of the marks that had remained on theland of Cyprus from the Railway, andthe tanks knocked down many of theremaining CGR installations…


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The CGR today• Most remnants of the CGR have been

illegally occupied by the Turkishinvaders since August 1974.

• In the government-controlled areas,

Kokkini Trimithia police station (it

used to be the old railway Station) and

Evrykhou Station are preserved,which operates as a Railway Museum,

with the prospect of the line’s partial

re-opening in Solea valley.

• In Ayios Dhometios, part of therailway line has been turned into alinear park, as it has been also done in

Kaimakli and is also planned forKokkini Trimithia.

Selective bibliography


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• Ballantyne, Hugh: Cyprus Narrow Gauge. Middleton Press, Midhurst, West Sussex:2007.

• Castle, Wilfrid Thomas Froggatt: Cyprus: Its Postal History and Postage Stamps.

Robson Lowe, London: 1971.

• Hadjilyra, Alexander-Michael: Ο Κυπριακός Κυβερνητικός Σιδηρόδρομος (1905-1951)/The Cyprus Government Railway (1905-1951). Nicosia: 2006.

• Laiki Group Cultural Centre: The Story of the Cyprus Government Railway . Nicosia:

2003 (documentary).

• Λυμπουρίδης, Αχιλλέας: Ο τεχνολογικός πολιτισμός στη ζωή των Κυπρίων . Nicosia:1988.

• Radford, Michael: The Railways of Cyprus. Laiki Group Cultural Centre, Nicosia:

2003.

• Turner, Barry S.: The story of the Cyprus Government Railway . MechanicalEngineering Publications, London: 1979.

• Χατζηλύρας, Αλέξανδρος-Μιχαήλ: Ο Κυπριακός Κυβερνητικός Σιδηρόδρομος .

Nicosia: CHRONICLE with “Politis” newspaper (issue 5, 16 March 2008).

• Χατζηλύρας, Αλέξανδρος-Μιχαήλ: «Ο Κυπριακός Κυβερνητικός Σιδηρόδρομος(1905-1951», [Enatenisis, issue 22 (January-June 2014), p. 134-143], Nicosia: 2014.

Selective bibliography


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Dedicated to all those who experienced another, bygone era, more careless than ours…

The Cyprus Government Railway (1905-1951)

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