Some sources suggest that the Malta railway only ever raised its ticket prices once, in 1900. Whilst it’s true that that the halfpenny increase in third class fares met with rebellion from the Council of Government, the picture is more complex.

Under the Malta Railway Co, fares began optimistically high in order to try and quickly offset construction costs, but the most expensive fares for 1st had to be quickly reduced; a Shilling fare, three times the 3rd class fare, proved too exorbitant even for the wealthy.

Without the original loans to burden them, Government had the opportunity to reduce fees and encourage traffic. Tickets were now structured around three separate zones: Valletta-Birkirkara, Birkirkara-Attard, and Attard to Notable. There were individual tickets for each zone, for two zones, or for the whole length of the line. Tickets for workers were reintroduced at discounted fares, but with simplified zones for the stretches in either direction from Birkirkara.

A 3rd class journey the length of the line was reduced by a penny to thruppence. 1st class too was reduced, but was still 9d. Traffic responded favourably to the changes, but the railway still found it difficult to encourage 1st class travellers away from horse cabs.

It was the Government’s first major fare restructure that upset so many of the representatives in 1900, the Island’s Governor intervening to veto their vote against their vote against increases. A halfpenny was added to all third class and workmens’ fares, a rise that caused an immediate fall in passenger numbers. Simultaneously, there were significant cuts in 1st class ticket prices. This restructure was likely a response to offset the payments on loans taken out to extend the railway to Museum.

Remarkably, fares didn’t rise again for the next 24 years! The First World War had caused inflation to rise, the cost of running the railway bearing a heavier burden on the public purse. In 1924 all first class tickets rose by a penny, third class fares rising a halfpenny. Whilst this change staved off closure, the railway was already unsustainable without pubic subsidy.

This is something of a simplification of the various fares, ticket types, and zone fares, focussing mainly on trips from Valletta to each of the fare stages. The complexity of the fare structure is well illustrated by the many different and colourful tickets that have survived the ages.