An update to the original blog post is appended at the end of this post.

Concerning news reaches us from Santa Venera courtesy of Architect Edward Said. One of the more regularly overlooked fragments surviving from the Malta Railway is a section of cutting wall visible along the north side of Triq Kappillan Mifsud. It’s been the feature of one of our previous reports and is identified as a monument in our record of remains. Recent work has been carried out to remove the pavement surface and poses a potential threat to the fabric.

It’s not clear what the intention is in these works; It’s possibly just a case of resurfacing, but the fragment is fragile, and care needs to be taken in interfacing any new pavement with the historic monument, ensuring impact upon it is minimised.  

Thankfully, Mr Said has recognised the risks and appealed to the authorities, asking for attention and care to be paid to the structure. It’s reassuring that there are people who recognise the importance of the surviving landmarks of the Malta Railway, actively campaigning for their protection. Hopefully, work will be completed without further disturbance of the cutting wall.

UPDATE

Frustratingly, despite appeals to the local authorities, Mr Said has updated his report with new images. These now show a cement pathway has been poured directly against the historic cutting wall.

Whilst it might look superficial and reversible, the impermeable cement will trap moisture in the stone and blockwork. This will lead to its degradation and quick erosion in Malta’s climate.

The cement will have penetrated between the stonework and bonded to the face of the stone, impossible to remove without further damage. The splattered and messy appearance is a poor treatment of this rare survival.