By 1900 the Government had started the process of assembling land around the existing Attard station with a mind to expand it. There had long been complaints about the poor facilities and lack of shelter, critical letters appearing regularly in the press. However, it would be another decade before the project was complete.
Attard station building was destroyed in WWII but, with the support of the Malta Railway Foundation, was recently reconstructed in facsimile on its original site as a local library.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, at mei dolore tritani repudiandae. In his nemore temporibus consequuntur, vim ad prima vivendum consetetur. Viderer feugiat at pro, mea aperiam
As at Birkirkara, the station gardens at Attard have become a local park. Some of the original planing survives, supplemented by more recent additions.
Attard is also home to a full-size replica of one of the Malta Railway Beyer Peacock locomotives made entirely from corrugated cardboard.
A cast iron notice is an unusual commemoration of tree planting in 1897 and an equally unusual survival on the station platform.
The size of the replica locomotive feels surprising. It’s housed in its own purpose-built shelter.
Tangible traces
Beyond Attard station one wall of the deep railway cutting survives on the south side of the track alignment. Its northern counterpart succumbed to road widening.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, at mei dolore tritani repudiandae. In his nemore temporibus consequuntur, vim ad prima vivendum consetetur. Viderer feugiat at pro, mea aperiam
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, at mei dolore tritani repudiandae. In his nemore temporibus consequuntur, vim ad prima vivendum consetetur. Viderer feugiat at pro, mea aperiam
Another view of the surviving cutting wall. The land on the other side is at the level where the stonework changes colour. This section also preserves evidence of the steps provided for farmers to cross the track and the provisions made to siphon the Wignacourt aqueduct under the track. Also shown is the sudden gradient in the road where the rest of the cutting has been infilled.
Aerial view of Attard looking north-west. 1. Attard station. 2. Surviving cutting wall 3. Curved cutting wall beyond site of guard hut 11.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, at mei dolore tritani repudiandae. In his nemore temporibus consequuntur, vim ad prima vivendum consetetur. Viderer feugiat at pro, mea aperiam
Looking back towards Valletta, the approximate line of the railway is shown crossing the Mosta Road at the site of guard hut 11.
The railway line’s steep gradient against the curved cutting wall is palpable. View in the direction of Rabat.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, at mei dolore tritani repudiandae. In his nemore temporibus consequuntur, vim ad prima vivendum consetetur. Viderer feugiat at pro, mea aperiam
Looking towards Valletta, infilled steps originally used for farmers crossing the line.
Likely to be more agricultural use steps, this set has been reutilised to access a park at the original ground level.
Once a barren agricultural landscape, the approach to San Anton station site is now suburban in character. Looking back towards Valletta, the curve of today’s road follows that of the railway.
A Beyer Peacock heads a train along the same curve as the road now takes.
