[WATCH] Old railway stations undergoing renovation

Aaron Farrugia announces EU funds for railway stations renovation

The Birkirkara railway station will be turned into a museum housing restored memorabilia from the railway that stopped operating in 1931.

Two other stations in Attard and Hamrun will also be renovated to make them accessible to all.

The project to revamp the old railway stations will be done using €1.2 million of EU funds.

European Funds Parliamentary Secretary Aaron Farrugia unveiled the initiatve on Friday in the presence of mayors from the three localities and members of the Malta Railway Foundation.

Farrugia said the project will contribute towards the diversification of Malta’s image from the long-standing reputation of sun, sea and sand destination. It will help attract various types of tourists to different localities on the island.

“These EU-funded projects are representing a revival of a part of our history, which will attract both locals and tourists to experience life as it is and was in our towns and villages. The objective of the project is to have a more competitive cultural tourism product, by exploiting the potential to attract more visitors that the niche segment of cultural tourism has,” he said.

The projects, which are at different stages of progress, are expected to increase the number of visits to the sites to nearly 13,000.

The chairman of the Malta Railway Foundation, Paul Galea said that the time has come for Malta’s railway history to be appreciated by tourists, the Maltese people, and all admirers of Maltese heritage.

A train service starting operating on 28 February 1883 between Valletta and Rabat. The railway service was closed down in March 1931, having lasted half a decade.