I N L A N D T R A N S P O R T
A train crossing on one of the numerous bridges built along the railway track
The introduction of railways in 1864 brought about a major revolution in the transport industry in Mauritius. Prior to the introduction of trains, the population traveled on foot, by carts and by horse-drawn carriages. The first railway line became operational on 23 May 1864 and and closed in 1964, exactly 100 years after their introduction.
A lorry of the early fifties on the wharf at Port Louis.
Lorries have been used mostly for the transport of goods from the capital city to the various parts of the country. Their importance increased considerably with the closure of railways in 1964. Nowadays, new types of lorries are being used.
One of the individual buses in the town centre in the early fifties.
It was in 1920 that the first buses began to appear on the road. With the closing of railways more and more people began to use buses as their means of transport. From 1964 till 1969, there were ten transport companies in operation. These companies formed a network which covered the whole island.
A barge unloading sugar at the Coaster's Wharf at Port Louis
In 1940, coastal barges were still being used for the carriage of sugar from the factories to Port Louis for shipment. By 1950, transport of sugar at coastal barges disappeared completely.