The Isle of Wight Central Railway (IoWCR) was a railway company on the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom. It was formed in 1887 by the merging of three earlier railways, the Cowes and Newport Railway (opened 1862), the Ryde and Newport Railway (opened 1875) and the Isle of Wight (Newport Junction) Railway, (opened in stages 1875 and 1879).
Its network ran from near Ryde to Cowes and from Sandown to Newport. It also worked the Freshwater, Yarmouth and Newport Railway until 1913, and in that year it purchased the Newport, Godshill and Ventnor Railway.
The IoWCR was always short of money, and operated with antiquated equipment. The heavily seasonal traffic and, later, competition from buses and cars limited profitable income.
In 1923, it was absorbed by the new Southern Railway, and the new owner put financial resources into worthwhile modernisation, but by the 1960s the financial situation became difficult and the whole of the former IoWCR network was closed in 1966. The Isle of Wight Steam Railway now operates on part of the line.
First railways
Early in the nineteenth century, the Isle of Wight was chiefly involved in agriculture; there was industrial activity in Newport, and Ryde was an established town. Cowes and Ryde both had ferry services from the mainland, but Cowes, on the River Medina, was dominant because of the better harbour there.
During the railway mania of the 1840s, it was proposed that railways should be built on the island to develop tourism, which was then beginning to become an important economic activity, as well as to handle the agriculture and other produce of the island. A number of schemes were put forward but failed to gain support, until in 1858 bills for three railway projects were submitted to Parliament; they were:
The Isle of Wight Railway (Eastern Section), intended to run from Ryde to Upper Bonchurch, with branches to Brading and Shanklin, and a tramway to Ryde Pier; The Isle of Wight Railway; to run from Cowes to Ryde via Newport, with branches to Ventnor and Ryde Pier; The Cowes and Newport Railway.
The first two were rejected in the House of Lords' Committee, and only the Cowes and Newport Railway was authorised; it obtained Royal Assent on 8 August 1859.
Cowes and Newport Railway
The Cowes and Newport Railway was to be in length, running north to south along the west side of the River Medina. Authorised share capital was £30,000 ().
A construction contract was let to Albert H. Fernandez, and the first sod was cut on 15 October 1859. The construction had been thought to be simple, but in fact the nature of the ground and the wet weather made the work extremely difficult. In December 1861, the contractor had to give up the work, and the company continued for a period managing the work directly. The C&NR itself had financial difficulties as the authorised share issue was considerably undersubscribed. The Cowes station abutted Cross Street, where there was a level crossing, over which the line continued as a tramway; engine run-round movements had to cross the level crossing and use the tramway, contrary to stipulations in the authorising Act (The C&NR was later authorised to enlarge the station and close Cross Street. This work was done in early 1879).
Captain Tyler of the Board of Trade inspected the line for passenger operation in May 1862, but found numerous deficiencies and recommended that the authorisation for opening be declined. He returned on 14 June 1862 and this time everything was in order; the line opened on 16 June 1862; passenger traffic only was carried for some time after opening; there were eight trains each way on weekdays. Notice boards at the Newport station made it clear that onward conveyance to London, via Cowes and Southampton, was a primary objective.
The line was operated by a contractor, Henry Martin, for 50% of gross receipts at first, later 50% of net receipts.
A wharf known as Medina Wharf was built adjoining the river between Cowes and Newport in 1877–78. Writing in 1962 Rickard said that the Medina Wharf was then the sole means of entry for coal to the island.