Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom England Southampton Hythe Pier Railway
AO Edited

Hythe Pier Railway

The world's oldest operational public pier railway has shuttled seagoing commuters from ship to shore since 1909.

Southampton, England

Added By
E Capemarsh
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Sunrise service.   Gillian Thomas
Electric motors getting salty since 1922.   Alan Murray-Rust
The ferry awaits at the end of the line.   Hugh Venables
Start of a wild ride.   David P Howard
2100 foot long pier, the UK’s seventh longest.   Danielsmith
One of the 1917 electric engines.   Colin Smith
Pier, train, and ferry.   Geni
Carriage interior.   Robin Webster
Carriage sets off at high tide.   Steve Daniels
  rbenn250 / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The longest-operating public pier railway on the globe chugs along a thin wooden strip on the English coast. It shuffles tourists and locals alike across an estuary, adding a nostalgic 20th-century twist to their modern-day commutes.

Once driven by hand, the rickety carriages of this 2,100-foot-long pier railroad are currently pulled by two miniature electric locomotives, which began their relentless rattlings along the wooden boardwalk in 1922.

Though endearing, these dinky narrow-gauge trains have a dark side to their history. They were built for a World War I mustard gas factory in 1917, then moved to the Hythe Pier when the war ended. 

The pier, the country's seventh longest, opened in 1881. Unlike many pleasure piers beloved of the British seaside scene, it still has a very practical purpose as the embarkation point for a short ferry service to Southampton. It protrudes over the muddy estuary shallows into deeper waters, allowing the boat to berth in all tidal conditions.

The railway was added to the precarious Victorian structure in 1909 as a convenient way to transport passengers and luggage to the ferry without the need to trudge along the long, exposed, and windswept pier. 

Despite the pier being ripped in half after a ship tore through the structure in 2003, the pier was awarded a Grade II listed status in 2021, before being bought out by local ferry company: Red Funnel in 2023.

Today, the Hythe Pier Railway delights tourists with a ride above the gently lapping waves of the estuary while continuing to serve the numerous villagers who routinely use this quaint railway and ferry service as part of their daily commute to the city.

Related Tags

Railroads Trains Boardwalks World War I Wwi Victorian Transportation World's Oldest

Know Before You Go

Trains leave the shore-side station every half an hour to coincide with the ferry. Train-only tickets are available for those wishing to enjoy the train ride without taking the ferry. From Southampton, the Hythe Ferry Terminal is adjacent to the Red Funnel Isle-of-Wight Ferry terminal, which is signposted throughout the city.

Community Contributors

Added By

Capemarsh

Edited By

willfaulkner, rbenn250

  • willfaulkner
  • rbenn250

Published

January 25, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://hytheferry.co.uk/introduction/
  • http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/united-kingdom/galleries/Top-10-Britains-longest-seaside-piers/4-hythe-pier-alamy/
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hythe_Pier,_Railway_and_Ferry
  • http://www.hampshire-history.com/hythe-pier-railway/
  • http://www.hythe-newforest.org/hythe_pier_train.html
Hythe Pier Railway
1 Prospect Pl
Southampton, England
United Kingdom
50.87068, -1.399381
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Mulberry Harbour Wreckage

Southampton, England

miles away

Marine Air Terminal Ruins

Southampton, England

miles away

Canute Chambers Plaque

Southampton, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Southampton

Southampton

England

Places 11

Nearby Places

Mulberry Harbour Wreckage

Southampton, England

miles away

Marine Air Terminal Ruins

Southampton, England

miles away

Canute Chambers Plaque

Southampton, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Southampton

Southampton

England

Places 11

Related Places

  • The short section of track in the middle of the roundabout.

    Basingstoke, England

    Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway

    This may be the smallest length of railway in the United Kingdom.

  • ‘The Queen’ replica on display.

    Windsor, England

    'The Queen' Locomotive

    A replica of the steam engine that hauled Queen Victoria's Royal Train is on display at Windsor.

  • Looking up at the Highball Signal.

    Delmar, Delaware

    Highball Signal

    This relic is one of the last survivors of the earliest eras of the American railroad.

  • Riga, Latvia

    Latvian Railway History Museum

    A collection of historical engines and rolling stock from throughout Riga's rich railway history.

  • TY 51 locomotive.

    Krakow, Poland

    Kraków-Płaszów Train Graveyard

    This cemetery of rusting Soviet-era steam locomotives and train cars offers an apocalyptic glimpse into a bygone era.

  • Richmond, Virginia

    The Triple Crossing

    Where three rails and three centuries of transportation meet.

  • This small ticket office in a public park was first built in 1832.

    New Castle, Delaware

    New Castle-Frenchtown Railroad Ticket Office

    Delaware's first railroad lasted only five years and spanned only 16 miles, but its ticket office has survived for two centuries.

  • The museum is housed in a former rail depot last used in 1913.

    Winter Garden, Florida

    Central Florida Railroad Museum

    An unsuspecting brick building outside Orlando houses decades of train ephemera.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.