History of rail transport in Mauritius

With Port Louis as hub, the railway network quickly developed and was soon covering most of the island.

It passed through the districts of Pamplemousses, Rivière du Rempart and Flacq, to end at the station of Grand River South East.

This line contributed to the development of urban agglomerations by passing through the secondary stations of Beau Bassin, Rose Hill, Quatre Bornes, Phoenix, Vacoas, Curepipe and Rose-Belle.

Secondary lines were crucial in boosting development in some of the rural villages, such as in Black River, where plantations of tobacco, sugar cane and aloe were the main economic activities; as such the railway provided an opportunity of commercial exchange for the rural areas.

Goods and crops, mainly sugar cane, were carried with efficacy and in increasing quantity.

The railway network also contributed to the field of education, as it provided transport to the major towns of the island, where the schools were found.

From the richest to the poorest, the railway provided a relatively fast and affordable way of travelling between the different towns of the island.

Some of the rolling stock was sold as scrap to Bethlehem Steel of South Africa and some of the rail went to India.

In 2017, construction of a 26 km (16 mi) light rail line between Port Louis and Curepipe commenced.