(1905-1951)

The Cyprus Government

Railway (1905-1951)
Alexander-Michael Hadjilyra

- NICOSIA, 2006


(1905-1951)
-

The Cyprus Government

Railway (1905-1951)
Alexander-Michael Hadjilyra

- NICOSIA, 2006

: ,
. , ,
. ,
, ,
, .
. ,
,
18 .
,
.
, - -,
: .
,
46 (1905-1951),
.
:
-
, ,
-,
, .
, ,
.
,
,
, , ,
, , ,
,
.
, 1974 :
,
, .
, ,
, ,
.

Greeting by the Mayor of Latsia

wise phrase says: To know the past is to understand the present and to build the
future. Although relatively a young state, Cyprus has a long history, spanning to the
depths of the past. A large part of its history, especially the modern one, presents an
exceptional interest, since Cyprus has been the crossroads of three continents and dozens of
civilisations, the Navel of the Earth, according to Hesychius of Alexandria.

Today, Latsia is a rapidly growing Municipality. Yet, despite the huge leaps of progress, we
do not forget that present-day Latsia began as a small chiftlik of Kioroglou aga in the 18th
century. Latsia Municipality is well aware of the importance of preserving the history and
industrial archaeology, because it tries to do the same for Latsia. In an attempt to keep our
cultural heritage unquenched in memory, we publish this project - a product of original
research -, elucidating a very picturesque part of our modern history: the Cyprus Government
Railway. As odd as the existence of a railway in Cyprus might seem to the younger
generations, the CGR had been an inextricable part of the life of Cypriots for about 46
years (1905-1951), with an important contribution in both World Wars and in local
economy.
This publication is not simply a romantic journey on the lines of the old train: it also aims
at preserving the memory of our occupied areas - with particular reference to the divided
capital, Nicosia, the beautiful city of Famagusta and the lovely town of Morphou -, but at
the same time it is a neatly-written tool at the hands of the foreign or local scholar, which
is why it is bilingual. Through these pages, we learn about the various aspects of the
operation of the CGR, accompanied by photographic material and maps of the time.
Today, the CGR may not exist, the rail marks may have faded away and are no longer
visible on our much-troubled land, there are however the memories, the recollections and
images of the past, the photographs, the artefacts and the maps, carrying our minds to
another time, so different from today, perhaps more care-free and more poetic, indisputably a
pleasant touch of the past for the older generations who personally experienced the Railway
in operation.
Unfortunately, the brutal Turkish invasion in 1974 did not leave the Railway unaffected:
tragic irony has it that at many points, the west line of the Railway meets with one or the
other side of the Green line, which essentially halves it. Latsia Municipality wishes that
soon all Cypriots, refugees or not, will have the opportunity to walk together along the old
railway line, without borders and boundaries, mine fields or other obstacles.

Costis Efstathiou
Mayor of Latsia

.
11 , -
- . 1960,
-. (1878-1959),
:
.
, .

, ,
, , .
,
, 1951.
, ,
, .
,
,
.
,
, -
- . , 34,85%
, 142.000

, ,
. 1.493
, 115.000
. ,
Peter Young .
, , ,
: 1 ( ) ,
2 ,
(2,62% ). 3 .

. ,
,
.
, ,
, , , , ,
,
, .

Foreword to the Publication

yprus is a beautiful island in the southeast corner of the Mediterranean

Sea. With a fascinating history and a rich cultural heritage of 11
millennia, Cyprus has been - for a good part of its past - under foreign
rule. It only attained its independence in 1960, as the result of the LondonZurich agreements. During the British rule (1878-1959), Cyprus was notably
developed: the British strategically aimed at consolidating their rule over Cyprus
and at modernising the system of administration. To achieve this, an efficient
framework of communications would have to be constructed.
Thus, the Cyprus Government Railway was built, linking Famagusta with
Nicosia and thence with Morphou and, ultimately, Evrykhou. The railway had
served both the people and the colonial authorities of Cyprus well, but it was
proven uneconomical, necessitating its closing in 1951. Most of the railway
paraphernalia, including the rails, were sold to foreign buyers, while some of the
wagons were purchased by locals. The Stations were either abandoned, or turned
into Police Stations and Public Works Department offices and stores, while the
ground was left marked with rail imprints and the trees encompassing the line.
The coup dtat against Archbishop Makarios III, orchestrated by the Greek
military junta, allowed Turkey - under the pretext of restoring the order - to
invade Cyprus. As a result, 34.85% of the island was illegally occupied, forcibly
displacing 142,000 Greek Cypriots from their homes and depriving the Republic
of Cyprus of a significant part of its cultural heritage, its resources, as well as
its industrial and tourist income. 1,493 persons are still missing, while over
115,000 settlers from Anatolia have colonised the north. The cease-fire line is
also called the Green line, from the coloured pencil General Peter Young used to
draw it.
The CGR, or what was left of it, was also victimised by the unlawful Turkish
invasion: the entire Section 1 (with the exception of a few miles) became
occupied, while Section 2 is intermittently on either side of the Green line, or
within the UN buffer zone (2.62% of Cyprus). Section 3 was also trichotomised.
Some of the remaining railway installations in Mesaoria were either bombarded
or ruined during the Turkish onward march. Until recently, one could not follow
the entire route, confined into one of the two sides of the dividing line and the
mine fields.
Let us all hope that some day, hopefully not long from today, the people of
Cyprus, Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Maronites, Armenians and Latins,
will preserve the history of the old Cyprus Government Railway together,
contemplating a joint future, a common vision.

1878,
,
, - -
.
( 92.800
), ,
,
, Sir Garnet Wolseley.

,
.
, , , .
1903 Joseph Chamberlain, ,
Frederick Shelford.
,
:


,
.


,


,

:
, ,
.
1899 1902,

,
,
Frederick Shelford
. 15
1903 , ,
.
, ,
.
, 5
( 17 ).

The first thoughts for a railway system in Cyprus

n 1878, when Great Britain assumed the administration of Cyprus as part

of the Treaty of San Stefano, there was only one carriage road on the
island, linking Nicosia and Larnaca - in a pretty bad shape - primarily used
for the transportation of goods on camels and mules. The financial stringency
(a 92,800 lease per annum was to be paid to the Sublime Porte), along with
the uncertainty about the duration of the British stay on the island, deterred
any essential development, despite the numerous railway proposals, fostered
by Governor Sir Garnet Wolseley. The uneasy situation in Egypt shifted the
British priorities in the Levant to Alexandria, the selected harbour for the
Royal Navy. Large amounts of money were spent on the locust campaigns, as
well as on cartographical, irrigational, hydration and drainage projects.
It was not until 1903 that Joseph Chamberlain, Colonial Secretary, accepted a
railway proposal by Frederick Shelford. For the British administration, it was
evident that the whole railway concept would have to be considered only in
connection with the improvement of one of the harbours: a modernised
harbour with inadequate means of transportation to carry the numerous
agricultural products from the valleys and the timber and charcoal from the
mountainous areas would be inefficient, in the same fashion that a railway
without a harbour as an outlet would be of no use.
Although Larnaca was the
favoured harbour of many
proposals, it would be
pointless to build a railway
to link Nicosia and Larnaca,
since that route was
already served by a public
road:
Famagusta
was,
subsequently, the next
natural choice. Between
1899 and 1902, extensive
discussions were held in
the British Parliament, and
many letters were exchanged between the UK Government and the
Administration of Cyprus, until Frederick Shelford undertook a feasibility
study for the construction of a railway line. The feasibility study was
submitted on 15 July 1903 and, unlike previous proposals, it excluded Larnaca
from the design. It also provided for a rack railway line that would reach
Trodos, via Marathasa valley, since many Europeans found excursions to
Trodos Mountains quite relaxing. This was never constructed, as it would
take 5 hours to go there from Famagusta harbour (and 17 from Alexandria).

(2 ft. 6 in.)
, ,
.
141.526
, 30 lbs/yd. 1903:
!

1904,
-

.

. ,
.
Crown Agents
-
1895
1904 -, ,
4 ft. 8 in. Ruth,
Manning Wardle.
- ,
.
,
. 1925, -
( Arsenal),
-
, .

21 1905 ( 100

),
Sir Charles Anthony
King-Harman, .

107.000, 36
1 (
1 ),
87.396.
2 1.

The proposal for a railway system is materialised

he scheme was a narrow-gauge railway (2 ft. 6 in.) that would link

Famagusta with Nicosia, Morphou and Karavostasi, the proposed
terminus of the railway line. The project would cost 141,526 and it
would use a relatively light-flat bottomed rail of 30 lbs/yd. The authorities
consented in November 1903: Cyprus would finally have its own railway!
The study began in February
1904, and the earthworks along with the building of
the various stations across
the line - began in May.
Construction was expedited
by
petty
contracts.
Meanwhile, Famagusta harbour was being improved. It
appears that the Crown
Agents possessed their own
railway system - operating between 1895 and 1904 -, which had been of a
different gauge to the CGR, probably the British standard gauge of 4 ft. 8 in.
This was served by Ruth, a Manning Wardle locomotive. Contrary to
unsubstantiated rumours that stones from Bellapais Abbey and the walled City
were used, the stones were carried from the quarries in the north. A tunnel
was dug under the Land Gate, to prevent the railway from interfering with the
arterial road. Until 1925, a railway branch - entering the old City at the South
East Bastion (Arsenal Tower), through the Galley Harbour entrance - served
the old harbour warehouses near Desdemonas Gardens, by the Sea Gate.
The inaugural ceremony took
place on 21 October 1905 (the
100th anniversary of the
Trafalgar naval battle), by
High
Commissioner
Sir
Charles
Anthony
KingHarman, in the brand new
Famagusta Station. Out of the
original 107,000 allowance,
the 36-mile-long Section 1
(excluding the 1-mile-long
harbour extension), cost only
87,396. Section 2 was only
justified because of the considerable retrenchment for Section 1. The study for
Section 2 began in March 1905, and the earthworks began in July: it opened for

 2 1905,
: 31 1907. 24
2 34.731. , 3
2 3, 2 1,
, , . ,
,
.
.


.
1910, Bedford Glasier

,
1913:
, G. Bert Day,

.
3 1913, .
1913, 3
14 1915. , 21.800,
31.683. 3
, ,
(1914-1918), .
15 3 .
, 76 ,
199.367,

:

210.316
1948 1951.
1931,

,
120
3
,
.
31 1931, ,
. 1932, 5
, .
, .

the public on 31 March 1907. The 24 miles of Section 2 cost 34,731. Overall,
there was only one halt to every 3 miles on Sections 2 and 3, compared to one
for every 2 miles on Section 1, which reflects the significant, yet necessary,
cut-backs. Additionally, there was only one intermediate Station between
Nicosia and Morphou, compared to three between Nicosia and Famagusta.
Stations were designated by large trilingual white signs.
The failure of the railway to
operate with profit jeopardised its future prospects.
In 1910, Bedford Glasier
undertook a study for the
future of the CGR, which was
published in early 1913:
following General Manager G.
Bert
Days
advice,
he
suggested that the terminus
be placed in Evrykhou. The
Legislative Council sanctioned the construction of Section 3 in June 1913, and
the route was designed three months later. The earthworks began in
November 1913, and Section 3 was put into circulation on 14 June 1915. It was
originally estimated to cost 21,800, but the actual amount was 31,683.
Section 3 was never considered successful and, in terms of profit, it only
contributed during World War I (1914-1918), carrying timber from Trodos.
The last miles of the 15-mile-long Section 3 were also the roughest ones.
The CGR was now complete,
76 miles long, and with a total
cost of 199,367, a figure that
remained almost constant: it
was 210,316 between 1948
and 1951. In October 1931,
culminating the October
Enosis riots, 120 yards of
railway tracks and 3 miles of
telephone cable were torn up
by the rioters, as the railway
was regarded a symbol of the
British colonial rule.
On 31 December 1931, Evrykhou Station was closed down, as an act of
retaliation for the throwing of tins at the Governor. In 1932, the last 5 miles of
track were lifted and sold, never to be replaced. Letters from the local
authorities requested the resumption of the railway operation, in vain.

:
3 , Charles Eustace Rooke
. 1932, 2 3 -
-
,
3 . 2 ( 3,
, )
, .
,
, . C. E. Rooke
, W. M. Smithers.



(19391945),
,

. , ,
:
,
. , 1937 1941
.
1947,
,

. 2 (
,
)
1948,

300.000
-
2
,
. 10 1959.

The struggle to keep the railway open

he financial adversities the CGR went through to survive made it

necessary to conduct improvement studies for its future: with a 3-year
window, Charles Eustace Rooke was appointed to conduct a detailed
study. In March 1932, he proposed that Sections 2 and 3 - apart from the six
miles to the west of Nicosia - should be closed down for regular operation and
be replaced by road services, while the last five miles of Section 3 should be
dismantled. When Section 2 (since Section 3, as a separate line, had ceased to
exist) re-opened until Kalokhorio Station, it was used mainly for freight and
mineral traffic. His proposal to re-nationalise Famagusta harbour, as to
promote export trade, did not get across. C. E. Rooke soon became the General
Manager of the Railway, succeeding W. M. Smithers.
The enduring struggle to
keep
the
railway
in
operation was temporarily
paused by its important
contribution during World
War II (1939-1945), being the
prime mover of troops,
stores and ammunitions
from Famagusta harbour to
the Royal Air Force airfield
in Nicosia and other camps. However, the moment the War was over, the
problems re-emerged: the railway was unable to compete with the improved
road network, the fast automobiles and the flexibility of their pricing and
routes. On top of that, a new road connecting Nicosia and Famagusta was
constructed between 1937 and 1941.
In 1947, rumours circulated
that the CGR would close
down, causing the reaction
of the Mayor of Famagusta
and the Cyprus Chamber of
Commerce. Section 2 (up to
Nicosia International Airport, the new tactical
boundary)
ceased
to
operate in June 1948,
resulting in an immediate
300,000 claim by the Cyprus Mines Corporation - which needed Section 2 to
carry its ore to the harbour of Famagusta, and also paid to run its own railway
line. The claim was finally settled on 10 August 1959.

 1950,

,
,

-
. ,
,
70% ,
: ,
400.000.
6
1951, 10 1951,
31 .
,
.
14:57 , 31 1951.
12, 1905.
16:38.

46 ,
.
,

. ,
40
, .

,
( Cte d
Azur)

,


(,
, , ). -

In November 1950, the

Government
issued
an
announcement regarding the
future of the CGR, to the
delight of the merchants of
Larnaca and Limassol, and
the dismay of the authorities
and merchants of Nicosia
and Famagusta - each for
their own benefit. A few
months
earlier,
the
governmental employees salaries had been significantly increased, resulting
to 70% of the overall railway expenses, which proved catastrophic: if the
ramshackle equipment was to be repaired, over 400,000 would be required.
There was a strike of the Railway Workers Union on 6 April 1951, while on 10
November 1951, the Colonial Government announced that the CGR would
definitively close down on 31 December. The protest strikes that followed were
supported by railway employees from Finland, France and the Netherlands.
The last train departed from Nicosia Station at 14:57 on Monday, 31 December
1951. Locomotive 12, which had hauled the very first train in 1905, was used. It
arrived at Famagusta Station at 16:38.

An epitome of the CGR

uring the 46 years it operated, the CGR offered valuable services to

the people of Cyprus. The railway Stations often functioned as a
place of exchange of goods and services, allowing the passengers to
rest for a few minutes from their journey and promoting local trade. In hope of
increasing the traffic, about 40 assembled coaches operated on special
occasions throughout the year, some of which were extremely popular.
There were the bathing
specials for the excursions of
Nicosians to Famagusta, during
the aestival Sundays (the Cte
d Azur trains); the special
route for the Orange Festival in
Famagusta, decorated with an
orange plate; the trains for
various local fairs (Elia,
Kataklysmos, Saint Barnabas,
Ayios Loukas). The NicosiaFamagusta Sunday line operated continually since March 1935, except during

 1935,
. 1930,
. ,
3.199.934 7.348.643 ,
!
, ,


,

.
,

,
.

1912 1939,
Khedivial Mail.
,


( 1931-1932).
:
2 3 ,

.

, Winston Churchill,
,
1907. ,

-
,
.
1922,
11,

.
,

1929 1930,
,
.

World War II. An extra train served Nicosia and Morphou during the 1930s.
Overall, the CGR carried a total of 3,199,934 tons of paying goods and 7,348,643
passengers, not including the long list of the dignitaries with a free pass!
The CGR, along with the Forest
Stations, were among the first
governmental departments to be
served by a telephone system, while
its installations were also used as
postal and telegraph offices. As a
postal agency, each manned stop had
a considerable number of stamps and
cancellation signs, also serving the
surrounding communities. The mail
service from Famagusta prospered
between 1912 and 1939, especially in
conjunction with the Khedivial Mail
Line. Later, the steam vessel carrying
the post changed its course and
approached Larnaca and Limassol (as
it had done during 1931-1932).
The CGR trains were quite punctual:
Famagusta and Nicosia were 2 or 3
hours away, depending on the stops;
Nicosia and Morphou were two hours
apart. The CGR was often used to
transport distinguished officials, such
as Winston Churchill, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Colonies,
in October 1907. During Churchills
visit, Turkish Cypriot representatives
requested that the Famagusta-Nicosia
railway line be extended to
Karavostasi and Lefka, to ensure the
timely trade of fruit. In 1922, the new
Governor was also transported by
locomotive 11, which was varnished
and flagged on the occasion with a
large Union Jack. The extension to
Lefka re-surfaced from time to time,
until it was linked to the railway via a
bus line in 1929; in 1930, the CGR
opened an office in Lefka, so that the
citizens could book tickets.

 , 51
1 34
. 5 ,
.

. 1908,
, - -
, .

1917,


.
,
,
,
,
Kitson 4-8-4.
,
, , .
: 1941,
.
,
,
,
. ,

, , 284 .
,
1926.
, .

12 :
1 Hunslet,
11, 12, 21-23, 31, 32
Nasmyth-Wilson,
41-44 Kitson.

20-25 / (15 ...
).
, , Joseph Waugh
Bulman ,
. 1933,
, .

To overcome the floods of the rivers during the winter, 51 bridges were built
for Section 1 and 34 bridges to the west of Nicosia up to Kalokhorio. There is
no record for the last ill-fated 5 miles, although at least one bridge was built
in the junction with Karyotis River. The CGR also served tourists and Egyptian
Greeks arriving at Famagusta from the port of Alexandria. In about 1908,
French travellers were transported to Nicosia by railway, who - according to
the gossips - saw a theatre without a company, a museum without antiquities
and an archdiocesan throne without an Archbishop.
In October 1917, railway
installations were photographed by a German aircraft.
During World War II, the
railway transported British,
Indian and New Zealander
troops from Famagusta to
Xeros, and vice versa, using
the heavy 4-8-4 Kitson
tenders. In some cases,
camels were used to collect
wagons from various stops, drawing them to Nicosia, to form a proper train.
The CGR was targeted by the Axis powers: in May 1941, Italian aeroplanes
unsuccessfully attempted to bomb a railway Station.
The lack of coal and cord wood, combined with the increased need for fuel
during World War II, and a three-month ultimatum from the Conservator of
Forests that timber supplies were to cease, necessitated the conversion of the
locomotives to oil-firing. Previously, coal came to Famagusta docks either
from England or from the Admiralty yards at Port Said, Egypt, 284 miles away.
Cord wood came from Trodos forests, but the huge bulks were noticeably
reduced after the abolishment of the Grain Tithe in 1926. Water had to be
chemically softened, so as not to damage the engine boilers.
The railway used 12
locomotives
in
all:
Locomotive 1 was a Hunslet,
locomotives 11, 12, 21-23,
31, 32 were NasmythWilsons, while locomotives
41-44 were Kitsons. They
operated on an average
speed of 20-25 miles/hour
(15 m.p.h. near Evrykhou).
Most of them were red, dark olive green and black, however Superintendent
Joseph Waugh Bulman was particularly creative with the colouring, especially

 17 100 .

50 Delta Light Railway
: 1921.



,

.

,
, 1915 1919
.

1920 .
(1930-1938), 1937
, .
1932, , , 1922,
,
. 10 /
,
. Charles Godfrey Gunther 1921
(---), 5
, ,

, 20 /,
. 1
,
(1946-1949). 1936
1938, .
:
. 1951,
1941, 8 . 1944, 1.500
23 ,
:
, ,
.
1946. 1930, 227
193 1937,
1940, 234.
, 352 .

during World War II. By 1933, the CGR railcars were in full operation, resulting
in a faster and more comfortable travelling. There were also 17 coaches and
about 100 multi-purpose wagons. The increased volume of supplies during
World War I made the lending of 50 bogie wagons from the Egyptian Delta
Light Railway and the Palestine Military Railway imperative: they were
eventually purchased in 1921.
Had the ore deposits on
Trodos
been
discovered
before the railways capacity
was originally considered, the
CGR
would
have
been
tremendously benefited from
carrying ore. The asbestos
mine in Amiandos was served
by an aerial railway, reaching
Enaerios vicinity in Limassol,
since the distant routes between 1915 and 1919 proved detrimental for the
CGR. A proposal to carry ore from Mitsero mines to Kokkini Trimithia Station
in the late 1920s was dismissed. Large quantities of stone were carried from
Yerolakkos quarries (1930-1938), while since 1937 the CGR carried asphalt and
cement, thus indirectly aiding the construction of the road network.
Since 1932, the CGR carried chromites from Trodos and, briefly, in 1922,
copper pyrites from Skouriotissa mines, for the account of the Cyprus Mines
Corporation. The CMC paid 10 shillings/ton to have its ore carried, which was
both unprofitable for the CMC and laborious for the CGR. Charles Godfrey
Gunther eventually built his own railway in 1921 (Skouriotissa-Karyotis-XerosMavrovouni), served by 5 locomotives that carried ore from Evrykhou and,
later, Kalokhorio to Famagusta docks using the CGR lines, for the cost of 20
paras/ton, which only managed to prolong its inevitable demise. The CMC lent
their locomotive 1 and ten wagons to the CGR, to carry the Hebrew refugees to
the concentration camp in Karaolos, Famagusta (1946-1949). Between 1936 and
1938, the CGR also carried golden deposits coming from Mathiatis.
A final detail: the CGR played an active role in Cyprus trade unionism. Other
than the 1951 strikes, there was another strike in July 1941, resulting to the
imprisonment of 8 workers. In March 1944, 1,500 government workers went on
a 23-day pancyprian strike, demanding that their wages be escalated to the
cost-of-living index: during the strike, the stores remained closed; no
newspapers were published, while the mines and the government railway did
not work. Another strike took place in 1946. In 1930, the railway employed 227
employees and workers; their number was reduced to 193 by 1937, but it was
slightly increased towards the end of 1940s, reaching a total of 234. During the
dismantlement, 352 people were being employed.

, , ,
. ,
Kitson :
, 1952.
, 1 31, ,
. Cyprus
Gazette, , Meyer Newman & Co.,
65.626, Mar Corrusco Verax
14 2 1953.
P.I.O Nahum: ,
,
.
31 10 ,
Eddies .

,
,
, ,
,

.

() ,
41
. 152, ,
Hilton
, 1982.

( ), 1995.
, ,
1995 .
, ,
(1932-1935). 1937
, 1958,
. 2003,
24.000 .

. ,
1973.
, ,

The epilogue to the CGR

et us see, in a nutshell, what happened to the people, the equipment and

the installations of the CGR. With the formalities over, the big Kitson
tank locomotives were used to dismantle the tracks: from Kalokhorio to
Nicosia and from Nicosia to Famagusta, a process which lasted up to March
1952. All locomotives, except 1 and 31, along with the rolling stock, were cut
up with oxy-acetylene torches. An auction was announced in Cyprus Gazette,
and the remains were sold to Meyer Newman & Co., for the price of 65,626,
and were carried to Italy on the steamships Mar Corrusco and Verax between 14
March and 2 April 1953. The most tempting offer came from P.I.O Nahum: after
meticulous examination, given the increased demand for metal scrap in
Eastern block countries, the bid was disqualified because there was reasonable
suspicion it was intended for a communist country. Locomotive 31 was cut up
10 years after, been kept at Eddies scrap yard in Nicosia.
Many of the CGR wagons and
railcars were sold to locals, to
be used as garden sheds,
animal pens, caravans, even
cloak-rooms,
while
the
equipment was distributed
among seven governmental
departments. Two boilers
were used for the large
washing machine of the
Nicosia
General
(Jubilee)
Hospital, while the firebox of
locomotive 41 was used as an incinerator for the District Office in Famagusta.
Wagon 152, famous for carrying ammunition, was placed near Nicosia Hilton
and was later donated to Nicosia Municipality, in 1982. It was repaired by the
Public Works Department and was placed in the linear park created on the
paved CGR line in Kaimakli (Synergasias street), in March 1995. A colonial-style
building was built, accompanied by tracks, but the wagon was vandalised in
August 1995 and was later re-moved to the Municipality stores.
Evrykhou Station, because of the locality, operated as a rural sanitary centre
during the typhoid epidemic (1932-1935). In 1937 it was turned into a
dormitory of Forest Services, until it was blasted by EOKA in 1958, as was
Trakhoni Station. In September 2003, the Antiquities Department granted
24,000 for its restoration as a museum. Angastina and Kokkini Trimithia
Stations were turned into Police Stations. Kalokhorio Station became Police
property, while Styllos and Engomi installations were demolished in 1973.
Morphou Station was turned into a regional Veterinary Office, while the depot


... ,
,
,
. ,
, 1960, .
,
1 ,

.

,
Tom
H.
Baggaley,

. 1953 125
, .
1968, ,
, .
1972, 48
,
Barry S.
Turner. , ,
, .
1953, - (36,4 ):
, .
,
1960:
500 , -
.
700.000
-, 1953.
, 16-33 ft.
,
, , , , .
,
,
. ,
,
.
, .

was occasionally used by the local Co-Op for storing grain. Famagusta
buildings, ideally located between the old City of Famagusta and the new area
of Varosha, came under the jurisdiction of the Public Works Department, the
Police Station and the Fire Station. Nicosia Station, near the Public Works
Department workshops, was demolished in the 1960s, while the other
buildings became warehouses.
During
the
demolition,
Number 1 was lying out of
use in the sidings, but no one
seemed to have the heart to
cut it up. The Colonial
Secretary finally agreed upon
Superintendent
Tom
H.
Baggaleys suggestion to
preserve it as a memento of
the railway. It was purchased
in May 1953 for the princely
sum of 125 and was placed
on a plinth, with its boiler re-installed. In 1968, the United Nations Transport
Squadron in Nicosia, in an effort to develop good relations with Cypriots,
partially restored it. In January 1972, the Old Lady was taken to 48 Command
Workshop of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Dhekelia, and was
carefully dismantled and repaired by Major Barry S. Turner. Five months after,
it was restored to its original location, painted dark olive green, with red
buffer beams and a black smoke box.
In November 1953, thoughts were made to build a new Kaimakli-AngastinaEngomi road (36.4 miles): with the exception of some part between Angastina
and Gaidhouras, it was to pass over the old railway line. The road was merely
paved, until Independence negotiations were brought to a standstill in June
1960: the British refused to go 500 metres to the south, so as to leave the old
Nicosia-Famagusta road in the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus. The
golden section was found when the British government paid 700,000 to build
a new Nicosia-Famagusta motorway, based on the 1953 design. The road was
built between the old railway plantation, since the CGR owned the land 16-33
ft. to the left and right of the line, partly fenced and partly planted with
acacias, acorns, casuarinas, cypresses, eucalypti and pines.
Unfortunately, most of the remaining installations were knocked down during
the brutal Turkish invasion, such as the abandoned installations at Yenagra
and Gaidhouras. In Ayios Dhometios, part of the railway line was recently
turned into a multi-purpose centre and a linear park, something which is also
planned for Kokkini Trimithia. Most of the CGR employees were employed by
the Public Works Department, the Customs and the Forest Departments.

(19021953)
1.

0,9875

1(19051951)

2(19071951)
21.

38,2625

22.

41,55

23.

43,225

1,0125

24.

47,0875

25.

51

4.

1,5625

26.

52,825

5.

4,4375

27.

54,2125

6.

7,7

28.

56,0875

7.

9,2625

29.

57,25

8.

11,925

30.

59,1875

9.

13,875

10.

15,825

31.

62,125

11.

18,7

32.

()

62,15

12.

20,4375

33.

64,3

34.

66,45

13.

22,35

35.

68

14.

24,0375

36.

69,8

15.

25,825

16.

27,25

37.

70,85

17.

28,5625

38.

72,6

18.

32,0875

39.

74,55

19.

34,7875

20.

35,75

2.
3.

3(19151951)

3(19151932)

1.
.
2. , ,
, , ,
, , ,
,
.
3.
,
.
4.
,
1932.
5. 3.
6. 11940.
7.
,1913.
8. 11909.
, ,
1940.
9.
..
10. ,
(1932),
().
11. 1940, (0,317
)
,15
...
12. , 1930,
.
13.
1920,
.
14.
1929.

APPENDIXI

List of Stations, halts and sidings of the CGR

Descriptionofstop

Distance

Descriptionofstop

HarbourBranch(19021953)
1.

FamagustaHarbour

0.9875

Section1(19051951)
2.

FamagustaCityStation

Distance

Section2(19071951)
21.

AyiosDhometioshalt

38.2625

22.

Aerodromeloop

41.55

23.

Yerolakkoshalt

43.225

24.

KokkiniTrimithiaStation

47.0875

25.

Dheniasiding

51

FamagustaMunicipal
Storesiding

1.0125

4.

Englishhalt

1.5625

26.

Avlonasiding

52.825

5.

Engomihalt

4.4375

27.

Peristeronasiding

54.2125

6.

Styllossiding

7.7

28.

KatoKopiasiding

56.0875

7.

Gaidhourashalt

9.2625

29.

Argakisiding

57.25

8.

PrastioStation

11.925

30.

MorphouTownStation

59.1875

9.

Pyrgasiding

13.875

10.

Yenagrasiding

15.825

31.

Nikitashalt

62.125

11.

Vitsadhahalt

18.7

32.

Barajihalt(forPrastio)

62.15

12.

Marathovouno/
Mousoulitasiding

20.4375

33.

Ghaziveranhalt

64.3

34.

Pendayiasiding

66.45

13.

AngastinaStation

22.35

35.

Karyotisjunctionsiding

68

14.

KourouMonastirhalt

24.0375

36.

KalokhorioStation

69.8

15.

Exometokhihalt

25.825

16.

Epikhosiding

27.25

37.

Skouriotissahalt

70.85

17.

TrakhoniStation

28.5625

38.

Phlasouhalt

72.6

18.

MiaMileahalt

32.0875

39.

EvrykhouStation

74.55

19.

Kaimaklisiding

34.7875

20.

NicosiaCityStation

35.75

3.

1.
2.

3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Section3(19151951)
9.
10.
11.

Section3(19151932)
12.
13.
14.

All distances are in English miles and their reference

pointisFamagustaStation.
AllStations,aswellastheinstallationsatDhenia,Kato
Kopia,Lefkoniko,Peristerona,StyllosandYenagra,and
perhapsAvlona,Kaimakli,MarathovounoandPyrga,
operatedaspostalagencies.
Most Stations were equipped with a turntable to rotate
thetrains,astheCGRwassingletrack.
There was a bus service to Lefkoniko through
PeristeronopiyifromPrastioStation,sinceApril1932.
Yenagrahadaregularclass3Stationbuilding.
Vitsadhahaltopenedon1October1940.
Kourou Monastir halt and Epikho siding opened later,
probablyaround1913.
Kaimakli siding opened on 1 April 1909. There was
neveractuallyabuilding,onlyabusdepot,builtin1940
behindAyiaVarvarachurch.
Nicosia Station was originally planned to be built on
KyreniaGate.Riperthoughtsprevailed.
AyiosDhometioshalt,knownasRaceCoursehalt(after
1932),intersectedthecamelroad(AyiosPavlosstreet).
In1940,anauxiliaryrailwayline(0.317miles)wasbuilt
to the northeast of the new Nicosia International
Airport, serving up to 15 wagons at any given time. It
laterbecameaUNbase.
Yerolakkos halt openedlater, around1930, toservethe
prolificlocalstonequarry.
Karyotis Junction siding and Skouriotissa halt opened
circa1920,toservetheminersandtheCMC.
There was a bus service to Lefka from Kalokhorio
Stationsince1929.

No

1
11
12
21
22
23
31
32
41
42
43
44

060T

1904

440

260

262T

1904
1911
1907
1908

1915

484T

1920

10tons15cwt

19361939?

13tons10cwt

19441948

14tons3cwt

1945

Hunslet

Nasmyth
Wilson

1944

1950
19451947
1946

20tons5cwt

36tons5cwt

Kitson

1945
1949

,.
1 (
Ruth),
. 22
, 41, 42 43
.
23.

A
B
C
D
E,F,G
V81,V82
13
4
56
7
11

1932
1914
1932

1934

1939
1934
1932
1946

2
5
9

12

D.Wickham&Co.

16

DrewryCarCo.

D.Wickham&Co.

16

1908

DrewryCarCo.

1904, 10 ,
. 1912, 41
, 1914
1918,
.1312,
492,10173.

APPENDIXII

Locomotives, Railcars and other vehicles of the CGR

RailcarStockoftheCyprusGovernmentRailway

LocomotivesoftheCyprusGovernmentRailway

No

Type

Purchased

Netweight

1
11
12
21
22
23
31
32
41
42
43
44

060T

1904

10tons15cwt

440

260

262T

1904
1911
1907
1908

1915

484T

1920

Maker
Hunslet

13tons10cwt

19441948

14tons3cwt

1945

Converted
tooilfiring
19361939?

Nasmyth
Wilson

1944

1950
19451947
1946

20tons5cwt

36tons5cwt

Kitson

1945
1949

The colours used for the livery of the locomotives were red,
black and dark olive green. Locomotive 1 was dark brown and
vermillion (in the exact same colours as Ruth), and was later
painted green and black. Locomotive 22 also had some green,
whilelocomotives41,42and43wereentirelyblackduringsome
periods.Locomotive23wasmadeoutofspareparts.

Number Purchased

A
1932
B
C
1914
D
1932

E,F,G
1934
V81,V82

13
4
1939
56
1934
7
1932
11
1946

Inspection
1908
Trolley

Seats
2
5
9

12

Maker
D.Wickham&Co.

Local

16

DrewryCarCo.

D.Wickham&Co.

16

possiblyDrewryCarCo.

In1904,theCGRowned10wagons,followedbymorewagonsa
year later. In 1912, there were 41 vehicles in total, but new
vehicles arrived during 19141918, to aid the CGRs role during
World War I. Coaches 13 were 1st and 2nd class, 49 were 2nd
class,while1017were3rdclass.

,
,

,

.

,

.
CGR,

RPO
(RailwayPostOffice)GRRural
Service.
, ,
,

APPENDIXIII

Various objects related to the CGR

The Cyprus Government

Railway issued single and
return tickets, childrens
tickets, and free passes for
a number of government
officials; all of these were
nontransferable.
The
tickets were issued in
English and in different
colours, according to the
class of the passengers.
The railway also operated
asapostalagency,withits
own stamps and seals.
They initially wrote CGR,
but were later marked as
RPO (Railway Post Office)
or GR Rural Service.
Announcements
were
trilingual, in English,
Turkish and Greek, so as
to keep the appearances
and maintain impartiality.


,
. ,
,
, ,
.
,
.

- .

, --
.
( 1938),
. , 5
, , ,
. ,
.
,
,
Michael Radford Barry S. Turner,
.
, ,
, ,
,
.
, ,
, ,
-.

, ,
,

.
,
. 1 80 chains (1.609,344
), 3 36 (91,44 ).
453,593 . 20 (1.016,047 ).
20 = , 180 = 20 = 1 (1/-).
, ,
katoomba@cytanet.com.cy.

Acknowledgements
There are so many individuals and agencies that contributed to this project, in a
great variety of ways. However, without the stimulus from the Cultural Centre of
Occupied Famagusta and Famagusta Municipality, as well as from the always
active Mayor of the occupied city of Famagusta, Mr Yiannakis Skordis, my quest
for the history of the CGR would not have even begun. This publication is dedicated
to the Mayor of the occupied city of Famagusta, wishing he will continue to have
the strength and fervour required to fight for justice.
Designing the railway route was the hardest part of this project - in the absence of
a descent map depicting the exact route. Although the route from Famagusta to
Nicosia was admittedly straightforward, the design of the Nicosia-MorphouEvrykhou line was not equally effortless. The situation was substantially improved
when I found an old copy of an Administration Diagram of Nicosia District
(published circa 1938), which was kindly provided to me by the Forest Department.
Yet, the last 5 miles were missing, so I had to go on site, to the communities of
Evrykhou, Phlasou and Katydhata. Thanks to the local authorities, I managed to
Xerox the topographical sheets showing the terminal route.
As for the information and the photographic material, this project would have been
impossible to compile without the help of a variety of references, the most important
of which are Michael Radfords and Barry S. Turners books, both of whom I
personally thank for their unfailing communication during my research. I would
also like to thank the Cultural Centre of the Popular Bank, the State Archives, the
Press and Information Office, the Nicosia Master Plan, Nicosia Municipality and
Ayios Dhometios Municipality, as well as Severios Library and the Leventis
Municipal Museum for their help during my research. I would also like to thank
my family, my good friends Joseph Georgiou, Christos Jordanou and Pantelitsa
Zamba, my good neighbours the Charalambous family, as well as the ZesimouPetrou family.
Last, but not least, I would like to thank Latsia Municipality for their kindness to
allow me to use their machinery, as well as for their warm hospitality during my
long-drawn-out visits to Latsia Municipal Library and their decision to publish
this labour of love.
I deemed it proper to use the British system of measures and weights, for
compatibility purposes with the sources of the era. 1 mile equals to 80 chains
(1,609.344 metres), and a yard equals to 3 feet or 36 inches (91.44 centimetres). A
pound equals to 453.593 grammes. One ton equals to 20 hundredweights
(1,016.047 kilogrammes). 20 paras = piastre or penny, 180 paras = 20
shillings = 1 pound (1/-). For any clarifications, questions or omissions, please
contact me via electronic mail address katoomba@cytanet.com.cy.

 :
-
4 1981,
. . .
( )

.

.

,
, , ,
, ,
,
Windows, ,
, ,
, Filioque . .

.
,
typos.com.cy.
. ,
/, , , / .
E-mail : katoomba@cytanet.com.cy

Curriculum Vitae:
Alexander-Michael Hadjilyra was born in Engomi, Nicosia on 4 November 1981, first-born child
of Michael G. Hajilyra and Phryne M. Pantelides. He graduated from Acropolis Lyceum
(Classical Section) and he served his military service in the Air Force and the Recruitment
Corps. He is now a senior student at the Department of Linguistics of the Faculty of English
Studies at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
He has written and published numerous articles and projects on a variety of subjects, both in
English and in Greek; among others, about the history of the flags of Canada, Cyprus and
Greece, about the Cypriot dialect, about the calendrical determination of the Easter date,
about discrimination and prejudice in Shakespeares Othello, about the evolution of the
Windows operating system, about the Greek support in computers, about gender in
Geography, about the spiritus asper in ancient Greek, about the semantics of personal names,
about the Filioque matter etc. He has also undertaken a large number of translations.
He has composed the texts of Latsia Municipalitys web page and he has attended the
cartographical section of Latsia and Nicosia Municipalities web pages. He was the writer of the
columns on the Army, the Greek Language and Mythology in the informative magazine
typos.com.cy.
He was a founding member of Latsia Municipal Choir. He deals with computational,
Cypriological, geographical, historical, lingual/linguistic and toponymical/cartographical issues.
Contact e-mail: katoomba@cytanet.com.cy

:
,
!

18
, 1804

, .
, .
,
46 , 1905-1951.
---
,
, ,
, , .
,
.

: - 2006.

here is something fascinating and captivating about railways: the tracks and the
trains that traverse them lead to different locations and different places, and train
transportations are often wonderful and in harmony with nature!

The first railways appeared in the late 18th century in England and in New York, while the
first steam locomotive operated in 1804 in Wales; ever since, the railway has become the
most popular means of transportation for long distances and the most reliable means for
urban distances, in the form of the metro. After World War II, most railways became
diesel-powered or electrically-powered.
Although today it seems strange for a railway to exist in our small Cyprus, this was a reality
for about 46 years, between 1905-1951. Even though the colonial authorities built the
Famagusta-Nicosia-Morphou-Evrykhou railway network mainly for military purposes, the
CYPRUS GOVERNMENT RAILWAY had been rather popular amongst Cypriots, chiefly for
carrying ores, goods, soldiers and military materials, but also for their transportations.
This book aims at being a pleasant reminiscence to the elders, a lovely surprise to the
youngsters and a spruce update to the nostalgic scholar.

SPONSOR: LATSIA MUNICIPALITY - MAY 2006.