 1920 map of the railway | |
| Technical | |
|---|---|
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Length | 28 miles 47 chains (46.0 km) (1919)[1] |
| Track length | 35 miles 24 chains (56.8 km) (1919)[1] |
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.