The proposal to build a railway in Malta was made in 1870 so as to connect the capital city, Valletta to Mdina the ancient capital of Malta. Total travelling time was to be reduced from three hours by horse-drawn carriage to under half an hour. Land acquisition difficulties, the siting of stations and the overall general logistics generated by this modern novelty all led to considerable delays in planning and construction. The line was finally inaugurated on 28 February 1883 when the first train voyage left the Valletta terminus for destination Mdina.
