Which railway in Brighton opened in 1883 and is recognised as the world’s oldest operating electric railway?

Volk’s Electric Railway in Brighton opened in 1883 and is recognised as the world’s oldest operating electric railway.

The railway was created by Magnus Volk, an inventor and electrical engineer based in Brighton. Its first section opened on 4 August 1883 along the seafront between Aquarium and Black Rock. The line used electricity supplied through running rails, an early arrangement later replaced by safer systems.

The route was extended and altered over time, eventually becoming a narrow-gauge coastal railway between Brighton and the Palace Pier area. It remains a public passenger attraction and an important example of pioneering electric transport.

Volk’s railway is not the same as the Manx Electric Railway, which opened later in 1893, or Brighton’s former electric tram network. Its claim concerns continuous operation as an electric railway, rather than being the first electric railway of any kind ever tested.