The old Attard railway station is to be turned into a community-focused centre, and while this much seems certain, two parties are battling it out on how the project should be tackled.

A step back in time

Before we get into the nitty gritty of things, a little backstory. The Malta Railway line operated between 1883 and 1931, and was the first and only train line to ever exist on the islands. The Attard station was one of the stops close to the end of the line which ran from Valletta to Mdina.

Back in the day, the train in Attard ran along an embankment beside where the Corinthia Palace Hotel now stands, and alongside a street now named after the railway – Triq il-Linja. The narrow street above which the train tracks once were is now used as a short cut.

Nowadays, what used to be the train tracks are now covered with overgrown greenery, and the station itself is not what it used to be, following damages over the years.

The development proposal

The Attard council will be turning the former railway station into a much-needed cultural information centre which will touch upon important points for tourists visiting the area. The plan is for it to provide information on the Three Villages (Attard, Balzan, Lija), enhancing their cultural experience for the Three Villages Heritage trail.

The Malta Railway Foundation however objects to the proposed design, saying that it doesn’t reflect the former building. Instead, the foundation insists that the exterior should at least be as close as possible to the original Victorian one.

The council said that it will not serve any commercial function, just a cultural one, and while the new building won’t fully replicate the former building’s aesthetic, it will “still respect the past and its surroundings without any conflict.” But, well, surely it could benefit from looking a little closer to the original, wouldn't you say?

What do you think about this whole sitch? Are you on the contemporary wagon or should the design be more in keeping with the station of the past?