Isle of Wight rail  

County advice overview

There is a regular train service operating on the east side of the Isle of Wight, between Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin.

There is no direct rail link between the island and the mainland. You will need to transfer to a ferry or hovercraft. Connecting buses at the mainland ferry terminals can transport you to and from Southampton or Portsmouth rail stations.

Key tips

When planning a journey by rail, you may wish to consider:

• Booking outside of peak times if possible; this may improve your comfort if the train and platform is less crowded.
• If you require passenger assistance which can be booked in advance.
• Using a travelcard to reduce travel costs (if eligible).
• How you will travel to your onward destination after your rail journey. For example, will you need to book an accessible taxi or catch a bus?
• If the train stations and platforms are accessible. You can find out about accessibility at stations on the National Rail website. Just type the name of your station (or 3 letter code if you know it). 

Operators

South Western Railway

South Western Railway are the sole train operator on the Isle of Wight. They operate one rail route, from Ryde to Shanklin, with stops at Lake and Sandown.

Help with cost

Island Line Residents Card

Residents of the Isle of Wight can apply for an Island Line Residents Card to use on the Island Line Railway. This offers 40% savings on Single and Day Return fares when travelling after 09:00am, Monday to Friday, and all day at weekends and public holidays. 

The card costs £5.00 for individuals, or £7.50 for a family card.

You can apply for your discount card at Ryde Esplanade or Shanklin ticket offices. You will need an application form, a recent photograph of yourself and proof of Isle of Wight residence, such as a council tax notice or driving licence. 

Further information can be found on the South Western Railway website.

Senior Railcard

A Senior Railcard is available to people over 60 and costs £30 for a year or £70 for three years. It gives a discount of 1/3 off rail journeys.

The Disabled Person’s Railcard

The Disabled Person’s Railcard costs £20 for a year and £54 for three years. It will entitle you to a saving of 1/3 off rail journeys.

You are eligible for the Disabled Person’s Railcard if you:

• receive Personal Independence Payments (PIP)
• receive Disability Living Allowance (DLA) at either:

the higher or lower rate for the mobility component, or the higher or middle rate for the care component

• have a visual impairment
• have a hearing impairment
• have epilepsy
• receive Attendance Allowance or Severe Disablement Allowance
• receive War Pensioner’s Mobility Supplement
• receive War or Service Disablement Pension for 80% or more disability
• buy or lease a vehicle through the Motability scheme

Special assistance

If you are planning on travelling on National Rail services, you can request an assistance booking in advance – now up to 2 hours before your journey is due to start, any time of the day. 

Passenger Assist is a national system used by all train companies, which allows them to make the necessary arrangements for your journey.

How it works

If you have a disability, non-visible disability, or are elderly, you can pre-book journey assistance to make sure you get all the help you need for your journey, including changes, and connections which involve other train companies.

You can also “turn up and go” without booking assistance in advance. If you require assistance at short notice, make yourself known to a member of staff or use a Help Point when you arrive at the station.

You can request assistance either via the train company you are travelling with or nationally through National Rail. 

Book Passenger Assistance via National Rail

National Rail assistance

Telephone: 0800 030 9224 (Freephone, including from mobiles)
Lines are open 24 hours a day (except Christmas Day and Boxing Day).

Book Passenger Assistance via individual train companies

South Western Railway assisted travel

Telephone: 0800 528 2100 

Travelling with mobility equipment

There is step-free access at all stations on the Island Line route apart from Ryde Esplanade, Ryde St John’s Road and Sandown. Whilst most of the platforms are level with the trains, there is a horizontal gap between the train and platform, so you will need a ramp to help you board if you are in a wheelchair.

Not all stations on the Isle of Wight are staffed, so it is best to book Passenger Assistance in advance via South Western Railway. 

South Western Railway can carry manual or powered wheelchairs up to a maximum size of 700mm wide by 1200mm long and not exceeding a weight of 300kg including the passenger. As there are a limited number of spaces available to wheelchair users on each train, it is important that you book your space in advance.

South Western Railway will allow you to travel with a mobility scooter up to a maximum size of 700mm wide by 1200mm long and not exceeding a weight of 300kg (including the passenger) with a permit. 

You can apply for a mobility scooter permit using the link below, and allow 7 to 10 working days for the application to be processed. 

Alternatively contact South Western Railway’s Assisted Travel team on 0800 528 2100.

Routes and timetable links

You can check train times and ticket prices at a number of different websites, such as:

National Rail

For train times and tickets.

South Western Railway

Journey planner and route details.

The Trainline

In addition to finding train timetables and buying your ticket, the Trainline will provide information on live train times, including real-time journey and platform information with live train tracking. You can also check which trains are faster, and which stations they are stopping at.

Traveline

You can plan local or long-distance journeys by bus, coach or train and check timetables with Traveline.

Traveline is a public transport information and journey planning service and is a partnership of transport companies, local authorities and passenger groups which have come together to bring you routes and times for all travel in Great Britain by bus, rail, coach and ferry and to provide it in as many different ways as possible.

You can use Traveline to plan your journey and find timetables, before you travel or during your journey. Contact: 0871 200 22 33