5 DECEMBER 1896, Page 19

A very curious amphibious railway was opened at Brighton on

Saturday,—a railway which runs from Brighton to Rotting- dean (some four and a half miles) through the water instead of under it. This is accomplished by the rails being laid at low-water mark, and by mounting the car on iron stilts. The result is that at high tide the car runs along with salt water sometimes 10 ft. deep on each side,—and yet no sea-sickness. The motive-power is electricity, conveyed by an overhead wire from a dynamo at B,ottingdean. What would be the result of running the car in a gale of wind and a high sea we do not know, but probably the company which owns the line does not care. Since the line is purely a pleasure one, we presume that the cars will not run in bad weather. The car, which is made to look something like the deck of a yacht, has a sort of snow-plough in front which cuts through the water. If the railway succeeds, we may, perhaps, see the whole of our South Coast towns threaded on an electric wire.