When visiting Brighton, tourists usually make it straight to one of two places: the beach or the pub. Ideally, a pub at the beach. But besides its crowded pebbled beach, seafood bites accompanied by orange sunsets, fun arcade and loud bars, Brighton's forgotten attraction is the Volk's Electric Railway. Situated on the front of Brighton beach, it's been operating since 1883 and still runs today. At 142 years old, it is the oldest operating electric railway in the world.

The railway has three stations where visitors can hop aboard, with the main stop at Aquarium Station - just two minutes from Brighton Palace Pier and the Sea Life Centre. This station also houses the visitor centre, where you can explore the railway's history. There's perhaps only one thing to note - Brighton Beach was recently ranked at the top of a list of the most crime-infested beaches. Official police data covering more than 800 beaches show that an average of four crimes a day were recorded there last year.

Inspired by the success of electric trams, the British-German inventor and pioneering electrical engineer Magnus Volk set out to create a similar system to carry passengers along Brighton's seafront. The first section of the track stretched just over a quarter of a mile, giving amazed tourists their very first glimpse of futuristic electric travel. The railway introduced a breakthrough feature - an electrified third rail. This concept still exists today in an updated form on the mainline out of Brighton Station.

While quickly popular among tourists and locals, it faced numerous challenges, especially during World War II, which resulted in its closure between 1940 and 1948.

In 2024, Heritage Railway Association awarded it the Railway of the Year, becoming the firsts non steam railway to win the award.

A Reddit user commented: "I love it, personally! A little Brighton quirk that's run with a lot of passion."

Another one said: "We go all the time when it’s open. Our daughter loves it. Grab tickets from the office and just wait in a short Que. Make sure you wave at people when you’re on it. It’s the rules. It’s really lovely."

You can buy the adult return ticket for £6.70, the child return (5-15) for £4.20 and senior return (65+) at £5.20. The full return journey takes approximately 30 minutes.