The short 2¾ mile branch from Brading to Bembridge was opened on 27th May 1882. It came about as a direct result of plans to reclaim Brading marshes, the railway utilising a dam embankment for part of its length. A quay complex was also constructed at St Helens and for about four years a train ferry operated from Langstone on the mainland. The line was absorbed by the Isle of Wight Railway in 1898 and finally closed on 21st September 1953.