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Ryde Pier Head station is one of three stations in the town of Ryde on the Isle of Wight. Situated at the end of the town's pier, it is adjacent to the terminal for the Wightlink fast catamaran service connecting the island with Portsmouth on the UK mainland. Passengers can use this to connect with the rest of the National Rail network at Portsmouth Harbour station, which is adjacent to the Portsmouth terminal. Through rail tickets for travel via Pier Head station are available to and from other stations on the Isle of Wight. These include travel on the catamaran service to or from Portsmouth as appropriate.
Trains run down the eastern coast of the Isle of Wight to Shanklin (the Island Line), the last remnant of a network of railways on the island. Because of the restricted loading gauge, particularly through the tunnel under Ryde, services are operated by Class 483s (London Underground 1938 Stock).
The ticket office at the station is run by Wightlink and not Island Line.
The station opened in 1880.

Ryde Pier is an early 19th century pier in Ryde, on the Isle of Wight. It is the world's oldest seaside pleasure pier, originally opening in 1814. Ryde Pier Head station is at the sea end of the pier, and Ryde Esplanade station at the land end, both served by Island Line trains.
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There used to be a network of railways on the Isle of Wight. Most were closed in the 1950s and 1960s leaving just one survivor, the line from Ryde Pier Head to Shanklin. This line was electrified using the third-rail system, but work was carried out in a tunnel at Ryde to prevent flooding. This resulted in the tunnel being too small for full-height trains. Since then, the railway on the Isle of Wight has been operated by old London Underground "tube" trains.

Further work in early 2021 will prepare the line for its third successive generation of former London Underground trains. This will include lowering the track in the tunnel once more, as the trains will be larger than those they replace.