Manx Electric Railway - Temporary Closures

Temporary Closures

The section of the railway between Laxey Station and the northern terminus at Ramsey Plaza has been controversially closed twice in the line's history, the first instance being in 1977, but owing to public outcry it was reopened with due ceremony later in the year. During part of the summer of 2008 after a consultancy report commissioned by the Isle of Man Government exposed critical failings in the permanent way, deeming it unsuitable for carrying a public passenger service in the near future. But the island's parliament, Tynwald, agreed to spend nearly £5m for track replacement during July–September, allowing trains to run on one track, according to a news report. Manx authorities were considering the use of vintage buses as a replacement during the closure, reports previously stated. The resignation of the Tourism and Leisure Minister Adrian Earnshaw was called for by enthusiasts and Chief Minister Tony Brown ordered an urgent review of the closure decision. He also ordered an independent inquiry into how the track had been allowed to get into such a state that it posed a risk to safety. In 2009 the full line operated continuously and has continued to do so since the beginning of the season following at Easter with no rail-related incidents affecting the operation of the services. In the past the tramway has operated a winter service and this continued until 1998 in one form or another but since this time the line has only been operated seasonally, usually between March and the beginning of November though this can vary from season to season.