Friday 13th March saw the start of another season on the Manx Electric Railway with services operating timetable B – requiring three car sets which in the case for the first day was three single motors.
The first departure of 2020 was the 0940 from Derby Castle to Ramsey with Winter Saloon 19 allocated to this service. It was joined by fellow Winter Saloon 22 and Tunnel Car 9 in operating on this first day which commences services for the 128th year of the Manx Electric Railway.
This is the only Friday in March which will see a service with no Monday service either but for all other days in March (and up to Friday 3rd April) timetable B will be in use on the line. In fact from Saturday 28th March it will be daily operation all the way until Sunday 4th October and then Mondays and Fridays are off days up until the season ends on Sunday 1st November – so plenty of time to go to the Isle of Man and have a ride on the MER once more!
Sorry to be a party-pooper, but I have to point out that ALL persons arriving in the Island, whether by sea or air, are obliged to ‘self-isolate’ for 14 days after their arrival. This is why the TT has been cancelled.
That’s the perils of writing this article at the weekend and then its publication getting delayed – note to self read the article again before publishing!
Given that tourism to the IoM will now virtually cease, any news on what is happening to transport on the island?
Suspended for the foreseeable future. Details of the status of all heritage tramways in the British Isles can be found at http://www.britishtramsonline.co.uk/news/?p=33022.