The 2022 season on both the Manx Electric Railway and Snaefell Mountain Railway (as well as the Isle of Man Steam Railway) are less than two months away and full details of the timetables due to run throughout the year are now out. They return to the familiar pre-Covid pattern which for the MER means that there are scheduled to be guaranteed journeys for either the “World’s Oldest Trams or Open Trams” on the main summer timetable once more. As well as the timetables an extra enthusiast event at the end of the year has been confirmed and you can get your 2023 diaries out as well as there will be a 130th anniversary celebration of the MER!
The Manx Electric Railway season kicks off on Tuesday 15th March and will run on selected dates until Sunday 30th October. This includes a service running daily Tuesday 10th May until Sunday 18th September with the start and end of the season seeing services on most days although with rest days at various points.
It would be rather dull if we listed exactly what service ran on which day – you can view the timetable online at https://www.iombusandrail.im/media/2354/isle-of-man-railways-2022-timetables.pdf for that information – but the highlights include the intensive timetable F from Monday 30th May until Thursday 9th June and then from Wednesday 27th to Saturday 30th July which sees 20 departures each day from Derby Castle (including two only as far as Laxey).
The main summer timetable – timetable D – runs at weekends from the end of April and then gradually increases in its use for June before running daily from the start of July, all of August and up to 25th September (save for Mondays 12th September and 19th September). This timetable has 12 departures from Derby Castle (three as far as Laxey) and includes the use of “The World’s Oldest Trams and Open Trams” on dedicated services. Subject to availability the 1140 Derby Castle to Ramsey and 1340 return will be either 1, 2, 16, 32 or 33.
Evening services will also run again during the second half of June, then July, August and September. The Friday evening service – timetable G – includes a 2055 from Derby Castle and 2225 return from Ramsey.
On the Snaefell Mountain Railway the first services run on Saturday 19th March and from then on run on the same days as the Manx Electric Railway all the way through until Sunday 30th October.
Meanwhile, the Isle of Man Steam Railway kicks off on Friday 4th March and runs on selected dates until Sunday 30th October.
Although dates haven’t yet been announced the timetable leaflet also confirms that it is planned for Douglas Bay Horse Tramway services to run from Derby Castle to Broadway at some point in 2022.
Special event wise there will be three major enthusiast events in 2022, two of which had already been announced but the third of which has now been added to the calendar following its British Trams Online Tram of the Year 2021 win:
- 15th to 18th April: Rush Hour on the Railways
- 27th to 31st July: Summer Transport Festival
- 26th to 30th October: Winter Transport Festival
Looking much further ahead and its also been announced that September 2023 will see a celebration of the 130th anniversary of the Manx Electric Railway – now that is forward planning!
- The full timetable leaflet is available on the Isle of Man Transport website at https://www.iombusandrail.im/media/2354/isle-of-man-railways-2022-timetables.pdf