Wednesday 14th March saw the Manx Electric Railway start operation for another year – a year in which it will celebrate its 130th anniversary! It was three car timetable B which was running on the first day and that timetable is due to be used for the rest of March (no service Mondays or Fridays) before things start to pick up with more intensive services from the start of next April.
The very first tram of the year was the 0940 from Derby Castle to Ramsey and Winter Saloon 21 (in the nationalised green and white livery still) was the motor assigned to this diagram. It was followed in service by fellow Winter Saloon 22 and Tunnel Car 9 on this first day.
Timetable B sees departures from Derby Castle to Ramsey at 0940, 1040, 1140, 1240, 1410 and 1510 with returns from Ramsey at 1110, 1210, 1340, 1440, 1540 and 1640. There is also an out and back Derby Castle to Laxey service which leaves Douglas at 1010 and returns from Laxey at 1055. This timetable will now run Tuesdays-Thursdays and Saturdays and Sundays during March then on Saturday 1st April its timetable C which takes over (eight full length journeys plus a morning Laxey to Derby Castle and an afternoon return from Derby Castle to Laxey).
The MER was due to be joined by the Snaefell Mountain Railway in Saturday 18th March but the start of the 2023 season for that line has had to be delayed because of snow on Snaefell. The snow has meant that the upper section of the SMR hasn’t been able to be prepared and so its now planned that services will commence from Tuesday 21st March.