The Manx Electric Railway has become the latest tramway to get their 2025 operating seasons underway with the first timetabled workings taking place on Tuesday 18th March. This is the start of its 132nd year of operation and the sun paid a visit to the Isle of Man to mark the beginning of yet another season.
Timetable B was in operation on the first day, as it will be for the first week and a bit. This requires three car sets which on Tuesday 18th March saw Tunnel Cars 5 and 7 along with Winter Saloon 21 in action. Trailer 59 was also used with it being partnered with 21.
21+59 started things off with the 0940 departure from Derby Castle to Ramsey. The trailer was left at Ramsey after its first arrival and returned south later in the day.
Preparations for the new season are also continuing with the days leading up to the first day seeing various motors out on drying out runs. This continued on Tuesday 19th March as well with 19 on final testing ahead of its anticipated return for the first time since the end of the 2022 season with it having undergone a major overhaul.
At the start of the season (throughout March) the MER is only running Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Timetable B will continue to operate until Wednesday 26th March and then timetable C is run for the first time on Saturday 29th March (and then throughout April – except for Monday 28th April when no service is planned to operate).
- Further Isle of Man tramways will start running over the next few weeks: the Snaefell Mountain Railway starts on Saturday 29th March and then the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway on Thursday 3rd April.