A planning application has been submitted for the redevelopment of Ramsey Manx Electric Railway station and the surrounding area into a new transport interchange which would include a new terminus for the trams as well as a bus station and parking. The redevelopment would be a joint project between the departments of Infrastructure and Community, Culture and Leisure and Ramsey Commissioners.
The redeveloped transport interchange would be on the site of the current MER terminus, Ramsey car sheds, The Shed youth building and the Plaza car park. The bus station would be moved from its current location and it is hoped that the redevelopment would not only make it more visible from the nearby town centre but would also help to focus all public transport in the town into one area.
The initial plans previously released show a modern glass building would be used for the new Manx Electric Railway terminus, a move which would seem to be against the Victorian nature of the line and could well mean that the changes currently being instigated at Laxey are nothing more than a minor change to the MER!
While I cannot comment on the plans until I see a plan of the site I would like to see the tramway extended to the bus depot which is closer to the original Manx Northern Railway station and now a bakery. The bus depot is a pleasant building and should be preserved.The present terminus would be a normal stop but I would like to see both the station buildings and the youth center preserved. The tram shed however could be improved by using a bulldozer as it is an eye sore and possibly dangerous in its present state.
Just by way of clarification, the Ramsey Bakery factory is situated on the site of the long-demolished Manx Northern Railway / Isle of Man Railway terminus station. The bus depot remains a bus depot, for now. One of the reasons for the wish to integrate the bus and MER facilities on the MER site is that, for four weeks each year, during the TT and MGP Races, the bus depot is isolated and unusable. Whether the proposed plans are workable is another matter, however.