Horses are in training as Douglas trams get set to run again after three years

THE Isle of Man’s Douglas horse tramway has resumed operations after three years.

Kerry Sharpe, a Member of the Legislative Council, said that newly-laid tram tracks had been approved by the Inspector of Railways at the bottom of Broadway and that training of horses was underway.

The trams last ran in 2019 before the line was closed to allow the refurbishment of the promenade to take place, including the laying of the new tracks at a cost of £1.2 million.

Kerry Sharpe told the Manx parliament Tynwald that it was envisaged that the horse tram season would launch during the July 27-31 transport festival.

At the outset, the trams will run along a shortened line between the Derby Castle Terminus and Broadway.

Asked whether the tracks would eventually be relaid from the war memorial to the sea terminal, she agreed that there was “no point in having half a tram track”.

Although approved in the original scheme, which was backed by Tynwald in 2017, the extension was delayed last year after the money earmarked for it was allocated to another part of the promenade refurbishment.

Meanwhile, electric signals were installed on the tramway on July 13 at the new crossing at Castlemona Avenue.

There is now an added tram signal underneath the traditional red, amber and green lights for motorists.

The street tram signals work in conjunction with traffic signals but look completely different to avoid confusion for motorists and other road users.

While Blackpool and Manchester have such signals, this is a first for the Isle of Man.

A circle means ‘stop unless it is unsafe to do so’; a horizontal line, forming a signal not unlike a no entry sign, means ‘stop’; and a vertical line means ‘proceed ahead’.

Also, UK company Vossloh has been removing rust and pitting from the tramlines to reduce the noise generated from the rails as the trams pass over them.