Horse tram extension track still usable - minister

The Douglas horse trams run from the Strathallan Terminal to the War Memorial

Track bought to extend the Isle of Man's horse tram lines along Douglas Promenade are "corroding" but are "still usable", the infrastructure minister has said.

As part of a £26m project to regenerate the capital's seafront, tram lines were laid from the Strathallan Terminal to the War Memorial.

But plans to continue the line to the Sea Terminal were put on hold in 2021 after the reallocation of funding for the remaining section of the track.

Tim Crookall said discussions were underway to move the rail to a "safer" place while a review of funding for all the island's heritage railways was conducted.

Mr Crookall said "no decision" on reinstating the full length of the tram lines would be taken until a study of the capital investment in rail infrastructure was carried out, as recommended by engineering consultants Systra in a study of the Isle of Man's railways published in January.

'Aging'

Although approved as part of a Douglas Promenade refurbishment scheme, which was backed by the Manx parliament in 2017, the extension of the horse tramway from the War Memorial to the Sea Terminal was later put on hold.

Mr Crookall confirmed the track previously purchased for the scheme was being stored in the department's rail bending yard on South Quay in Douglas.

Although the rails, which were bought almost a decade ago, were "aging" as they were being stored close to the sea, "grinding work" would remove the worst of the corrosion, he said.

Mr Crookall confirmed 2.8 miles (4.6km) of track in 256 59ft (18m) lengths was being held in storage, and the "typical asset life" of the rails was about 40 years.

Plans were being discussed to move the items to a "safer and more covered place", he added.