Business case to restore line to the Sea Terminal appears on Register of Business
A business case for the reinstatement of the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway along the full length of the promenade will go before Tynwald this month.
It has today (2 June) appeared on Register of Business.
The Department of Infrastructure missed the deadline to bring it to the May sitting of the court, following delays with the capital funding request.
The line currently runs from Derby Castle to Broadway, halfway along the promenade.
The business case outlines three options; do nothing; extend the track to the War Memorial only; or fully reinstate the track to the Sea Terminal.
The final option - the recommended option - has long been called for by campaigners, and would fulfil a resolution passed by Tynwald in 2017.
In terms of costs, they've increased since the previous versions of the proposal and now stand at over £3 million (£3,036,170).
The chief engineer of Isle of Man Railways previously told Manx Radio the work would cost 'almost £2 million'.
In terms of timescale, it's expected works will be completed 40 weeks after commencement at the end of 2026, with completion set for 'the second half' of 2027.
"This investment does not make a return"
Summarising the business case, the Heritage Rail Division of the DOI says: "The Douglas Bay Horse Tramway is significant to the Isle of Man for many reasons, historical, cultural and social.
"The iconic and unique horse trams are a key aspect of the Island’s identity.
"This business case does not seek to make a financial argument for this project; this investment does not make a return. It is, however, a case to fund a heritage tourist attraction."
Addressing the tramway's cultural and heritage value, it says: "The Douglas Bay Horse Tram service is a living museum, using original Victorian and Edwardian tramcars.
"The use of original rolling stock and the ongoing work to refurbish trams maintains the historical integrity of the Tramway."
Despite the warning that the tramway will not see a profit, Visit Isle of Man, an agency within the Department for Enterprise, has spoken in support of the full reinstatement plans.
It describes it as 'a significant commercial opportunity' for the visitor economy.
It says: "With a particular focus on growth of the cruise ship market and the general demographic of the more general visitor currently and the market development Visit is targeting to drive demand, Visit believes there would be a significant return on investment in both monetary terms and in terms of customer satisfaction."
When it appears before members at this month's sitting (16-18 June) the motion will read: 'That Tynwald notes the draft business case for the reinstatement of Douglas Bay Horse Tramway to the Sea Terminal and the likely cost of up to £3 million, and supports its progress through the capital project procedures in accordance with financial regulations.'
You can find a link to the business case HERE.
Missed deadlines
The Clerk of Tynwald has confirmed to Manx Radio: “To be debated in June, the business case should have been submitted by the Register Deadline which was 12 noon on Tuesday 19 May.
"To appear on the June Order Paper and be debated with the consent of the President and the leave of the Court it should have been submitted by the Order Paper deadline which was 12 noon on Monday 1 June.
"In fact it was submitted on 2 June and therefore missed both of these deadlines. For that reason it will not appear on the main Order Paper for the June sitting.
"However, the President has given permission for it to appear on a Supplementary Order Paper for the June sitting.”’
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