Manx Electric Railway

Manx Electric Railway

Take an unforgettable journey along the east coast on this unique Island and railway which dates back over 100 years.

The Manx Electric Railway was built between 1893 and 1899 and connects the Island's capital, Douglas, with Laxey in the east and Ramsey in the north. The 17.5 mile railway journey takes 75 minutes and will take you along some of the most scenic stretches of railway in the British Isles.

On one side you'll experience the beautiful Manx countryside, glens and picturesque villages and to the other you'll have far reaching views out to sea.

Passengers can alight at Laxey in order to board the Snaefell Mountain Railway. The Manx Electric Railway operates regularly from March to late october/early November.

Trams depart from the Manx Electric Railway terminus (Derby Castle) at the Onchan end of Douglas Promenade, and can be located by the large ELECTRIC RAILWAY sign in the cliffs above. Trams also depart from Laxey and Ramsey. Stations along the route include Groudle Glen, Dhoon Glen, Cornaa and Ballaglass Glen and are shown on the timetable. There are 69 stops in total. Some 24 of the 69 have shelters, meaning 45 of the stops do not have shelters.

Closed and open carriages which are often linked together in cooler weather to enable passengers to choose their exposure to the Manx fresh air! The design of Manx tramcars pre-dates any consensus on tramcar design, and so they have quite distinctive bodies. There is the history of the MER page.

Most services are operated by a motor car pulling a single trailer, although some of the cars can easily pull two trailers. However, this is not a regular sight; it is sometimes done on a few services as part of special events held on the railway.

A return journey from Douglas to Ramsey costs £12.40 for adults and £6.20 for children. Alternatively we offer all inclusive tickets the Go Explore and Go Explore Heritage cards, which offer excellent value for money and can be purchased from the Welcome Centre, Sea Terminial, Douglas or manned train stations.

If you're looking for a special present or treat for yourself, find out about our Ultimate Driving Experience days or our Dining Experiences.

Disabled access is available and wheelchair passengers can be accommodated with prior notice by telephone +44 1624 697473.

Review

The Isle of Man is one of those places that grabs you from the minute you land on its shores. With a vast history, that history was made even greater by the addition of the Manx Electric Railway and with much of the Victorian and Edwardian infrastructure and rolling stock still in use today, when you take a journey onboard, you’ll feel like you just ridden a time machine, which for me, just added to the magic of travelling onboard this wonderful piece of history. Fairly reasonable in price and with a good timetable, you'll be able to hop on and off with the greatest of ease. One other thing worth mentioning is the fact that you can partake in an ‘ultimate driver experience’ course of varying levels. Learn just how it feels to control the controller and air brake systems and find out just how it feels to be in control of one of these great machines.