Snaefell Mountain Railway fans offer to help pay for 125th anniversary service

A heritage railway supporters' group has offered the Manx government £9,000 to help cover the costs of introducing a special 125th anniversary service on the Snaefell Mountain Railway.

It was announced last month that the railway would not run throughout 2020.

A spokesman for the Department of Infrastructure (DOI) said the offer from the Manx Electric Railway Society (MERS) would now be "considered".

But he warned the cost of reopening the line was "likely to be much higher".

Currently the MER and the Isle of Man Steam Railway are operating on a limited timetable.

Infrastructure Minister Tim Baker told Tynwald last month that his department had "given away the budget" for the railway as part of a treasury spending review in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The decision not to run mountain trams was taken because there would be "no tourist season" on the island as a result of the border closure, he added.

The railway, which runs between Laxey and the summit of Snaefell and connects to the MER, was first opened on 20 August 1895.

In a statement, MERS said it believed the money would be "more than enough to cover the costs" of running the line "starting on the 125th anniversary".

Garff MHK Daphne Caine said it would be a "crying shame" if the railway did not run during the anniversary year and called for the DOI to "urgently review" its decision.

"The department should be obliged to operate some services on Snaefell this summer for the many thousands of staycationing residents," she added.

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