Decision to extend horse tram delayed until May

Politicians will have the chance to decide whether or not to back funding the reinstatement of the Isle of Man's historic horse trams in May, if the treasury agrees to the money being spent.

The Douglas Bay Horse Tramway, which is marking its 150th anniversary in 2025, currently runs about halfway along the promenade to a temporary terminus at Broadway.

Sarah Maltby MHK had called for the business case for extending the line to be debated in April, arguing there was "widespread frustration" over a lack of progress on the issue.

But amendments to her motion have pushed it back to May, with members set to vote on approving the funding if the treasury supports the plan.

The extension of the line beyond Broadway had been "paused" to give the businesses a break from the disruption following lengthy delays to the promenade refurbishment.

It was revealed in 2022 that £1.2m earmarked for the second section of the line had been spent elsewhere on the project.

Maltby said many people were "frustrated by the repeated explanations for the delay", adding that "railway enthusiasts beyond our shores" were also disappointed by the lack of progress.

"This has become a rare example of a public issue that people of all ages can engage with and that tells us of something important," she said.

Proposing an amendment to bring forward a motion to fund the reinstatement "as soon as possible" – subject to treasury concurrence - Infrastructure Minister Tim Crookall said politicians had been "hanging around for long enough now" over the issue.

He said he wanted to give Tynwald a chance to decide whether to complete the tram lines to the Sea Terminal or "just leave them as it is for the rest of eternity".

Ultimately, politicians backed tasking the minister with bringing the motion to the May sitting of Tynwald.

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