Transport Consultant and MER Society member Mr. Dorian Baker, has kindly made his submission to the Heritage Railways Independent Review available for posting on our website.
Isle of Man Heritage Railways Independent Review and Economic Impact Assessment.
Dorian RW Baker - 8th August 2023
The opportunity for the utilisation of the Railway and Tramways of the Isle of Man as part of a future Light Rail Transit (LRT) public transport infrastructure, package.
Background.
The Isle of Man has today 35 miles of railway and tramway routes, all originally built around 150 years ago. There has been debate among many people in the island over at least 50 years as to whether these railways form, or should form, parts of the “public transport infrastructure” or whether they should be seen as parts of the “heritage assets” of the island. Some previous Ministers for Infrastructure took the second view: that steam railways, horse drawn trams and the oldest electric trams operating on their original route anywhere in the world, should be considered as “heritage assets”, perhaps better managed by the Department of Tourism.
All transport modes comprise two elements:
- the “way”, and
- the vehicles or vessels that move on the “way”
- to agree an exact route,
- obtain development powers,
- acquire the land along the route and
- construct the fixed infrastructure of the right of way
- all aspects concerned with the establishment of the fixed infrastructure of an LRT system.
- the utilisation of the existing railway infrastructure assets of the island in such a way as to enable them to offer modern light rapid transit-type (LRT) services between the towns they have connected for nearly 150 years;
-
attraction of more car users out of their cars for journeys along the Port Erin – Douglas – Ramsey corridor;
- thereby reducing peak period road congestion in the Douglas area, and
- reducing the need for car parking spaces in the Douglas area;
- a CO2-free transport means along this corridor without requiring overhead electrification of the Isle of Man Steam Railway, without character-changing alterations to the Manx Electric Railway, and without either of these types of change on the Douglas Promenade;
- does so in such a way that, on the one hand protects the 110+ year old rolling stock from over-use and thereby extends the operational life of these heritage fleets, and on the other utilises the right of way and fixed infrastructure so that its upkeep is not solely reliant on its utility to the historic rolling stock; and
- addresses the need to offer public health security in public transport vehicles following the pandemic and into the future;
- ... all without costing more than could be economically justified.
- Running: Port Erin – Castletown – Ronaldsway Airport – Douglas – Laxey – Ramsey.
The main difference between road transport and rail is that railways must be operated as integrated systems of vehicles and “way”, trains and track designed and operated hand in glove.In contrast, a road might convey a lorry, a bus, a car or a motorbike without the vehicle designer knowing anything about the roads of the Isle of Man, except of course that the designer of the motorbike probably will!
Although the island’s steam train, horse drawn tram and electric tram rolling stock is all over 110 years old, the railway tracks, the “way”, are not.
Newly relaid, existing railway tracks.
In 1992 the IRIS Isle of Man sewage treatment scheme was started.The Isle of Man Steam Railway corridor between Port Erin and Santon was utilised for the construction of this new sewage main and the railway was taken up then re-laid using completely new track materials above the new, buried, sewage main.During the early years of this century, renewal of the IoM Railway track was continued into Douglas.On the Manx Electric a programme of track renewal: ballast, sleepers, rails and fastenings, was commenced in 2007, reached 30% by about 2013 and was aiming for 80% to be new, recently relaid materials by the end of 2019 – when everything stopped for Covid – with a plan to go on and complete the job.The two railways adopted standardised track components and now have a single, unified, permanent way maintenance department.In Douglas, everyone is of course familiar with the project to re-build the Horse Tramway using new tramway rails.
Hence, nearly all of the 35 miles of railway and tramway tracks on the island have been rebuilt over the recent 25 years. This means that an analysis based only on the fact that it is now 150 years since these railway “rights of way” were first built: earthworks, bridges, drainage etc., does not produce a valid indication of how these light railway routes could be utilised into the future.
Underlying fact: the Isle of Man already has LRT tracks throughout its main transport corridor.
In 2008 Tynwald asked the Government to produce a report on the feasibility of using the island’s rail routes for commuter transport.For any other community considering construction of a light rapid transit (LRT) system from scratch to link some urban areas, the biggest challenges are always:
But for the Isle of Man none of these challenges, none of these up-front costs, exist!The island already has 35 miles of light railway (LRT) routes, complete with newly rebuilt railway tracks that could convey a new standard of public transport services on the Port Erin – Castletown – Airport – Douglas – Laxey – Ramsey corridor, with very little new track being required.
The main thing that needs to be provided is some refurbished or re-manufactured rolling stock that can be acquired at a reasonable cost.
Rolling stock.
If modern rolling stock could be provided, the railway tracks on the ground have already been rebuilt to a standard that makes these routes suitable for the operation of a modern standard of public transport services for islanders with business in Douglas, including regular commuters.
This could be done without compromising the availability of the same tracks for use by their “heritage” rolling stock at less busy times of the day. Details of how LRT operations would fit around the existing heritage fleet operations is clearly a matter for discussion of time-tabling, staff rostering and rolling stock rostering etc., with those who operate these railways today.
Brand new LRT rolling stock is quite expensive but it is possible to “re-manufacture” older railway rolling stock to produce LRT trains that would provide a new standard of services on the Isle of Man.Train services on the Isle of Wight are already operating using “re-manufactured” trains and new services in Lancashire are now planned using similar battery powered trains. A small fleet of re-manufactured rolling stock of a standardised design should be procured, able to operate along the whole corridor between Port Erin, Douglas and Ramsey. The new trains should be both battery powered and able to use the MER overhead electric power supply, able to run without requiring overhead electrification of the Isle of Man Steam Railway, without character-changing alterations to the Manx Electric Railway, and without either of these types of change on the Douglas Promenade.
Development of an IoM LRT system, linking existing tracks and small extensions.
As an initial stage it may be wise to prove the concept of faster, more comfortable, LRT trains over the existing, newly relaid, tracks between Port Erin and Douglas Station and between Ramsey and Douglas Promenade using re-manufactured versatile rolling stock before adding new lengths of track. However, it would be important to start thinking about what new lengths might be added, including their impact on time-tabling and train rosters, in order to enable the IoM to identify the final number of trains of one new design that might be required to serve the island for 30 years.
Over recent years the IoM Department for Infrastructure had been considering the feasibility of adding a few short lengths of track to join up the three newly-relaid principal lines and project short additional routes into Douglas suburban areas. Services over a simple Douglas area light rail route (LRT) could then be operated by exactly the same re-manufactured rolling stock using battery traction power.Battery power would mean: no need for overhead electrification and no need for the protection of buried pipe-work etc from “stray” return electric current, in new areas of Douglas.
Simplest initial track connection.
A previous Infrastructure Minister stated that he would like to see MER trams working around the Promenade to the Sea Terminal under battery power, to link Ramsey tram services directly to the island’s shipping services. Track connections at Derby Castle would be very straightforward.
SET Ltd of Derby adapted Blackpool tram 636 (originally built 1937) to use either battery power or standard tramway overhead line in this way about 16 years ago.The tram was able to run the 8 miles to Fleetwood and (8 miles) back under battery power only. From Derby Castle northwards, of course, all MER trams have an overhead electric supply so just 1.75 miles x 2 is required under battery power around the Promenade to the Sea Terminal then back again. SET Ltd could certainly design, manufacture and install all of the necessary components for the adaptation of a few of the existing 110+ year old MER tramcars.
Summary of a proposal to design, build and finance re-manufactured battery/electric rolling stock for the railways of the Isle of Man.
With colleagues at SET Ltd, I recently prepared a proposal that we put to the Government of the Isle of Man that seeks to achieve:
- the utilisation of the existing railway infrastructure assets of the island in such a way as to enable them to offer modern light rapid transit-type (LRT) services between the towns they have connected for nearly 150 years;
-
attraction of more car users out of their cars for journeys along the Port Erin – Douglas – Ramsey corridor;
- thereby reducing peak period road congestion in the Douglas area, and
- reducing the need for car parking spaces in the Douglas area;
- a CO2-free transport means along this corridor without requiring overhead electrification of the Isle of Man Steam Railway, without character-changing alterations to the Manx Electric Railway, and without either of these types of change on the Douglas Promenade;
- does so in such a way that, on the one hand protects the 110+ year old rolling stock from over-use and thereby extends the operational life of these heritage fleets, and on the other utilises the right of way and fixed infrastructure so that its upkeep is not solely reliant on its utility to the historic rolling stock; and
- addresses the need to offer public health security in public transport vehicles following the pandemic and into the future;
- ... all without costing more than could be economically justified.
- Running: Port Erin – Castletown – Ronaldsway Airport – Douglas – Laxey – Ramsey.
In conclusion
It would be a great shame if the Isle of Man were to miss the opportunity to establish a 35mile LRT route and new, high quality, LRT services just because less than half a mile of track is currently missing in the middle. A few metres of new street track at Derby Castle and no more than 700m alongside Douglas Inner Harbour is all that is needed to get through LRT services started,
Dorian RW Baker MSc
Servant Transport Consultants
In conclusion
It would be a great shame if the Isle of Man were to miss the opportunity to establish a 35mile LRT route and new, high quality, LRT services just because less than half a mile of track is currently missing in the middle. A few metres of new street track at Derby Castle and no more than 700m alongside Douglas Inner Harbour is all that is needed to get through LRT services started.
- Running: Port Erin – Castletown – Ronaldsway Airport – Douglas – Laxey – Ramsey.
Dorian RW Baker MSc
Servant Transport Consultants