Petition to Re-Open the Douglas to Peel Railway

[Arriva Fan]

Hi All,

As the title suggests there is a Petition to Isle Of Man Government to show the level of support existing for a Re-Opened Douglas to Peel Railway.

The petition can be found at https://www.change.org/DouglastoPeelRailway and I'd greatly appreciate it if you could sign and share on any other Railway Forums and Groups to get the message out.

Thanks for all your time and support!

 

[30907]

Hi All,

As the title suggests there is a Petition to Isle Of Man Government to show the level of support existing for a Re-Opened Douglas to Peel Railway.

The petition can be found at https://www.change.org/DouglastoPeelRailway and I'd greatly appreciate it if you could sign and share on any other Railway Forums and Groups to get the message out.

Thanks for all your time and support!

Two questions for those of us who don't know the Island:
1. What are the practical problems to be overcome, from Googlemaps the exit from Douglas and a station in Peel seem to be two major ones?
2. The petition claims "Isle Of Man Railways would benefit from being able to operate Commuter Services to Peel, similar to those operating from Port Erin," I wasn't aware they operated any commuter service?

 

[Spoorslag '70]

They do operate some commuter services a couple of days a year... it was planned for 5 days this year (first friday in April, May, July, September and October). To be fair, improving the timetable (e.g. more services etc.) might be of greater benefit than reopening the Peel line with all the challenges to overcome.
On the other hand, what stock would be used for the Peel line? Aren't they quite short of locos and coaches as is?

 

[hexagon789]

Unless the line was re-opened with a frequent service (ideally at least half-hourly) with a journey time at least equal to but ideally quicker than the bus I don't see this being viable as anything other than effectively a heritage re-opening of a closed line and where is the money coming from?

 

[Shimbleshanks]

Two questions for those of us who don't know the Island:
1. What are the practical problems to be overcome, from Googlemaps the exit from Douglas and a station in Peel seem to be two major ones?

From walking the trackbed a couple of years ago, it's all remarkably intact considering that the line has been closed for over 50 years. Perhaps a few bridges might need reinstating and there would need to be a new station at Peel. Whether a train service could be attractive enough to get people out of cars and the quite frequent buses is another matter. Perhaps a modern diesel unit could manage the 14-mile journey in just under 30 minutes with limited intermediate stops?

 

[30907]

They do operate some commuter services a couple of days a year... it was planned for 5 days this year (first friday in April, May, July, September and October).

Saw those in the timetable - complete with hot food. Nice idea, but even in this time of WFH a monthly commuter service is a bit niche
Anyway, the rest of the petition is focussed on getting tourists to Peel line destinations, so it's essentially tourism. Nice idea but...

 

[Belperpete]

The line is almost all intact, save for the Peel end where the station has been converted into a major tourist attraction. Finding a new station site would be problematic. For almost all its length, the Peel line runs through a green corridor in trees, so you wouldn't get much in the way of views. And most of the intermediate stations were not conveniently sited, as the villages mostly straddle the main road. There is no way the line could compete with the fast and frequent bus service.

Tourist traffic to the IoM has been dropping steadily. Virtually all the hotels that used to line Douglas seafront have now been either demolished or converted to residential apartments. I really don't see sufficient tourist numbers these days to justify reopening the Peel line. Just look at how services on both the steam and electric railways have been steadily cut back over the last decade. There is now so little traffic on the electric railway beyond Laxey, it wouldn't surprise me if it were closed. The idea of opening a major new line just seems like total pie in the sky to me.

 

[mailbyrail]

Belperpete is too right - the Island has lost almost all its tourist appeal apart from TT race weeks. Even the railways and tramways they have aren't appreciated by the local parliamentarians who pick up the bills. The unique horse tram was supposed to have been closed to improve motorised traffic on the prom, but survived by the skin of its teeth.

 

[randyrippley]

Reopening the line would mean losing the emergency services escape road which runs along the trackbed into Douglas and provides the only route west for ambulances and fire engines when the mountain circuit is in use.
It won't happen

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Belperpete is too right - the Island has lost almost all its tourist appeal apart from TT race weeks. Even the railways and tramways they have aren't appreciated by the local parliamentarians who pick up the bills. The unique horse tram was supposed to have been closed to improve motorised traffic on the prom, but survived by the skin of its teeth.

Perhaps, as I understand it, the Isle of Man is coming out of lockdown, the inhabitants may be glad of being able to go out for they day and there will be more passengers travelling on the IOM Railways.

 

[Arriva Fan]

Further to the above, we have now launched our Facebook Page to accompany the campaign. Find us at https://www.facebook.com/DouglastoPeelRail/?modal=admin_todo_tour

 

[Tetchytyke]

Perhaps, as I understand it, the Isle of Man is coming out of lockdown, the inhabitants may be glad of being able to go out for they day and there will be more passengers travelling on the IOM Railways.

Not yet there isn't, IOM Railways have not re-opened after lockdown.

The heritage railways already lose the thick end of £2m a year, and that's on a March/April to late autumn season. Expanding the network? No chance. It's a tourist train, nothing more, nothing less. It has been since the 1950s.

I wouldn't sign the petition as an IOM taxpayer, put it that way...

 

[SeanG]

Surely the money would be better spent on more busses for a more frequent bus service? This would be easier to implement, faster, cheaper, more reliable and could provide modern amenities such as charging points and wifi. Not to mention the fact that electric busses could be procured...

Whilst a fair chunk of tourism is received via Railway Based holidays, I don;t think that the (small) additional tourism generated would justify the costs.

Rail is great, but sometimes it is not the best overall solution.

 

[ainsworth74]

Surely the money would be better spent on more busses for a more frequent bus service? This would be easier to implement, faster, cheaper, more reliable and could provide modern amenities such as charging points and wifi. Not to mention the fact that electric busses could be procured...

This! The steam railway is nice (as is the electric and horse tramways) but they're very much tourist attractions (and the steam railway when I used it was horrifically unreliable) rather than the foundation of a proper public transport network. That lies with the bus service provided by Bus Vannin. Any money that is spent on extending the line to Peel (which as a tourist and railway enthusiast of course I'd love to see) would be far far better spent on further improvements to the bus services on the island (which by memory were already very good to be fair).

 

[delt1c]

They do operate some commuter services a couple of days a year... it was planned for 5 days this year (first friday in April, May, July, September and October). To be fair, improving the timetable (e.g. more services etc.) might be of greater benefit than reopening the Peel line with all the challenges to overcome.
On the other hand, what stock would be used for the Peel line? Aren't they quite short of locos and coaches as is?

As much as i would love to services restored, how can a commuter service a couple of days a year be a proper commuter service. People do not commute a couple of days a year ( or even 5) they commute daily on week days ( and sometimes weekends)

 

[Belperpete]

Surely the money would be better spent on more busses for a more frequent bus service? This would be easier to implement, faster, cheaper, more reliable and could provide modern amenities such as charging points and wifi. Not to mention the fact that electric busses could be procured...

There is already a very good bus service to Peel - does it need improving?

 

[SeanG]

There is already a very good bus service to Peel - does it need improving?

Well there is that too...

But if we are working on the fact that further provision is required (which I doubt that it is), then bus in this case is the way to go

 

[Arriva Fan]

It's been covered by the Manx Newspapers now.

http://www.iomtoday.co.im/article.cfm?id=57247&headline=Petition to reinstate Peel line&sectionIs=News&searchyear=2020&cat=Transport