Why join the MERS?

  • Successfully campaigned for the reinstatement and re-opening of the Laxey – Ramsey section of the MER during 1975–77.
  • Successfully proposed and lobbied for the 1993 "Year of Railways", a series of events to mark the Centenary of the MER — a template for years to come.
  • Successfully stopped a new competing bus service, the 11B, "the biggest threat to the survival of the railway since the Ramsey line closure."
  • Successfully campaigned — including an online petition which attracted more than 2,000 signatures — for Tynwald to approve funding of the restoration of the Horse Tramway to the Sea Terminal. Tynwald's decision was later ignored by DoI officials who spent the money elsewhere. The campaign continues…
  • FULL access to 2000+ pages of Manx Transport material on the society website. Full members receive free copies of the 100+ page Society journal MANX TRANSPORT REVIEW.

Our Latest Print Publication

Manx Transport Review No.103 - Winter 2025/26

Full news roundup from the Manx Electric Railway, Douglas Horse Tramway, Snaefell Mountain Railway and other Island transport. Historical feature articles - Full Colour - 108 pages. Copies are distributed FREE to Full Members of the Manx Electric Railway Society upon publication – visit mers.org.im…

More information


View more of our printed publications

The MERS has a large back catalogue of publications dating back to 1973, covering all aspects of the Island's transport…

Membership Applications & Renewals


Full Annual Membership subscriptions (those paid by Cheque/Postal Order/Standing Order) became due for renewal on the 1st April 2026. Full and On-line subscriptions (paid via PayPal) fall due on the first and successive anniversaries of first joining the MERS. On-line payment for membership applications and renewals can be made via the links at the top of this page, or by Cheque/Postal Order/Standing Order by downloading a renewal form HERE. For all membership enquires and further information, please contact the MERS Membership Secretary at: [email protected]

Recently updated pages:

THE JERSEY CONNECTION - By Ian Everson
Updated yesterday

In 1994 Isle of Man Transport took delivery of 8 Dennis Dart 9.8SDL vehicles with Plaxton Pointer 40-seat bodies with fleet numbers 72-79 and local registrations CMN72-79X. They did not have a long life on home territory and were withdrawn in 2000 as new Dennis Tridents and ex-Selkent Leyland Olymp…

View this page

Newslines

Road, Rail, Sea and Air

more

NEWS…

‘Tour Guides Ask for Tram Reinstatement’

“A case for reinstating the tramway to the Sea Terminal is set to be brought to Tynwald in May Members of the Guild of Manx Registered Tour Guides have combined their voices and are calling for the return of the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway to the Sea Terminal. They’ve sent a letter to the infrastruct…

Calls for more funding for the Island’s heritage infrastructure

The Island’s former infrastructure minister has described a business case to secure the future of the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway and Tramway Terrace as an investment in preserving our heritage infrastructure. The case for reinstating the tramway from Broadway to the Sea Terminal is scheduled for pre…

Bus Vannin Strike MER Timetable

The Manx Electric Railway will operate tram services on Mondays and Fridays in March. These services will only run when Bus Vannin is experiencing strike action. As during the ten-day action which ended earlier this week these services will be treated like buses for ticketing. Standard bus fares wi…

MER Winter Service

David Bellamy has kindly made available photographs taken on the first day (February 23rd) the MER operated a replacement service as the Island’s bus services were hit by industrial action. Winter Saloon car 21 & Royal trailer 59 roll over Parsonage Road crossing as they depart Ramsey Station at 3.…

‘Strong Showing for Railways’

“The heritage railways have recorded another year of growing passenger numbers, with all four publicly owned lines seeing increased use. Latest figures show strong year-on-year growth of 4.5% from 2024 to 2025, building on an already successful period for the heritage rail network. The network, whi…

​MER Provides Replacement Service For Strike Hit Buses

MER reactivated from its Winter Hibernation. Bus drivers on the Isle of Man are currently in the middle of a ten-day strike that commenced on Saturday, 21 February 2026. The industrial action is being led by the union Unite in a dispute with the Department of Infrastructure (DoI) over pay and condi…


TODAY's featured

PAGES

Cars 15 & 28 - No.2 Shed, Derby Castle Depot

By the early 1970s, ‘Ratchet’ cars 15 & 28 had become the first handbraked crossbench trams to be placed in storage with the general decline in passenger traffic. When photographed together on 28th June 1965 in the former No.2 Car Shed at Derby Castle Depot, both cars were still available for passe…

Ballaragh

At Ballaragh the MER and adjacent roadway have been cut into the cliff face, it was at this point that the tramway's retaining wall failed spectacularly in 1967. Car 19 and Trailer 62 slowly grind their way to the summit of the line before turning inland at Smithy Corner on the approach to Dhoon Gl…

Car 49 - Derby Castle

A well filled ‘Tomato Box’ Car 49 which carries in house advertisements for Douglas Corporation, enters Strathallan Crescent in this view from the Summer of 1974. The burnt out remains of the original Summerland complex can be seen in the background. (Photo: A. Spencer Collection)


JOIN US!

To view full articles — and join us to ensure the retention of all the Island's Tramways — JOIN NOW for just £1

FULL MEMBERSHIP is available — including free copies of the printed MANX TRANSPORT REVIEW £12

Existing Members Can Now Renew Their Subscriptions On-Line - See Top Of The Homepage For Details

Want to be a Reporter/Photographer for MERS Newslines?
Contact us for details.

Login

Powered by Quesmedia Sites