Isle of Man Transport closed its Heritage Railways for the season on the 5th November with the fantastic news that they had carried a record number of passengers from March to November 2017.

The Steam Railway, Manx Electric Railway, Snaefell Mountain Railway and Douglas Bay Horse Tram saw a combined 13% increase in passengers, amounting to 512,847 passenger journeys - 65,949 more than in 2016.

Ian Longworth, Director of Transport Services, said: ‘I am delighted with the figures, which are a true testament to the hard work put in by the staff and volunteers. Even with some scheduling restrictions on the services, we have managed to outperform previous years. For example, in spite of the shorter season on the Snaefell Mountain Railway there was a brilliant 27% increase, amounting to 16,770 extra passenger journeys when comparing year on year.’

One of the main contributors to the increase in passengers is the growing market in group travel through coach trips and cruises.

Jason Moorhouse MHK, Department Member with responsibility for the Transport Services Division said: ‘It’s great to see both tourists and residents using the railways. We are so fortunate to have such unique attractions.’

IoM Transport is now turning its attention to its popular festive season events and dining car experiences. There are 14 exclusive events on offer during the holiday period and further details are available at www.rail.im

Mr Longworth continued: ‘We are now planning for the 2018 season, with a particular focus on some spectacular events such as the 125 year celebration of the Manx Electric Railway.’

Isle of Man Transport also offers a range of Christmas gift ideas, including the unlimited platinum cards which provide unlimited annual travel on the horse trams from as little as ?20. Visit the Welcome Centre to purchase the cards and other great transport gifts and ideas.