Transport on the Isle of Man

There are a number of transport services around the Isle Of Man, Mostly consisting of paved roads, Rail services and an Airport Service.

Roads

The island has a total of convert|688|mi [ [http://www.isleofman.com/tourism/about/ Isle of Man - About the Island] ] of public roads, all of which are paved. Many of the roads on the island have no speed limit, although measured travel speeds are often relatively low. There is a comprehensive bus network, operated by Isle of Man Transport, a department of the Isle of Man Government.

source: "Transport Implications of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan" [cite web
title = Transport Implications of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan: Report
publisher = JMP Consulting
date = 2007-04-27
url = http://www.gov.im/lib/docs/dlge/planning/publications/transportimplicationsofthestrate.pdf
format = PDF
accessdate = 2008-04-29]

Railways

The island has a total of 68.5 km (42.6 miles) of railway, of which 43.5 km (27.02 miles) is electrified. There are six separate rail systems on the island:

*Isle of Man Steam Railway - operated by Isle of Man Transport
*Manx Electric Railway - operated by Isle of Man Transport
*Snaefell Mountain Railway - operated by Isle of Man Transport
*Douglas Horse Tram - operated by the Douglas Borough Council
*Groudle Glen Railway - operated by the Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association
*Great Laxey Mine Railway - operated by the Laxey & Lonan Heritage Trust

By beginning in Peel, on the West coast of the island - it is possible to begin a circular 'tour' of the Isle Of Man Railways - with a little bit of help from the buses. Taking Bus Route 8 from Peel to Port Erin, you pick up the Isle Of Man Steam Railway for a journey to Douglas. A short walk from Douglas Railway Station to the promenade brings you to the Douglas Horse Tram line, which takes you to the Derby Castle at the opposite end of the prom. At Derby Castle, the Manx Electric Railway begins its route northwards to Laxey and Ramsey. At Laxey, the MER interchanges with the Snaefell Mountain Railway - and a change of carriage will allow you to ride to the top of Snaefell. Upon returning to Laxey - the MER offers a route northwards to Ramsey. The final leg, from Ramsey back to Peel, is achieved by taking Bus Route 5. Leaving Peel at 08:10am, and allowing for a light lunch at the top of Snaefell - the journey time is a little over 6 hours.

Airports

The only commercial airport on the island is the Isle of Man Airport at Ronaldsway. Scheduled services operate to and from various cities in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, operated by several different airlines.

Ports and harbours

Ports are located at Castletown, Douglas, Peel and Ramsey. Douglas is served by frequent ferries to and from United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. The principal operator is the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company.

Merchant marine

The Isle of Man register comprises 226 ships of 1,000 GRT or over, totalling 6,055,436 GRT or DWT|9,972,459|metric|first=yes. This figure includes some foreign-owned ships registered on the Island as a flag of convenience: Australia 3, Cyprus 4, Denmark 30, Estonia 3, France 1, Germany 57, Greece 8, Hong Kong 11, Iceland 1, Italy 6, Monaco 4, Netherlands 2, New Zealand 1, Norway 10, Singapore 2, Sweden 3, United Kingdom 80, United States 1. A breakdown of ships by type: bulk 25, cargo 40, chemical tanker 25, combination bulk 2, container 19, liquefied gas 31, multi-functional large load carrier 1, petroleum tanker 59, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 17, specialised tanker 1, vehicle carrier 5.

References

*factbook

External links

* [http://www.iombusandrail.info/ Isle of Man Transport (Arraghey Ellan Vannin)]
* [http://www.steam-packet.com/ Isle of Man Steam Packet Company]
* [http://www.iom-airport.com/ Isle of Man Airport]
* [http://www.iomguide.com/timetables/ Searchable Isle of Man Bus/Railway Timetables]
* [http://www.mers.org.im/ Manx Electric Railway Society]