Transport on the Isle of Man
Encyclopedia
There are a number of transport services around the Isle of Man
, Mostly consisting of paved roads, public transport, rail services, ports and an airport.
The island has a total of 688 miles (1,107.2 km) of public roads, all of which are paved. Roads are named using a numbering scheme
similar to those used in the numbering of roads in Great Britain
and Northern Ireland
; each road is assigned a letter, which represents the road's category, and a subsequent 1–2 digit number. A roads constitute the main roads of the island whilst roads labelled B to D will decrease in size and or quality. U roads are yet smaller. There is no national speed limit, but local speed limits are prevalent in a similar manner to the UK. Nevertheless, measured travel speeds are often relatively low.
There is a comprehensive bus network, operated by Bus Vannin
, a department of the Isle of Man Government
, with most routes originating or terminating in Douglas.
Beginning at Peel, on the west coast of the island, one can make 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 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 8:10 am, and allowing time for a light lunch at the top of Snaefell, the total journey time is a little over 6 hours.
at Ronaldsway
. Scheduled services operate to and from various cities in the United Kingdom
and Ireland
, operated by several different airlines.
The island's other paved runways are at Jurby
and Andreas
. Jurby remains in Isle of Man Government ownership and is used for motorsport events and, previously, airshows, while Andreas is privately owned and used by a local glider club. The old Hall Caine Airport
, a grass field near Ramsey
, is no longer used.
As of October 2011 a total of 422 corporate and private aircraft had been registered.
, Peel and Ramsey
. Douglas is served by frequent ferries to and from United Kingdom
and Ireland
; the sole operator is the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company with exclusive use of the Isle of Man Sea Terminal
, and the Douglas port linkspans under the conditions of the user agreement negotiated with the Isle of Man Government.
: 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.
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
, Mostly consisting of paved roads, public transport, rail services, ports and an airport.
Roads
The island has a total of 688 miles (1,107.2 km) of public roads, all of which are paved. Roads are named using a numbering scheme
Numbering scheme
There are many different numbering schemes for assigning nominal numbers to entities. These generally require an agreed set of rules, or a central coordinator. The schemes can be considered to be examples of a primary key of a database management system table, whose table definitions require a...
similar to those used in the numbering of roads in Great Britain
Great Britain road numbering scheme
The Great Britain road numbering scheme is a numbering scheme used to classify and identify all roads in Great Britain. Each road is given a single letter, which represents the road's category, and a subsequent number, with a length of between 1 and 4 digits. Originally introduced to arrange...
and Northern Ireland
Roads in Ireland
The island of Ireland, comprising Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, has an extensive network of tens of thousands of kilometres of public roads, usually surfaced. These roads have been developed and modernised over centuries, from trackways suitable only for walkers and horses, to...
; each road is assigned a letter, which represents the road's category, and a subsequent 1–2 digit number. A roads constitute the main roads of the island whilst roads labelled B to D will decrease in size and or quality. U roads are yet smaller. There is no national speed limit, but local speed limits are prevalent in a similar manner to the UK. Nevertheless, measured travel speeds are often relatively low.
There is a comprehensive bus network, operated by Bus Vannin
Bus Vannin
Bus Vannin is the title of the government owned and operated bus service on the Isle of Man. The name was adopted in June 2009 having previously been branded as Isle of Man Transport...
, a department of the Isle of Man Government
Isle of Man Government
The Isle of Man Government is the government of the Isle of Man. The formal head of the Isle of Man Government is the Lieutenant Governor, representing HM Queen Elizabeth II, Lord of Mann...
, with most routes originating or terminating in Douglas.
| Measurement site | Speed limit (mph) |
85% percentile | Measurement dates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastbound | Westbound | |||
| Ballafreer House, Main Road, Marown Marown Marown is a parish of the Isle of Man in the sheading of Middle. Historically it was in the sheading of Glenfaba.-Parish:Marown has an area of approximately nine square miles and is the only parish on the island that does not border the sea at some point... |
No limit | 46 | 47 | 2005 (27 June – 4 July) |
| Main Road, Baldrine | 30 | 36 | 36 | 2005 (21–28 November) |
| Glen Mona, Maughold (parish) Maughold (parish) Maughold is a village and parish in the Isle of Man. It is named for Maughold, the island's patron saint.The village of Maughold lies on the coast some three miles from Ramsey, with mountainous terrain on its landward side. The parish includes most of the North Barrule, the second highest hill on... |
No limit | 38 | 42 | 2005 (26 Sept. – 3 Oct.) |
| Ballamodha Straight, Malew Malew Malew is a parish in the Isle of Man. It is in the sheading of Rushen together with the neighbouring parishes of Rushen and Arbory.Malew parish covers an area from Langness Peninsula and Scarlett up to Foxdale, and includes the villages of Ballasalla, St Mark's and Derbyhaven. The area includes... |
40 | 51 | 50 | 2006 (6–13 March) |
| Ballacobb, Ballaugh Ballaugh Ballaugh is a small village on the Isle of Man in the parish of the same name. It is the only village in the parish.-Village:The village is situated on the main A3 Castletown to Ramsey road about seven miles west of Ramsey... |
No limit | 51 | 40 | 2006 (3–10 July) |
| Richmond Hill, Douglas Douglas, Isle of Man right|thumb|250px|Douglas Promenade, which runs nearly the entire length of beachfront in Douglasright|thumb|250px|Sea terminal in DouglasDouglas is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,218 people . It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and a sweeping... (by bus stop) |
50 | 55 | 50 | 2006 (24 April – 1 May) |
| Shore Road, Outside Limekilns Farm | No limit | 49 | 50 | 2004 (2–8 August) |
| Windy Corner Windy Corner The Windy Corner is a corner on the primary A18 road in the parish of Lonan in the Isle of Man.The Windy Corner is situated between the 32nd Milestone and 33rd Milestone on the Mountain Course on the primary A18 road. The Windy Corner is part of the Highland Course and Four Inch Course used for the... , Onchan Onchan Onchan , is a village in the parish of Onchan on the Isle of Man. It is at the north end of Douglas Bay. Although administratively a village, it has the second largest population on the island, after Douglas, with which it forms a conurbation.... |
No limit | 57 | 2006 (17–24 July) | |
Railways
The island has a total of 68.5 km (42.6 mi) of railway, of which 43.5 km (27 mi) is electrified. There are six separate rail systems on the island:- Isle of Man Steam Railway - operated by Isle of Man Heritage RailwaysIsle of Man TransportIsle of Man Transport is an agency of Isle of Man Government that operates public transport on the Isle of Man.They operates following services:* Bus Vannin, Island Wide Bus Service* Isle of Man Railway, Douglas - Ballasalla - Castletown - Port Erin...
- Manx Electric RailwayManx Electric RailwayThe Manx Electric Railway is an electric inter-urban tramway connecting Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey in the Isle of Man. It connects with the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway at its southern terminus at Derby Castle at the northern end of the promenade in Douglas, and with the Snaefell Mountain Railway at...
- operated by Isle of Man Heritage RailwaysIsle of Man TransportIsle of Man Transport is an agency of Isle of Man Government that operates public transport on the Isle of Man.They operates following services:* Bus Vannin, Island Wide Bus Service* Isle of Man Railway, Douglas - Ballasalla - Castletown - Port Erin... - Snaefell Mountain RailwaySnaefell Mountain RailwayThe Snaefell Mountain Railway is an electric mountain railway on the Isle of Man in Europe. It joins the town of Laxey with the summit of Snaefell, at above sea level the highest point on the island. It connects with the Manx Electric Railway in Laxey. The line is long, built to gauge and...
- operated by Isle of Man Heritage RailwaysIsle of Man TransportIsle of Man Transport is an agency of Isle of Man Government that operates public transport on the Isle of Man.They operates following services:* Bus Vannin, Island Wide Bus Service* Isle of Man Railway, Douglas - Ballasalla - Castletown - Port Erin... - Douglas Horse Tram - operated by the Douglas Borough Council
- Groudle Glen RailwayGroudle Glen RailwayThe Groudle Glen Railway is a narrow gauge railway north of Douglas in the Isle of Man which is owned and operated by members of the Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association and operates on summer Sundays; May to September and Wednesday evenings in July and August along with a number of...
- operated by the Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' AssociationIsle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' AssociationThe Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association is a railway preservationist group dedicated to the continued operation of the Isle of Man Railway on the Isle of Man Since its inception in 1966 the group have provided volunteer workers and a watchdog role and commenced its own project in the... - Great Laxey Mine RailwayGreat Laxey Mine RailwayThe Great Laxey Mine Railway was originally constructed to serve the Isle of Man's Great Laxey Mine, a lead mine located in Laxey. The gauge railway runs from the old mine entrance to the washing floors along a right of way that passes through the Isle of Man's only railway tunnel under the gauge...
- operated by the Laxey & Lonan Heritage Trust
Beginning at Peel, on the west coast of the island, one can make 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 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 8:10 am, and allowing time for a light lunch at the top of Snaefell, the total journey time is a little over 6 hours.
Airports
The only commercial airport on the island is the Isle of Man AirportIsle of Man Airport
Isle of Man Airport , also known as Ronaldsway Airport and, in Manx, Purt Aer Vannin, is the main civilian airport on the Isle of Man. It is located in the south of the island at Ronaldsway near Castletown, southwest of Douglas, the island's capital. Along with the Isle of Man Sea Terminal, it is...
at Ronaldsway
Ronaldsway
Ronaldsway is a place in Malew in the south of the Isle of Man, between the village of Ballasalla and the town of Castletown. It is notable as the location of Isle of Man Airport and historically RNAS Ronaldsway, together with the adjoining customs free zone and industrial estate.Ronaldsway is the...
. Scheduled services operate to and from various cities in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, operated by several different airlines.
The island's other paved runways are at Jurby
RAF Jurby
Royal Air Force Station Jurby was a former RAF station built in the north west of the Isle of Man. It was opened in 1939 on of land acquired by the Air Ministry in 1937, under the control of No. 29 Group, RAF...
and Andreas
RAF Andreas
Royal Air Force Station Andreas, was a former RAF airfield in the Isle of Man which was operational between 1941 and 1946. It was built in fields between Andreas and Bride...
. Jurby remains in Isle of Man Government ownership and is used for motorsport events and, previously, airshows, while Andreas is privately owned and used by a local glider club. The old Hall Caine Airport
Hall Caine Airport
Hall Caine Airport was the first airfield on the Isle of Man and was located near Ramsey. It was named after the author Sir Thomas Henry Hall Caine CH, KBE by his sons Gordon Hall Caine and Derwent Hall Caine, who were the project initiators. From 1935 to 1937 it handled some domestic scheduled...
, a grass field near Ramsey
Ramsey, Isle of Man
Ramsey is a town in the north of the Isle of Man. It is the second largest town on the island after Douglas. Its population is 7,309 according to the 2006 census . It has one of the biggest harbours on the island, and has a prominent derelict pier, called the Queen's Pier. It was formerly one of...
, is no longer used.
Aircraft Register
The Isle of Man Aircraft Register became operational on 1st May 2007. The register is open to all non-commercial aircraft and is intended to be of particular interest to professionally flown corporate operators.As of October 2011 a total of 422 corporate and private aircraft had been registered.
Ports and harbours
Ports are located at Castletown, DouglasDouglas Harbour
Douglas Harbour is located near Douglas Head on the southern end of Douglas, the capital town of Isle of Man. It is the island's primary commercial shipping port.-Description:...
, Peel and Ramsey
Ramsey, Isle of Man
Ramsey is a town in the north of the Isle of Man. It is the second largest town on the island after Douglas. Its population is 7,309 according to the 2006 census . It has one of the biggest harbours on the island, and has a prominent derelict pier, called the Queen's Pier. It was formerly one of...
. Douglas is served by frequent ferries to and from United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
; the sole operator is the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company with exclusive use of the Isle of Man Sea Terminal
Isle of Man Sea Terminal
The Isle of Man Sea Terminal is the arrival and departure point for all passenger and car ferries operating to and from the Isle of Man and is located in Douglas, the island's capital. It is one of the two main gateways to the Isle of Man, the other one being the Isle of Man Airport...
, and the Douglas port linkspans under the conditions of the user agreement negotiated with the Isle of Man Government.
Merchant marine
The Isle of Man register comprises 226 ships of 1,000 GRT or over, totalling 6,055,436 GRT or . This figure includes some foreign-owned ships registered on the Island as a flag of convenienceFlag of convenience
The term flag of convenience describes the business practice of registering a merchant ship in a sovereign state different from that of the ship's owners, and flying that state's civil ensign on the ship. Ships are registered under flags of convenience to reduce operating costs or avoid the...
: 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.