Investigations carried out following the incident that occurred on the Snaefell Mountain Railway (SMR) on 4 August 2017 have highlighted the challenges of operating heritage railway systems in a modern safety management environment.
The Department of Infrastructure has continued to work closely with the Health and Safety at Work Inspectorate (HSWI) to identify a number of improvements as part of a comprehensive review.
Whilst the work carried out to date has provided much reassurance, addressing all the issues associated with operating heritage rolling stock has proved difficult.
The Department has decided to commit the skills and expertise of its Isle of Man Railways engineering staff to dealing with these matters, rather than to supporting day-to-day operations.
As a result, all SMR passenger services have been suspended with effect from today, Monday 25 September 2017.
The decision has been taken by the Department in partnership with the HSWI and reflects the importance of passenger and staff safety.
The Department has confirmed that Manx Electric Railway and Isle of Man Railways services remain unaffected and will continue as timetabled.
