2026
Celebrating 150 years of the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway and 50 years of Isle of Man Transport
Tuesday 28th July to Sunday 2nd August 2026
Isle of Man Railways and bus vannin are staging a 6 day Manx Heritage Transport Festival and this year will mark some significant milestone anniversaries including the 150th Anniversary of the opening of the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway in 1876 and the 50th Anniversary since the formation of 'National Transport' in 1976.
The Douglas Bay Horse Tramway first opened on the 7th August 1876 and was initially operated by Thomas Lightfoot. It was sold in 1882 to Isle of Man Tramways Ltd. The operation was taken over by Douglas Corporation in 1902 who operated the tramway until 2015. Subsequently the Isle of Man Government took over the operation in 2016 and continue to operate the tramway today.
National Transport was formed on 1st October 1976 and was established to join together Isle of Man Road Services and Douglas Corporation Transport as one nationalised entity. Today the legacy of this formation continues to serve the Manx public, holidaymakers, workers and school children branded as bus vannin.
Highlights will include:
- A celebration to mark 150 years of the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway
- Celebrations to mark 50 years since the nationalisation of buses.
- Photography specials
- Guided Track Tours
- Workshop and Depot Tours
- Motorman Taster Sessions
- Special timetables and combinations
- Unusual items of rolling stock in use
- Vintage buses and vehicles
Full event details will be available in spring 2026. We look forward to sharing them with you then.