Bus and Rail Travel Updates

Due to highway reconstruction and service ducting works Curragh Road in St. Johns is closed between Ballacraine and the Western Amenity Site entrance until the end of April 2020 or until the highway works are completed.

Bus diversions:

Service 6, 6A & 6C journeys operate via Main Road in St. Johns between Ballacraine and the Tynwald Hill Inn stops. These journeys operate as Service 5A, 5 and 5C.

The Hope is still served by Service 4 buses with the journeys from Douglas to Peel & Niarbyl diverting via Station Road.

The schooldays afternoon Service 4C from Castletown to Douglas turns at St. Johns Primary School to return to Foxdale and therefore does not serve the Main Road stops.

The afternoon Service 51 from St. Johns School is unable to serve the stops at Tynwald Close, Ballacraine or The Hope

Ramsey Cottage Hospital will become the receiving centre for all patients with minor injuries from 8am, Wednesday 18 March. The Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) in Ramsey is open from 8am until 8pm seven days a week, staffed by a team of nurse practitioners skilled in the management of minor injuries and supported by an orthopaedic specialist clinician and x-ray facilities. Serious injuries will continue to be dealt with at Noble's Hospital ED.

If customers are at Nobles and requested to go to Ramsey Cottage Hospital the number 5 bus departs at 20 minutes past each hour.

The number 3 (from Lord Street) is also an option but terminates at Ramsey Bus Station. If customers board this bus please let the driver know the Cottage Hospital is required. The driver will then radio the ConnectVILLAGES team to do the transfer.

For returning from the Cottage Hospitals please call +44 1624 697440 and the connectVILLAGES team will take customers to Ramsey bus station for the onward journey. 

Services 1, 1A and 2A

Commencing on Monday 23 March the following changes take effect.

The Saturdays 0722 Service 2A journey from Ballachrink to Port Erin departs Port St. Mary at 0842 to arrive in Port Erin at 0849.

The journey at 0812 from Port St. Mary to Port Erin which then continues to Douglas as a Service 1 operates on Mondays to Fridays only.

The departure from Port Erin at 1807 operates as a Service 11A to then depart Douglas, Loch Promenade (stop F) at 1915 via the Promenades, Royal Avenue (1925), Birch Hill shop (1933), Hailwood Avenue (1938 school layby), Snaefell Road (1942 Willaston School shelter), St. Ninian’s (1947) and Prospect Terrace (1950) to Lower Douglas.

A revised Mondays to Saturdays timetable can be viewed online. 

Services 4, 4B and 26

Commencing on Monday 23 March the following changes take effect.

The current Service 26 departure at 0805 from Vicarage Road via Ballaughton (0806) and Ballabrooie to Lower Douglas is renumbered to operate as a Service 4B.

The 0808 (Sch) / 0828 (NSch) departure from Niarbyl (0845 from Peel) operates as a Service 4B and then travels from Cooil Road via Spring Valley, Quarterbridge,  Alexander Drive, Selbourne Road and Westmoreland Road to Lower Douglas.

The 1625 Service 4B does not serve Alexander Drive, Selbourne Road or Westmoreland Road and operates from Quarterbridge via Peel Road to Circular Road. 

The 1745 departure from Douglas operates as a Service 4B but the route (via Westmoreland Road and Alexander Drive) is unchanged.

A revised Mondays to Saturdays timetable can be viewed online.

Service 25

Commencing on Monday 23 March the following change takes effect.

The current Service 25 departure at 0740 from to Lord Street operates 5 minutes earlier as follows:

0735  Lord Street, dep                                                

0739  Rosemount                                                       

0745  Victoria Road, Shoprite                                        

0750  Manx Arms                                                       

0756  Birch Hill, shop

0801  Hailwood Avenue, school layby

0805  Willaston School

0810  St. Ninian’s layby

0813  Prospect Terrace

0820  Lord Street, arr

Please note that on schooldays this journey operates slightly later between St. Ninian’s and Prospect Terrace to Douglas.

A revised Mondays to Saturdays timetable can be viewed online.    

Service 21B

Commencing on Monday 23 March the following change takes effect.

The current Service 21B Mondays to Fridays departure at 0835 from Lord Street operates 5 minutes earlier as follows:

0830  Lord Street, dep                                                

0835  Pulrose Golf Club                                               

0837  Heather Crescent                                               

0842  Anagh Coar, Lheannag Park                                 

0845  Farmhill, shop

0852  IOM Business Park

0854  Farmhill, Manor Road

0900  Anagh Coar, Urley Walk

0902  Heather Crescent

0914  Lord Street, arr

A revised timetable can be viewed online. 

Due to the ongoing situation on the Island and Government advice to stay at home, with effect from Friday 27 March an amended reduced bus timetable is in operation which is based on the advertised Sunday timetable.

Details of the additional journeys operate can be found here.

From Monday 30 March additional Mondays to Sundays journeys from Nobles Hospital are at 2205 to Douglas (via QB) and 2216 to Peel.

A summary of the Mondays to Saturdays buses between Douglas and Nobles Hospital can be seen here.

bus vannin will continue to operate the COVID timetables available on www.bus.im until further notice. On Sundays the service will remain normal timetabled Sunday Service only.

As a reminder all buses are now cash free and we have set up some new stations to support with Go Card top ups listed in the table below, however a preferred way is to top up your Go Cards online by visiting www.bus.im/gocards. Please note Lord Street will NOT be open on Sundays, as previously advertised, this is due to lack of customer demand.

The £2 fee for a Go Card is temporarily waived and these can be picked up and topped up at the following locations:

 Port Erin Railway Station will be closed for the sale/top up of Go Cards on Friday 3 April. We apologise for any inconvenience

Before travelling with bus vannin, ask yourself why you need to travel.

If it’s not for:

•        Necessary food

•        Health reasons

•        Essential work

•        Going to/from school (key workers’ children)

Then simply STAY AT HOME. Lives depend on it.

Over the Easter period bus services operate as follows due to the current reduced timetable provision.

Good Friday - 10 April  -  Normal Winter Sunday service.
Easter Saturday  -  The advertised weekdays reduced bus service.
Easter Sunday  -  Normal Winter Sunday service.
Easter Monday - 13 April  -  Normal Winter Sunday service.

Sundays and Bank Holiday Service 28
This service commences once the full operation of normal bus services has resumed.

The 2020 service commences once the full operation of normal bus services has resumed.