Work will start next week to complete the improvements around Port Erin Railway Station and museum.
The Department of Infrastructure project will further integrate rail and bus services and enhance the area for the benefit of residents, visitors and businesses.
The work requires the closure of a small section of the footpath alongside the railway station and the suspension of seven car parking spaces on the road adjacent to the railway museum.
Contractors will start on site on Monday 4 September and the work is scheduled for completion by Saturday 21 October.
The road will remain open to traffic throughout this period and no other parking spaces will be affected.
While the Department recognises the disruption experienced by the public and traders during the Port Erin regeneration scheme, the improvements at the station have been programmed in line with the availability of specialist contractors and the need for safety-critical work across the entire rail network.
Jeremy Reece, Chief Engineer at Public Transport, said:
‘The work involves removing and relaying track, including the pointwork at the buffer stop end of the station. This will be followed by rebuilding the end of the platform. The nature of this work requires specialist contractors, which are a limited resource in the Isle of Man.
‘We considered all the track renewal jobs that are scheduled to be carried out this winter by our contractors across the Isle of Man Railway, Manx Electric Railway and Snaefell Mountain Railway. We also have to programme work around published passenger timetables. The scheme at Port Erin can be undertaken during the operating season, allowing other safety-critical track work to be completed during the winter shutdown.’
He added:
‘After careful consideration of the potential risks to the public, passengers and staff, closing a small length of the footpath and suspending seven car parking spaces was the only solution that allowed safe access to the site. Also, if the work at Port Erin had not been scheduled for this September and October, we would have been faced with bringing in specialist contractors from the UK or postponing the project for a year or more. This would have left the centre of Port Erin appearing unfinished for longer than necessary.’
Ian Longworth, Director of Transport Services, commented:
‘We are mindful of the extent to which Port Erin’s residents and businesses have been inconvenienced by the ongoing regeneration scheme. We hope the completed works will be viewed as a great improvement, integrating the rail and bus services with the improved railway station and museum, to the benefit of Port Erin’s residents, visitors and businesses.’
