Two collisions with cars on road crossing within three days has raised safety questions about Isle of Man’s 3ft gauge Manx Electric Railway. Many of the road crossings on the 17.1/4 mile double track route between Douglas and Ramsey are totally unprotected. Although, the island’s Director of Public Transport David Howard said: ‘There are no plans to review safety at tram line crossings, following two accidents, one at Fairy Hill in Laxey, and the other at the Liverpool Arms on the Onchan, Baldrine Road’. He added: ‘the tramway has been there since 1893 without safety barriers, and there are no new plans to put any up’. The first accident occurred on Friday, 2nd August 2002 when MER tram No.22 was derailed after it was in collision with a car in Laxey at the Old School Hill crossing. Both the Police and fire crews attended the scene shortly after 7.10pm. The BMW car driven by a Laxey man was pinned against the hedge by the tram, which was leaning at 45 degree angle. Neither car driver, tram crew or the two passengers on board suffered serious injuries following the collision. Director of public transport David Howard said: ‘it would appear a car failed to give way at a tram crossing like they are supposed to.’ The tram was not badly damaged and was back in service the following. The second collision took place three days later on Monday 5th August 2002 at the Liverpool Arms on the Onchan, Baldrine Road. Again nobody was injured and again the collision involved MER tram No.22 hitting a Subaru Impreza.
