The island’s fire service spent over two days attending to blazes along the length of the steam railway throughout the year.

Justice and Home Affairs Minister Jane Poole-Wilson MHK was asked to outline the cost of the fires by Rushen MHK Dr Michelle Haywood.

Throughout the summer there were 33 fires on or adjacent to the line between Douglas and Port Erin, pictures of which were widely shared across the island as trackside hedges and farm land blazed.

All of these were attributed to the steam railway by the fire service.

Mrs Poole-Wilson said: ‘The approximate time spent by the fire and rescue service attending those incidents was 52 hours with a total cost of £11,165.

‘The cause of each incident cannot be definitively attributed to the steam railway, but the origin is recorded by the fire and rescue service as being the steam railway when it appears to be the only possible visible cause.

‘The fire and rescue service and Isle of Man Transport have worked in close collaboration over many years to reduce the impact and number of fires, and continue to do so.’