Isle of Man Transport is celebrating after a record number of customers stepped aboard for a Steam Railway dining event.

A total of 2,635 tickets for the dining experiences were sold last year, a record capacity of 87%.

Trish Hoy, owner of the Ticket Hall at Douglas Railway Station which caters the events, said: ’We have been overwhelmed by the support the Steam Railway’s dining events received during 2017.

’The events just seem to be growing in popularity.

’We tried new events for Christmas and New Year, such as the Mont Blanc Express (Ski and Alpine inspired cuisine), Summer Solstice Down Under (Aussie BBQ) and Lose the Blues (USA inspired dinner).’

She added: ’We would like to thank our customers for their ongoing support and hope to welcome new and old customers when the 2018 season begins.’

This year, the dining car will host almost 100 different events. Meanwhile, Snaefell Summit Dining will hold 33 events.

Special festivals planned include Rush Hour on the Railways on March 30 to April 2, Manx Heritage Transport Festival from July 25 to July 29, Island at War, from August 18 and 19 and the Manx Electric Railway’s 125th birthday celebrations, on September 6, 7 and 8.