Tynwald members have approved funding of up to £3 million to allow the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway to be restored to its full length along the Promenade.

Members voted in favour of transferring £2.5 million from general reserves to the capital financing reserve, with a further £500,000 to be held by Treasury as a capital contingency.

Infrastructure Minister Tim Crookall said the investment was needed to restore a ‘living piece of Manx heritage’ and return the tramway to its former status.

He told Tynwald the project was ‘not a vanity project’ but an opportunity to support tourism and the wider economy.

The only member to vote against the motion was Legislative Council member Gary Clueit.

The funding follows Tynwald’s approval in June of plans to extend the horse tram line back to the Sea Terminal.

At present, horse tram services operate between Derby Castle, where they connect with the Manx Electric Railway, and Broadway.

The trams last ran the full route to the Sea Terminal in 2018 before services were suspended during the £26 million Douglas Promenade regeneration works.

Services returned in 2022 on a shortened route, with plans to reinstate the full line later paused in 2021 after £750,000 of funding was reallocated.

The issue has remained a subject of debate, with supporters arguing the full route is important for tourism and the island’s heritage offer.

The vote comes shortly after King Charles III visited the island and travelled on a restored horse tram car as part of celebrations marking the tramway’s 150th anniversary.

Earlier this year, the heritage railway’s chief engineer said the cost of reinstating the line had risen to just under £2 million, including a 10% contingency.

However, Treasury later outlined a revised figure of £3,036,170, including a larger contingency allowance.

The government has previously said the additional contingency reflects the complexity of the work and the need to manage potential risks during the reinstatement project.