Preparatory work is under way ahead of the tender process for the extension of the Douglas Bay horse tramway.

Tynwald approved funding of up to £3m in July to allow the historic tramway to be restored to its full length along Douglas Promenade.

The Department of Infrastructure (DoI) has confirmed that a tender process for the construction work is being developed and will be launched early next year.

The first passengers could travel on the restored section during the summer of 2028.

In an update on social media, the department shared photographs of trial holes being dug as engineers prepare for the project.

The DoI said: ‘Trial holes are in the process of being dug on Loch Promenade in Douglas to finalise the construction detail on a project to extend the horse tram track from Central Promenade to the Sea Terminal.

‘Considerable analysis and development work has been undertaken since the department established a project team in July.

‘Work being undertaken on Loch Promenade this week will allow the Department to finalise a tender exercise, which is scheduled to be launched early next year.

‘The first passengers are anticipated to use the new section during the 2028 summer season following a construction programme that’s provisionally forecast to run for 35 weeks.’

At July's Tynwald sitting, members voted to transfer £2.5m from general reserves towards the tramway extension, with a further £500,000 held by Treasury as a capital contingency.

The funding followed Tynwald's approval in June of plans to restore the line to the Sea Terminal.

Currently, horse tram services operate only between Derby Castle and Broadway.

The trams last travelled the full route to the Sea Terminal in 2018, before services were suspended during the £26m Douglas Promenade regeneration scheme.