Photo: Gareth James / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Douglas horse trams — the 2026 route, times, fares and the horses
Photo: Gareth James / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
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The Douglas horse trams in their 150th year — the 2026 Derby Castle to Villa Marina route, times, fares, the horses, and when trams return to the Sea Terminal.
On the map
- Derby Castle terminus — North end. Change here for the Manx Electric Railway
- The Stables stop — By Summer Hill Stables, where the horses live in season
- Villa Marina terminus — South end in 2026, by the Villa Marina and Gaiety Theatre (Broadway stop)
- Sea Terminal — The old southern terminus. Trams haven't run here since 2018
- Home of Rest for Old Horses — Where retired tram horses go. Richmond Hill, on bus routes 1, 2, 11 and 12
Horse-drawn trams have run along Douglas promenade since 1876, and 2026 is the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway’s 150th year. The route is shorter than it used to be, the trams are slow, and the horses are the reason to ride. This page covers where the tram goes in 2026, when it runs and what it costs, and the horses and their retirement home. It also explains why the trams don’t reach the Sea Terminal at the moment. For the island’s other lines, see our heritage railways guide.
The 2026 route
Derby Castle – Villa Marina, about 10 minutes.
The tram runs along the middle of the promenade from Derby Castle, at the far northern end where the Manx Electric Railway starts, to the Villa Marina and the Gaiety Theatre in the middle of the seafront. There are stops along the way, including one by the stables.
It doesn’t reach the Sea Terminal. If you’re coming off the ferry, it’s about 15 minutes’ walk along Loch Promenade to the Villa Marina stop, or you can take a bus the whole way to Derby Castle. See our Douglas guide for the rest of the town.
When it runs and what it costs
The 2026 season runs from 2 April to 1 November. Times are from the 2026 horse tram timetable (opens in a new tab).
| Timetable | From Derby Castle | Last back from Villa Marina |
|---|---|---|
| N (most days) | Every 30 min, 09:05–17:00 | 17:15 |
| P (busy summer days) | Every 15 min at peak, 09:05–18:00 | 18:15 |
| W (from 21 October) | Every 30 min, 09:05–15:10 | 15:25 |
The standard timetable has a lunchtime gap, with no departures from Derby Castle between 12:05 and 13:10. In quieter weeks the tram takes some Mondays and Tuesdays off. For the rest of this season it runs on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays only.
| Ticket (September 2026) | Adult | Child 5–15 |
|---|---|---|
| Single | £2.50 | £1.50 |
| Day ticket | £5 | £2.50 |
Under-5s travel free with a paying adult, and dogs are 30p a journey. A single is valid for one journey on the day. A day ticket covers as many trips as you like that day.
The trams aren’t wheelchair accessible. At worst there are a couple of steep steps up. The crew will help, and you can leave a wheelchair at the depot. More on getting about in accessible Isle of Man.
The horses
The trams are pulled by Clydesdales and Shires, which live at the Summer Hill Stables by the Derby Castle end of the line during the season. The railway lists stable tours there, so ask at Derby Castle for times.
The Home of Rest for Old Horses
When tram horses retire, most go to the Isle of Man Home of Rest for Old Horses (opens in a new tab), a charity at Bulrhenney on Richmond Hill, just outside Douglas on the Castletown road. It began in 1950 and now looks after more than 60 horses and ponies and a group of donkeys on a 93-acre site. It gives priority to the tramway’s heavy horses. You can visit and feed them (pony nuts are sold in the shop), and there’s a coffee shop.
Its 2026 advert gives summer opening as Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm, with winter hours on its events and opening times page (opens in a new tab). Buses 1, 2, 11 and 12 stop outside, at the “Horses Home” stops.
150 years in brief
- 1876: Thomas Lightfoot, a retired Sheffield engineer, opens the tramway on 7 August.
- 1882: He sells it to Isle of Man Tramways Ltd.
- 1902: Douglas Corporation buys it and runs it for the next 113 years.
- 2016: The Corporation announces the tramway will close after losing £263,000 in 2015. A petition and the House of Keys save it, and the Isle of Man Government takes it over.
- 2018–2022: The £26 million promenade rebuild stops the trams after the 2018 season. The track is relaid down the middle of the road, and the trams return on 29 July 2022, but only from Derby Castle to the Villa Marina.
- 14 July 2026: King Charles III, Lord of Mann, rides double-deck car 18 and unveils a plaque for the 150th anniversary. The tramway celebrated its birthday with a family day on 7 August.
Getting back to the Sea Terminal
Losing the southern end has cost passengers. The tramway carried about 78,000 in 2018, the last year it reached the Sea Terminal, and about 45,000 in 2023, as reported by the MER Society (opens in a new tab). In July 2026, Tynwald approved about £2.5 million plus a £500,000 contingency to relay the track from the Villa Marina to the Sea Terminal, according to British Trams Online (opens in a new tab). The business case allows about 40 weeks of work, starting late in 2026 at the earliest. That puts the trams back at the Sea Terminal in 2027 at the soonest, and only if the work starts on time. Until then, the Villa Marina is the end of the line.
— The Guru
Common questions
Where does the Douglas horse tram go?
In 2026 it runs along Douglas promenade between Derby Castle, where the Manx Electric Railway starts, and the Villa Marina, stopping along the way. The full trip takes about 10 minutes. It doesn't go to the Sea Terminal, and won't until the track there is relaid.
How much is the horse tram in Douglas?
£2.50 single or £5 for a day ticket for adults, and £1.50 or £2.50 for children aged 5–15. Under-5s go free with a paying adult, and dogs are 30p. Go Explore cards are accepted (September 2026).
What time do the Douglas horse trams run?
On the standard 2026 timetable, trams leave Derby Castle every 30 minutes from 09:05 to 17:00, with a gap at lunchtime. The last tram back from the Villa Marina leaves at 17:15. Busy days get a tram every 15 minutes until about 6pm. From 21 October the day finishes at about 3.30pm.
What happens to the Douglas tram horses when they retire?
Most retire to the Isle of Man Home of Rest for Old Horses at Richmond Hill, just outside Douglas. The charity gives priority to the tramway's heavy horses, and you can visit them in summer.
Will the horse trams go back to the Sea Terminal?
That's the plan. In July 2026 Tynwald approved about £2.5 million, plus a contingency, to relay the track from the Villa Marina to the Sea Terminal. The work is expected to take about 40 weeks from late 2026, so 2027 is the earliest date.