The MER sign that stood from 1993 to 2020
The MER sign that stood from 1993 to 2020 Credit: Luke McKernan

Taxpayers have paid £130,000 to replace the Manx Electric Railway sign overlooking Douglas Bay, according to numerous reports.

The BBC reported, “The new sign, which cost £130,000, is expected to last for the next 50 years.”

According to the Manx Electric Railway society, the former sign was erected in 1993 to celebrate the then-centenary of the Manx Electric Railway. The former sign was removed in October 2020, with a representative of the Department of Infrastructure telling the BBC that the new sign would be ready to “coincide with the start of the 2021 railway season.”

The construction of the new sign has, like many other Department of Infrastructure projects, been plagued by delays, with the project running almost a year late.