“Connecting Rails, Inspiring Futures: Embracing Heritage and Touristic Rail- & Tramways”
Welcome to the Fedecrail Conference 8-12 May 2025
| Category for pricing | Prices |
| Participants for conference, after 31st january | 450 Euro |
| Earlybird price book before 31 January | 375 Euro |
| Young volunteer under 25 years old, proof of age needed | 275 Euro |
What’s Included in Your Registration Fee
Your registration fee includes meals throughout the conference days, and access to excursions and/or speaker sessions based on your selected options. Each participant will also receive a welcome package, including a Go Card, which provides access to various transportation options on the Isle of Man. You’re free to explore on your own or join the group activities during our stay.
Please note that travel to the Isle of Man and accommodation are not included in the registration fee and are additional expenses.
Hotel booking
We have pre-booked rooms at Hotel Empress on the Isle of Man. You contact the hotel directly with your reservation and inform them that you belong to FEDECRAIL and you will be able to use our pre-booked rooms. There are several other hotels nearby that can be booked in addition to our default hotel. The rooms are held until January 31st and you arrange your hotel booking on your on.
click for email
Phone: + 44 1624 661155
Programme
Welcome to the Isle of Man, the idyllic island where history meets the present, and where those responsible for heritage and museum railways in the railway and tramway sector gather to share knowledge, experiences, and promote their activities. It is with great joy and pride that we welcome you to the conference taking place in May 20 25, where our shared interest in these iconic transport systems will flourish.
With its picturesque landscapes and charming railway and tramway lines, the Isle of Man provides the perfect backdrop for our collective meeting. From historic steam trains and horse trams to preserved museum railways, there is a diversity of topics to explore and discuss. We are confident that this conference will be a place for exchanging ideas, networking, and promoting innovative solutions within our field. Whether you represent a museum, are responsible for a tourist operation, or volunteer within the industry, this conference will offer a unique opportunity to delve into the subject, learn from experts, and participate in exciting discussions that drive the industry forward. We look forward to welcoming you to the Isle of Man and sharing this inspiring conference experience together. Let us explore, learn, and be inspired by the fascinating world of heritage and museum railways.
Thursday 8 May 2025
Working groups start their meetings from 14:00 until 17:00
So whats the working Groups?
Fedecrail members face a wide range of challenges within their operations. To better address these, we organize our efforts into specialized groups, including the Heritage Operating Group, Tramway Group, World Industrial Mobile Heritage Initiative, and Environmental Group. Our heritage railways, for instance, face significant hurdles with fossil fuel dependency, regulatory requirements, and infrastructure needs, while tramway operations confront distinct yet comparable challenges.
Beyond operational issues, members must also tackle the need for workforce renewal, skill transfer, financial sustainability, and preservation of collections. We strive to direct the right questions to the right places, ensuring our working groups—comprising skilled and dedicated members—can facilitate roundtable discussions, share best practices, and provide support where it is needed most.
18:00
Welcome reception at the Empress Hotel, including an overview of the programme for the coming days. There will be served a light Buffet.
The welcome reception will be attended by
Lt Gen Sir John Lorimer KCB, DSO, MBE Governor of the Isle of Man & Lady Lorimer MBE
You also will receive your welcome package
Presentation from Charles Guard MBE, Manx historian and broadcaster and expert in the heritage of the Isle of Man.
Friday 9 May 2025
09:00 – 17:00 Meeting with breaks for refreshments and lunch
Partners’ Programme suggestion
10:00
A bus will collect delegates from the front of the hotel and go to Peel on the west of the Island where there will be time to take in the sights, including the castle and perhaps visit Davidson’s Ice Cream Parlour where around 40 different flavours of locally produced Ice Cream are served, as well as hand made chocolates.
14:00
Following lunch, the bus will take us to the Calf Sound at the southern tip of the Island where we will have time for some tea and cake in the café overlooking the sound and the Calf of Man. We will hopefully see some seals and perhaps dolphins or basking sharks.
15:45
Our bus will return us to the hotel, arriving at about 16:30.
Evening for all
We will be having dinner on the Isle of Man Steam Railway’s Dining Train. It is about a 25-minute walk from the hotel to the station and you should aim to leave the hotel by 18:15 at the latest. Alternatively, you can use your Go Card to take the bus from opposite the hotel to the station at 17:51 (service 12A) or 18:11 (service 12)
18:45
Board our private train at Douglas Station
19:00
Train Departs; our main course will be served on the outward journey.
Train Arrives Port Erin. On arrival there are various options: visit the Railway Museum where volunteer guides will be available to talk about the exhibits and the railway. If it is a nice evening watch the sunset over the bay
Visit the Station Hotel Bar opposite the Station
21:15
Train Departs; our dessert course will be served on the return journey.
22:30
Arrive back at Douglas Station and return to the hotel.
A cash bar will be available throughout the train journey in both directions.
Saturday 10th
AGM 32
09:00 – 12:30
Meeting with breaks for refreshments and lunch
Partners’ Programme suggestion
12:30
Return to hotel
Afternoon and Evening for all
12:30
A light lunch will be served in the hotel.
Following lunch the afternoon is free and you may wish to use your ‘Go card’ to explore parts of the Island.
A possible itinerary is:
Leave the hotel and walk or take a horse tram or service bus to Derby Castle at the northern end of the promenade. Tram to Laxey, where the Great Laxey Mines Railway will be running (included with your Go Card) and you can take this followed by a short walk to view the Lady Isabella, or Laxey Wheel, the largest waterwheel in the world.
Evening for all
Depart Laxey on the mountain tram for the Bungalow where we have a very short walk to the Victory Café, our venue for dinner. Being on the world-famous TT course, the café has plenty of motorbike memorabilia as well as stunning views.
Depart Bungalow for Douglas Hotels by Bus to Laxey
Sunday 11th May
The day is free for you to do as you wish using your Go Cards.
The following activities have been specifically arranged or are available:
10am, 11am & 12pm
Guided tours of the Steam Railway workshops, engine shed and signal box at Douglas Station. Tours last about 90 minutes and are limited to 10 participants each. Please sign up if you wish to participate.
Guided tours of the Electric Tramway Depot at Derby Castle. Tours last about 60 minutes and are limited to 10 participants each. Please sign up if you wish to participate.
Sign up during the weekend.
Lunch on your own
11:00 – 13:00
Look inside the Horse Tram Depot at Derby Castle and see the variety of different tramcars.
Manx Electric Railway museum at the MER Depot is open.
Groudle Glen Railway in operation (included in your Go Card). This is accessed via a 10 minute tram ride and then a walk down the glen. The café serves tea and cakes and provides wonderful views. If you would like to visit the railway but are unable to walk down the Glen, alternative transport can be arranged. Please sign the appropriate sheet.
Ramsey Pier is open. Opened in 1886 this is one of the longest piers in the British Isles and is currently undergoing a restoration having fallen into disuse. It is a short walk from Ramsey Electric Tramway Station
in the evening a carvery* dinner will be served at the hotel, after which there will be a talk by a local person.
*Carvery dinners are often served with vegetables and side dishes and are a popular way to serve Sunday Roast lunch in the UK
A cash bar will be available throughout the evening.
Monday 12 May 2025
06:45 – 10:00
Breakfast is served in the lower ground floor restaurant.
11:00
Please vacate your room unless you have arranged to stay for longer
Farewell and see you next year.
Practical information
How to get to the Isle of Man
The Isle of Man is easily accessible by air or sea from various locations across the UK.
The Isle of Man has great air links with many major airports situated in the UK, Channel Islands, Ireland and further afield, making travelling by air quick and convenient.
Most airlines operate daily flights to the Island with those from the UK taking as little as 30 minutes in some cases! It couldn’t be easier to reach the hidden gem in the middle of the Irish Sea.
A frequent bus service stops outside the Ronaldsway airport terminal building travelling direct to Douglas
If you travel to the Isle of Man by sea, you’ll have the option of coming as a foot passenger or bringing a car, motorcycle or campervan.
The Steam Packet Company operates ferry services to the Isle of Man from Heysham, Liverpool, Dublin, and Belfast.
Translation through the meetings
We’ll use Wordly as our translation tool at the conference. This allows more participants to follow the dialogue via their own smartphones, tablets, or computers and theis own headphones. We’ll also expand the number of languages available from 3 to nearly 50+, enabling greater participation.
AI Translation, also called machine translation, uses artificial intelligence to automatically translate text from one language to another. It analyzes large amounts of text data to learn relationships between words and phrases, then translates new text in real-time. This has the potential to revolutionize communication across language barriers, offering benefits like lower cost and easier access. However, participants need their own equipment with headphones and an internet connection for it to work.
Who should take part in this Conference?
– Our core participants are voting delegates for Fedecrail member organisations, our team of Council Members and support officers and our existing ‘Friends of Fedecrail’. Partners are also very welcome to join us for the parallel Partners Programme and the general programme of visits following the business sessions. We warmly welcome participation by anyone who has an active role in the management and/or running of heritage railways and tramways, rail museums and rail and tram heritage organisations. The business programme is targeted at addressing subjects of interest to those playing such active roles. Conference fees for individual participants will need a ‘Friends of Fedecrail’ annual membership subscription at €25 euro per person.
Please email us if you have any questions about the conference.
conference at fedecrail.org
