‘Ryde on Tyme’ is officially launching a public campaign to bring a 100% electric Dotto Train back to Ryde’s Esplanade and High Street in time for the 2027 summer season.
Ryde on Tyme says it wants to reintroduce the popular seafront attraction more than a decade after the original trains disappeared from the town more than a decade ago.
The company is preparing a major capital infrastructure bid for Central Government Strategic Regeneration Grants, which are due to open in September.
The bid aims to secure funding to manufacture new carriages using Isle of Wight marine carpentry and engineering trades.
Under the proposals, the 100% Electric, Zero-Emission Heritage Transit Train would feature vintage-style timber steam engine styling and solar roof panels.
The proposed service is intended to connect Ryde’s seafront transport interchange with Upper High Street and Union Street, helping to direct visitors towards independent retailers.
Ryde on Tyme says the train would operate at walking pace, with a maximum speed of 10mph, and would provide easier access for elderly and mobility-impaired passengers travelling up the steep hill.
The project would be privately managed and supported through ticket sales, sponsorship and interest-free private loans, with no ongoing cost to local taxpayers or requirement for public subsidies.
A public campaign has now been launched ahead of the September funding application, with residents being encouraged to show their support for the proposal.
As previously reported by Island Echo in 2023, members of the public hoped to see the return of the Dotto Train however, at the time, Ryde Town Council announced that budget-pressures facing the council meant the plans could not be executed.
