each day. Generally trains operated for Easter Week and the full season began at the end of May to coincide with the annual T.T. race period and ran until the last weekend of September. Aside from the popular Santa Trains, which have operated since 1985 the line remained closed in the winter months. Also of note are the shuttle services which operated between Douglas and the country park at Lough Ned (mid-way to Port Soderick), these ran in peak season and often utilised the railcars; a platform was provided for this service which saw the last regular use of the railcars in passenger service. 1987–1999 Anniversaries Trains operated for Easter Week with the main season running from mid-May each year; from 1987 trains ran seven days a week in this period (previously there had been no Saturday service for several years) and many additional and extra timetables ran for the Year of Railways in 1993, the International Railway Festival in 1995 and Steam 125 event in 1998. Certain years also saw skeleton services operating in October and November in conjunction with various off-season attractions on the island, although the pattern of passing trains at Ballasalla was adhered to. A familiar pattern during this period was the operation of an additional train on Mondays-Thursdays in July and August which left Douglas mid morning (10:50) and returned from Port Erin at 17:30, utilising the long-closed station at Port Soderick to pass the regular service trains. It was common for a shuttle service to link Port Erin and Castletown during the closure of the Billown Circuit for racing during this time. 2000–2009 New Millennium The season was extended so that a daily service also operated during October half term with a three-week closure from the end of September. During this time certain seasons saw trains passing at Castletown rather than the more traditional Ballasalla. There was major disruption to services from 2000 when a sewer pipe was laid beneath the railway seeing short line workings from Douglas to Santon, and various shuttles between Port Erin, Port St Mary and Castletown over three seasons before the full line was reinstated. A courtesy coach for passenger bridging the gap of the closed sections was laid on during this period. The extra peak season train was dropped during this period and only four departures from either termini was the standard operational procedure. From 2007 a commuter