Douglas Railway Station - Site

Site

The station is sited on an area known as Lake Road (although technically this was lost during the more recent developments), so-called because the area was, until the arrival of the railway, swampland that was reclaimed to build the station other developments. The river now runs along the southerly side of the site. Where now stands the chain store was once a large timber yard operated for many years by Quiggin & Co., and this backed onto the railway's property. What now forms both car and bus parking areas was once the railway's large goods yard, and there was also another island platform which was removed in 1979 to make way for bus storage area.e Further up the yard towards its mouth are the sheds which are original. At the approach to the station is the junction of Bank Hill which runs alongside the station perimeter wall, now an office development dominates this site but it was until 1988 home to one of the island's smaller breweries. In recent times the north quay the adjoins the site has been partially pedestrianised and now has a number of restaurants and public houses as well as a selection of shops and boutiques. The large red brick office block that sits behind the station was erected in 1988 on the site of the former Clinch's Brewery, the tower of which was retained in the new development. The site is in the central part of the island's capital close to the financial district making it ideally suited for the commuter train services which since 2007 have been provided annually during the T.T. race period. Its location at the end of the inner harbour was ideal in the past when the railway carried cargo directly from ships that berthed nearby.