The Manx Electric Railway utilizes a trolley system with overhead electric power. Power reaches the motors on the cars (via controllers) through a "trolley pole" on the car roof. The overhead copper wires are 0.325 inch diameter and operate at 550 Volts Direct Current (DC). The live wires are supplied with power via a feeder system and are suspended from an overhead network supported by over 900 traction poles (numbered from the Douglas end) over the length of the line.

The electrical supply system is via six sub-stations which receive current at 33Kv (33,000 Volts) from the public supply. This is transformed down to 575 Volts at the rectifiers to provide 550 Volt line voltage.

The 3 foot gauge track runs as double track over the entire length of the line and includes some tight curves. The tightest curve on the line is at Groudle Viaduct just north of Groudle station.

The original three cars of 1893 had one 25 Horse Power motor on each of two trucks giving a total tractive effort of 3,000 pounds. These were 250 Volt series motors. In 1903, these were re-equiped by the MER including two 25 HP motors per truck.