5-day lockdown train trip
England on Thursday and the timetable shows the train was “to dwell on the Glenfinnan viaduct” overnight on Friday.
Hosking was seen at Fort William Station on Saturday as the train travelled back and forth between the town and Mallaig.
It was to head to Oban on Sunday then overnight to London Euston, arriving this morning before returning to its depot in Crewe.
Locomotive Services managing director Tony Bush claimed Hosking was aboard as an “officer of the company”.
Bush said: “We asked Jeremy to come along to test a range of new equipment we have onboard. He is an officer of the company and one of the less IT illiterate people we have.”
The vintage sleeper coaches on the Midland Pullman train have new air conditioning, shower units and electrical equipment which Bush said had to be tested in live conditions.
He added: “We could not have the fare-paying passengers, who spend several thousand pounds, using equipment if we are not sure it can stand the rigours of a real train journey.
“That is why we had Jeremy as an officer of the company.”
He added: “We spoke to British Transport Police about the journey and they were satisfied that the testing could not be reasonably carried out at the depot.”
Hosking, who has an estimated net worth of £375million, was a Conservative donor before he switched his support to the Brexit Party.
He donated £1.7million to Vote Leave in 2016 and supported pro-Brexit candidates in the 2017 general election.