West Coast’s trains halted

Steam industry assesses the impact on main line programme

Britain’s primary steam charter operator has been banned from running on the main line.

West Coast Railway Company has been issued a Prohibition Notice by the Office of Rail and Road, which was to take effect from February 18. With WCRC being the operator of the majority of steam tours, the move has the potential to affect a number of charter promoters; the only other company that can run steam hauled passenger trains across the network is DB Schenker. The ORR said the decision follows a number of incidents, including that of March 7 last year, when ‘Battle of Britain’ No. 34067 Tangmere passed a signal at danger and ended up blocking Wootton Bassett Junction (SR440). Other incidents referenced by the ORR include the collision of No. 34067 with buffers at Weymouth in September (SR446), and the turning off of TPWS equipment on ‘Black Five’ No. 45231 in October (SR448). The prohibition comes after a review of WCRC’s safety certification that was started in December, as the ORR considered whether to revoke WCRC’s safety certificate. In its letter to WCRC of February 17, the ORR said it considered that the conditions for revocation had been met, but it had decided to issue a Prohibition Notice instead. In a statement on February 17, the ORR said it “considers WCRC continues to present a safety risk, hence we are issuing a Prohibition Notice. “Under the terms of the Notice, the company will not be able to operate trains on the main line network until we are satisfied its governance and operations meet industry practice and are fit for the scale of its operation. “Steps the company must take include: the introduction of clearer governance structures with proper accountability for safety; more robust risk assessments; and enhanced processes for managing staff with a focus on safety culture.” HM Chief Inspector of Railways Ian Prosser said a “decision to stop a train operator from running rail services is not taken lightly.” He added: “We want to encourage successful business operations on our railways and hope WCRC will be able to put in place steps to ensure fit and proper safety management with a view to resuming operations. Our inspectors stand ready to work with the company to support and advise as it strengthens its