‘Jacobite’ hangs in the balance
Central door locking issue impacts on the future of two players in the railtour market.
THE future of the ‘Jacobite’ steam train operation between Fort William and Mallaig, as well many other steam tours operated by the West Coast Railway Company for third party promoters, rests on the decision of a Judicial Review, with a decision expected in late January.
At the heart of the review is the decision by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to revoke West Coast’s (WCR) exemption to operate carriages on the main line without central door locking (CDL), which WCR is challenging.
The company has operated its steam excursions using a manual door bolt system, rather than power operated CDL system controlled from a central point, since 2003.
WCR says a trained steward is positioned in each vestibule, who will only unlock the doors when the train is in a station platform. The stewards also ensure no one leans out of the window, which is another safety concern of the ORR.
Exemptions
The ORR has previously provided WCR with two
10 year exemptions on door locking rules allowing it use manual bolts. However, a spot inspection of the ‘Jacobite’ in June 2023 plus a follow-up visit the next month revealed safety lapses in the use of the manual bolts – a situation the ORR said put passengers at risk of serious personal injury. As a result, the ‘Jacobite’ was suspended for several weeks while WCR made representations to the ORR and also recruited additional stewards.
Once the situation was acceptable to the ORR, a temporary exemption allowed the ‘Jacobite’ to run to the end of its planned season in October. The temporary extension expired at the end of November 2023.
With the review pending, the ORR gave WCR a further exemption covering December 1 to February 29, allowing it to continue operating trains.
At a High Court hearing on November 21/22, both parties – West Coast and the ORR – gave evidence in which WCR argued that to fit all its rolling stock with a compliant CDL system would cost around £7m, creating a massive financial hit on the company and wiping out profits for the next 10 years. It would, the company said, effectively make railtour operations unviable.
Should the review go against WCR, the current charter market could shrink by around half, although it is not known how the company might react.
WCR’s door locking situation has also affected the Scottish Railway Preservation Society (SRPS). The society will run a limited number of excursions in 2024, which will allow work to begin to improve the structural integrity of its carriages and install central door locking.
Appeal for funds
The volunteer-led SRPS, a charity, has launched an appeal for £500,000 to fund the work, but remains optimistic of getting a derogation from the ORR that will avoid having to complete the upgrades until 2028. Its appeal is at https://cafdonate.cafonline. org/20942#!/DonationDetails.
The SRPS said CDL would take three years to install, but it is still feeling the pressures from the fact Covid-19 forced delays to carriage overhauls and was a contributory factor in the loss of £400,000 in tour revenue.