A health and safety crisis could put the brakes on a steam train service made famous by Harry Potter – amid an ongoing row over its use of 1950s doors on its carriages.
The Jacobite train – popularly known as the Hogwarts Express – was immortalised on screen in JK Rowling’s fantasy series and is supremely popular with tourists, who ride it from Fort William to Mallaig, including over the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct.
But despite its popularity – drawing some 700,000 passengers every year – the latest timetable has yet to be formalised, with the company in charge of the service admitting it is ‘reviewing all the options’.
West Coast Railways (WCR), which operates the service in the Scottish Highlands, previously ran it with an exemption from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).
However, it lost a High Court challenge against the ORR over the safety of doors on its carriages in December after claiming it would cost too much to replace them.
The firm has argued that ceasing the service altogether could cost the British tourism sector £50million.
WCR, which is the UK’s largest main line heritage rail operator, had operated the service for more than 30 years under an exemption that allows it to run with hinged-door carriages on the main lines.
The company previously complained that the multimillion-pound cost of having to retrofit central locking could ‘destroy’ its business and argued its door systems were just as safe.
A health and safety crisis could put the brakes on a steam train service made famous by Harry Potter – amid an ongoing row over its use of 1950s doors on its carriages
The Jacobite train – popularly known as the Hogwarts Express – was immortalised on screen in JK Rowling’s fantasy series and is supremely popular with tourists
The train was immortalised in the Harry Potter series as the Hogwarts Express (pictured)
As it owns 60 per cent of Britain’s heritage trains, WCR feared that this rule could wipe them out and force them off the UK main line.
But a judge dismissed the operator’s case and concluded the ORR had taken a ‘justifiable’ approach.
The Jacobite service brings an estimated £19.3 million a year to the Scottish economy, on top of £4.72m in ticket sales from 101,429 passenger journeys.
In a statement, WCR told The Scottish Sun that no final decisions had been made regarding the continuation of the service.
The Jacobite service brings an estimated £19.3 million a year to the Scottish economy, on top of £4.72m in ticket sales from 101,429 passenger journeys
A spokesperson said: ‘Last year was not the best year we had and we are reviewing all the options.
‘We haven’t made a formal decision on when it starts and when tickets go on sale. As soon as we do, we will update everybody.’
Some heritage trains still use old-fashioned bolt systems above each door in the carriage.
But health and safety inspectors have deemed them unsafe and say passengers are ‘at risk’ of falling from their carriages or being hit while leaning out of the windows.
