Jacobite steam train back on track

The Jacobite steam train is once again running between Fort William and Mallaig after being granted a new short-term exemption certificate by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).

 

Morning services for the popular 41-mile journey, which had been suspended since July 15, restarted on Wednesday August 9 after ORR issued a certificate that permits the train's heritage hinge door carriages to be used on the rail network.

 

Operator West Coast Railways (WCR) posted on its website that afternoon services would remain cancelled until at least August 17, but said that it aimed to restart those as soon as possible.

 

The new certificate is valid until November 30.

 

ORR had removed WCR's previous exemption certificate for the Fort William-Mallaig line after an inspection on July 14 found safety measures recommended after a June inspection had not been implemented.

 

Concerns had been raised relating to passengers leaning against doors and droplight windows during journeys, as well as doors not being in the locked position. This, ORR stated, risked passenger injury.

 

Without the exemption certificate, the Jacobite could not use its normal carriages as those breached Regulation 5 of the Railway Safety Regulations 1999, which states hinge door carriages must have centrally-controlled secondary door locking. WCR thus suspended the service.

 

Whilst ORR has not stated what changes WCR has now implemented, the new exemption certificate was granted after an August 8 inspection that followed WCR submitting further documentation.

 

The certificate's duration until the end of November is notable as it not only covers the remainder of the Jacobite season, which ends on Friday October 28, but also the expected outcome of a judicial review for which WCR filed in May against ORR's decision making process.

 

WCR stated it filed for the judicial review after ORR refused in January an application made two years ago for another long-term exemption.

 

In a statement ORR said that the new short-term exemption would allow WCR 'to honour its bookings and reflect the interests of its employees whilst its claim for judicial review is determined.'

 

Meanwhile WCR is currently actively recruiting additional on-train stewards for the rest of the Jacobite's season.