Changes to central door locking rules could mean the end of the Jacobite service between Fort William and Mallaig, a major operator has warned.
West Coast Railway (WCR) is challenging a decision by the Office of Rail and Road to revoke an exemption which allows heritage trains to run on the main network even though they are not fitted with full central locking swing doors.
Instead operators have been permitted to use a modified system which includes stewards in each coach who bolt the doors individually using secondary door locking.
They are also responsible for monitoring the doors while the train is in motion.
West Coast has warned that converting its coaching fleet to full central locking would cost £7 million which would take almost 10 years to repay and the business would cease to be a going concern.
The operator challenged the Office of Rail and Road’s (ORR) decision in the High Court last week but judgement has been reserved and may not be known for several weeks.
West Coast pointed out safety is its priority and there have been no accidents caused by its present door locking system.
Commercial manager James Shuttleworth said: “This country was the birthplace of railways and I very much hope it won’t be the death of our steam power on the main line. Our services, particularly the Jacobite, have become an intrinsic part of Scottish tourism.
“They have helped build up local economies, which we’re extremely proud of. When we first started operating the Jacobite in 1995, I don’t think we could have predicted how popular an attraction it would become.
“Safety is WCR’s priority and WCR supports the ORR’s desire to continue to drive safety improvements.
“The challenge we have is the cost of installing a modern safety system on carriages from a different era.
“Our decades of operational experience suggest to us that a steward to four doors, with secondary locks and monitoring, a train manager and a guard is enough to ensure the safety of our passengers and colleagues.”
Councillor Angus MacDonald believes enforcing the new rules would be the end of the steam train and be catastrophic for the Mallaig economy and intends to take the matter up at “the most senior level of Government”.
He told the Lochaber Times: “It would be a complete tragedy for the hospitality and retail businesses in Mallaig if the Jacobite was to be halted by some health and safety bureaucrats in some city somewhere.
“The steam train is an incredible draw for tourists to Lochaber.”
An ORR spokesperson said: “As the rail regulator, our role is to ensure Britain’s railways are run safely. There has been a regulation in place since 2005 which prohibits the operation on the main line of carriages with hinged doors for use by passengers.
“The majority of charter heritage operators have either complied with the regulation by installing central door locking or have a plan in place to do so. Services can operate with compliant carriages.”
Photograph (July 2021): TV presenter Michael Portillo joined the passengers and crew of the Jacobite steam in 2021 as part of his series on Coastal Railways. He also visited Mallaig to look at its long history with the West Coast Line. Photograph: Iain Ferguson, alba.photos. NO_F32_Michael Portillo Jacobite trip 02