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Bosses of the Jacobite – which doubled as the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter movies – planned to replace 72-year-old locomotive ‘Lord of the Isles’ with a diesel engine due to worries about fire risk in dry trackside vegetation. But rain saved the day.
However, operators of what are classed as ‘heritage’ carriages, such as those hauled by the Jacobite have a dispensation that allows the practice to continue until 2023.
But Fort William and Mallaig both posted percentage falls, although passenger numbers still performed reasonably well.
The spokesman would not reveal when the two steam locomotives would haul the vintage carriages back to WCR’s depot at Carnforth in Lancashire.
The Jacobite route between Fort William and Mallaig over the spectacular Glenfinnan Viaduct is regularly voted one of the world’s greatest railway journeys.
A ScotRail spokesperson told the Lochaber Times an alleged confrontation at Fort William station.
All passengers will have to wear face masks on board the Jacobite this summer and in order to maintain on-board social distancing, the buffet car will remain closed. Instead there will be a trolley serving refreshments.
The operator of the Jacobite steam train, which doubled as the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter movies, has accused Lochaber MP Ian Blackford of acting like the famous boy wizard’s sworn enemy Lord Voldemort after a row over bookings during the coronavirus lockdown.
Piper the Labrador and owner James Shuttleworth of West Coast Railways had the job of waving off the first Jacobite steam train of the season.
