The operator of the steam train known for its role as the Hogwarts Express announced a delayed start to the 2026 season due to safety upgrades on its historic carriages.
West Coast Railways (WCR) said that opening bookings for its heritage Jacobite steam train has been delayed, and it is unsure when services can start up again.
The Jacobite service, made famous by its appearance in the Harry Potter films, includes 1950s-era Mark 1 coaches, which consist of traditional hinged doors without a central locking system.
WCR said it has formally approached the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to reinstate its traditional Mark 1 rolling stock after it installed a central door locking system across its entire Mark 1 fleet used on the mainline.
The operator has been embroiled in a years-long back-and-forth with the ORR rail regulators, who have told the WCR that it should introduce central locking carriages after it banned doors with locks that could be operated by passengers on the train in 2005.
Heritage trains were previously allowed to apply for exemptions to this rule until the ORR cracked down on regulations.
WCR had obtained an exemption for nearly 30 years until 2023. The company then had to compromise by buying Mark 2 coaches from another heritage railway operator that complied with the rules, and resumed its service, but at a reduced capacity due to the availability of central door locking carriages.
WCR complained in 2024 that the multimillion-pound cost of having to install central locking could “destroy” its business and argued its door systems were just as safe.
Two years on, WCR said it will comply with the regulations in a commitment to “the long-term future of heritage rail”.
It added that the traditional Mark 1 carriages have been a “hallmark” of the Jacobite experience for over 25 years.
Services for train enthusiasts and Harry Potter fans on the Jacobite run between Mallaig and Fort William across the Glenfinnan Viaduct in the Scottish Highlands.
To reinstate the heritage carriages, WCR said the safety upgrade is a “significant undertaking” and will take time to complete, but is working with ORR to finalise a date at which the Jacobite can start running for the season.
It has asked customers to sign up to receive email updates or monitor its social media channels to be informed when bookings open.
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