The fight to save the Hogwarts Express: MPs back bid to stop steam trains ... trends now
MPs have stepped in to save some of Britain's last steam trains, including the iconic engine featured in the Harry Potter films, after a health and safety crackdown.
The train safety watchdog has scrapped an exemption that allowed West Coast Railways (WCR) to use traditional hinged-doors on its 1950s carriages.
The slam door ban affects the so-called Hogwarts Express, a popular steam-hauled Jacobite train service nicknamed for its appearance in JK Rowling's fantasy series.
Until this decision, the service took tourists through the Scottish highlands, including over the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct.
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) was concerned that, due to its 60-year-old carriages lacking a central locking system, passengers could open the door themselves while the train was moving, risking injury.
MPs have stepped in to save some of Britain's last steam trains, including the so-called Hogwarts Express (pictured)
The Office of Rail and Road has banned the traditional slam-doors (pictured) used on the service, for health and safety reasons
Their decision risks steam trains disappearing from the mainline, as the top heritage train operator, West Coast Railways (WCR), says it cannot afford to replace the doors (Pictured: The Flying Scotsman arriving into London's Marylebone station)
The service has run every summer for 30 years along the West Highland line.
WCR, which is the biggest operator of steam and classic diesel trains on the national network, has had to suspend it services and has said its entire business is in jeopardy.
A cross-party group of MPs backing WCR have written to rail minister Huw Merriman, urging him to engage with the ORR on this and warning that regulators operating unchecked 'have the capacity to bring businesses they regulate to a quick end'.
In their letter to Mr Merriman, the MPs claimed there was no safety reason to justify the refusal to grant a temporary exemption.
West Coast lost a High Court appeal over the ORR's ruling last December after claiming it would cost too much to replace the doors, and the regulator is now considering a revised application from the rail company to resume operations.
The company has also requested a temporary license to permit Jacobite operations over the summer, but with the regulator not expected to respond for several months, at least half the season has already been lost.
In the meantime, West Coast has been forced to fully refund passengers who bought tickets for the Hogwarts Express.
Some 77,000 tickets costing between £55 and £98 were already sold for a season that should have started in March, meaning more than £4 million must be returned to customers.
The Hogwarts Express travels across the iconic Glenfinnan Viaduct (pictured), also featured in the Harry Potter franchise
The Hogwarts Express (pictured) takes 110,000 passengers from Fort William to Mallaig each year
It's not just the Hogwarts Express facing the end of the line, but also many of West Coast Railway's other historic trains.
The company operates 60% of all mainline heritage rolling stock in the UK, comprising 125 coaches.
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