The real-life Hogwarts Express steam train at risk of cuts

The real-life Hogwarts Express steam train is at risk of service cuts due to an ongoing safety dispute with Britain’s railway regulator.

The Jacobite Express heritage locomotive runs from Fort William to Mallaig, over the Glenfinnan Viaduct, a popular 84-mile journey.

Around 70,000 passengers travel on services pulled by the engine each year via the West Highland Line, made famous for its appearance in the Harry Potter films.

Its operator, West Coast Railways (WCR), is three years into a dispute with the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) over the fitting of central door locking on its carriages.

In 1999, railway safety regulations prohibited the use of “vehicles with hinged doors without a means of centrally locking them in a closed position”.

The Jacobite service includes 1950s-era Mark 1 coaches, which feature traditional hinged doors without a central locking system.

Until 2023, the ORR had granted the Jacobite exemptions to run the traditional railway carriages.

The rail operator said it “has every intention of running” but “hasn’t made a final decision” on cuts or changes to the service.

A message on the WCR website currently reads: “Bookings for the Jacobite 2026 season will open in the coming weeks. Please check back for more details.”

The attraction contributes £30m a year to the UK economy, said James Shuttleworth, commercial manager at WCR.

Implementing the new measures to fit 120 coaches retrospectively could cost Jacobite owners £7m, which is described as a “substantial figure” for the fleet.

WCR is seeking a final solution with the ORR following legal action against the regulator after it refused to exempt the company from the central locking rules.

Mr Shuttleworth told The Independent: “Last year we had a very difficult year, and there were a number of factors that we couldn’t control.

“It was very dry, and we had to use a lot of diesel assistance, which is always more expensive than just running with a single steam locomotive.”

He added: “What we’re not going to do is run the service and lose money”.

Read more: Crackdown on traditional carriages threatens ‘Hogwarts Express’ trains