The world-famous West Highland steam train’s summer season will launch on Monday following two weeks of delays.
Last month, West Coast Railways (WCR) announced the suspension of its Jacobite service while seeking an exemption from the rule which bans rolling stock with hinged doors and no central locking system.
The Office Rail and Road (ORR) claimed it was ‘disappointed that WCR appears not to have made sensible contingency plans' for customers after warnings a suspension would take place.
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Today, WCR has said its service will return on Monday, April 15 with new safety measures in place.
This means that ‘slightly shorter’ trains will run with a reduced capacity and ‘might not be able to accommodate all passengers' who initially booked.
A statement read: “We are delighted to announce that our world-famous Jacobite service is back up and running, starting on Monday, April 15.
“The team has done an exceptional job in getting a fleet of carriages ready to kick-start our 2024 season.
“We will continue to engage with both the ORR and Department for Transport with a request for the temporary exemption so that we can operate our full heritage carriages on the main line.”
Re-bookings will now be accepted on a first come first served basis and based on the date of their initial booking.
The statement continued: “We will contact all passengers affected by the reduced capacity over the coming days with any available options.
“To ensure clarity we will also send out confirmation emails to all passengers who are able to travel with us.
“We look forward to welcoming passengers on board.”
WCR has advised that the Jacobite 2024 season is currently unavailable for new bookings with updates regarding reopening to be shared on its website .
The announcement comes after the Herald reported that Highland businesses had ‘slammed’ the operators for refusing to comply with the safety requirements that would allow it to continue to operate.
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Firms claimed that the latest suspension had come with little advance warning and led to cancelled bookings with fears that Summer trade would be hard hit.
Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch MSP Kate Forbes later called for called for an ‘urgent solution' to be found.
She said: “This will have a huge impact unless we get the message out that Mallaig is still open.
“Most businesses will tell you their busiest points are when the steam engine comes in. The timetable used to allow for hospitality businesses to serve lunch and dinner and the whole village was just chock-a-block with people.
“So this will have a huge impact. One business told me that their business over Easter was down about 30%.”
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