Jacobite 2026

Thanks!

 

Tour companies like Great Rail Jouneys, Leger, etc have continued offering Jacobite inclusive tours since last year, regardless of WCR public pronouncements. Suspect this was always going to be the fallback outcome.

 

So reservations for group bookings being taken whilst WC was going on record to say the train couldn't run unless ORR granted the exemption?
I wonder if the bookings were accepted on a "subject to" basis? Somebody upthread said they didn't think money would change hands for group bookings until after the event, so in that case maybe the tour firms were happy to take the risk and have a contingency.

 

Some of these bookings could have been made up to 12 months ago and are probably relating to business agreements going back many years.
This is guaranteed income and worth looking after and protecting - good business sense from West Coast.

 

Of course.
It just stands rather at odds with the public statements WC has been making this year.
If what you deduce is correct, and no reason to doubt it, those firms with long standing bookings must surely have received reassurances from WC during the time when outwardly the 2026 season has been thrown into some doubt.
Additionally if WC has planned to run the trains as it now is, why haven't they opened bookings to the public? Not good business sense .....