Jacobite 2024

Despite the ongoing CDL shenanigans, tickets are now on sale for 2024:

https://westcoastrailways.co.uk/jacobite/steam-train-trip

 

They will need to work fast to meet the advertised dates https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-67804969

 

It's likely that WCRC operations will run as they have been doing for some time yet. Vintage Trains operate in the same fashion. It's just WCRC need to have a plan to get CDL installed by a date in time, as VT have.

 

A sign of hope perhaps...

Realtime Trains | 5Z44 0555 Carnforth Steamtown to Tom Na Faire Depot | 25/03/2024

 

Jacobite suspended until further notice...
https://westcoastrailways.co.uk/news/important-announcement-the-jacobite

 

Let’s hope for a speedy resolution.

 

Attitude suggests otherwise.

 

So if any other TOC wanted to run a service on that line during this hiatus then presumably the Paths would be available as long as their own rolling stock/procedures were (already) approved ?

 

Indeed, a lot of people's livelihoods depend on this product and also the wider services that WCR provide.

 

I understood they are OAO paths where WCRC is the current TOC. Not sure how long they have to be not used for before another TOC could apply for them.

 

According to the documentation available for download from their website, the ORR state that they require three months notice to process an application for an exemption of this type.

 

And admittedly, they could choose to occasionally send a light engine or ECS in that path, to show usage.

 

When we had that conversation before, one of the ITK people with a NR background, possibly @Romsey but I may be taking his name in vain said that when the Eurostar trains to/from Manchester were abandoned it took absolutely ages to wrest the paths back to use for something else. Against that background a three month suspension is not going to affect WCR's 'rights' to the paths.

But this is very unwelcome news for WCR and the supply chain and the revenue losses are now going to kick in.

 

This is astonishingly bad business from West Coast, I honestly thought they would have one set ready to go for Easter - this is their core product. This is now starting to cost them big time financially.
On what basis have they been taking people's cash for the last 3 months? Hope of leniency and goodwill from the ORR? They have been advertising something they can not deliver. Once again they seem to think they should be a special case. This is getting very damaging to the reputation of the industry as a whole, never mind lost revenue for all the sub-contractors.
Unfortunately there is little chance of anyone else getting the paths, so alas, the economy of Lochaber is going to take a big hit due to this ineptitude. I really think there needs to be massive changes at West Coast.

 

There is nothing to stop another operator serving a Part J Notice to remove the access rights once the paths are not used for 90 days.

https://www.orr.gov.uk/media/20652

 

It would interesting to know what exactly is going on at the ORR in regards to this. They don't really issue any news updates explaining anything, just the notices.

 

That’s probably very much for the better. The last thing a regulator should be doing is giving a running commentary on their engagements with operators!

 

As I said on a similar thread, ORR took a loooong time to review a RSR 1999 Regulation 4 exemption application to renew an existing set of coaches. 9 months instead of the quoted 3 months.

 

It is surely very clear what is happening at the ORR, they have nothing to explain, any development has to come from Carnforth not from the ORR.

 

ORR's press release, quoted on the BBC story ("Harry Potter Steam Train service Suspended") speaks volumes:

Translated, I read that as "don't you dare blame us for the consequences of your decisions"; it is rare to see a government agency so robust in their response to a news story.

This will be played absolutely by the book.