1 of 2 The Hogwarts Express appears in the film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Photo: EVERETT COLLECTION/ ALAMY The Hogwarts Express appears in the film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Photo: EVERETT COLLECTION/ ALAMY
For the The Harry Potter Steam Train journey may be interrupted if the court rejects an application from the company managing the line.
West Coast Railways (WCR), which operates the route, wants it to be exempt from the obligation to install central locking systems on wagons.
The owners of the Jacobite which was called Hogwarts Express in the wizarding films said the new measures could cost £7 million to implement the equivalent of R$43.2 million.
A trial in the case is expected to take place in January.
The train runs from March to October on one of Scotland’s most famous railway routes from Fort William to Mallaig.
It crosses the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which after its creation has become an attraction for a new generation of tourists seen in the film “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”..
Around 750 people travel every day in high season daily to the final stop in Mallaig. And many other visitors will watch the train go by.
The service had an exemption from the government agency responsible for railways and highways, which allowed the route to continue.
The agency granted two 10year exemptions from rules governing how car doors must be locked while in motion. The last exemption expired on March 31, 2023.
After an inspection in July, the The authority pointed to problems with the door lock and explained that West Coast Railways was carrying passengers.There is a risk of serious personal injury“.
The line received a temporary exemption in August.
After a twoday hearing in the High Court last week, the company is now awaiting a decision that could determine whether the steam locomotive will be returned to service.
2 of 2 Viaduct crossed by the train lies between Fort William and Mallaig Photo: GETTY Viaduct crossed by the train lies between Fort William and Mallaig Photo: GETTY
The company said it would cost around £7 million to install locking systems in traditional 1950s door slides, equivalent to around ten years’ worth of profits.
Speaking to The Herald, commercial director James Shuttleworth said: “Our intention is to keep the train running, but if we have to put locks on the doors it will be an expensive proposition.”
The company supplied Warner Bros. with the locomotive and train cars used in the Harry Potter film series.
The train makes two trips per day and uses some of the same carriages shown in the footage.
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