End of the line for Harry Potter train? Security concerns threatening ‘Hogwarts route’

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The company that manages the line wants to be released from the requirement to install central locking systems on wagons, citing high costs. The Hogwarts Express appears in the film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets EVERETT COLLECTION/ ALAMY Travel on the Harry Potter steam train could be interrupted if the Court rejects a request from the company that manages the line. West Coast Railways (WCR), which operates the route, wants to be released from the requirement to install central locking systems on carriages. The owners of the Jacobite – which was called Hogwarts Express in the wizard’s films – said that implementing the new measures could cost £7 million, equivalent to R$43.2 million. A trial in the case is expected to take place in January. What are the major wars going on in the world — and why do some attract less attention? How Mickey Mouse saved Walt Disney from ruin and changed cinema forever Why Latin America doesn’t have a train network like Europe The train operates on one of Scotland’s most iconic rail routes – from Fort William to Mallaig – from March to October . It crosses the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which became an attraction for a new generation of tourists after being featured in the film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Around 750 people a day travel to the end of the line at Mallaig every day in peak season. And many other visitors will watch the train pass by. The service had an exemption granted by the government office responsible for railways and highways, which allowed the line to continue. The agency provided two ten-year exemptions to rules about how carriage doors must be locked while the train is in motion. The last exemption expired on March 31, 2023. Following an inspection in July, the agency cited procedural problems with door locks and said West Coast Railways was putting passengers “at risk of serious personal injury.” In August, the line obtained a temporary exemption. Following a two-day hearing in the High Court last week, the company is now awaiting a decision that could determine whether the steam train will return to operation. Viaduct traveled by the train is between Fort William and Mallaig GETTY ‘Expensive business’ The company said adding locking systems to traditional 1950s door carriages would cost around £7 million, which would equate to around ten years of profit . Speaking to The Herald, commercial manager James Shuttleworth said: “Our intention is to continue to run the train, but if we have to install locks on the doors it will be an expensive business.” The company supplied Warner Bros with the locomotive and carriages used in the Harry Potter film series. The train makes two trips a day using some of the same carriages shown in the footage. See also Discover a luxury resort in Las Vegas that took 23 years to complete Discover the largest cruise ship in the world, which weighs 5 times more than the Titanic Find out which hotels millionaires stay in

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