The
Office
of
Rail
and
Road
has
defended
its
decision
to
cause
the
Jacobite
heritage
steam
service
in
the
western
Highlands
of
Scotland
to
be
suspended
because
doors
on
the
coaches
have
no
central
locking.

Its
operator
West
Coast
Railways
had
been
ordered
to
take
coaches
not
equipped
with
full
central
locking
out
of
service.
The
use
of
coaches
with
hinged
doors
had
been
covered
by
an
exemption,
but
that
has
now
been
withdrawn,
although
WCR
had
asked
for
it
to
continue.

WCR
commercial
manager
James
Shuttleworth
said:
‘We
are
disappointed
to
have
to
suspend
this
service
and
we
are
sorry
for
the
inconvenience
caused
to
our
customers
who
have
booked
trips.
We
again
appeal
to
the
ORR
to
reconsider
our
request
for
a
temporary
exemption.’

The
ORR
has
responded:
‘All
heritage
operators
were
told
several
years
ago
that
in
order
to
operate
after
31
March
2023
they
either
needed
to
fit
central
door
locking
or
obtain
an
exemption
from
us.
West
Coast
Railways’
application
for
an
exemption
failed
and
they
made
a
claim
for
judicial
review.
A
temporary
exemption
was
granted
in
order
to
maintain
the
status
quo,
enabling
WCR
to
operate
whilst
the
litigation
reached
a
conclusion.

‘Despite
this,
WCR
chose
to
sell
tickets
when
it
was
far
from
certain
that
a
new
application
for
an
exemption
would
be
granted,
either
in
time
for
the
commencement
of
services,
or
at
all.
It
submitted
an
exemption
application
on
8
March,
which
we
are
now
assessing.
ORR
is
disappointed
that
WCR
appears
not
to
have
made
sensible
contingency
plans
for
the
benefit
of
their
customers.’