West Coast Railways (WCR)[1] is a railway spot-hire company and charter train operator based at Carnforth MPD in Lancashire. Using buildings and other facilities previously owned by the Steamtown Carnforth visitor attraction, in June 1998 the company became the first privately owned company to be given a licence as a train operating company.
After British Rail closed the Lakeside branch to passengers on 6 September 1965,[2] a group of enthusiasts chaired by Dr Peter Beet formed the Lakeside Railway Estates Company, with the idea of preserving both the line and Carnforth MPD, to provide a complete steam operating system.[3] After agreeing to rent out part of the Carnforth MPD site, but with the counter the development of the A590 road meaning that the complete vision was unsuccessful, Beet developed the visitor attraction Steamtown Carnforth, which became a mecca for steam enthusiasts from 1967.[4]
In 1974, Sir Bill McAlpine became a shareholder in the company,[3] with his 4472 Flying Scotsman making Carnforth its home.[5] McAlpine subsequently acquired a controlling interest in the company, in order to fund the purchase of the complete site including the track from British Rail.[6]
In light of McAlpine's declining interest, in 1990 his controlling interest in Steamtown Railway Museum was sold to David Smith, who over the following years has bought out most of the minority shareholders. With increasing Health & Safety Executive regulations, and an increased reliance on revenue from supplying and servicing steam locomotives to power enthusiast trains, the commercial decision was taken not to reopen Carnforth as a museum or visitor attraction for the 1998 season. Steamtown Railway Museum still exists today as the holding company, and operates an extensive railway repair and operating facility on the site.
After 1998
In June 1998, West Coast Railway Company was granted an operating licence to become a train operating company.[3][7] WCR is a spot hire company which provides locomotives, stock and crews to other companies within the rail industry. The company operates charter trains, some of which are hauled by steam locomotives. The company provides stock and crews for steam workings on the national network, and for diesel tours. The headquarters, engineering base and depot are at Carnforth, where locomotives and stock are stored and maintained, and where contract work is undertaken for other operators.[citation needed]
The incident was investigated by track owner Network Rail (NR), the Office of Rail Regulation and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB). The RAIB launched an investigation into the incident on 27 March, releasing a statement in which they described the incident as a "dangerous occurrence".[9] According to the RAIB, the incident was caused by driver error, after the traincrew isolated the Automatic Warning System and Train Protection & Warning System on approach to a temporary speed restriction in the area of line immediately after signal SN43, the signal before signal SN45.[9] These were not reinstated on approach to signal SN45;[9] as a result, the train was not automatically stopped by the safety systems as it passed the signal at danger.[9] 700 yards (640 m) down the line, the train was manually brought to a stop by the driver; it came to a rest across Wootton Bassett Junction.[9]
WCR and NR met on 30 March 2015. NR subsequently expressed the view that at that meeting "WCR demonstrated that its controls, communication and commitment following the recent SPAD were inadequate" and that since then "the response by the senior management of WCR to the issues raised" had been "inadequate",[10] suspending WCR's operator's licence effective from midnight 3 April 2015.[8][10] Previously operators had been banned from certain routes, but this was a total network ban unprecedented since privatisation.[10] The suspension notice states:[8]
Network Rail has had concerns about WCR's performance of its Safety Obligations for some time, and recent events lead Network Rail to believe that the operations of WCR are a threat to the safe operation of the railway. If five of the seven required remedies are completed by May 15, with demonstrable progress towards completion of the other two, the suspension notice will be withdrawn. The required steps include introducing a risk-based driver monitoring regime, and demonstrating that there is an effective and secure system of tamper-evident seals for train protection isolator cocks on all relevant traction.
WCR stated that it was in negotiations with NR regarding the terms of the suspension, and also with other train operating companies in order to prevent the cancellation of many scheduled WCR operated railtours during the period of suspension.[12]
46115 Scots Guardsman, in BR green livery, at Hellifield, being prepared for the weekly "Dalesman" run on the Settle - Carlisle line.
On 8 May 2015, Network Rail lifted the track access ban off the company. This meant that the company could continue its scheduled tours for the coming months including the first of the Jacobite railtours.[13][14]
Network Rail has confirmed that it reinstated West Coast Railway Company's track access agreement as of 00:01 this morning, five weeks after suspending the organisation over safety concerns. In a letter to West Coast Railway Company, Paul McMahon, Director for Freight at Network Rail, said that the company welcomed the commitment WCR has made to improving safety through changes to the Safety Management System (SMS), and the appointing of a new Director/General Manager, Head of Safety and Non-Executive Director. The new interim Head of Safety, Alex McGregor, from Lloyds Register and a Non-Executive Director are being appointed before services recommence.
On 9 December 2015, the Office of Rail & Road (ORR) announced that the WCR and the driver of the train involved in the incident at Wootton Bassett were to be prosecuted for offences contrary to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. An initial hearing was scheduled at SwindonMagistrates Court for 11 January 2016.[15] The case came to trial at Swindon Crown Court on 27 June 2016. WCR and driver Melvyn Cox both pleaded guilty. WCR was fined £200,000 and £64,000 costs. Cox was given a four-month prison sentence, suspended for eighteen months. He was also ordered to do 80 hours unpaid work.[16][17]
June 2015
On 13 June 2015 it was reported that a service had moved forward at Reading at the same time as the doors were open. This was attributed to a miscommunication between the guard and the driver.[18]
August 2015
On 19 August 2015 it was reported that the company had no systems in place for keeping drivers updated with route changes, instead getting updates from other operators, and no system for managing driver training.[19]
September 2015
On 5 September 2015 it was reported that a service had hit the buffer at Weymouth. This was not reported to the ORR, contrary to RIDDOR rules.
On 15 September 2015 it was reported that risk assessments for steam operation were outdated, and staff were unaware of them.[19]
October 2015
On 2 October 2015 it was reported that a service had an unauthorised TPWS activation at Doncaster signal 264 at Hexthorpe Junction, between Doncaster and Conisbrough, whilst a locomotive and support coach was reversing.[19]
November 2015
On 24 November 2015 it was reported that the ORR had temporarily prohibited WCR from operating steam trains on the mainline rail network, following an initial investigation into an incident near Doncaster on 2 October 2015 when 45231 The Sherwood Forester was hauling a WCR 'Spirit of the Lakes' charter train and the footplate crew of the engine had isolated the Train Protection & Warning System equipment which would have applied the emergency brake if the driver made a safety critical error.[20]
On 26 November 2015 it was reported that a service had moved at Bath Spa, approximately 1 meter, with the doors open and passengers boarding.[19]
December 2015
On 1 December 2015 it was reported that an Improvement Notice was served on WCR following an inspection at Southall Railway Depot, due to issues around managing health and safety risks.[19]
February 2016 Prohibition Notice
On 17 February 2016 the ORR issued a Prohibition Notice to WCR preventing it running its heritage rail services on the mainline railway. The notice related to concerns about WCR's management of safety, following a number of incidents over the past year.
Under the terms of the notice, the company was not able to operate trains on the mainline network until the ORR was satisfied its governance and operations meet industry practice. Steps the company were required to take included: the introduction of clearer governance structures with proper accountability for safety; more robust risk assessments; and enhanced processes for managing staff with a focus on safety culture.[21] Ian Prosser, HM Chief Inspector of Railways at ORR, said the decision to revoke the company's safety certificate had "not been taken lightly".[22]
On 23 March 2016 the track access ban was lifted.[23]
On 25 September 2018, the ORR, after extensive review and consultation with other affected parties, renewed West Coast Railway safety certificate for a period of five years.[citation needed]
June 2023
On 9 June 2023, a safety inspector attended the Jacobite service and found issues which were considered a breach of Health and Safety. A prohibition notice was issued, coming into effect on 15 June 2023, preventing West Coast Railways from running the Jacobite until the issues discovered were rectified. Service was resumed on 21 August 2023.[24][25]
January 2024 Exemption Revoked
In January 2024, The Office of Road and Rail issued West Coast Railways with a certificate of revocation for the exemption of its hinged door rolling stock with immediate effect from 11 January (the exemption was originally intended to expire on 29 February).[26] Following the revokation of their exemption to run hinged door rolling stock until the end of February, West Coast Railways issued a statement: “We are extremely disappointed by this decision. We remain committed to working with the ORR to agree how we can safeguard the future of our heritage services". "We are already considering a range of options and have asked the ORR to allow the current exemption to run its course, to give us time to put forward detailed proposals".[27]
March 2024 New Request Sent
In March 2024, WCR Announced that due to the ongoing issues with their coaches all Jacobite services which were due to start on 28 March were to be suspended until further notice.[28][29] A new exemption request was submitted to the ORR on 8 March to allow the use of their MK1 and MK2 coaches for their 2024 railtour season alongside 2024's Jacobite services.[30] In April 2024, it was confirmed that the deliberation for a new exemption request would take four months.[31]
WCR operates several regular steam-hauled excursions every summer. The most famous of these trains is The Jacobite (named for the historic Jacobite political movement). It runs along the West Highland Line from Fort William to Mallaig, crossing Glenfinnan Viaduct. It runs Monday to Fridays from the middle of May until the end of October and also runs at weekends from the end of June until the end of August.
In 2011, WCR added a second Jacobite service, leaving Fort William in the afternoons from the start of June until the end of August running on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. 2012 saw this second service increase to five days a week, between June and August. In July 2023, all services were suspended following an inspection by the ORR.[24][25] The morning services resumed on 9 August and the afternoon services restarted on 18 August.[25]
In January 2024, WCR announced that discussions were being made regarding the viability of running a third Jacobite service. This service would however only run from Fort William to Arisaig, departure was set to be at 17:43 and arrive at 19:43 (a half hour long break at Glenfinnan is to be included). The return arrival at Fort William was provisionally going to be 21:18, this idea was later abandoned.[32] In March 2024, WCR Announced that due to the ongoing issues with their coaches all Jacobite services which were supposed to start on 28 March were to be suspended until further notice.[28] In April 2024, WCR announced that the ongoing deliberation between WCR and the ORR for a new exemption on central door locking is expected to take four months and that should their exemption request be rejected, Jacobite services would not be run for 2024.[33]
Scarborough Spa Express
In July 2002, WCR began to operate the steam-hauled Scarborough Spa Express operated from York to Scarborough three times a week between July and September.[34] After a steam ban on the eastern region in 2014 which resulted in the season being axed a restricted season ran for 2015 over three days in October. This was once again put into place for three days in October 2016; the tour was also renamed The Scarborough Flyer for the 2016 season.
The tour originally ran from York to Scarborough travelling via Normanton and Wakefield Westgate with steam haulage throughout.[35] From 2016 the tour ran once a week from Carnforth to Scarborough traveling via Hellifield and Leeds with steam haulage only between York and Scarborough.[36] From 2023 the tour now follows the same routing from 2016 but now runs with steam haulage throughout.[37]
In 2007, West Coast Railways took over operation of the Cambrian Coast Express running over the Cambrian Line from Machynlleth to Porthmadog and Pwllheli and renamed it The Cambrian. The service ran from the last week of July until the end of August between 2007 and 2010. Before the 2011 season, WCR issued a statement stating that due to Network Rail's implementation of the new European Train Control System (ETCS) signalling on the Cambrian Coast, which necessitated new in-cab signalling equipment, the seasonal steam services had to cease running because there isn't yet a system available for fitment in steam locomotives.
In 2014, The Dalesman was brought back after a few years absence. The tour started at York and travelled to Carlisle via Normanton, Wakefield, Leeds, Keighley, Skipton, Hellifield and the Settle & Carlisle line. The tour was diesel-hauled from York to Hellifield where steam traction took over the train and travelled along the Settle and Carlisle line to Carlisle and then back to Hellifield. It had been planned to run only on Thursdays for 2016 but due to a landslip north of Appleby on the Settle and Carlisle line, The Dalesman did not run again until 2017 when the line re-opened.
In 2016, to replace The Dalesman season, a new set of tours of The Scarborough Spa Express were run from Carnforth to Scarborough with steam haulage being between York and Scarborough. Alternating each week the tour would for one week run from Carnforth to York via Hellifield and Keighley and then the following week would run via Preston, Blackburn and Brighouse. As of 2020 these trips are still running in place of the original Scarborough Spa Express trains; the tours start off diesel worked from Carnforth with a steam loco taking over in York.
Following the transfer of The Fellsman to "Saphos Trains" and operation changed to Locomotive Services Limited after the 2018 season, WCR used the path formerly used for Fellsman trains and re-branded it as The Pendle Dalesman. The routing and pickups remain the same, but the pickup at Long Preston has now been dropped.
In June 2018, West Coast Railways ran a service on the Windermere branch line between Oxenholme and Windermere after Arriva Rail North cancelled all trains on the line in the short term in an attempt to fix the disruption and cancellations around their network.[39]
Train Operating Company
Former companies operated with:
Vintage Trains (WCR unable to provide crews for tours from start of 2018, trains now operated by Vintage Trains CBS)[40]
The headquarters and main depot is at Carnforth MPD. The former LMS depot coded 10A has workshops for steam and diesel locomotives, and also carriage and wagon facilities to maintain the company's fleet of Mark 1 and Mark 2 carriages. The site includes extensive sidings plus a paint shop.
For half of the year the company also uses part of Fort William depot as a base for the stock and locomotives for its Jacobite service. The Transport for Wales depot at Machynlleth has also been used previously for the Cambrian trains, but due to the line having the new ETCS system fitted which presently isn't compatible with steam locos the services had to cease.
The company owns and operates a fleet of diesel locomotives, which are primarily used to haul charter trains, but have also been hired to other railway operators. The fleet is mainly composed of Class 37 and Class 47 locomotives, but also includes Class 57 locomotives, including the prototype passenger locomotive 57601.[43]
Several Class 37 locomotives were purchased from Ian Riley Engineering, which ceased its spot-hire operations in mid-2004. In 2005, WCR won the contract to haul The Royal Scotsman luxury train. As a result, its two operational Class 37 locomotives and a Class 47 were repainted into a revised maroon livery, officially known as Royal Scotsman Claret, based on that of the Royal Scotsman carriages. In late 2005, WCR sold its two operational Class 37 locomotives (nos. 37197 and 37261) to Direct Rail Services, and received four Class 33 locomotives in exchange.[44] As of 2011, WCR started investing in more Class 57 locomotives, bought from Advenza Freight, Harry Needle Railroad Company, Freightliner and Porterbrook.[45][46][47]
The company's coaching stock consists of vacuum and air plus dual braked Mark 1 and Mark 2 coaches, mostly painted in the British Railways maroon livery, albeit with West Coast Railways branding on the bodyside. Some of these coaches were built as British Railways Pullman coaches. Until January 2024 the company's hinged door coaches were locked and unlocked from a simple sliding bolt by one of the train stewards for each coach. West Coast Railways had previously applied for an exemption which was intended to expire on 29 February 2024, however the Office of Road and Rail revoked the exemption with immediate effect from 11 January 2024.[26] Each of the company's coaches which are now operated on the mainline for either steam or diesel railtours now need to be fitted with Central Door Locks operated by a member of staff. With the company needing to supply dual braked Mark 1 and Mark 2 coaches for the full programme of railtours for 2024, West Coast Railways submitted a new exemption application to the ORR in March 2024 to allow the busy summer programme to run as normal for themselves alongside other railtour companys.[48]
Locomotives listed here are not owned by WCR, but are made available to operate on the mainline by their respective owners (assuming they have the appropriate mainline certification).
Some engines may not now be operated on the mainline because their mainline or boiler ticket has expired or may be on display away from the national network. 5972 Olton Hall was on a 2-year loan agreement from November 2014 to the Warner Bros Studio Tour in Leavesden for their Harry Potter tour.
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