WCR - Jacobite 2026

martin butler · Wednesday at 09:57

In all seriousness, if West coast hadn't been so adversarial with ORR, might allowing non CDL fitted stock limited to 25mph, to only run with passengers between fort Willaim and Mallaig as long as secondary door locking was being done as specified, and only on that route could have been an option?

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Bill57p9 · Wednesday at 18:16

martin butler said:
In all seriousness, if West coast hadn't been so adversarial with ORR, might allowing non CDL fitted stock limited to 25mph, to only run with passengers between fort Willaim and Mallaig as long as secondary door locking was being done as specified, and only on that route could have been an option?

I do not believe any such application has been submitted to ORR. If one were submitted I am confident ORR would consider it without prejudice, as they have every other application.

43096 · Wednesday at 19:17

martin butler said:
In all seriousness, if West coast hadn't been so adversarial with ORR, might allowing non CDL fitted stock limited to 25mph, to only run with passengers between fort Willaim and Mallaig as long as secondary door locking was being done as specified, and only on that route could have been an option?

I do not understand why there should be a special case made for an organisation that has paid lip service (to put it mildly) to safety issues for many, many years. They have a lengthy rap sheet that continues to be added to.

Bill57p9 said:
I do not believe any such application has been submitted to ORR. If one were submitted I am confident ORR would consider it without prejudice, as they have every other application.

You'd hope that the response would be the same as the response in Arkell vs Pressdram.

Tetragon213 · Wednesday at 22:28

So, moving on from the CDL discussion...

Assuming the current timetables stay as they are, for a day trip from Glasgow, would it be considered a "safe" bet to get the 0548 out of Queen Street (arr. 1000 Fort Bill) to get the Morning Jacobite (dep. 1015 Fort Bill, ret. 1603) before using the 1737 back to Queen Street, or would it be safer to get the 0822 out of Queen Street (arr. 1218 Fort Bill) to get the Afternoon Jacobite (dep. 1250 Fort Bill, ret 1908), and return on on the 1950 Cally to Dalmuir?

anothertyke · Thursday at 10:02

Tetragon213 said:
So, moving on from the CDL discussion...

Assuming the current timetables stay as they are, for a day trip from Glasgow, would it be considered a "safe" bet to get the 0548 out of Queen Street (arr. 1000 Fort Bill) to get the Morning Jacobite (dep. 1015 Fort Bill, ret. 1603) before using the 1737 back to Queen Street, or would it be safer to get the 0822 out of Queen Street (arr. 1218 Fort Bill) to get the Afternoon Jacobite (dep. 1250 Fort Bill, ret 1908), and return on on the 1950 Cally to Dalmuir?

Recent Train Times is your resource. It depends on your appetite for risk, but I would not consider them 'safe bets' .There are the risk of late running and the risk of rocking up at FW to find no seats available on the Jacobite that day. Maybe to maximise your chances 0548 and 1950?

Krokodil · Thursday at 20:16

Back in 2019 (so right at the end of the Mk3 era), I booked the Highlander and the morning Jacobite. Due to bridge damage, we were sent to Inverness and bussed from there, arriving an hour after the Jacobite had left. The afternoon Jacobite guard found me a vacant seat on his train, for no extra charge.

The Bear · Thursday at 21:15

Tetragon213 said:
So, moving on from the CDL discussion...

Assuming the current timetables stay as they are, for a day trip from Glasgow, would it be considered a "safe" bet to get the 0548 out of Queen Street (arr. 1000 Fort Bill) to get the Morning Jacobite (dep. 1015 Fort Bill, ret. 1603) before using the 1737 back to Queen Street, or would it be safer to get the 0822 out of Queen Street (arr. 1218 Fort Bill) to get the Afternoon Jacobite (dep. 1250 Fort Bill, ret 1908), and return on on the 1950 Cally to Dalmuir?

Considering how 'delicate' the Caledonian Sleeper operation is, I'd say that is a very very risky move.

This evening (Thu 27/8/2026) being a prime example. The up Sleeper portion from Fort William has been cancelled;

1B01 1950 Fort William to London Eustonhttps://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C04546/2026-08-27/detailed

This will no doubt result in tomorrow mornings down Fort William portion from Edinburgh (aka the 05:48 from Queen Street) being cancelled to ballance the stock & locos.

Tetragon213 · Thursday at 21:44

Sounds like it's safer to get the Afternoon Jacobite, in that case.

The Bear · 2026-08-29T12:32:25+0100

The Bear said:
Considering how 'delicate' the Caledonian Sleeper operation is, I'd say that is a very very risky move.

This evening (Thu 27/8/2026) being a prime example. The up Sleeper portion from Fort William has been cancelled;

1B01 1950 Fort William to London Eustonhttps://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C04546/2026-08-27/detailed

This will no doubt result in tomorrow mornings down Fort William portion from Edinburgh (aka the 05:48 from Queen Street) being cancelled to ballance the stock & locos.

Tetragon213 said:
Sounds like it's safer to get the Afternoon Jacobite, in that case.

It's worth noting that the Fort William sleeper portion was cancelled two nights running because of the derailment in the oil terminal sidings blocking in the sleeper locos......
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/caledonian-sleeper.176365/page-653

Unless I've missed something - to make it a day trip from Glasgow, your only south bound connection at Fort William off the afternoon Jacobite again is the sleeper......

WCR - Jacobite 2026

martin butler

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Bill57p9

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43096

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Tetragon213

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anothertyke

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Krokodil

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The Bear

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Tetragon213

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The Bear

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