A prominent MSP has called for Scotrail take over all services on the West Highland Line following the recent suspension of the Jacobite steam train.
The Jacobite service was suspended by operator West Coast Railways after they failed to comply with safety regulations, leaving the West Highland Line from Glasgow to Mallaig via Fort William with gaps in its scheduled service for tourists and residents.
Now Highlands and Islands Scottish Greens MSP Ariane Burgess has called for action, saying reliable rail services on the scenic route are vital for the area.
She said: "Residents along the West Highland Line depend on this route for getting to work, visiting family, and going about their daily lives and while the Jacobite suspension is extremely disappointing news for tourists, it’s also an opportunity to improve the service so that it works better for residents as well as visitors.
"Green pressure has already succeeded in bringing Scotrail and the Caledonian Sleeper under public ownership and control. Scotrail running more services on the West Highland Line is the obvious solution to ensure consistent, affordable, low-emission transport."
Ms Burgess added that resuming a full timetable under Scotrail would provide certainty for local communities while still allowing tourism opportunities with a more reliable, safer and cleaner service than the coal-fired Jacobite trains.
She said: "This is a chance to show how the Scottish Government’s public ownership of rail can deliver for the Highlands and Islands in a sustainable, modern way. I urge ministers to work with Scotrail to operate a full service on the West Highland Line at the earliest possibility."
Last Friday Jacobite operators West Coast Railways confirmed that they had cancelled the service from March 28 to April 8 2024 (dates inclusive) and that bookings were closed until further notice.
A spokesperson said: "We share the regulator’s commitment to safety and our priority now is to work with it to renew permission to enable us to run the Jacobite on the main rail line.
"We hope to be able to operate scheduled future trips on the service, but will contact all customers ahead of their journey date directly, in the event the trip they have booked will not run. In that case, we also will issue a full refund."
Fort William and Ardnamurchan Councillor Kate Willis is also encouraging people to use the ScotRail service in the meantime.
She said: "The suspension of the Jacobite service is very disappointing, but there are still many things to see and do in the area, and I would urge visitors to use the ScotRail services which continue to run on the West Highland Line.
"The ScotRail trains stop at all the stations along the, providing an excellent day out with plenty of time to enjoy the Glenfinnan viaduct, the scenery along the route and the shops and cafes in Mallaig."
The world famous line runs for 164 miles from Glasgow and travels through areas of incredible natural beauty including lochs, mountains and the Glenfinnan Viaduct, made famous in the Harry Potter movies.
Yes! I would like to be sent emails from West Coast Today
I understand that my personal information will not be shared with any third parties, and will only be used to provide me with useful targeted articles as indicated.
I'm also aware that I can un-subscribe at any point either from each email notification or on My Account screen.