Because it's the best known thanks to great marketing by others than WCRC and the National Trust of Scotland of steam trains crossing McAlpine's Glenfinnan Viaduct. It draws large crowds every day swamping the car parks. I'd question whether every train is sold out. I believe some tickets can be bought on the day.
It's a lot harder with Mark 1s and pre-Mark 1 stock that doesn't have internal mechanisms.
The mainline railway has, if I am not mistaken, exactly two rakes of slam door stock in use (namely the two Night Riviera rakes).
I doubt if these are particularly price-sensitive either.
Which were fitted with CDL ages ago.
Does it really? It’s a couple of trains a day for part of the year and they only stop for an hour and a half. I would have thought being a significant ferry port was more essential.
There's not a lot to do in Mallaig and what is spent by Jacobite travellers will be spent in very few of the few businesses trading there. The NTS centre at Glenfinnan probably takes as much from car and coach parties. Indirectly it helps to draw people to the Fort William area whether they use or just view the trains.
When I went in 2016, the local eateries were packed out and I had to eat my lunch in the station concourse.
I think that's right, I certainly can't think of any others off hand. Both rakes have CDL of course and have done for donkeys years!
...and more recently have been fitted with a very sensible additional feature that ensures the door windows stay shut whilst the train is in motion.
and dare I say, quite rightly when considering the parties in question.
That one unit alone has more doors on it than the total for both Jacobite rakes and the fitting isn't being funded by £1 million of earnings either.
I doubt you are in the minority. Not only the correct decision the blindingly obvious outcome. I assume WC lawyers are laughing all the way to the bank, as they are the only winners in this exercise which is a complete waste of money
What is your evidence for that?
I’d guess that a significant number of doors on the 4-VEP will be secured out of use for main line use. I can’t see the owners objecting as long as it’s done in a manner which can easily be reversed - locking with T-keys and sticking out of use signs on the droplights may be sufficient.
It means that if WCRC apply for a further derogation it will need to be backed up by a detailed and time-limited plan to achieve full compliance, as other charter operators have done. They will almost certainly be able to keep running as long as they start fitting vehicles with CDL within a reasonable timeframe.
I only have my experience as a Jacobite customer, but it seems intuitively obvious that when you have several hundred passengers arrive twice a day, and who have a couple of hours to kill, most of whom will also be hungry, with not much else to do, the shops and restaurants are going to benefit hugely.
