West Coast Railways Avis 

Two tickets for the WCR Jacobite rail trip from Fort William to Mallaig, were bought for me for a birthday gift.

After a very long wait for dates to be issued, apparently due rolling to stock not being available, we booked for 24 September 2026.

The whole thing is very much geared to the Harry Potter trope and in particular passing over the Glenfinnan Viaduct.

Whilst we were indeed pulled by a steam engine, there were very few vintage carriages on the trip, and our seats were in a standard carriage. The notes on the website do say that vintage carriages can't be guaranteed, but it was still disappointing.

The windows were not particularly clean, the train itself needed a pretty good deep clean, the litter boxes were grubby. All in all not that nice.

I felt embarrassed that the many overseas visitors on the trip would think this level of things was normal or acceptable.

The staff were lovely and very knowledgeable but of course they have to work with what they've got.

You could have booked afternoon tea (which we didn't); apparently this was ready made boxed scones and cakes, with jar of jam and sealed pot of cream, not exactly a unique nor value for money enticement at an EXTRA £29.50!

To add insult to injury, we discovered that a standard day return rail ticket on the same line, would have cost £25.40 per person, instead of the £76.00 on the steam train 'Jacobite Line'.

So effectively, the only thing we got for the extra £51.00 per person, was the privilege of being pulled by a vintage steam engine.

This whole thing smacks of treating hapless visitors and those who don't know any better, like idiots with money to burn.

If you're going to charge those prices, have the integrity and decency to do the following:
- ensure that you have vintage carriages available
- keep all carriages and windows clean
- offer quality refreshments

We felt duped and disappointed and would never use this type of excursion again.

Below is the email sent to West Coast Railways after a disappointing trip. Their response was far from satisfactory.

“ Firstly I’d like to make a point on how nice the service was on board and each member of staff we spoke to were very friendly and helpful.

Unfortunately there were a few things that didn’t go to plan,

- The delay to this service, this was out of your control being it other operators that caused the problem on that day. Nonetheless it had the knock on effect that we had less time than intended in Mallaig which rushed the afternoon. (1 hour delay from Fort William)

Again your staff members were very apologetic about this.

- We had ordered the additional extra of Champagne for our journey, the champagne itself was great but being in first class and served with plastic glasses felt a bit wrong.

- When waiting in Arisaig for the returning Morning service to pass, other passengers and ourselves couldn’t help but notice the difference between the interior of the carriages. With the other service looking to have a more luxury look compared to the interior of ours. When looking into the booking options it doesn’t show any difference and this has left us feeling a bit short changed.

The overall experience of the trip was very good but with these things being said I’d have to ask for a partial refund for this booking, as the experience could have been better.”

Please be careful before you spend £££ on something that isn’t promised.

I'd say a must see for Harry Potter fans but above all else, most friendly and helpful staff I have ever seen anywhere. 10/10, shout out to Davy and his colleagues.

This trip, can only be called the “trip from hell”

Demoted from first class to second class, not given an option to cancel
On the way out, train pulled out 10 minutes late (no problem). Then drove down line approx 800m and stopped. Told it would be 10 minutes, however it was a further 1 hour before we set off.
Driver made up some time so we arrived 30 minutes late, which reduced our time at the Mallaig to 1 hour 30, not enough time to do anything, like lunch
On the way back, set off on time, but alas we broke down. The driver got the Train to the next station and we had to wait for a spare part, with no backup option if the fix didn’t work, this took 2 hours
We arrived back in Fort William 2 hours late, 9pm, by this time all the restaurants were closed. So a full dat without food!

The steam engine and carriages looked to be in good condition, but we paid for an experience. The carriages, weren’t actually that old, so the trip was an experience but not what we paid for.

Wrote to WCR customer service they responded after 1 week saying senior management would respond in 4 weeks, 6 weeks later and one chasing email no reply
Time to the ombudsman

Scammers giving shockingly poor experience and keep badgering for more purchases during trip.
Forced to stay seated for 10 hours, even unable to leave seat to see the view which you’ve paid for in the trip, arrogant staff, not as advertised, sat stationary at junction for 2 hours for no reason, absolutely awful.
Visit heritage railways for a nicer experience.

We were booked on the jacobite express on the 14th june, What a disgrace. We paid 250pounds and the train only made it to Mallaig. We saw nothing, we were sitting on the wrong side. They only offered us 25% back on this disaster and they say it is a tourist attraction. To save money go on scotrail, and drive to the viaduct and take a pic. We are tourists from Australia and I would warn everyone to stay away.

Just total disorganisation, Steward could not give a toss, about us.
No information when champagne and chocolates would arrive.
Also no steam locomotive on 14th July, but saw it going back.
Should be jacobite train journey, not steam train.
Totally disappointed, was our wedding anniversary 😢.
Worked in customer service for years, until retirement, and this is the wrong track.
Get your staff retrained.
I would train them for nothing,
It's an embarrassment to customer service.
Your service is out of order, you have people from all over the world travelling, this is not the way of doing it.
Also could not hear announcements, safety issue Also a concern.
No air cooling, unhappy customers, no information unhappy customers, miserable staff, unhappy customers, just total failure start to finish.
Harry Potter keeps you going, and that it, the rest doomed, and it's a shame, could be much improved.
You need someone that cares about service, and has the passion to exceed the experience, to date you have failed.

Booking Ref -JAC-246202

My Wife and I were booked on the Jacobite train from Fort William to Mallaig on 26th June 2026 and return and it was a nightmare day, the train broke down 5 mins outside Fort William station and an hour later of sitting and waiting we were advised that the train could not proceed and we would be pulled back to Fort William by a diesel locomotive. That wasn't the only reason for my 1* review, in the pictures of the train on the website it is all old quaint 1930s rolling stock pulled by a steam train - right - WRONG!! The only 'old' carriages were the 2 first class carraiges with the rest tired grey and blue 1970's rolling stock - not what we were expecting. We paid £155 for 2 return normal class seats - if we had known what a rip off it was we would have booked the Scotrail service to Mallaig which was a lot cheaper and with the same views out of the window - there was very little fresh air out of very small windows and staff were telling passengers not to stand near the main doors to get more air. A 4 hour round trip by car from where we were staying for nothing - what was even more galling the Harry Potter merch trolley was still wheeled through the train!!! It took a week to get a refund as paid on credit card. Avoid like the plague.

Went on the Scarborough Spa trip on 27/8/25. It was the most disappointing experience I've had travelling on a steam excursion....and I've done many!
I paid for First Class seats for my husband's and I 14th anniversary. Our carriage was not the first class quality we expected. Uncomfortable seats, a drab grey colour and not even a little lamp at the window! It had damp marks all over the walls
The carriage next to ours had sumptuous red comfortable seats and a little lamp. To top it all off it was empty apart from staff having a snooze! I asked if we could possibly move into this carriage and was told they 'would get back to me'....they didn't!
In all the years I have been traveling First Class with various steam companies, I have always had an enjoyable, value for money trip and have never felt the need to complain... untill now!
I think I'll stick with Statesman Rail etc in future.... assured to receive what you pay for.
I would not recommend WCR as I really feel I've been ripped off.
Yes I did send an email but they really didn't care.

Absolutely ripped off and steam engine cancelled days before with a 10% refund offered. Make sure terms and conditions are read when booking because they dont care about customers.

Do not book to go on the Dalesman. Expensive any not worth it, likely won't even have a steam train.

Not worth the money, paid for first class, the seats were comfortable with plenty of room.
Windows were dirty, only the seats facing forward got a clear view of the viaduct. It was so hot as windows could not be opened, no standing allowed to get better pictures. We did get a hot drink and biscuit on both journeys. There was a 20 min stop not mentioned in details on the way out. Far better to take local train service and or drive to viaduct to get better pictures. Cold drinks were not chilled

Jacobite Train: Fort William to Mallaig – A Disappointing Experience

As a proud Scot, I was deeply embarrassed by the standard of service on this journey, particularly in front of the many tourists from Germany and the USA who had come expecting a memorable experience.

From start to finish, the service lacked pride and professionalism, seeming more like a money-making venture rather than a showcase of Scottish heritage. In contrast, the Isle of Man Steam Railway demonstrates how such an experience should be managed—with well-maintained stations, staff dressed with care, and a genuine commitment to excellence.

Onboard the Jacobite train, the staff wore yellow vests and shouted instructions at passengers rather than offering a welcoming and informative experience. There was no professional tour guide to enhance the journey, leaving visitors with little insight into the scenic route they had paid to enjoy.

First-class service was particularly underwhelming. Expectations of a premium experience were shattered—passengers requesting a simple coffee top-up were charged extra, which felt far from the service one would anticipate in first class.

Many of the tourists had made an effort to dress up for the occasion, expecting something special. Unfortunately, the reality did not match their expectations. Frankly, this experience needs serious review. Given the poor service and lack of care, I would not recommend spending the money on this journey—better views can be enjoyed from the roadside or regular train .

Awful service. We had a steam train package booked. They cancelled a week before with no explanation. No alternative offered. Staff rude when I called them asking for an explanation. 2 months on we are still waiting for a reply from their complaints team who the booking team sent my simple request for reason for the late cancellation. Shocking service. Would give 0 stars if that were an option. And they have had the audacity to send us Christmas greetings, thanking us for our custom!!!

What a great experience worth every penny would do it again tomorrow all staff very helpful and knowledgeable. We had the afternoon tea probably wouldn't again only because maillag has a couple of lovely tea rooms and a chip shop
Would give this trip 5/5

We travelled on the Jacobite ‘steam’ train from Fort William to Mallaig on 11 August 2024, something we had booked several months for a special anniversary and were very much looking forward to based on the beautiful photos and description on their website.

Unfortunately, it was a massive disappointment! The train we were on was not the steam train we had booked and the whole experience was totally different. We were advised AFTER the train had set off that the locomotive in use that day was a diesel engine, not the steam engine we had purchased tickets for. The reason given was that the engine in question was undergoing scheduled maintenance which by definition means it was known in advance that the steam locomotive would not be available for that particular trip and yet we were not made aware of this prior to our trip. Looking at Jacobite train Terms and Conditions they reserve the right to use a replacement diesel engine in case of failure of the steam engine which was not the case in that instance.
To make matters worse, passengers were not allowed to stand near the doors to take photos and because the windows were very dirty on both sides it was not possible to take any pictures throughout the journey.
To add insult to injury, the ventilation throughout the carriages was non-existent and the lack of an opening section on the windows made it difficult to breath at times as the sun made the air inside the carriages very hot. To top it up the engine broke down on the way back and the train remained stationary for about ½ hour. The whole situation was laughable (some people around us were trying to calm their children down who were crying) and my husband started feeling faint after a while because of the lack of air. One of your crew members had to help!
The whole experience was not at all what it was supposed to be based on the information provided on the Jacobite train website (including the lovely pictures of a steam engine …). In essence, along with many other people on board that train (some with children who had travelled from abroad for the ‘Harry Potter experience’), we felt completely let down and critically, misled in believing we were purchasing tickets for a different experience altogether, e.g. “Described as the greatest railway journey in the world”.
We contacted West Coast Railways to express our disappointment and try to obtain some logical explanation as to why we were not made aware of this planned changed before our trip (the option to cancel with a refund would seem like the right thing to do). Based on the conversations around us that day, we strongly suspect many others would have done the same things. Sadly, the response was (not entirely surprisingly) very disappointing. Basically, some additional clause provided a way out of the whole thing, none of the points we had raised (totally inadequate ventilation, filthy windows, engine breakdown) other than the switch of locomotive were addressed leaving us feeling like they were washing their hands off it with no offer whatsoever of some form of compensation even perhaps towards a future trip to soften the blow.
This was never worth the money we paid for our tickets that day and we would warn people to check before you book that you will indeed get what you are led to believe you will get. Based on other similar and recent reviews West Coast Railways seem to knowingly continue doing this!

Advertised Steam loco was not used Hellifield to Carlisle leg. Reason for booking ! Informed well into trip. Return marred by extreme build up of heat in carriages particularly E coach. When moving NO improvement. Ignored. Trip date the Dalesman 17th Sept '24

Staff - curt, uninformative which resulted in us missing our train due to misinformation.

As my wife has a current disability, the design of the carriages was not conducive to mobility issues.

Very poor experience, not likely to use this company for any future travel.

We purchased 4 tickets for the Jacobite steam train journey at a cost of >£200. What did we get? A diesel train and a rolling stock blue carriage!! I complained, primarily about not being told in advance that the steam train would not be running and not being offered the opportunity for a refund. The response - I should have checked my T&Cs and could have seen it wasn’t a steam engine on arriving at the platform! No offer of recompense or any indication they cared about me as a customer whatsoever. In my opinion this lack of regard for the customer runs deep in an organisation - change at the very top is required. Hot tip - consider taking a standard Scotsrail journey on the same line for a quarter of the cost. We got exactly the same experience!

York to Scarborough return. First Class.
The train arrived on time at York, huffing and puffing its way toward the platform.
Staff were helpful and pleasant checking on passengers before departure.
Yes, the carriages were a touch shabby but considering their ages you cannot expect perfection.
The carriage was clean with good size & clean windows. Seating comfortable with plenty of room. A nice touch were the small lamps at each table.
Helpful staff announcements regarding return departures, platform and times. Staff keeping tables clean several times during the journey.
4* because not quite enough steam/smoke from the engine to see out of the windows - sadly understandable in this 'green' day and age. Lack of the steam whistle tooting. I missed the sound of the old rythm of wheels on tracks but that is down to the modern tracks.
I, my friend and other friendly passengers had an enjoyable trip.