Frequently asked questions

Bookings for the 2019 season are now live. You can now book online, or by telephone on 0844 850 4685 * between the hours of 9.00am to 5.30pm Monday-Friday.

On The Jacobite; in the open First Class carriages there are tables for two and tables for four at either side of the aisle. The HP style Compartment Carriage is made up of compartments that seat six passengers. Standard Class carriages are made up of tables for four only. Please note if you were to make a 'table for four' booking you will likely be sharing the table with other passengers, similarly if you make a compartment booking, you will likely be sharing the compartment with other passengers.

On all other trips, the seating arrangements are covered in each relevant trip detail.

When booking online you will be allocated at least one window seat at time of booking for bookings of 2 or more - however this allocation is automatic and you cannot select your own seat. This applies to both First Class and Standard Class. The automated system will always allocate seats together. The system will not allow you to book unless there are sufficient seats for your party to sit together.

Unfortunately we cannot guarantee which way your seats will be facing, as sometimes the carriages are turned around without notice. If there is an issue with your seats on the day the best thing to do is to speak with the Train Guard about the possibility of finding alternate seats.

In order to book the HP Style Compartment you must be travelling on the morning train. When checking availability it will show as a 'First Class Compartment HP Style' option on the booking menu. If the option does not appear on the booking screen, it means all the seats in this carriage are already fully booked.

When booking online the automated booking system will always seat you as a group, The B and the F determine which side of a table you are seated, therefore as an example seat 1b is seated opposite (over a table) seat 1f. Also seat 1b is generally next to seat 2b and seat 1f is generally next to seat 2f. Please also note that 'b' and 'f' do not identify which way you will be facing. We cannot guarantee which way the carriage will be put on the track so we don't state forward or backwards facing, or which side of the train you will be seated on.

First class seats are more comfortable and larger than the Standard Class seats, much like arm chair seats, whilst also giving you extra leg room. The carriage is more luxurious than the standard carriages and includes traditional furnishings such as table lamps on the tables.

First Class passengers on the Jacobite service will receive one complimentary tea / coffee per direction of travel. For all other trips, please see each trip navigation menus, where the details of what is included on each class of travel can be found.

Due to the age and construction of our trains, it is not possible to board whilst seated in a wheelchair. However we will be pleased to convey disabled passengers whenever possible provided they can step onto the train from the platform and move to their reserved seats with the help of an able bodied carer. The wheelchair then being folded by you and stored at the end of the carriage.

Some of the platforms on our tours are much shorter than our train, which may necessitate walking through a number of carriages when boarding or alighting. In addition, the platforms at some remote stations are rather low or accessible only by a footbridge. These points should be borne in mind for guests who may have mobility issues.

We are unable to convey motorised scooters, buggies or electric wheelchairs at any time.

Please view our Disabled People Protection Policy page for more information.

Most trips will provide a memorable experience for all ages. A child ticket is valid for children up to the age of 16. If your child is 3 years and under and does not require a seat (i.e. they can sit on an adult's lap) then they travel for free and do not require a ticket.

Unfortunately we do not offer any concessionary fares or accept railcards.

Priv. Rates for Rail Staff may available, these can only be applied via a telephone bookings made with our Head Office. They can be contacted on 01524 732100.

For The Jacobite trips you will receive an email booking confirmation within 1-2 hours of making an online or telephone booking. This confirmation will also be used as your travel ticket on the day of travel and will include all information required such as departure timings and seat numbers.

If you think that you may not have received this or have lost it, please contact us and we can re send this. Please check your junk/spam inbox e-mail folder as occasionally emails can be filtered out by your email provider.

Tickets for Railtours, The Scarborough Spa Express, The Dalesman or Spirit of The Lakes trips are usually sent out approximately 5-7 days before departure, once the timings for the journey have been confirmed with Network Rail. These will be sent out via email and via post.

We are unable to send tickets any earlier than one week before the tour as the railway operating authorities do not send us our confirmed schedule for the day until that time.

To travel on different days on The Jacobite you will require two singles tickets; one for your outbound journey and one for your inbound journey. The Jacobite is a same day return on the same train as it is written in the terms & conditions. Please note a 'Single' trip on The Jacobite is only available when travelling Standard Class.

For all other trips covered on this website, a return tickets is only valid for the date of travel stated on the ticket.

As long as there are seats available on your desired date and you give us plenty of notice (at least 7 days prior to travelling) then this can easily be done. Please note that there is a £15 fee for any amendments made to bookings (this does not apply when adding additional seats or gifts to the current booking). Please contact us with your booking reference by telephone or email and we will try and arrange this for you.

Unfortunately not, we always advise passengers to be at the station well in advance of the departure time.

The Schedule, bookings and ticket prices for the 2020 Season will be available on our website from mid-November 2019. These trips include - The Jacobite, West Coast Railtours, Spirit of The Lakes, The Dalesman and The Scarborough Spa Express. Please keep checking the website around this time for updates. Other trips may then be confirmed throughout the year.

If you do not have a PayPal account you can also pay with any major credit card. After clicking proceed to payment you will be taken to the PayPal website. Users can log in on the right hand side of the screen. If you do not have a PayPal account, on the left hand side of the screen you will see that it says "Don't have a PayPal account? Use your credit card or bank account". If you click continue you can enter your credit card details and proceed to payment.

If you have paid online using a debit/credit card, you will still be sent a receipt for your payment from PayPal, as this is the secure payment site we use for all our online transactions. This is to ensure online security.

On some of our trips (The Jacobite, Scarborough Spa Express and The Dalesman) limited tickets may be available on the day, which include First Class, the HP style Compartment Carriage (only available on The Jacobite) and Standard Class. These are sold on the Platform direct from the Guard on a first come first serve basis therefore early arrival (approximately an hour before departure) is recommended. These cannot be secured beforehand and there is unfortunately no guarantee of how many, or if any, tickets will be available on any given day. Please also note the 'on the day' tickets are cash only.

Yes - however please arrive early and ask the Guard where best to store your luggage. Please note wheelchairs would take priority in the storage space and it may not possible to board with a bicycle at all stations. Please call 0844 850 4685 * at your time of booking to make us aware of this.

As long as the pushchair is foldable then it will not be a problem to bring it on the train. Please be aware, however, that as wheelchairs take priority there may be limited storage space on your day of travel, in which case your pushchair can be stored in the station.

Medium family dogs are permitted to travel in the Standard Class section of The Jacobite only (1 per person/booking). They travel for free, but they must remain on a lead at all times and are not permitted on the seats. Unfortunately, dogs are not permitted in First Class or on board West Coast Railtours, Sprit of The Lakes, The Dalesman or The Scarborough Spa Express trips.

We can make special arrangements for customers travelling with an assistance dog. Please contact our booking office direct on 0844 850 3131.

Regretfully we are unable to offer any other special dietary requirements, except for vegetarian, on our trains (i.e. vegan, nut allergy, gluten free diets etc). If you require a vegetarian option please inform us at time of booking in order to arrange this with the catering team.

The website only allows bookings of up to 6 passengers. For a group booking please call our Head Office on 01524 732100. Special rates are available to parties of 10 or more adults. These rates are only attainable when booking over the telephone.

If you have booked online you are able to add gifts and extra's onto your booking via your online account. Please log into 'Your Account' on the home page main menu and follow the instructions. If you booked over the telephone or for further assistance, please call 0844 850 4685 *.

Whilst we do not have any dress code requirements on board the train we would remind passengers that they should bring/wear appropriate clothing for the climate and weather conditions relevant to the excursion. If you are travelling in one of our Pullman or dining classes, the custom is to dress smartly.

All of our coaches have toilets situated at each end. However, Jacobite passengers should note that under local council guidelines all toilets will be locked for the duration of the journey and will only be opened by the guard in the event of an emergency. Toilets facilities are then available both at Fort William and Mallaig stations.

On all of our trips there is a buffet carriage on board which offers a variety of hot and cold snacks and refreshments.

You are allowed to consume alcohol on our trains; however, we do not tolerate any anti-social behaviour. Under the railway byelaws, if you are deemed to be intoxicated by the Train Guard we may ask you to leave the train.

Although Fort William Station itself has limited parking, Fort William has several car parks, so it should be no problem to find a place for your car. The car parks are well signed posted, and there are short stay and long stay car parks.

Long Stay Car Parks: The long stay car parks are West End, Transport Centre (opposite the Belford Hospital, and at the side of the Railway Station) / An Aird No.1 (Opposite the Nevis Centre) and An Aird No.2 adjacent to the Shinty Club.

Other car parks: (no HGV or COACHES) Achintee Car Park, Glen Nevis - not long stay / Glen Nevis Visitor Centre, Glen Nevis - not long stay / Braveheart Car Park, Glen Nevis - not long stay / Morrison's Car Park - passengers are advised not to use this car park as parking fines may be issued.

For details on parking facilities for any other trips please contact Network Rail for more information regarding your departure station.

One of the best locations to photograph the Jacobite is where the train crosses the Glenfinnan viaduct. In addition to being extremely scenic the train slows down as it crosses the viaduct making it easier to capture that perfect shot! We would suggest that you follow the road under the viaduct and then make your way up the hill to the left (West) to capture the curve of the viaduct.

Passing times for the viaduct are: Morning Train 10:58 outbound and 15:00 return / Afternoon Train 15:13 outbound and 19:30 return.

For The Jacobite, most travellers use the Caledonian Sleeper train, details can be found at www.sleeper.scot although this is a connecting train, if it is delayed then the Jacobite will be unable to wait for its arrival.

Unfortunately we cannot offer refunds for delayed connections therefore it may be advisable to plan an overnight stay prior to your Trip. In the event of any missed connections you may be able to make a claim via your travel insurance.

West Coast Railways recommends that you purchase adequate travel insurance for your trip, including cover for loss of deposits and/or other costs that you might incur if you cancel your reservation. We cannot be held responsible for any loss of this kind.

Job vacancies are advertised in the Careers section on the website.