Crowds gather to watch the Flying Scotsman leave London …

Crowds gather to watch the Flying Scotsman leave London Paddington as it embarks on 100th anniversary tour from capital to Cardiff – amid fears iconic train will be forced off the tracks due to new health and safety rules

  • The train will travel to Cardiff, Wales, and return to London Paddington today
  • It comes amid fears it could be forced off rail lines over health and safety issues 

Crowds gathered to watch the Flying Scotsman leave London[2] today as it embarked on its journey to Wales as part of its centenary tour.

People were gathered at London Paddington to watch the world-famous locomotive leave at 7.50am for a scenic rail tour through the Thames Valley along the River Severn to Cardiff, Wales.

The locomotive, operated by the Railway Touring Company, will spend 2023 touring Scotland, Wales and Yorkshire in celebration of its 100th anniversary.

But today’s passengers will get to spend the day in Cardiff before the steam train returns through Reading and Slough before terminating at London Paddington.

It comes amid fears it could be forced of rail lines over demands for its carriage door locks to be updated.

People were gathered at London Paddington to watch the world-famous locomotive leave at 7.50am for a scenic rail tour through the Thames Valley along the River Severn to Cardiff, Wales People were gathered at London Paddington to watch the world-famous locomotive leave at 7.50am for a scenic rail tour through the Thames Valley along the River Severn to Cardiff, Wales

People were gathered at London Paddington to watch the world-famous locomotive leave at 7.50am for a scenic rail tour through the Thames Valley along the River Severn to Cardiff, Wales

The Flying Scotsman’s doors are currently locked and unlocked with an old-fashioned bolt.

But the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) want to modernise the carriages with a central door locking system to prevent passengers from opening doors when the platform is too short.

It is understood the upgrade could cost more than £1million and is regarded by West Coast Railways as unnecessary because stewards man the doors on its charter trains at all times.

An exemption from regulations banning carriages without central locking expires this month and West Coast Railways is seeking a judicial review, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Railway enthusiasts expressed surprise and bewilderment on Twitter at the demand for central locking.

One said: ‘Is it not possible to treat a locomotive of great historical value, such as this one, as a protected structure and therefore exempt from alteration?’

The locomotive, operated by the Railway Touring Company, will spend 2023 touring Scotland, Wales and Yorkshire in celebration of its 100th anniversary The locomotive, operated by the Railway Touring Company, will spend 2023 touring Scotland, Wales and Yorkshire in celebration of its 100th anniversary

The locomotive, operated by the Railway Touring Company, will spend 2023 touring Scotland, Wales and Yorkshire in celebration of its 100th anniversary

Today's passengers will get to spend the day in Cardiff before the steam train returns through Reading and Slough before terminating at London Paddington. Today's passengers will get to spend the day in Cardiff before the steam train returns through Reading and Slough before terminating at London Paddington.

Today’s passengers will get to spend the day in Cardiff before the steam train returns through Reading and Slough before terminating at London Paddington.

It comes amid fears it could be forced of rail lines over demands for its carriage door locks to be updated It comes amid fears it could be forced of rail lines over demands for its carriage door locks to be updated

It comes amid fears it could be forced of rail lines over demands for its carriage door locks to be updated

The Flying Scotsman's doors are currently locked and unlocked with an old-fashioned bolt The Flying Scotsman's doors are currently locked and unlocked with an old-fashioned bolt

The Flying Scotsman’s doors are currently locked and unlocked with an old-fashioned bolt

Another said: ‘Well it’s lasted this long, some PC madness has said can’t go on without these locks, yet no one has cared to date.’

A third said: ‘OMG, when these trains were built, the people must have been so sensible and not fall out of the train when in motion.’

The Flying Scotsman broke records by hauling the first non-stop London to Edinburgh service in 1928 and became Britain’s first locomotive to officially reach a speed of 100mph six years later.

The 70ft locomotive retired from regular service in 1963 after covering more than two million miles.

In 1970, it embarked on a North American tour of Canada and the United States. 

It changed hands between steam preservation enthusiasts before becoming a working exhibit at the National Railway Museum in 2004.

The Flying Scotsman broke records by hauling the first non-stop London to Edinburgh service in 1928 The Flying Scotsman broke records by hauling the first non-stop London to Edinburgh service in 1928

The Flying Scotsman broke records by hauling the first non-stop London to Edinburgh service in 1928

The 70ft locomotive retired from regular service in 1963 after covering more than two million miles The 70ft locomotive retired from regular service in 1963 after covering more than two million miles

The 70ft locomotive retired from regular service in 1963 after covering more than two million miles

It changed hands between steam preservation enthusiasts before becoming a working exhibit at the National Railway Museum in 2004 It changed hands between steam preservation enthusiasts before becoming a working exhibit at the National Railway Museum in 2004

It changed hands between steam preservation enthusiasts before becoming a working exhibit at the National Railway Museum in 2004

The Flying Scotsman London to Cardiff Route

Outbound

London Paddington – 7.50am

Slough – 8.20am

Reading – 8.48am

Didcot Parkway – 9.22am

Challow – 10.16am

Swindon – 10.33am

Bristol Parkway – 11.16am

Pilning – 11.27am

Maindee North Junction – 12.36pm

Cardiff Central – 1.24pm

Return

Cardiff Central – 4.50pm

Bristol Parkway – 5.48pm

Wootton Bassett Junction – 7.04pm

Swindon – 7.27pm

Milton Junction – 8.12pm

Didcot Parkway – 8.41pm

Reading – 9.07pm

Slough – 9.32pm

London Paddington – 10.07pm

References

  1. ^ Alexander Butler (www.dailymail.co.uk)
  2. ^ London (www.dailymail.co.uk)