The Flying Scotsman locomotive’s cancelled trips to the Borders and Fife tomorrow have been reinstated after frantic behind-the-scenes work by Network Rail.
However, the Transport Minister Derek Mackay is furious at the ‘farcical situation’ and is seeking a full investigation.
The track owner appears to have made the necessary checks to ensure the world’s most famous locomotive fits bridges and platforms on the routes - after admitting 24 hours ago it had not done the work.Mr Mackay said: “It has now been confirmed that the historic Flying Scotsman steam locomotive will call at Fife and the Borders this weekend as originally planned.
“This is welcome news and, as a result of concerted local action, I hope that many people will now get to enjoy the experience of the Flying Scotsman returning to Fife, Midlothian and the Borders.
“This however does not explain how we ended up in this farcical situation, nor will it comfort the many people who have been looking forward to this day and have had to amend or cancel travel plans at the last minute.
“This is not the end of the matter, I am still committed to seeing a full investigation into the reason why the initial work by Network Rail GB was not completed in time and how it was mishandled so badly.”
Thousands had hoped to catch a glimpse of the famous engine as it made it’s way to Tweedbank in the Borders and north across the Forth Rail Bridge to Fife tomorrow following a recent multi-million pound restoration.
An industry source said: “It was a complete middle-management balls up at Network Rail’s office in Milton Keynes.
“When ScotRail Alliance managing director Phil Verster found out at 5pm on Friday, he personally took charge of the situation.
“He contacted Network Rail chief executive Mark Carne and chairman Sir Peter Hendy, who between them got it sorted.
“Sir Peter was incandescent to hear what had happened.
“The Network Rail Scotland team deserve medals.”
Engineers and analysts worked through the night to complete the checks.
It is understood that potential problems with the locomotive fitting under bridges, such as near Dalmeny, south of the Forth Bridge, have been solved by switching Flying Scotsman to the other track where there is more room.
Steam Dreams has announced that their two trips from Edinburgh to Tweedbank and over the Forth Bridge will now run as planned tomorrow after quick work by the combined Network Rail/Abellio Team in Scotland.
“It is hard to think of a more iconic Scottish sight than the Flying Scotsman on the wonderful masterpiece of engineering that is the Forth Bridge,” Steam Dreams chairman Marcus Robertson said. “Celebrating the recent reopening of the Borders Railway is the icing on the cake.
“This morning all looked lost but thanks to some old-fashioned hard work by Phil Verster and his team out on the track measuring the structures the loco passes through and over, everything should be as planned. Nearly 1,000 passengers should have a day to remember and Scotland can pay tribute to the world’s most famous locomotive.”
Robertson said West Coast Railways, which will run the trips, had only been told yesterday afternoon that checks had not been made to see if the 93-year-old locomotive would fit under bridges and into platforms on the lines.
In a letter to passengers Mr Robertson wrote: “We can only apologise again for what we believe to be an absolute disgrace and an insult to all steam lovers in Scotland.
“Our train operating company, West Coast Railways, received a call from Network Rail special train planning in Milton Keynes to say that they have been unable to gauge Flying Scotsman to go to Tweedbank because their system did not have the right data.
“This basic job only takes a few hours to complete and Network Rail had weeks of notice to carry this out.”
Mark Carne, Network Rail chief executive, said: “Overnight and through today our engineers and analysts have worked hard to find a way to get the necessary safety checks and engineering assessments done. I am pleased to say that we have been successful and are now able to reinstate the original planned tours of Flying Scotsman in Scotland on Sunday.
“I wholeheartedly and sincerely apologise for the consternation caused by the premature announcement yesterday.
“Once the tours have been safely and successfully run, I will be instigating a full investigation into how this problem occurred on our railway in Scotland.”
Built in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, in 1923, Flying Scotsman soon became the star locomotive of the British railway system, pulling the first train to break the 100mph barrier in 1934.
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