Jacobite Steam Train 2026-2027 Season

Hours, prices and access verified by the Jacobite Steam Train Tours team — last checked 2026-09-25.

The 2026 Jacobite season runs from 1 June to 23 October, with a second daily train in high summer. Here are the dates, the timetable, the fares and the refund rules. If you are planning a Jacobite Steam Train booking, this is the page to check first.

The 2026 season at a glance

Morning train1 June to 23 October

Afternoon train10 June to 25 September

DaysSeven days a week

Adult return£76 standard, £116 first

One-way ticketsNot sold by the railway

2027Not yet published

From 26 September to 23 October 2026, only the morning train runs. After 23 October, the Jacobite stops for the winter. There is no winter service at all.

Timetable: morning and afternoon trains

2026 service	Runs	Fort William	Mallaig	Back in Fort William
Morning	Monday 1 June to Friday 23 October, daily	Leaves 10:15	12:25 to 14:10	16:03
Afternoon	Wednesday 10 June to Friday 25 September, daily	Leaves 12:50	15:06 to 17:00	18:52

Both trains are same-day returns on the same train. Your ticket is valid only for the date and times printed on it. You cannot come back on the other service.

2026 fares from West Coast Railways

These are the railway's own prices, published in December 2025. They are per passenger, except the private table and the compartment.

2026 day return	First class	Standard class
Adult	£116	£76
Child, 16 or under	£76	£43
Private table for two	£252 for the pair	Not offered
Compartment	Not bookable in 2026	Not offered

First class takes a minimum of two passengers, so a single traveller books standard. Children travel only with a paying adult. The compartments stay unbookable until maintenance is done.

Would you rather the ticket came with the transport?

The day tours with a one-way seat cost $261 a person from Edinburgh or Inverness, coach included.

See Jacobite tours Ride or watch

Why 2026 started in June

The 2025 season ran from Monday 5 May to Friday 26 September. In 2026, the morning train started on 1 June and the afternoon train on 10 June. You lost most of May this year.

The railway has not published a reason for the later start. What matters for you is the pattern: check the dates each year, and never assume May.

The season also ends later than the afternoon train does. The morning train runs on to 23 October, so early autumn keeps one train a day.

Booking fees, changes and seats on the day

Booking fee: at least £3.75 on every booking.
Changes: £15 admin fee each time you amend a booking.
Seats on the day: the guard may sell a few at the station, cash only, first come first served.
Extras: champagne, chocolates or whisky must be added seven days or more ahead.

Summer trains fill early, and the railway itself says there are not many seats. If you have one day to ride, book the moment your plans are fixed.

Refunds and changes on a direct booking

You cancel	Direct booking of 10 seats or fewer
14 days or more before	Full refund less £20
7 to 13 days before	Full refund less £30
Under 7 days before	No refund
Any change to the booking	£15 admin fee
Diesel instead of steam	No refund

Tour fares follow the operator's own terms, not these. Most tours we list refund in full up to 24 hours ahead. Some keep longer windows or are non-refundable, and each tour's card says which.

2027: what is known so far

Not published yet. In September 2026, West Coast Railways had not announced 2027 dates or fares. We will add them when it does. Until then, treat any 2027 date you see elsewhere as a guess.

You can register with the railway to hear when bookings open. A tour's train seats also depend on that timetable, so a tour date is only firm once the railway publishes.

Questions about the 2026 season

When does the Jacobite Steam Train run in 2026?

The morning train runs daily from Monday 1 June to Friday 23 October 2026. The afternoon train runs daily from Wednesday 10 June to Friday 25 September.

How much is a Jacobite Steam Train ticket in 2026?

An adult day return costs £76 in standard class and £116 in first. A child of 16 or under pays £43 or £76, and a booking fee of at least £3.75 is added.

Can you buy a one-way ticket on the Jacobite?

Not from West Coast Railways, which sells same-day returns only. A one-way ride comes inside a tour fare, with a coach for the other leg.

Can you buy Jacobite tickets on the day?

Sometimes. The guard may sell a few seats at the station, cash only, first come first served. They are never guaranteed, so book ahead if the day matters.

When will 2027 Jacobite dates be published?

West Coast Railways had not published 2027 dates or fares when we checked in September 2026. Its 2026 fares were published in December 2025, so watch for them around the turn of the year.

Where these facts come from

Dates, times, fares, fees and refund rules come from West Coast Railways' timetable, fare and booking-conditions pages, as published on 25 September 2026.

Days that watch the train from Glenfinnan

Edinburgh: Glenfinnan Viaduct, Glencoe & Fort William

The most affordable way to see the train cross: 90 minutes at the viaduct and Loch Shiel, with Glencoe on the way. You do not board.

From $60 per person

Check Availability

Private Harry Potter, Glenfinnan Viaduct, Highlands tour Glasgow

The one day from Glasgow: collected at 8:30am, 90 minutes at the viaduct, priced per group of up to 4. It watches the train.

From $955 per group, up to 4

Check Availability

Private Harry Potter, Glenfinnan Viaduct, Highland Edinburgh Tour

A private day from your Edinburgh address with 90 minutes at the viaduct, priced per group of up to 4. It watches the train.

From $1,063 per group, up to 4

Check Availability

The private day from Glasgow still visits the viaduct between late October and late March, when the Jacobite is not running. You see the viaduct and the loch, but no steam train.

Next: check the rain month by month on Jacobite weather, see what the day holds on what to expect, or compare every tour on Jacobite Steam Train Tours.