Tourism potential of Harry Potter express derailed
To Harry Potter fans, the Hogwarts Express symbolises the fictional character's escape from his dreary life as it sets off from platform nine 3/4 and introduces him to the world of wizardry. But the real maroon and black train used in the film is being kept under wraps in a railway shed at Carnforth station in Lancashire and because of a copyright wrangle fans are not allowed to see it. The station has a much celebrated connection with the film industry - it was used as the backdrop for the classic movie Brief Encounter and many people still pay nostalgic visits to the station. Members of the Carnforth Station Trust wanted to capitalise on its more recent status by using the Hogwarts Express as a tourist attraction, as part of a 1.9m pounds regeneration of the dilapidated station. Warner Brothers, which owns the rights to the Harry Potter brand, has threatened to sue the train's owners if it dares to use the name. They have ordered that it should remain locked in the shed. Peter Yates, chairman of the Carnforth Station Trust, said he and the West Coast Rail Company, which owns the train, were shocked to be denied permission to use Hogwarts Express. "I told Warner Brothers that we were regenerating the station and that it had many links with film history through Brief Encounter, but they said the people who own the train could only use it without any mention of Harry Potter," he said. "It's a really unfriendly attitude considering we are a charitable trust trying to regenerate a historic station. We have struggled to raise money and we have had old ladies baking cakes to help us. "Considering the film made hundreds of millions of pounds in its first month, it seems a little uncharitable that we cannot use it. It would be an ideal tourist attraction for us and would bring young people here, but Warner Brothers were adamant. It is typical of a big business to react like that." Dozens of people had contacted the station after watching the Hogwarts Express train pull out of Carnforth station on a local television bulletin. Last week a family of four travelled more than 100 miles from Newcastle to Carnforth specifically to see the train. But they were disappointed to be told that they were not allowed to look at it. Mr Yates added: "It is a sad situation when someone is prepared to travel from Newcastle to Carnforth to see the train. We need young people to be interested in what we are doing here." A Warner Brothers spokes-man said the Hogwarts name plate could not be used for copyright reasons. Earlier this year Warner Brothers was accused of heavy handed tactics after it demanded that a teenage girl from Singapore surrender her rights to her website harrypotternetwork.net as it infringed its copyright. Tourism potential of Harry Potter express derailed The Guardian - 28 December2001
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