I was a passenger on last night's 1M16 the 2044 Inverness to London Caledonian Sleeper
It started well, exactly on time, but 20 minutes into the journey when I had just finished my excellent cheese and biscuits - it all suddenly ground to a halt. We passengers were told this was due to an overheating engine.
We stopped for about half an hour and then crept forward at about 10 mph to Aviemore with excruciating noises coming from the brakes.
The crew mentioned 'failing' the train there and calling for coaches to take the 100 or so passengers directly to the south. At about midnight some of the passengers in the club car were told the plan was remain at Aviemore thus to turn the train into a hotel allowing everyone get some sleep. At some point a little later the unfortunate decision was made to reverse back to Inverness. This was accompanied by a series of jerks and alarming noises from the brakes which prevented restful sleep. Intermittently we moved north to stop somewhere about a mile south of Carrbridge.
We remained there until about 5 am. When the day dawned it revealed idyllic forest scenery and a gushing steam. An unexpected pleasure. Ordinarily this would have been a wonderful location for sleep but the jerks and noises resumed and eventually we reached the passing place at Slochd. I was informed by an 'expert' that this was a great place to be in train with dodgy brakes, either side of Slochd (elevation 1314 feet) the gradients are very steep. It was suggested that a train without working brakes would roll into Inverness station at over 100 mph if it hadn't derailed on one of the tight radius curves.
At this point I was disturbed to see a Scotrail employee rushing through the club car with a very large wooden 'scotch', its design based on the insights provided by the Armargh disaster.
Some American passengers, used to the low door steps which extend out automatically when the doors of American passenger trains are opened, proposed to leave the train towards the road that they could see in the distance. One of the truck drivers there would surely offer them a lift. The passengers would have to cross the active through railway track to reach the road. But American trains approach slowly making lots of noise so what could go wrong? A moment after these considerations the 0740 Inverness to King's Cross whooshed past. The reason we were going back to Inverness in the first place was to enable the stranded passengers to catch the 0740! Soon after this the down Sleeper cruelly raced past in the opposite direction. It was on time one of the train crew noted. A very positive point but possibly not quite the right time.
The Americans were dissuaded from jumping when one the crew pointed out rather unforgiving jagged granite boulders six feet below the door sill.
The train crew did an excellent job of soothing discontented passengers and disseminating in good faith what little (often contradictory) information they had. Other 'experts' added the discomforting information that the nearest loco which could move us was either in Motherwell or London.
This turned out to be incorrect as at least one loco (and according other witnesses, two locos) arrived from behind us to pull us back to Inverness. The process of attaching the one or possibly two locos to the north end of the train took far longer than anyone could possibly imagine.
However at 0915 we found ourselves moving again albeit away from our intended destination.
The train started slowly at first soon accelerated swiftly like a piano falling from a skyscraper and some passengers thought that the speed of the train was now over 100 mph as we descended toward Inverness station. The serviceability of the brakes was raised. A strange smell could be smelled which seemed to be brake fluid. Would leaking brake fluid smell of , well , brake fluid ? someone asked
We were informed that at that speed we should 'arrive' at Inverness at 0936, allowing a five minute connection for the 0941 train to Edinburgh. (Minus 45 seconds door closing time.)
Thus it was that we did arrive at Inverness at 0936, TWELVE HOURS AND FORTY FOUR MINUTES after we had left Inverness.
The Top Brass of the Caledonian Sleeper Company were standing on platform 1 wearing smart suits and apologetic expressions. It is very ironic that had we stopped to receive their apologies we would have missed our train and thus been delayed by at least more hour.
The Top Brass were very nearly knocked over as one hundred passengers, challenged to race a horse-shoe 100 meters course carrying suitcases in four minutes and fifteen seconds bore down on them.
I did not look back to see how many failed to catch the Edinburgh train but I think many did fail as Scotrail are set high standards of punctuality.
It was impolite of me not to stop to talk to the nice man in the suit. His body language did suggest he was open to input from his valued customers.
I would have asked him what sort of 'table-top' contingency planning exercises do they do. "What would we do if one of trains broke down here or there?
Who would be responsible for what? Do they test the system?
Does anyone at the Caledonian Sleeper Company read reports like Kentish Town ?
What sort of things similar-ish to Kentish Town could happen to a Caledonian Sleeper Company train.?
Who would have thought that a loco climbing 1300 feet in 20 miles would overheat where it overheated?
What if one of those Americans had been run down? What if they had bought their Visit UK Rail Card in New York state? I am guessing the legal action would have to be settled in New York State. Very keen lawyers there.
Just a few thoughts from a passenger who would be happy to use the Caledonian Sleeper again because of their conscientious and valiant staff. Lessons to learn for the Top Brass perhaps, I would hesitate to call them management on last night's performance.
It started well, exactly on time, but 20 minutes into the journey when I had just finished my excellent cheese and biscuits - it all suddenly ground to a halt. We passengers were told this was due to an overheating engine.
We stopped for about half an hour and then crept forward at about 10 mph to Aviemore with excruciating noises coming from the brakes.
The crew mentioned 'failing' the train there and calling for coaches to take the 100 or so passengers directly to the south. At about midnight some of the passengers in the club car were told the plan was remain at Aviemore thus to turn the train into a hotel allowing everyone get some sleep. At some point a little later the unfortunate decision was made to reverse back to Inverness. This was accompanied by a series of jerks and alarming noises from the brakes which prevented restful sleep. Intermittently we moved north to stop somewhere about a mile south of Carrbridge.
We remained there until about 5 am. When the day dawned it revealed idyllic forest scenery and a gushing steam. An unexpected pleasure. Ordinarily this would have been a wonderful location for sleep but the jerks and noises resumed and eventually we reached the passing place at Slochd. I was informed by an 'expert' that this was a great place to be in train with dodgy brakes, either side of Slochd (elevation 1314 feet) the gradients are very steep. It was suggested that a train without working brakes would roll into Inverness station at over 100 mph if it hadn't derailed on one of the tight radius curves.
At this point I was disturbed to see a Scotrail employee rushing through the club car with a very large wooden 'scotch', its design based on the insights provided by the Armargh disaster.
Some American passengers, used to the low door steps which extend out automatically when the doors of American passenger trains are opened, proposed to leave the train towards the road that they could see in the distance. One of the truck drivers there would surely offer them a lift. The passengers would have to cross the active through railway track to reach the road. But American trains approach slowly making lots of noise so what could go wrong? A moment after these considerations the 0740 Inverness to King's Cross whooshed past. The reason we were going back to Inverness in the first place was to enable the stranded passengers to catch the 0740! Soon after this the down Sleeper cruelly raced past in the opposite direction. It was on time one of the train crew noted. A very positive point but possibly not quite the right time.
The Americans were dissuaded from jumping when one the crew pointed out rather unforgiving jagged granite boulders six feet below the door sill.
The train crew did an excellent job of soothing discontented passengers and disseminating in good faith what little (often contradictory) information they had. Other 'experts' added the discomforting information that the nearest loco which could move us was either in Motherwell or London.
This turned out to be incorrect as at least one loco (and according other witnesses, two locos) arrived from behind us to pull us back to Inverness. The process of attaching the one or possibly two locos to the north end of the train took far longer than anyone could possibly imagine.
However at 0915 we found ourselves moving again albeit away from our intended destination.
The train started slowly at first soon accelerated swiftly like a piano falling from a skyscraper and some passengers thought that the speed of the train was now over 100 mph as we descended toward Inverness station. The serviceability of the brakes was raised. A strange smell could be smelled which seemed to be brake fluid. Would leaking brake fluid smell of , well , brake fluid ? someone asked
We were informed that at that speed we should 'arrive' at Inverness at 0936, allowing a five minute connection for the 0941 train to Edinburgh. (Minus 45 seconds door closing time.)
Thus it was that we did arrive at Inverness at 0936, TWELVE HOURS AND FORTY FOUR MINUTES after we had left Inverness.
The Top Brass of the Caledonian Sleeper Company were standing on platform 1 wearing smart suits and apologetic expressions. It is very ironic that had we stopped to receive their apologies we would have missed our train and thus been delayed by at least more hour.
The Top Brass were very nearly knocked over as one hundred passengers, challenged to race a horse-shoe 100 meters course carrying suitcases in four minutes and fifteen seconds bore down on them.
I did not look back to see how many failed to catch the Edinburgh train but I think many did fail as Scotrail are set high standards of punctuality.
It was impolite of me not to stop to talk to the nice man in the suit. His body language did suggest he was open to input from his valued customers.
I would have asked him what sort of 'table-top' contingency planning exercises do they do. "What would we do if one of trains broke down here or there?
Who would be responsible for what? Do they test the system?
Does anyone at the Caledonian Sleeper Company read reports like Kentish Town ?
What sort of things similar-ish to Kentish Town could happen to a Caledonian Sleeper Company train.?
Who would have thought that a loco climbing 1300 feet in 20 miles would overheat where it overheated?
What if one of those Americans had been run down? What if they had bought their Visit UK Rail Card in New York state? I am guessing the legal action would have to be settled in New York State. Very keen lawyers there.
Just a few thoughts from a passenger who would be happy to use the Caledonian Sleeper again because of their conscientious and valiant staff. Lessons to learn for the Top Brass perhaps, I would hesitate to call them management on last night's performance.
