Caledonian Sleeper Ticket Question

[gcmozart]

Caledonian Sleeper Standard Class Fixed Advance London to Fort William (FTW) Return.

Am I allowed to leave the train earlier than FTW on my outward journey? If the weather is good I'd like to get off at Corrour to do some walking.

Am I allowed to board the train later on my return journey? Again if the weather is good I would like to do some walking Rannoch/Corrour?

The ticket price is the same for a London/FTW return or a London/Corrour return. If that has any impact

 

[Bletchleyite]

a. Officially no, but I doubt anyone will stop you.
b. This one is riskier, your berth or seat may be sold to a walk-up passenger.

 

[robbeech]

It is worth mentioning to on board staff.
As mentioned above, the return is more of an issue, you’d likely get a phone call from them before FTW departure time so you’d be better to beat them to it by phoning them.

 

[gray1404]

They phone people who don't turn up to see if they're still travelling?

 

[jfisher21]

I would book to Corrour as it is a request stop and train may not stop. Also only one or two carriages fit on the platform so you need to chat to the train manager to arrange to disembark from the seated carriage.

 

[Starmill]

Assuming you have a Fixed Seat Advance ticket, then the terms and conditions do not allow for this. These tickets do not allow break of journey and cannot be refunded or amended, or upgraded onboard.

It's unlikely they would actually refuse to pick you up or let you off at Corrour, but given the lack of any alternatives if they do I'm not sure I'd risk it. Whenever I have been on Cal Sleeper in a seat, it has been made very clear to me that I am considered a second class passenger who is carried only grudgingly and is worthy of little but scorn from the lounge car hosts. This is a complete contrast to if you book a first class berth!

 

[gray1404]

How have they made it very clear to you?

 

[Starmill]

In most ways. By using very bad manners, refusing to serve food and drink, forbidding access to other parts of the train to use the toilets despite not stocking the ones in the seated car with toilet paper or soap, and even once by complaining audibly to a colleague about the need to carry "non-sleeper" passengers on cheap tickets.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Perhaps if their cabin tickets weren't so ludicrously expensive there wouldn't be as much demand for the seated tickets! I doubt anyone is choosing the seated option because they like the feeling of being stuck in a 1970s first class seat for 13 odd hours.

 

[robbeech]

In most ways. By using very bad manners, refusing to serve food and drink, forbidding access to other parts of the train to use the toilets despite not stocking the ones in the seated car with toilet paper or soap, and even once by complaining audibly to a colleague about the need to carry "non-sleeper" passengers on cheap tickets.

My latest experience was that some of those bad manners were certainly spilling over into ‘the other side’ and us £240 ticket holders were getting poor attitude from staff also. So much so that they’ve had a polite email.

 

[stuart]

I'm going back about ten years, but used to travel regularly (in first class) and was well-known to the crew. I wasn't pleased when one of them started referring to "the plebs" by which he meant the second class sleeping customers - heaven knows what he referred to the seated passengers as! Irrespective of the class in which we choose to travel, we are all customers and all human beings.

 

[wellhouse]

It is worth mentioning to on board staff.
As mentioned above, the return is more of an issue, you’d likely get a phone call from them before FTW departure time so you’d be better to beat them to it by phoning them.

And good luck with a mobile signal on Rannoch Moor!

 

[Joe Paxton]

My latest experience was that some of those bad manners were certainly spilling over into ‘the other side’ and us £240 ticket holders were getting poor attitude from staff also. So much so that they’ve had a polite email.

Was that before or after the 2015 Serco takeover?

Haven't been on the Cally Sleeper for a while but the staff on the Cornish Night Riviera seem a pleasant bunch from my experience.

 

[robbeech]

Was that before or after the 2015 Serco takeover?

Haven't been on the Cally Sleeper for a while but the staff on the Cornish Night Riviera seem a pleasant bunch from my experience.

This was less than a week ago.

 

[gcmozart]

Thanks for all the replies. Decided to play it safe alighted & boarded at Corrour.

Had a great few days