Caledonian Sleeper

[TheWierdOne]

What has the reliability of the Inverness portion been lately? I’m booked north on the 27th.

 

[ruaival]

What has the reliability of the Inverness portion been lately? I’m booked north on the 27th.

It looks reasonable to my eye at https://www.recenttraintimes.co.uk/

 

[Essexman]

Caledonian Sleeper Flexipass. I'm aware that this doesn't allow Senior Railcard discount.
Assuming I'm going to do five round trips in the next twelve months, would I better off getting a Flexipass or using Senior Railcard discounts? Any thoughts?

I stopped buying the Flexipass when I got a senior railcard as without the discount it was cheaper to book individual journeys.

 

[styles]

Caledonian Sleeper Flexipass. I'm aware that this doesn't allow Senior Railcard discount.
Assuming I'm going to do five round trips in the next twelve months, would I better off getting a Flexipass or using Senior Railcard discounts? Any thoughts?

Almost certainly the Railcard fares will be the cheaper way to go.

For Club, the Flexipass is £275 per journey. I'm not sure which stations you're going between, but a Senior Railcard discounted Club ticket from London to Fort William on a Friday night is £180-190. In fact, even without a Railcard, it's sometimes cheaper booking without a Flexipass.

 

[Caleb2010]

The flexipass has become the most expensive option, certainly if you’ve received have any sort of recognised discount.

 

[Bill57p9]

I'm surprised. Didn't look like there was room for four more coaches (even allowing for the fact that a 66 is longer than a 73) when i was there on Wednesday

I have personally witnessed the combined Inverness and Fort William portions in Inverness (platform 2) when the WHL was closed in 2021: 66+73+12 mk5.
This also demonstrated that a 73/9 could provide sufficient hotel power for 12 mk 5s.

Back in the early 90s the Inverness sleeper ran with 8 sleeper coaches, lounge, BG, generator car, 2 37s and 4 motorail vans - though the latter could run off the end of platform 2

 

[norbitonflyer]

I have personally witnessed the combined Inverness and Fort William portions in Inverness (platform 2) when the WHL was closed in 2021: 66+73+12 mk5.
This also demonstrated that a 73/9 could provide sufficient hotel power for 12 mk 5s.

Back in the early 90s the Inverness sleeper ran with 8 sleeper coaches, lounge, BG, generator car, 2 37s and 4 motorail vans - though the latter could run off the end of platform 2

I stand corrected. Pltaform 2 is longer than I thought!

 

[dmkc]

Any word on the Status of the broken (or not) 73s and how long GBRF might keep 37403 on hire? (if that's the correct phrasing?)

 

[Caleb2010]

I was just wondering if the 37 may prove to be better than the usual traction/ethel so much that it becomes a new normal!

 

[dmkc]

I'd imagine IF they can get the 73s collectively availability back to where it needs to be (Where DOES it need to be anyway actually) then having the 37 semi local @ Bo'ness and available for scramble might be the preferred route. It does seem to have performed faultlessly though? - credit to the guys @ BKR

 

[Iskra]

How long is the 37 going to be around for, does anyone have any idea please?

 

[Morayshire]

How long is the 37 going to be around for, does anyone have any idea please?

Gen on the Scot Rail Io group says today is the penultimate day so tomorrows southbound might be the last?

 

[Iskra]

Gen on the Scot Rail Io group says today is the penultimate day so tomorrows southbound might be the last?

Thank you.

 

[AY1975]

I see from the Caledonian Sleeper website that ScotRail is offering a 20% discount on Off-Peak tickets to Sleeper ticket holders. You just have to show your Sleeper ticket at a ScR ticket office to claim the discount. You can't use it to book ScR tickets online, though: maybe CS could have an arrangement whereby all CS tickets have a promotion code on that you can enter into the ScR website or app (or simply enter your CS ticket number as a promotion code) to claim this discount.

Is this new or has it been going for some time? It also doesn't say whether this offer applies to railcard discounted tickets.

 

[PG]

I see from the Caledonian Sleeper website that ScotRail is offering a 20% discount on Off-Peak tickets to Sleeper ticket holders. You just have to show your Sleeper ticket at a ScR ticket office to claim the discount. You can't use it to book ScR tickets online, though: maybe CS could have an arrangement whereby all CS tickets have a promotion code on that you can enter into the ScR website or app (or simply enter your CS ticket number as a promotion code) to claim this discount.

Is this new or has it been going for some time? It also doesn't say whether this offer applies to railcard discounted tickets.

It's been around for a while but I can't remember exactly when. Alas it doesn't let you use a railcard as per the T&C.

• The discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other form of discount such as a railcard.

 

[AY1975]

It's been around for a while but I can't remember exactly when. Alas it doesn't let you use a railcard as per the T&C.

It also says you have to go to a ScotRail ticket office to claim the discount. As I recall the ticket office at Edinburgh Waverley is managed by LNER, while Glasgow Central has both an Avanti West Coast and a ScotRail ticket office.

In practice I would hope that it will still work at Edinburgh ticket office, for example if you've just come off the Sleeper and want a ticket to a station on the Fife Circle or the Borders Railway, although as it's an LNER ticket office the staff there might not be very familiar with this offer (indeed they might not be at some ScR ticket offices if they don't very often get asked for this discount).

 

[Morayshire]

Thank you.

Mk1 eyeball says 37403 currently sat at the head of the usual 73 and mk 5s in the carriage sidings at Aberdeen so should be on tonights southbound.

 

[AberdeenBill]

I was booked on the Aberdeen tonight. Received a message at 16:30 informing me that booking was cancelled due to problem with the a/c. Staff were very helpful and i can use LNER tomorrow. I am due to fly back early Sunday morning so it is hardly worth going but i have paid for a hotel up there and a flight back so havent much choice but to go.

 

[trainbow]

Look like HVAC issues causing part cancellations today:

Southbound Highlander from Fort William and Aberdeen
Southbound Lowlander from Edinburgh and Glasgow
Northbound Highlander to Fort William and Aberdeen (From Edinburgh)

Ticket acceptance for passengers on tonight's LNER 1E29, 19:37, arriving 01:14.

It's only 28 degrees C in London, and 24 degrees C in Fort William, so it shouldn't be the heat causing this. Yet more fun from the Mk5 fleet.

 

[dodecahedron67]

It's only 28 degrees C in London, and 24 degrees C in Fort William, so it shouldn't be the heat causing this. Yet more fun from the Mk5 fleet.

I think you are forgetting that when HVAC fails a train is just a metal and glass box, which will make it much warmer inside than out, especially with no opening windows like on the Mk5s

 

[trainbow]

I think you are forgetting that when HVAC fails a train is just a metal and glass box, which will make it much warmer inside than out, especially with no opening windows like on the Mk5s

Yes, obviously. I was questioning the cause of the HVAC failing across the fleet on a slightly warm day. Not saying that they should run without.

 

[MrJeeves]

I think you are forgetting that when HVAC fails a train is just a metal and glass box, which will make it much warmer inside than out, especially with no opening windows like on the Mk5s

I read it as it being not particularly reasonable to expect the HVAC system to fail as a result of the current temperatures, rather than suggesting the service should run despite the failure.

 

[dmkc]

Any word if 37403 is getting a 2nd spell on the Aberdeen beds after a wee rest or have the 73s settled down (sufficiently)

 

[Morayshire]

Aberdeen 73s are currently being "assisted" by a Class 66

 

[styles]

Bit of a different subject - Crewe.

Has anyone managed to book a CS journey to or from Crewe recently?

I've tried numerous times over the past 6 months ish with no luck, despite there being availability on the same services for longer journeys.

E.g. 20th August, Aberdeen to Crewe, there's seats and rooms available. Inverkeithing to Crewe though, it says..

There is not enough space on our train for your group on this date
X rooms
X seats

Inverkeithing is a pickup only stop going southbound, but that's fine as I'm going south.

Am I missing something?

It's a shame because Crewe isn't that far from where some family live in North Wales and being able to take the sleeper would allow me to spend more time with them, without taking more time off work, but I can't get it to work.

 

[anothertyke]

It works from Kirkcaldy on that date, so there must be some problem specific to inverkeithing.

 

[styles]

It works from Kirkcaldy on that date, so there must be some problem specific to inverkeithing.

Strange.

I'd like to avoid going to Kirkcaldy to get the Sleeper.

In fact I'd like to avoid going to Kirkcaldy for anything.

 

[HS2isgood]

Yup, I do have Fort William to Crewe booked! For 13th July. It was manual tho since it was a seat Interrail reservation

 

[williamn]

The cheapest flexipass works out at £235 per single journey and a railcard discount puts the fare at anything between £126 & £192 for classic berths!

Id explored the option of a flexipass over my senior railcard or disabled railcard, but I do only book the accessible accommodation!

Only a few years ago the flexipass was £160 a trip!

 

[Morayshire]

Aberdeen 73s are currently being "assisted" by a Class 66

Back to a single 73 on the Aberdeen portion.