Caledonian Sleeper

[hexagon789]

Has this happened since the addition of a Birmingham International call?

Couple times from memory.

 

[JamesT]

Well, GBR SHOULD mean that, with an integrated network, tickets are interchangeable/accepted on any service run by GBR - fares integration is a fundamental part of a sensible network and a topic which has been high on the list of demands for overall railway improvements by disgruntled passengers.

Of course, Caledonian Sleeper will not be a part of GBR.

 

[31160]

Hmm the 92s not have great time lately, when is the contract for traction supplier up again?

 

[_toommm_]

There's a 1Z99 coming up that's near Coventry - that may be for the sleeper.

 

[DelW]

It seems to have taken 44 minutes to crawl from Lea Hall to International, so presumably CS have opted to dump it there (until recovered), rather than incur any more delays to Avanti and LNR.

Presumably they'll have some massive bills from other operators as well DR to their own passengers. It was 355 late at International - I wonder if anyone was still on board?

 

[liamf656]

1M16 now terminated at Birmingham International, the headcode on platform 5 is now 5Z16

 

[The exile]

It seems to have taken 44 minutes to crawl from Lea Hall to International, so presumably CS have opted to dump it there (until recovered), rather than incur any more delays to Avanti and LNR.

Presumably they'll have some massive bills from other operators as well DR to their own passengers. It was 355 late at International - I wonder if anyone was still on board?

Well, the previous official set-down was at Crewe - at which point it was still less than 2 hours late - I’d probably therefore still have been on. I feel particularly sorry for anyone who’s been enduring the seated accommodation since Fort William!

 

[D6130]

Well, the previous official set-down was at Crewe - at which point it was still less than 2 hours late - I’d probably therefore still have been on. I feel particularly sorry for anyone who’s been enduring the seated accommodation since Fort William!

Don't the Fort William seated passengers have to stretch their legs by changing carriages at Waverley?

 

[LucyP]

Locomotives that are over 30 years old are bound to fail regularly. What is the point of the sleeper? Just for tourists? Most business people will just fly.

 

[InvHst]

And Glasgow and Edinburgh portions now cancelled tonight!

 

[Tetragon213]

What a complete disaster from Cally. Is 355L a new record for tardiness on the UK rail network?

 

[BRX]

Today I watched 73966 come through south london, towed by a 99 & ultimately headed for Eastleigh, apparently. For repairs that can't be done elsewhere?

Strange to see a CS liveried 73, one that I've almost certainly traveled behind on the West highland line or highland mainline at some point, here south of the thames, even though it's back on traditional 73 ground.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Hmm the 92s not have great time lately, when is the contract for traction supplier up again?

I seem to recall a tender was issued last year, but that doesn't mean the winning bid won't be a renewal of the present contract.

 

[DelW]

presumably the delay repay for the Sleeper will cover this. It's a shame that there isn't automatic ticket acceptance when a train is 120 mins late. Maybe this is the kind of thing that GBR will fix...

Delay repay is compensation for your late arrival, when the TOC has got you to your destination but late. CS should refund any and all extra tickets that pax have been forced to buy, in addition to paying whatever level of DR is owed, based on their actual arrival time at destination (Euston or possibly beyond). Did CS eventually arrange ticket acceptance on Avanti when any remaining passengers were chucked off at International?

 

[SuspectUsual]

What a complete disaster from Cally. Is 355L a new record for tardiness on the UK rail network?

Not even close. CS have had one 600+ late never mind anyone else

 

[Deepgreen]

Of course, Caledonian Sleeper will not be a part of GBR.

Sadly not (it should be, as should all current TOCs), but that should still not prevent a sensible fares policy for ALL TOCs.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Jun 2026 ==

Not even close. CS have had one 600+ late never mind anyone else

On our trans-Canadian rail trip in 2000, our train west from Winnipeg was 18hrs late...!

 

[enginedin]

Is 355L a new record for tardiness on the UK rail network?

from just a few weeks ago:

Major disruption through Retford (16/04/2026) and residual effects over following days

The one thing from my point of view going northbound is wondering why the LNER unit stranded at York couldn't have just reversed to go back to Edinburgh. I'm sure there are good reasons, but even the LNER staff said they thought this should be the sensible thing to do Crew due to finish in...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[35B]

Sadly not (it should be, as should all current TOCs), but that should still not prevent a sensible fares policy for ALL TOCs.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Jun 2026 ==


On our trans-Canadian rail trip in 2000, our train west from Winnipeg was 18hrs late...!

And my father's travel from Istanbul to Paris in the 1960s was a full day late...

 

[Amaranthe]

What a complete disaster from Cally. Is 355L a new record for tardiness on the UK rail network?

Back in the 80s my dad was the guard on an Inverness - Aberdeen service that was over 24 hours late getting into Aberdeen after getting stuck in a snow drift near Huntly.

 

[The exile]

Don't the Fort William seated passengers have to stretch their legs by changing carriages at Waverley?

They’d have had 51 minutes in the small hours, though may not have known it was going to be longer than 20.

 

[MadMac]

What a complete disaster from Cally. Is 355L a new record for tardiness on the UK rail network?

I’ll see your 355 minutes and raise you a 10 1/2 hours on the old Arrivals board at Glasgow Central.

 

[cats_five]

What a complete disaster from Cally. Is 355L a new record for tardiness on the UK rail network?

No, not by far. In 1963 passengers were trapped on a train for 11 hours - I make that 660 minutes.

 

[Krokodil]

Hmm the 92s not have great time lately, when is the contract for traction supplier up again?

There's not really anything else capable of doing the job. 92s were designed with exactly this sort of work.

They’d have had 51 minutes in the small hours, though may not have known it was going to be longer than 20.

I doubt that they'd have had much time on the platform. I watched the shunt from the outside once. The Fort William seated passengers were locked in until all 18 coaches were coupled together, then released to swap carriages, doors locked, the surplus two carriages uncoupled and the train dispatched.

 

[GW43125]

No, not by far. In 1963 passengers were trapped on a train for 11 hours - I make that 660 minutes.

I'm sure there was a similar delay in the snow in the New Forest a few years ago

 

[D1511]

At least from reading this thread I've realised what was going on this morning.
I travelled on 9M50 today (06.52 ex Edinburgh) and alighted at Stafford about 13 late.....just late enough to miss my fast LNR Crewe service to MKC in fact. However, thanks to the long stop at New St, it left 1 early and reached Grand Jn 1 early before disappearing off the route and re-emerging again at Rugby Trent Valley jn 84 late.
It must have been rerouted around the dead 1M16......and I see a couple of the other AWC Birmingham Euston services did the same.
Anyone know what route they took after Grand jn??

 

[GW43125]

At least from reading this thread I've realised what was going on this morning.
I travelled on 9M50 today (06.52 ex Edinburgh) and alighted at Stafford about 13 late.....just late enough to miss my fast LNR Crewe service to MKC in fact. However, thanks to the long stop at New St, it left 1 early and reached Grand Central Jn 1 early before disappearing off the route and re-emerging again at Rugby Trent Valley jn 84 late.
It must have been rerouted around the dead 1M16......and I see a couple of the other AWC Birmingham Euston services did the same.
Anyone know what route they took after Grand Central jn??

9M50 (and I think possibly one other) went into New Street, reversed back up to Stafford then reversed again to come up the Trent Valley.

 

[D1511]

9M50 (and I think possibly one other) went into New Street, reversed back up to Stafford then reversed again to come up the Trent Valley.

Thanks. So did they go down to Grand Jn so they could go back via Bescot? And, if so, would it not have been simpler to go across to Rugeley TV and reverse there?

 

[tehmarks]

What a complete disaster from Cally. Is 355L a new record for tardiness on the UK rail network?

I was delayed by 9 hours on the UK rail network just the other month, so I can't imagine so.

 

[GW43125]

Thanks. So did they go down to Grand Jn so they could go back via Bescot? And, if so, would it not have been simpler to go across to Rugeley TV and reverse there?

Didn't touch Grand Jn- reversed in New Street platform and went back north via Sandwell & Wolves.

Highly doubt Avanti know the route towards Rugeley, and if there is there's nowhere easy to reverse round there. Once you're past Wolves it's 125 up to Stafford anyway.

EDIT-looks like it got to proof house before it was sent back into the platform

 

[Deepgreen]

There's not really anything else capable of doing the job. 92s were designed with exactly this sort of work.


I doubt that they'd have had much time on the platform. I watched the shunt from the outside once. The Fort William seated passengers were locked in until all 18 coaches were coupled together, then released to swap carriages, doors locked, the surplus two carriages uncoupled and the train dispatched.

I imagine a suitably-fitted 66 or a pair of almost any other locos could do it, as the CS doesn't need to get much above 75mph. Diesel is far from ideal of course, but it's an option.