Caledonian Sleeper discussion

[GW43125]

At least in that case it's just a coincidence that the CRS code for Birmingham New Street and the IATA code for Birmingham Alabama are the same.

As opposed to KCY and KDY.

Oops

 

[marks87]

I can't quote from the article because it's behind a paywall, but The Courier is reporting that plans have been approved to create a first class lounge at Perth.

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/new...e-facilities-for-first-class-rail-passengers/

(Someone might be able to extract a quote - they permit free access to an unspecified number of articles per day - but I've reached the limit)

 

[najaB]

Someone might be able to extract a quote...

Well, since you asked....

Work to create sumptuous facilities for first-class rail passengers, including wet rooms, lounges and an auditorium, will begin soon at Perth station.

The extensive plans, for which Perth and Kinross Council gave listed building consent, will also see a kitchen preparation area and a store room built on platform four of the station to accommodate passengers who travel on the Serco Caledonian Sleeper.

Facilities will also be provided for staff working for the rail company, including meeting rooms and training rooms at the B-listed building.

Serco runs overnight train services from London to Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William.

In a background document, which was submitted as part of the planning application by Serco, it states that the plan relates to the “next phase” of the “refurbishment and the re-use” of rooms and areas at the rail station.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I hope the FC lounge will also be available to Scotrail and VTEC customers or will we be left in the mad situation of serco saying no to this?

 

[Fishplate84]

I hope the FC lounge will also be available to Scotrail and VTEC customers or will we be left in the mad situation of serco saying no to this?

Thousands of Scotrail and vtec passengers use Perth each day but neither operator seems to think passengers want or need a first class lounge, and the aren't prepared to invest in one either just for the improvement in service quality.

There are plenty of examples of first class lounges around the country available only to certain ticket holders or customers of certain companies. Why wouldn't Serco do the same?
Maintaining a nice lounge for very late night travellers only who at least are paying good money to use your service is a lot more attractive than picking up all the operating expense for a facility and getting it trashed every day by a load of people who'll never set foot on your train but when your customers come to use it it looks like a doss house.
Unfair maybe. But unless Scotrail and or vtec agree to funding and resourcing it through the day, I'd keep it exclusive.

 

[fgwrich]

So, I have to ask. What worked last nights Up Lowlander in the end?

Thanks for the info around 86401s use yesterday by the way.

 

[TimboM]

So, I have to ask. What worked last nights Up Lowlander in the end?

Thanks for the info around 86401s use yesterday by the way.

92033 worked Lowlander North I believe.
86401 still showing as being at Willesden.

 

[basfordlad]

In the buffet car thing ..air con isn't working in this car and the host guy has all the charm of an alley cat.......

 

[Clansman]

Thousands of Scotrail and vtec passengers use Perth each day but neither operator seems to think passengers want or need a first class lounge, and the aren't prepared to invest in one either just for the improvement in service quality.

The first class patronage between Perth and Inverness is proof enough that such lounge would be popular - as many passengers from Inverness transfer over to platform 2 or 5 for Edinburgh and Glasgow (depending on the service they've just alighted from).

There are plenty of examples of first class lounges around the country available only to certain ticket holders or customers of certain companies. Why wouldn't Serco do the same?
Maintaining a nice lounge for very late night travellers only who at least are paying good money to use your service is a lot more attractive than picking up all the operating expense for a facility and getting it trashed every day by a load of people who'll never set foot on your train but when your customers come to use it it looks like a doss house.
Unfair maybe. But unless Scotrail and or vtec agree to funding and resourcing it through the day, I'd keep it exclusive.

The lounge just looks to be an addition to the training centre, rather than a purpose of it. Perth's location is the most ideal for such facility as it connects dead centre (almost) to Aberdeen/Inverness/Glasgow/Edinburgh - in which all 4 have Sleeper staff based; in which Serco would be as well provide a passenger facility with it.

It'd be pointless limiting the lounge for sleeper passengers for obvious reasons relating to the service frequency and it's usage from most intermediate stations en route, let alone Perth. Keeping it exclusive would alienate it from the station, and would be a waste of a facility which would definitely see more usage throughout the day - especially with the hourly HSTs to and from Inverness from 2018. It would be a huge missed oppertunity to not allow the usage of Scotrail and VTEC first class ticket holders.

 

[jopsuk]

In the Edinburgh lounge of the northbound lowlander right now. 86 at the buffers. Not a clue what's on the front. Bed is in a green coach. Air-con isn't great in the lounge!

 

[Scotrail84]

In the buffet car thing ..air con isn't working in this car and the host guy has all the charm of an alley cat.......

In the Edinburgh lounge of the northbound lowlander right now. 86 at the buffers. Not a clue what's on the front. Bed is in a green coach. Air-con isn't great in the lounge!

There is no AC, its either heating on or off. Some lounges have aux only but most are just a simple on/off switch.

Windows down is strong indication its too hot in the lounge.

 

[JohnR]

I thought the Aberdeen sleeper goes via Fife and the Tay Bridge? Sure they're not diverting via Perth?

 

[47271]

There is no AC, its either heating on or off. Some lounges have aux only but most are just a simple on/off switch.

Windows down is strong indication its too hot in the lounge.

They must've disabled the lounge aircon relatively recently because I remember one being pretty decently cooled before departure one very warm summer evening at Euston less than two years ago, and certainly since Serco took over.

Like you say, the droplights are pretty effective in doing the job as soon as the train starts moving, it's just a bit grim sat in the platform.

Thankfully cabin aircon faults are relatively rare. I had a bad do back in the days of First when I had to go and open all four droplights in the carriage and then try to survive with the door propped open a bit. To say that I had a bad night's sleep is an understatement.

 

[najaB]

I thought the Aberdeen sleeper goes via Fife and the Tay Bridge? Sure they're not diverting via Perth?

They do sometimes, though I can't see what this question is apropos to?

 

[route101]

Managed to get a seat reservation for Fort William to Glasgow for tomorrow night . Seated , hopefully isent too busy. I phoned them but on twitter they said it was a walk on service.

 

[TimboM]

In the Edinburgh lounge of the northbound lowlander right now. 86 at the buffers. Not a clue what's on the front. Bed is in a green coach. Air-con isn't great in the lounge!

Might have found out by now, but 92038 was your traction to Carstairs, then I believe 92018 from their to Edinburgh.

I understood it to be 87002 on the ECS move (which would've been on the buffers) - but if it was definitely an 86 would've been 86401.

 

[TimboM]

So, I have to ask. What worked last nights Up Lowlander in the end?

Thanks for the info around 86401s use yesterday by the way.

...looks like 86401 is having an extended stay down South. One of the latest pair of on-hire Freightliner 90s, 90045, was taken from Mossend to Polmadie today and appears to be working the Glasgow ECS (86401's usual turn in past few months).

Meanwhile 86401 is still at Wembley/Willesden - probably ensures there's a bit more balance in where the locos are and some more cover at the southern end with 86101 at Barrow Hill for repair and 92032 on the China Clay tanks.

 

[DuncanS]

Managed to get a seat reservation for Fort William to Glasgow for tomorrow night . Seated , hopefully isent too busy. I phoned them but on twitter they said it was a walk on service.

There were 7 of us in seated FW/G a couple of weeks ago, all of them walkers apart from myself who was there for work - it got busier at the traditional walking stations but I don't think we got above 15 people at any point.

 

[Bletchleyite]

There is no AC, its either heating on or off. Some lounges have aux only but most are just a simple on/off switch.

Windows down is strong indication its too hot in the lounge.

They're standard sealed-window Mk2s, why would they not have aircon? Has it been retrospectively removed?

 

[Mag_seven]

They're standard sealed-window Mk2s, why would they not have aircon? Has it been retrospectively removed?

I would hope not - can't imagine what it must be like in the current conditions given the coach will sit in the sun for most of the day outside the depot!

 

[47271]

I would hope not - can't imagine what it must be like in the current conditions given the coach will sit in the sun for most of the day outside the depot!

Even with the aircon working - heating and ventilation has always been a bit ropey on those mk2s - they used to struggle to get the temp down at Euston in the evening in the summer. The droplights are surprisingly effective at cooling the coach at speed, it's pre departure that can be nasty.

At least lounge users can go back to their berths, where the aircon is normally very good. It's the seated coach that must be quite unpleasant if we're saying that CS has completely done away with aircon it its mk2s, that seems to be what Scotrail84 is suggesting?

 

[bunnahabhain]

Last time I was on the sleeper it was a choice between heating or having the galley working, so we warmed ourselves up with haggis and whisky! I presume it might be the same thing with the aircon?

 

[Zerothebrake!]

Travelled south in the seated Aberdeen portion last night with no lights ( bar the funky green light sticks) to Edinburgh then all pax moved to berths in the Ft Bill coaches..resulto! Locos were 73970 & 92014. I thank you..

 

[LeylandLen]

I am in Lancashire where it is hot and humid ; assume its same over all UK
I agree that the coaches must be very uncomfortable if they are out in the sun all day. Do all have air conditioning or windows that open ? I have been on Pendelinos with air con in very hot weather but still feels very warm and stuffy especially if there is a full load of passengers in a carriage, all giving off body heat .

 

[Scotrail84]

Even with the aircon working - heating and ventilation has always been a bit ropey on those mk2s - they used to struggle to get the temp down at Euston in the evening in the summer. The droplights are surprisingly effective at cooling the coach at speed, it's pre departure that can be nasty.

At least lounge users can go back to their berths, where the aircon is normally very good. It's the seated coach that must be quite unpleasant if we're saying that CS has completely done away with aircon it its mk2s, that seems to be what Scotrail84 is suggesting?

No, the heating banks produce too much het even in the winter the coaches can overheat, in weather like this the coaches never cool down as the air con doesn't cool the coaches effectively so its better to turn it off and open the windows. MK2's I'm referring to.

 

[Scotrail84]

I would hope not - can't imagine what it must be like in the current conditions given the coach will sit in the sun for most of the day outside the depot!

They coaches are shedded at Wembley, unsure about elsewhere.

 

[Ben.A.98]

Inverness set is kept in the platform through the week and then moved to the sidings on Saturday morning till Sunday evening.

 

[najaB]

Inverness set is kept in the platform through the week and then moved to the sidings on Saturday morning till Sunday evening.

That's a change then. They always used to move them from the platform around 9am and then back again around 4pm.

 

[Scotrail84]

Class 90 on 1S26. 90 042

 

[Ben.A.98]

Delays on 1M16 tonight (Inverness - Euston). We're currently sat at Penrith due to overhead line problems, over an hour down and counting. On the plus side the seated coach has cooled down a bit.