Caledonian Sleeper discussion

[PaulLothian]

And meanwhile, some good news..
http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/scots-sleeper-train-route-named-world-s-best-1-3930888

A TRAIN that connects London to Fort William has been named the world’s best sleeper route.

Beating out the likes of the Trans-Siberian route, which travels between Moscow and Beijing, and the cross-country Chicago-San Francisco in the USA, the Scottish route on the Caledonian Sleeper has been named by Lonely Planet’s 2016 Best In Travel guide as the top dog.

In the guide, Lonely Planet said: “Close your eyes on a chaos of traffic-jammed, office-crammed street; open them again on a morning of heather-daubed, deer-scampered mountain and moor...The Caledonian Sleeper, which runs from London to northern Scotland, isn’t a train ride, it’s an escape - an overnight teleport from hubbub to Highlands. After Edinburgh, the route splits into three strands, bound variously for Inverness, Aberdeen and Fort William; the latter is the most spectacular, wending via Loch Lomond and over Rannoch Moor - where the track floats atop a sponge of roots and brushwood - to arrive at the foot of Ben Nevis, the UKs highest peak.”

I wonder how recently the writer travelled the route...

 

[Bletchleyite]

Well, I'm on the Fort Bill portion tonight, they better hadn't screw it up...

 

[CosherB]

That's very bad. They seem to be keeping it quiet, too.

Surely traincrew can be hired in at that sort of notice? Or are they lying about the reason?

I hope your legal advice has cleared that as non-libellous ....

 

[Bletchleyite]

I hope your legal advice has cleared that as non-libellous ....

It's a question, not a statement.

And I think a TOC sueing a passenger for libel when making a criticism of a very poor service is infinitessimally unlikely. The press would have a field day.

 

[Bodiddly]

It's a question, not a statement.

And I think a TOC sueing a passenger for libel when making a criticism of a very poor service is infinitessimally unlikely. The press would have a field day.

I think you better wear a hat and dark glasses in case you get served with a summons!
Seriously, I'm not surprised the line get's such a high accolade by travel writers, it is simply stunning. Just a shame that the service leaves in the dark around about this time of year.

 

[najaB]

I hope your legal advice has cleared that as non-libellous ....

I cannot see any way in which that could meet the 'serious harm' criteria that is required for a comment to be seen as libel:

Serious harm
(1)A statement is not defamatory unless its publication has caused or is likely to cause serious harm to the reputation of the claimant.
(2)For the purposes of this section, harm to the reputation of a body that trades for profit is not “serious harm” unless it has caused or is likely to cause the body serious financial loss.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I think you better wear a hat and dark glasses in case you get served with a summons!
Seriously, I'm not surprised the line get's such a high accolade by travel writers, it is simply stunning. Just a shame that the service leaves in the dark around about this time of year.

That's one reason I've worked things to use it northbound

Doesn't stop multiple cancellations being a very poor service, though.

 

[Fishplate84]

Was no disrespect to Bodiddly or the efforts of Inverness. I was commenting that like buying and old car or house, the delicate balance of keeping things running is easily upset when a new owner come in. All the patch and mend workarounds undisclosed and undocumented get discovered and the knowledge has to be relearned to get back to to a stable position. In the meantime, failures happen were they were avoided before. It's not Inverness's fault. They were probably working on keeping old and obsolete stock running on a tiny budget and very little management interest, robbing parts from an ever depleting pool of spares.

But was a move the right answer? Yes, even if it means performance pain. The timetable and consist was totally built around the need to get coaches into Inverness. No opportunity to mix the fleet, change the consist, respond to market or demand changes. That can't be the right model to maximise the opportunity of the service long term.
Maintenance performance will improve and the new stock will transform reliability. For this service, it's reform or die. Carrying it on as before would only give it a stay of execution rather than any future.

 

[92002]

Was no disrespect to Bodiddly or the efforts of Inverness. I was commenting that like buying and old car or house, the delicate balance of keeping things running is easily upset when a new owner come in. All the patch and mend workarounds undisclosed and undocumented get discovered and the knowledge has to be relearned to get back to to a stable position. In the meantime, failures happen were they were avoided before. It's not Inverness's fault. They were probably working on keeping old and obsolete stock running on a tiny budget and very little management interest, robbing parts from an ever depleting pool of spares.

But was a move the right answer? Yes, even if it means performance pain. The timetable and consist was totally built around the need to get coaches into Inverness. No opportunity to mix the fleet, change the consist, respond to market or demand changes. That can't be the right model to maximise the opportunity of the service long term.
Maintenance performance will improve and the new stock will transform reliability. For this service, it's reform or die. Carrying it on as before would only give it a stay of execution rather than any future.

With the change of owner maintenance is now done by Alstom at Polmadie. Who in their last life know there way around Mk2 and Mk3 stock.

Do the ScotRail lack of maintenance at Inverness is now showing.

What's really needed till the new stick appears is major maintenance. Which is being now done in the off season.

 

[fgwrich]

They changed the electric ones in preparation for the new stock because the class 90s did not have a high enough ETH rating so replaced them with class 92.Im not sure about why they replaced the class 67s unfortunately I'm sure somebody will though.
Sam

Loco contracts. DBS held the previous contract to provide locos for First Group. This one was won by GBRf who could also supply Class 92s for the Electric part, while also offering rebuilt class 73s for the diesel hauled parts. I'm pretty sure that the Scottish Government are also now learning down the Loco age & emissions route - hence one of the reasons why DRS provides ScotRail with 68s than anything younger, while no doubt the reliability of the 67s would have stuck in Serco's mind for the bid as well.

Don't forget that these partners were decided before the bid went in - Serco & GBRF, First Group & DBS etc.

 

[87015]

Carstairs bit caped again last night and this morning.

 

[Bletchleyite]

No sign whatsoever of that at Euston! This is getting very bad; does anyone know the precise reason, i.e. which member of train crew is so irreplaceable?

FWIW I used the Fort Bill and it was fine. I do think they should offer the full breakfast menu in the seats though; they lost any sale as a result of that and I got breakfast on arrival.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Today it's saying "a problem at the depot". What have they broken?

 

[JonathanH]

No sign whatsoever of that at Euston! This is getting very bad; does anyone know the precise reason, i.e. which member of train crew is so irreplaceable?

FWIW I used the Fort Bill and it was fine. I do think they should offer the full breakfast menu in the seats though; they lost any sale as a result of that and I got breakfast on arrival.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Today it's saying "a problem at the depot". What have they broken?

Reported elsewhere as a shortage of BUOs (ie the seated car with the brake van). There are 11 of these for 9 duties (ie one in each half set and one for Fort William) so presumably 3 out of service at the moment.

 

[Essexman]

Why would they cancel Edinburgh and not Glasgow? I thought that Edinburgh was the busier?
And at this time of year can they fit all the passengers into one portion so those for Edinburgh just have to continue their journey across to Glasgow?

 

[cf111]

I'm booked INV-EUS on the 10th of November so expect misery to ensue

 

[najaB]

Why would they cancel Edinburgh and not Glasgow? I thought that Edinburgh was the busier?

My guess: they cancelled the portion that doesn't require a long ECS move.

 

[Flying Snail]

Was no disrespect to Bodiddly or the efforts of Inverness. I was commenting that like buying and old car or house, the delicate balance of keeping things running is easily upset when a new owner come in. All the patch and mend workarounds undisclosed and undocumented get discovered and the knowledge has to be relearned to get back to to a stable position. In the meantime, failures happen were they were avoided before. It's not Inverness's fault. They were probably working on keeping old and obsolete stock running on a tiny budget and very little management interest, robbing parts from an ever depleting pool of spares.

But was a move the right answer? Yes, even if it means performance pain. The timetable and consist was totally built around the need to get coaches into Inverness. No opportunity to mix the fleet, change the consist, respond to market or demand changes. That can't be the right model to maximise the opportunity of the service long term.
Maintenance performance will improve and the new stock will transform reliability. For this service, it's reform or die. Carrying it on as before would only give it a stay of execution rather than any future.

There appears to be a LOT of disrespect to Bodiddly and his colleagues in that, disclaimer aside.

I am interested if any of your post is based on facts known to you or is it just baseless supposition? My guess would be the latter.

As for your grand ideal of flexibility now that the constraint of Inverness maintenance is gone, how do you explain the ceasing of the long established flexible arrangement that had seen the Aberdeen portion give up a sleeping car to FW for the busy summer season?

 

[D1009]

Why would they cancel Edinburgh and not Glasgow? I thought that Edinburgh was the busier?
And at this time of year can they fit all the passengers into one portion so those for Edinburgh just have to continue their journey across to Glasgow?

Are they offering berths to Edinburgh on the Highland sleeper as an alternative on the basis you have to leave the train at stupid o'clock?

 

[Chrism20]

Looks like the Edinburgh S/B is cancelled again tonight.

RTT shows ECS coming from Polmadie to Edinburgh and arriving at 2203 then something going back and the service being cancelled.

 

[scotraildriver]

92032 plus 1 sleeping car. No idea why. Or what. Bizarre

 

[Mag_seven]

Guess what? Carstairs-Edinburgh portion cancelled again this morning. What a farce.

 

[38Cto15E]

The Caledonian Sleeper stock availability has a worrying trend in that if passengers find they have no cabin or pay for a First class ticket then have to share they are likely to use other forms of transport for their journey.
The front line staff seem to be doing their bit but are getting let down with management.
I had a good journey with no problems a couple of weeks ago,other than no Arran complimentaries, let's hope that the stock problem can be rectified as quickly as the Class 92 problem was.

 

[Highland37]

let's hope that the stock problem can be rectified as quickly as the Class 92 problem was.

Has the problem been sorted by means other than removing them from the service?

 

[38Cto15E]

Yes

 

[cf111]

What's the Inverness lounge across the road from the station like?

 

[najaB]

What's the Inverness lounge across the road from the station like?

Quite nice actually. That reminds me, I took some photos and never sent them in for the lounge guide. Must see if I still have them.

Tea, coffee from a fresh grind machine. Cheese and crackers, biscuits and short bread. WiFi. Nice comfy chairs. Two showers available (didn't use them). The lady running the lounge said it's technically only for First Class passengers but they'll let anyone use it if it isn't a busy train.

 

[jopsuk]

There appears to be a LOT of disrespect to Bodiddly and his colleagues in that, disclaimer aside.

Quite. I find that "no disrespect to" is a phrase much like "I'm not racist but". Anyone using it is doing so try to lessen what they say. And fails.

It seems quite clear to me that at the very least Inverness should have been retained for maintenance of the current stock until it is withdrawn. If the new stock was then to be maintained at Polmadie then so be it- a tragedy for bodiddly and colleagues but these things happen. I reckon they would have nursed the stock to the end of it's operational life with care and skill.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Agree entirely with this!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Reported elsewhere as a shortage of BUOs (ie the seated car with the brake van). There are 11 of these for 9 duties (ie one in each half set and one for Fort William) so presumably 3 out of service at the moment.

Why not be honest then? Could they not hire in a pair of suitable coaches to use on the FW where length is less of an issue, then move the spare one to the Edinburgh?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The Caledonian Sleeper stock availability has a worrying trend in that if passengers find they have no cabin or pay for a First class ticket then have to share they are likely to use other forms of transport for their journey.

Indeed. And some people really don't like sharing. This weekend I chose a seat in preference to my first choice of a cabin to myself which was not available. It's just too intimate a situation with a stranger for me to feel comfortable.

Worth noting though that the flat bed pods would be perfect for that market, I'm not great at sleeping on a seat, even a nice wide comfortable one like those.

And I'm a 6' 4" bloke built like the proverbial outside lavatory, so actual physical harm is not a concern.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
(Funny thing, on arrival at FW it looked like few of the cabins were taken, so CS lost the chance of 200 quid first class fare out of me (plus no doubt a few whiskies) in favour of a 55 quid seat simply because they were too inflexible to consider folding a few beds up)

 

[captainbigun]

It seems quite clear to me that at the very least Inverness should have been retained for maintenance of the current stock until it is withdrawn. If the new stock was then to be maintained at Polmadie then so be it- a tragedy for bodiddly and colleagues but these things happen. I reckon they would have nursed the stock to the end of it's operational life with care and skill.

I'd like to win the lottery every week. As we all know it doesn't work like that. Equally the commercials for the sleeper didn't work with Inverness as Alstom were the chosen partner. We can all debate the pros and cons, but the fact is that Inverness are no longer the chosen maintainer. Time to move on.

How do we think the Polmadie and Wembley folk consider this bashing? There are a few that have the facts, the rest is just armchair speculation.