Caledonian Sleeper discussion

[Bletchleyite]

Well thats certainly a step up from an RRB to London. That said Id still be mighty anoyed if I didnt get to bed til gone midnight.

Might it be a sensible option for the southbound at least to start the train early at Edinburgh (with a bus also provided for those who can't make the earlier time) and run the whole thing via Glasgow?

 

[najaB]

When I arrived in Glasgow at 10PM last night there was a "Long" sleeper in platform 11 so this was planned and not a last minute failure

Not necessarily - they could have found a problem while servicing the set during the day that meant only one set could run. The second brake vehicle being the most likely culprit.

 

[Hadders]

I'd like to think that they would allow you to take a train between Edinburgh and Glasgow rather than the replacement bus, if that was the passenger's preference.

Obviously you'd need to depart Edinburgh earlier to make the connection at Glasgow.

 

[najaB]

Might it be a sensible option for the southbound at least to start the train early at Edinburgh (with a bus also provided for those who can't make the earlier time) and run the whole thing via Glasgow?

As long as there's room in the timetable for it.

 

[alex17595]

I'd like to think that they would allow you to take a train between Edinburgh and Glasgow rather than the replacement bus, if that was the passenger's preference.

Obviously you'd need to depart Edinburgh earlier to make the connection at Glasgow.

The last service from Edinburgh-Carstairs allows a 15 mins connection to the sleeper so surely it would be better to allow them to travel on that?

 

[Chrism20]

When are they announcing this to/contacting passengers. Are they contacting them in advance.

When you book on the CS website it asks for contact details so I guess they are phoning these passengers.

It's that long since I booked a sleeper at a station I can't remember if they ask for this there and then there is also the passengers who are using passes etc who are possibly for overseas and don't have the number they booked with on holiday with them.

 

[najaB]

It's that long since I booked a sleeper at a station I can't remember if they ask for this there...

They did when I last booked at the station, though that was before CS took over from Scotrail, probably about a year ago.

 

[Hadders]

They asked for a phone number when I booked berths on the Riviera at a station (it was at an East Coast operated station).

My journey didn't happen due to the Dawlish sea wall collapse and I was impressed when they called me to offer me a couple of complimentary passes for any Great Western journey (I'd already sorted the refund at the station).

I wonder if CS are offering anything over and above the bare minimum to their disrupted customers...

 

[Blindtraveler]

I somehow doubt this. If I were CS, Id be putting ticket acceptance in place with XC for usage on their 21:14 off Edinburgh which not only goes direct to Central but is an HST so a higher quality environment on bord.

Further more a complimentarry drink on the sleaper would be good too.

 

[Carntyne]

They did contact passengers and ScotRail had ticket acceptance from Edinburgh to Glasgow for those affected.

 

[geoffk]

Not sure if this has been covered elsewhere. I made three trips on the Highland Sleeper in 2012 - 14, once each to Fort William, Aberdeen and Inverness.

Each of these stations has a shower, two being available to all sleeper passengers but those at Aberdeen only to First Class travellers so I had to go without.

Why is a different policy applied at Aberdeen?

 

[Bletchleyite]

At Euston they are also only available for First Class passengers. I assume it is to do with the number of them available - the queues on arrival at Euston are long.

 

[najaB]

At Euston they are also only available for First Class passengers. I assume it is to do with the number of them available - the queues on arrival at Euston are long.

Euston has chargeable showers though, doesn't it?

Edit: Wait, no thinking about it some more I don't think it does... Off to Google!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Euston has chargeable showers though, doesn't it?

No. The only chargeable showers left at any London station are, I believe, Paddington. (Those at Victoria have now closed).

 

[Blindtraveler]

None at KGX/STP?

 

[Bletchleyite]

None at KGX/STP?

Ah, looks like Kings Cross has some. Worth knowing to avoid the queue even if in First Class!

St Pancras doesn't.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Thats handy to know. Sad to hear the VIC showers are no more though.

 

[6Z09]

Staff being balloted for industrial action.
Issues: Poor Maintenance regime and lack of repairs being carried out.
Defective equipment when entering service

 

[47271]

Today's Herald, this adds to the story running upthread two weeks ago.

http://m.heraldscotland.com/news/14...r__dangerous_defects__on_cross_Border_trains/



CALEDONIAN Sleeper staff are to vote on industrial action over "potentially dangerous" defects in the iconic Scotland-London service's train fleet.

RMT will ballot its members on strike action and action short of a strike next week after talks with the Sleeper's operator, Serco, broke down.

The ballot will close on December 15, potentially paving the way to major disruption on the cross-Border service in the new year.

The trade union said it had been left with no option but to push members to support a walkout or work-to-rule after the company failed to address a "number of defects contained within the rolling stock".

RMT claims that some of the 200 plus defects are potentially dangerous to the staff on board and the travelling public who are "paying top dollar prices for a service which is unreliable, increasingly uncomfortable and riddled with health, safety and welfare issues".

They cite disconnected smoke detectors, toilets being out of order and broken lighting and heating systems among the faults, along with a series of air conditioning failures in the summer "which left passengers sweltering the sleeping berths".

On some occasions, RMT says train staff have had to carry boiling water through the train while it is moving because water boilers were not working in some carriages, putting staff and passengers at risk of being scalded.

The union said passengers have also had to put up with a pungent smell from toilets and an issue with batteries under some coaches also giving off a strong smell, a loss of power in their accommodation quarters during journeys, and a serious problem with a huge number of wheel flats which has led to some services being completely cancelled and passengers being bussed from Scotland to London instead.

Serco took over the Caledonian Sleeper franchise in March on a 15-year contract. It was previously operated by First Group, under the ScotRail umbrella.

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said: "The poor service to passengers, in conjunction with the company's failure to address the issues raised by RMT representatives and officials in recent talks, has now reached the point where the union has decided enough is enough and we will now proceed to ballot for industrial action before someone is injured."

He added: "Our members have been unhappy with Serco's management of the iconic service from Scotland to London since the very early days of them taking on this fifteen year franchise. This is yet another example of Serco winning public sector contracts and failing to deliver for the tax payer, passengers and staff. "

Mr Cash said the problems highlighted by the union in relation to the Sleeper franchise should also be a "wake-up call" for the Scottish Government ahead of the awarding of the new CalMac contract next year.

Serco, which also runs the Dubai metro and Australia's transcontinental Indian Pacific rail service, is bidding to take over the running of the west coast ferry service from the incumbent, public sector operator Caledonian MacBrayne.

It was awarded the Sleeper franchise on the promise that it would transform it into a "hotel on wheels", with 75 new state-of-the-art carriages featuring en suite berths and a brasserie-style club car.

However, the new fleet will not be rolled out until 2018.

Peter Strachan, managing director of Caledonian Sleeper, previously said he was disappointed that RMT were considering industrial action.

He said: "Since taking over running of the Caledonian Sleeper eight months ago Serco has worked hard to improve the service for both our customers and staff."

 

[najaB]

"Since taking over running of the Caledonian Sleeper eight months ago Serco has worked hard to improve the service for both our customers and staff."

Must try harder. Doesn't play well with others.

 

[Bungle965]

Must try harder. Doesn't play well with others.

What have they actually done?
Sam

 

[najaB]

What have they actually done?
Sam

They say that they have worked to improve service.

In the plus column they have improved the bedding and the toiletries. In the neutral column they have made changes to the menus. In the negative column they have had numerous cancellations and short-formed sets, there are ongoing faults with the coaches, they have more than doubled the cost of berth supplements, changed the rules around Britrail passes/Rovers and they haven't worked with the old franchise holder (issues with day tickets being accepted).

 

[keppoch69]

I took a look this week for in the future, past the hostility season, and there are none of those bargain berths, cheap seats you could find on the dedicated Scot-rail website. The company who operated the service before this lot.
I am a supporter of the Commonwealth of Nations before one gets accused of racism; I wonder if having a foreign operator taking over, not understanding the dynamics but wishing to implement what they saw fit, without knowing enough of the country/s ie, Scotland and England, is not even fit to organise an inebriation within a brewery?

 

[47271]

They say that they have worked to improve service.

In the plus column they have improved the bedding and the toiletries. In the neutral column they have made changes to the menus. In the negative column they have had numerous cancellations and short-formed sets, there are ongoing faults with the coaches, they have more than doubled the cost of berth supplements, changed the rules around Britrail passes/Rovers and they haven't worked with the old franchise holder (issues with day tickets being accepted).

I believe that the position on the food is slightly better than neutral, but that's little use to you if you've been put on a bus between Edinburgh and Euston.

I'm not a regular user myself, but I know a few who are, and they characterise the situation as positive on hospitality (comfy bedding, nice food etc) and negative on the railway (broken down locomotives in the early days, flat wheels, missing coaches etc). As Flexipass users they've seen no difference in price or ticketing, but they worry about what may happen in the future.

Have the Edinburgh cancellations settled down, it's interesting that this normally lively thread went quiet for a week or so until today? If so, and if it means that things are improving, the operator would do better if they provided an up to date and positive statement to the media.

 

[keppoch69]

Thats handy to know. Sad to hear the VIC showers are no more though.

To quote an esteemed member of this fora, & perhaps spin off into another discussion perhaps? Perhaps one of our delightful members who are good with lists/tables could compile a list where showers are still available within the BR network? What about coach/bus stations, IF any exist
It is not just travellers of the sleepers who would avail of a shower perhaps. Those who have taken a long "Rover", ramblers, those who are just pottering about and it is warm. Anyone in Londinium between March and October.

 

[najaB]

I believe that the position on the food is slightly better than neutral...

I must confess, my opinion is coloured by them not having the breakfast I ordered. When they did finally manage to find stock it was quite nice.

 

[Philip Phlopp]

Rumour is that the RMT action on the Serco sleeper is part of a bigger campaign to try and put Serco out of the picture for the Scottish ferry contract, and that there's not much difference between Serco and FirstGroup for the RMT to be balloting for strike action over.

 

[D1009]

Have the Edinburgh cancellations settled down, it's interesting that this normally lively thread went quiet for a week or so until today? If so, and if it means that things are improving, the operator would do better if they provided an up to date and positive statement to the media.

I've checked that on Recent Time Trains, and it would seem there have been no cancellations since the last one mentioned on this thread.

It's interesting that some of the problems to which RMT are justifying the industrial action have not been mentioned by the regular passengers who have posted on this thread.

 

[najaB]

It's interesting that some of the problems to which RMT are justifying the industrial action have not been mentioned by the regular passengers who have posted on this thread.

Would the passengers necessarily know about a failed boiler or disconnected fire alarm? I certainly experienced a fire alarm activation heading south out of Inverness in the summer. I'm assuming it was known to be a false alarm as the train did not stop (or even slow noticeably).

 

[D1009]

Would the passengers necessarily know about a failed boiler or disconnected fire alarm? I certainly experienced a fire alarm activation heading south out of Inverness in the summer. I'm assuming it was known to be a false alarm as the train did not stop (or even slow noticeably).

No, I said SOME of the issues. You selected the one of which the passengers would not have known.

They cite disconnected smoke detectors, toilets being out of order and broken lighting and heating systems among the faults, along with a series of air conditioning failures in the summer "which left passengers sweltering the sleeping berths".

On some occasions, RMT says train staff have had to carry boiling water through the train while it is moving because water boilers were not working in some carriages, putting staff and passengers at risk of being scalded.

The union said passengers have also had to put up with a pungent smell from toilets and an issue with batteries under some coaches also giving off a strong smell, a loss of power in their accommodation quarters during journeys.

I agree there is a Scottish political angle to this.