Caledonian Sleeper discussion

[PHILIPE]

Looking at the timings on RTT it seems to have been been diverted via Kilmarnock and Dumfries rejoining the WCML at Gretna Junction, but there are not many recorded timing points until it gets to Hamsted in west Midlands, obviously diverted around Birmingham. Can someone tell me why so many timing point are missed out?

Because the schedule hadn't been updated in RTT the appropriate timing points were not there to match it up with. RTT is only an Internal Document and is not used for public systems info.

 

[Carntyne]

does the full-length sleeper fit into Central, or do they have to run a shorter formation?

It does fit but causes hassle for other services when it's in the station.

 

[LeylandLen]

I see that for this week, (w/c Sun 17/01 )the Inverness sleeper (the Highlander) is departing and arriving at Kings Cross according to the Caledonian Sleeper website although not all the info is on RTT yet !!
The other sleepers (Glasgow/Edinburgh ) appear to be using Euston as usual using WCML and running via Birmingham NS and Wolverhampton .

 

[Bletchleyite]

Why via Brum, is there evening engineering planned?

 

[47271]

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=125678

I don't know about Birmingham but an extensive thread on King's Cross as above.

 

[LeylandLen]

Thanks 47271 always nice to have a cross reference ! This thread is ' Calendonian Sleeper discussion so surely should just be the one thread ?

What does Admins think ?

Glasgow n/b sleeper running via Birmingham tonight only so assume eng work in Trent Valley

 

[andrewkeith5]

Thanks 47271 always nice to have a cross reference ! This thread is ' Calendonian Sleeper discussion so surely should just be the one thread ?

Not sure that's a good idea. A generic discussion is fine, but for specific topics there should be separate threads which are much, much easier to find.

In a thread like this one it's almost impossible to find a specific topic.

 

[Iskra]

WCML closed until March now.

I have a sleeper booking from Inverness-London in Feb so could get some interesting coverage and or traction
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
WCML closed until March now.

Floodwater damage to the Lamington Viaduct has been described as "very serious"

The West Coast Main Line is to remain closed until the beginning of March amid further delays to repair a crucial viaduct in South Lanarkshire.

The route was closed north of Carlisle earlier this month after Storm Frank at the end of December caused damage to the Lamington Viaduct.

Engineers initially thought the repairs would be completed by 1 February.

They have now said the extent of the damage means the crossing will not re-open until the first week in March.

Phil Verster, managing director of the ScotRail Alliance said: "The damage caused by Storm Frank to the Lamington Viaduct has been very serious.

"Our engineers have been in a race against time to get the structure stabilised and prevent it from collapsing into the Clyde.

"Only now that we have won that race can we really see the full extent of the damage."

The water of the Clyde has undermined parts of the pier supporting the viaduct. Over the coming weeks, engineers will install additional concrete supports on either side of the viaduct's second pier to strengthen the structure.

They will then install additional 8m-long rock anchors through the pier's foundations to support the structure from a much wider and lower base.
Structural repairs to the third pier will also be completed and the course of the river widened to reduce future water pressure on the structure before the steel bearings are replaced, the viaduct bridge-deck realigned and the track re-laid.

Mr Verster said engineers had been using "hundreds of tons of rock to divert and reduce the flow rates at the piers" of the viaduct "and an extraordinary amount of concrete just to stabilise the second pier".

He added: "Unfortunately the scale of the damage and the complex nature of the engineering challenges means that the repair is going to take longer than we initially thought.

"All of the train companies who operate services on the West Coast Main Line are working together to make sure that we keep goods and people moving.
"The temporary timetables and arrangements that have been in place for the past couple of weeks are going to have to continue."

The alternative bus and train routes in place to Carlisle have added at least one hour to journey times to England.

Mr Verster said it was "so important" for anyone travelling south to check their route details with the companies providing transport.

Phil Bearpark, Virgin Trains' executive director for operations and projects, said: "We have worked really hard with our industry partners in ScotRail and Network Rail to put a train diversionary service in place via Dumfries.

"This means that journeys take around an hour longer than normal but customers travelling between Glasgow and Carlisle are able to take a replacement train rather than a bus."
Liz Collins, interim managing director at First TransPennine Express, said: "We are continuing to provide services to and from Scotland, despite the ongoing repairs to the Lamington Viaduct.

"This means until the first week of March customers will need to catch a rail replacement coach in both directions between Edinburgh and Lockerbie, and in both directions between Glasgow and Carlisle.

"We understand this will add more journey time and we know it's a frustrating situation, however, we are providing the best service we can in these difficult circumstances and we will continue to get our customers to their destination."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-35342612

 

[trubla]

Why via Brum, is there evening engineering planned?

According to a Letter from Network Rail to houses in the area , they are replacing life expired track between Polesworth and Tamworth from 16th January to 11th March, midweek from 9 pm to 7 am ,Saturday 10 pm to 7 am.

 

[marks87]

I was looking on YouTube at some of the videos of last week's diversion and there's a good one at Doncaster.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpFHV-3yN3I

About 2 minutes in, the up lowland is being dragged by a 66 with a 67 on the rear; would the latter just be acting as a glorified generator van in the absence of ETS on the former?

 

[njones]

Fingers crossed for it being open by early April. Any chance of that?

 

[PHILIPE]

Fingers crossed for it being open by early April. Any chance of that?

See post #1028. Nothing more definite than that.

 

[leomartin125]

WCML closed until March now.

I have a sleeper booking from Inverness-London in Feb so could get some interesting coverage and or traction
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
WCML closed until March now.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-35342612

I expect you would be routed down the Dumfries line using diesel traction and a change of traction at Carlisle to occur. If not, you would be diesel hauled all the way which could make for an interesting journey.

 

[Furrball]

Note that this update has been posted on sleeper.scot https://www.sleeper.scot/2-news/130-service-alterations

Data issue affecting Aberdeen and Fort William services both northbound and southbound

These services cannot be booked for departures between 20 January and 13 May 2016.
Our suppliers are working to resolve these issues. It is anticipated this will be fixed on Friday 22 January.
Currently no rail ticket retailers can reserve on these services.

 

[Chrism20]

So you currently cannot travel to/from Edinburgh and cannot book to travel to/from Aberdeen or Fort William. Glasgow or Inverness anyone?

The Edinburgh issue I can almost understand due to Lamington although I do believe that some sort of arrangement (i.e. ticket acceptance) should have been put in place rather than "We are not running to Edinburgh".

Surely though there should be some kind of back up in place so that the selling of tickets can continue.

 

[sduob]

As a "data issue" one assumes it's something to with the website and the placing of orders, rather than trains not running.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Longer journey I know but at the appropriate times of day there should be a path for a DMU to go via Shots or Motherwell from Edinburgh to Central? Oh wate, the sleaper isnt equipped for that now as its not part of Scotrail. Welcome to progress!

 

[causton]

You would hope so, but I wanted to book one and phoned up their Guest Service Ambassadors or whatever they call them this week and they said "turn up to the train on the evening and ask"... not good if they say no and I'm stuck in Scotland!

 

[berneyarms]

The Edinburgh issue I can almost understand due to Lamington although I do believe that some sort of arrangement (i.e. ticket acceptance) should have been put in place rather than "We are not running to Edinburgh".

Ummmmm

Guests travelling from Edinburgh may use ScotRail services between Edinburgh and Glasgow at no additional cost with a valid Sleeper ticket.

 

[Bletchleyite]

You would hope so, but I wanted to book one and phoned up their Guest Service Ambassadors or whatever they call them this week and they said "turn up to the train on the evening and ask"... not good if they say no and I'm stuck in Scotland!

Crikey, you'd think they could operate a backup paper system of reservations over the phone.

 

[Chrism20]

Ummmmm

I stand corrected, it wasn't there on Monday though when they updated the website after the extended closure of lamington was announced although I suppose they could still have been sorting out acceptance with SR. At least they are doing something although they really could show the connections as when trying to book it, it still suggests you can leave Edinburgh at 2340.

 

[JohnR]

Whats the situation with penalties for delayed trains. I presume, when the Sleepers were part of the main ScotRail franchise, there were no penalties if a late running sleeper delayed other ScotRail trains.

However, now its surely quite an expense?

 

[Requeststop]

I'm due to travel from Euston to Glasgow on the Sleeper on Sunday night. Looking forward to covering the Dumfries and Kilmarnock Route for the first time. I may even set my alarm to open the window to view it!

 

[Julian G]

90043 is working 1S25 King's Cross-Inverness/Aberdeen/Fort William (12 coaches)
It took quite a while for the lights to switch on the Mk2s on the set.

90044 is working 1S26 Euston-Glasgow (14 coaches)
90048 on 1M16 Inverness/Aberdeen/Fort William-King's Cross
90046 on 1M11 Glasgow-Euston

 

[jopsuk]

What's the formation of the 12 coach train, with what carriages going where?

And with the 14 coach on the lowlander, I guess that's missing a SLE/SLEP pair?

 

[leomartin125]

90043 is working 1S25 King's Cross-Inverness/Aberdeen/Fort William (12 coaches)
It took quite a while for the lights to switch on the Mk2s on the set.

90044 is working 1S26 Euston-Glasgow (14 coaches)
90048 on 1M16 Inverness/Aberdeen/Fort William-King's Cross
90046 on 1M11 Glasgow-Euston

What is the point in using a 90 for the Euston to Glasgow service when the WCML north of Gretna Green Jct is closed? It would have to be diesel hauled from Carlisle to Glasgow?

 

[380101]

What is the point in using a 90 for the Euston to Glasgow service when the WCML north of Gretna Green Jct is closed? It would have to be diesel hauled from Carlisle to Glasgow?

2 class 47s take over at Carlisle to haul it up the GSW. That is if they don't break down as happened on Wednesday night at Central. Sleeper was still in platform at 0015 when I worked the last scotrail service. The class 47 was only arriving in to couple up and there was a 'dead' 47 in No.4 siding.

 

[najaB]

What is the point in using a 90 for the Euston to Glasgow service when the WCML north of Gretna Green Jct is closed? It would have to be diesel hauled from Carlisle to Glasgow?

Because otherwise that's 300 miles of diesel haulage under the wires. They're there, might as well use them.

 

[marks87]

What's the formation of the 12 coach train, with what carriages going where?

Previously it was 11 coaches. Combined with additional reports that revealed the formation of the Aberdeen portion, the allocation appeared to be:

INV - 4xSLE(P) + 1xRFB + 1xBUO
ABD - 2xSLE(P) + 1xBUO
FTW - 2x SLE(P) (+1xRLO/RFB +1xBUO added at EDB)

If they've found space for another coach, my guess would be 1xRLO for Aberdeen.

 

[Poolie]

It's going via the Durham coast over the weekend. Is this a first?