Caledonian Sleeper discussion

[Scotrail84]

Looking at travelling from Fort William to Glasgow Queen St this Friday , do you have to reserve a seat or is there a supplement?

Reserve a seat. Bank holiday weekend.

 

[Scotrail84]

We are traveling north on weds night

Cant help you on what time breakfast is served on the Ft william line, I'd imagine anytime between 07:30 - 09:00. You can specify a preferred time although bear in mind others may ask for breakfast at the same time so it might not be on the dot.

 

[BRX]

73966 delivered us to ft william bang on time this morning.

 

[TimboM]

To answer the question about whether any mention is made of the diversionary route - no, it wasn't, and I think it does confuse some passengers, who not only notice the stop in wembley yard but the fact that an hour and more after we have left london, we are still rolling around in the vicinity of kings cross.

Eavesdropping in the lounge car, it seemed that one group had decided the reason for the stop and the diversion was to do with the engine having broken down.

...to illustrate my point, Tweet to Caledonian Sleeper at 21:53 last night from a passenger: "why has our train [...1S25...] been going backwards for 20 mins? No updates from driver!"

Leaving aside the driver most likely wouldn't be the one to give any updates and the only time the train was going 'backwards' was arguably when it left Euston en route to Wembley, you'd think with the Sleeper's (perhaps unfair) reputation for being beset with problems CS would give out a bit more info on this in advance.

I take Scotrail84's point above, though - and I guess the majority of the passengers are enthusiasts who know what's going on and/or don't really care as long as they get to the destination roughly on time.

I trust you put the group in the lounge car straight...? "92032 break down?? Never!"

Noticed a 56 in the distance. Adjacent to where we were sat, a DRS 57 was running round a 313 (test train?) unit.

The 56 was probably DCR 56312 as that's at WEFOC at the moment.

 

[47271]

...to illustrate my point, Tweet to Caledonian Sleeper at 21:53 last night from a passenger: "why has our train [...1S25...] been going backwards for 20 mins? No updates from driver!"

Leaving aside the driver most likely wouldn't be the one to give any updates and the only time the train was going 'backwards' was arguably when it left Euston en route to Wembley, you'd think with the Sleeper's (perhaps unfair) reputation for being beset with problems CS would give out a bit more info on this in advance.

I take Scotrail84's point above, though - and I guess the majority of the passengers are enthusiasts who know what's going on and/or don't really care as long as they get to the destination roughly on time.

I trust you put the group in the lounge car straight...? "92032 break down?? Never!" [emoji38]



The 56 was probably DCR 56312 as that's at WEFOC at the moment.

In my experience the host will normally warn of and describe out of course plans when I check in, it only takes a moment and preempts upset and questions later.

 

[Clansman]

In my experience the host will normally warn of and describe out of course plans when I check in, it only takes a moment and preempts upset and questions later.

The attendants clarified the diversion plans to me a couple of weeks ago when the Inverness portion was diverted via Fife, as well as the full set via the ECML. Strange how the attendants never clarified this in the poster's case, prior to departure to prevent misperceptions among passengers.

 

[185143]

Do you still get fined £100 for that!?

...why did I ever doubt 92032...?



Anything good in the yard tonight? Think 87002 should be hanging around somewhere.

I asked a Station Supervisor about that once and was told that theoretically it is possible-however as they have no way to check people's details (unless there's BTP about), a telling off is usually the order of the day.

 

[fgwrich]

As briefly hinted at in the other thread, Nice to see good old 'Mons Meg' (86401) on the blocks at Euston this morning, having worked last nights down Lowlander Sleeper. Should be returning to Glasgow heading up tonight's 23:40 departure from Euston.

 

[Kite159]

I see 67013 is on the Inverness portion tonight

 

[TimboM]

I see 67013 is on the Inverness portion tonight

Aye - it's been doing about 90-95% of the Inverness portions for the past few months. Apparently going in to Crewe for an exam at the end of this week, so likely to see a new 67 replacing it.

 

[captainbigun]

As briefly hinted at in the other thread, Nice to see good old 'Mons Meg' (86401) on the blocks at Euston this morning, having worked last nights down Lowlander Sleeper. Should be returning to Glasgow heading up tonight's 23:40 departure from Euston.

Nay, 1S26 booked a 92 this evening.

 

[Kite159]

Aye - it's been doing about 90-95% of the Inverness portions for the past few months. Apparently going in to Crewe for an exam at the end of this week, so likely to see a new 67 replacing it.

Cue the replacement being not required for me for Sunday's trip South

I didn't have the best of trips on the lowland service northbound on Friday, my seat didn't have a curtain alongside it

 

[route101]

Reserve a seat. Bank holiday weekend.

Went into Queen St earlier and guy said he cant reserve a seat because its a different company . Tweeted Caley sleeper and they said its a walk on service . Im a bit worried as its only one coach and last train south . I suppose it will be busier northbound but still .

 

[Clansman]

I take it the Fort Willy seated sleeper is often targeted by commuters in a similar way that folk target the Aberdeen & Inverness HSTs?

 

[Fishplate84]

It strikes me that this may become a case of "we can charge whatever we want and if no one travels we will still be paid" - a typical result of allowing a government to do anything. However there are business people who currently use this service to make working in London and maintaining and living in a home in Scotland and paying their community chsrge in Scotland etc viable. We arent millionaires or lords of our manors by any measure. We are simply trying to make our work lives worthwhile.
Will we be listened to? Probably not. The fares will go up until only those on paid journeys by either Parliament can afford them.
I find this sad as the staff of the Caley Sleeper are always brilliant. Cannot fault them on anything. Far from it I applaud them and hope that others will do so to to show that the sleeper fills a need

If no one travels Serco will still get paid, but it will only get paid by Transport Scotland at the level it has bid to operate the franchise. What this means is Serco will loose money hand over fist because the Scottish Government isn't going to cough up the difference between ticket revenue and operating cost regardless. That is the point of a franchise contract and the financial risk an operator must expose themselves to for the profit reward it is allowed to generate if it gets its sums right and operates the business well.

£millions have been invested in updating the service and a huge amount is being invested to introduce new rolling stock. There is no point in doing any of this if it depresses the overall ticket revenue and puts off passengers. There is no incentive for Serco to drive down the volume of passengers or depress revenue and it's not in Transport Scotland's interest to see a lower level of use or pump ever more subsidy into the service for no obvious benefit.

It has to be a success for everyone and from what I've seen Serco has been busting a gut on all fronts to make the Sleeper a much more attractive offer to a far greater number of customers than was ever the case when it was an obscure part of Scotrail run at the lowest possible cost. Not everything is popular but its far from 'new sticker on the door and carry on as before'.

To achieve this success, it might mean shifting the focus of the offer, tweaking the pricing to optimise loadings, investing heavily in marketing to existing and new customer segments. I.e., responding to its market and doing exactly the sorts of things every business has to do to survive and thrive.

Unfortunately the reality is there will be some long standing customers who don't like and don't want this change but to doggedly stick to a path that keeps them could be at the expense of maximising the chances of the Sleeper remaining viable. A half empty train with a loyal group of longstanding customers paying very little and generating poor ticket revenue but needing vast sums of public subsidy cannot be sustained forever. Scottish Government took a huge gamble on the Sleeper - all credit to them - but it has to now prove what it is capable of achieving, especially as with the new coaches it will have no more excuses.

Will you be listened to? I hope so, but equally, if you're leveraging the taxpayers money to provide for yourself an enviable work/life balance then good for you and I hope you can continue to do so but the state isn't obliged to extend you that privilege if it's money that could be used to greater effect elsewhere. Life choices and all that. We all have to make them.

 

[TimboM]

As briefly hinted at in the other thread, Nice to see good old 'Mons Meg' (86401) on the blocks at Euston this morning, having worked last nights down Lowlander Sleeper. Should be returning to Glasgow heading up tonight's 23:40 departure from Euston.

Nay, 1S26 booked a 92 this evening.

Looks like 92033 on 1S25 (Highlander N) and 92010 on 1S26 (Lowlander N) tonight (to be 100% confirmed).

Could well be a CS 92 full house with 92014 is a Waverley likely to do 1M16 (Highlander S) and 92018 and 92038 are at Polmadie likely to do the Lowlander S and Edinburgh portions respectively.

Indeed, and I may be wrong, but looks like there are no longer any Freightliner 90s on hire... 90016 and 90047 both went back to Freightliner over the past 48 hours and there don't appear to be any replacements going the other way...

 

[fgwrich]

Interesting, info I had this morning had the 86 working the Lowlander again tonight. Unless it's down here to be used on the ECS duties alongside 87002.

Having had a brief look at 90016 last week, it could certainly do with a visit to Freightliners paintshop - a few holes emerging along its body side. Oddly fairly worse than the ex BR liveries examples.

 

[captainbigun]

Interesting, info I had this morning had the 86 working the Lowlander again tonight. Unless it's down here to be used on the ECS duties alongside 87002.

Having had a brief look at 90016 last week, it could certainly do with a visit to Freightliners paintshop - a few holes emerging along its body side. Oddly fairly worse than the ex BR liveries examples.

401 was never booked for 1S26 this evening. It was stepped up last night due to a fault with 90047.

 

[TimboM]

Interesting, info I had this morning had the 86 working the Lowlander again tonight.

401 was never booked for 1S26 this evening. It was stepped up last night due to a fault with 90047.

There's a possibility you're both (sort of) right? Last time 86401 had to step in last minute they got it back North the following night tucked in behind the 92 (92044). So could it be tucked in behind the 92 on 1S26 tonight to get it back to Glasgow?

 

[Track Basher]

do we have a date for the introduction of the Mark 5's? I love the Mk3 for all their faults. They are British Rail as I grew up with. If i could get the chance I would like to travel on the last Mk3 from KGX to KDY just to have done it

You last chance Kings Cross to Kirkaldy on Mk3s is likely to be the Sunday before the English bank holiday in August.

 

[Class83]

You last chance Kings Cross to Kirkaldy on Mk3s is likely to be the Sunday before the English bank holiday in August.

If that's the date the sleepers are changing, then VTEC will be running Mark 3 coaches from London to Aberdeen after then.

 

[Track Basher]

If that's the date the sleepers are changing, then VTEC will be running Mark 3 coaches from London to Aberdeen after then.

No that is the weekend the sleeper is at Kings Cross.

 

[GW43125]

You last chance Kings Cross to Kirkaldy on Mk3s is likely to be the Sunday before the English bank holiday in August.

Apart from the fact that the Aberdeen trains out of KX call at KCY...

 

[najaB]

Apart from the fact that the Aberdeen trains out of KX call at KCY...

I believe that the discussion was about Mk3 sleepers, which are going to be replaced by Mk5s.

 

[GW43125]

I believe that the discussion was about Mk3 sleepers, which are going to be replaced by Mk5s.

Thick me, I just saw mk.3 and immediately included the HST trailer variant.

 

[marks87]

Apart from the fact that the Aberdeen trains out of KX call at KCY...

That's a hell of a train, making it all the way across to Kansas City before coming back to Aberdeen

 

[GW43125]

That's a hell of a train, making it all the way across to Kansas City before coming back to Aberdeen

Like London to Scotland via BHM trains making that diversion all the way via Alabama.

 

[najaB]

Like London to Scotland via BHM trains making that diversion all the way via Alabama.

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.

 

[Scotrail84]

You last chance Kings Cross to Kirkaldy on Mk3s is likely to be the Sunday before the English bank holiday in August.

Thats not 100% by the way. They don't like kings cross as it restricts both sleepers to 12 vice 16.

 

[Surreytraveller]

As briefly hinted at in the other thread, Nice to see good old 'Mons Meg' (86401) on the blocks at Euston this morning, having worked last nights down Lowlander Sleeper. Should be returning to Glasgow heading up tonight's 23:40 departure from Euston.

Do you mean up?