Caledonian Sleeper from Crewe

[Jacob]

I'm booked in the seated coach on the Caledonian Sleeper up to Fort William and since Crewe isn't where it starts, I'm wondering if anyone knows the best place on the platform to wait for the seated Coach A (as it is listed on my ticket)

I really don't know what to expect from being at Crewe at 23.45, will there be any staff and will they know? I don't fancy having to run the length of 16 carriages before it departs!

I can't find anything on their site about boarding from Crewe

Thanks,

J

 

[anothertyke]

I would suggest

A careful reading of The Man in Seat 61 CS page.

Ask CS on their Chat function where coach A is on the train.

I reckon coach A is the last coach on the train (ie furthest from the loco, south end of the platform). You will need to be awake at Waverley as you are changing coaches there. But don't rely on my guess!

 

[Trainman40083]

Interesting. A check on real time trains for the Fort William/Aberdeen sleeper shows just coaches numbered 1 to 16. It seems to suggest that upon arrival at Edinburgh, the Aberdeen section leaves before the Fort William section. Does that suggest coach A is right behind the Class 92 loco from Crewe?

 

[Iskra]

I’ve boarded the Highlander at Crewe for the seated section to Aberdeen. Firstly, don’t worry about things everything will be okay. There are staff around, there is a (basic) lounge to wait in. Ask staff on the platform before the train arrive or consult screens, but mainly don’t worry and the onboard staff will assist you if you board the wrong section. The CS staff travelling on board will be at doors every few carriages so they are the best people to ask really.

 

[Jacob]

Thank you everyone!

 

[185143]

Coach A should be at the very rear.

 

[Trainman40083]

Thank you everyone!

I think we will be interested to hear where this coach A actually was.

 

[43096]

Interesting. A check on real time trains for the Fort William/Aberdeen sleeper shows just coaches numbered 1 to 16. It seems to suggest that upon arrival at Edinburgh, the Aberdeen section leaves before the Fort William section. Does that suggest coach A is right behind the Class 92 loco from Crewe?

No, because there is no through seated coach from south of Edinburgh to Fort William. Seated passengers have to change vehicles at Edinburgh - they are booked into the Aberdeen portion south of Edinburgh and move into the Fort William portion at Edinburgh (where the seating vehicle is added).

 

[anothertyke]

No, because there is no through seated coach from south of Edinburgh to Fort William. Seated passengers have to change vehicles at Edinburgh - they are booked into the Aberdeen portion south of Edinburgh and move into the Fort William portion at Edinburgh (where the seating vehicle is added).

But what if the seating in the Aberdeen coach is full and there are spare seats in the Inverness portion? What happens then?

 

[Bletchleyite]

But what if the seating in the Aberdeen coach is full and there are spare seats in the Inverness portion? What happens then?

Suspect you'd have to phone them for that to be booked.

 

[xotGD]

But what if the seating in the Aberdeen coach is full and there are spare seats in the Inverness portion? What happens then?

I guess if push comes to shove, you could book a seat to the first stop on the Inverness portion, and a separate ticket as a day passenger from Waverley to Fort William.

 

[Jacob]

For anyone interested, coach A was at the very back of the train as it arrived at Crewe, however, the doors didn't unlock and a member of staff walked down from the middle to check the 4 of us in the seated coach in, and boarded us at the Club Car door, and we walked through into the seats bit. Big love to the staff who were so helpful during the change of coach at Edinburgh too!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

For anyone interested, coach A was at the very back of the train as it arrived at Crewe, however, the doors didn't unlock and a member of staff walked down from the middle to check the 4 of us in the seated coach in, and boarded us at the Club Car door, and we walked through into the seats bit. Big love to the staff who were so helpful during the change of coach at Edinburgh too!

That's got to be fun for those seated passengers travelling onward to Fort William. Has to be almost 4 a.m. by the time the Sleeper gets into Edinburgh.

 

[Jacob]

Yeah we ended up on the platform for about 30 minutes while the Fort William coaches got shunted in, quite interesting for me, but I can't imagine average passengers are too happy with that.

 

[185143]

That's got to be fun for those seated passengers travelling onward to Fort William. Has to be almost 4 a.m. by the time the Sleeper gets into Edinburgh.

Yup. And you don't really get any more sleep onwards either. Unless you settle in and sleep ASAP, you're not that far away from the jointed track of the WHL and you will not get to sleep on that!

I'm reliably informed alcohol helps...
My errmm... "friend" did it once, got very, very drunk. Remembered passing Oxenholme and then the next thing they knew, woke up lying across two seats crossing Rannoch Moor.

The last time I did it, someone was kicking off with the staff onboard claiming he hadn't been told we had to move, and wasn't happy at the wait while our part of the train was shunted. It is very clearly detailed and you get two different seat reservations on your ticket FWIW. A woman near them both told him bluntly to shut up and deal with it as we all had to do it and no one else was complaining. Did the trick!

As someone else said, it was certainly interesting for me to watch. The other passengers seemed largely indifferent to it. A couple were curious at the complexity of the operation. But mostly just sitting quietly waiting to get back on.

 

[Iskra]

Yup. And you don't really get any more sleep onwards either. Unless you settle in and sleep ASAP, you're not that far away from the jointed track of the WHL and you will not get to sleep on that!

I'm reliably informed alcohol helps...
My errmm... "friend" did it once, got very, very drunk. Remembered passing Oxenholme and then the next thing they knew, woke up lying across two seats crossing Rannoch Moor.

The last time I did it, someone was kicking off with the staff onboard claiming he hadn't been told we had to move, and wasn't happy at the wait while our part of the train was shunted. It is very clearly detailed and you get two different seat reservations on your ticket FWIW. A woman near them both told him bluntly to shut up and deal with it as we all had to do it and no one else was complaining. Did the trick!

As someone else said, it was certainly interesting for me to watch. The other passengers seemed largely indifferent to it. A couple were curious at the complexity of the operation. But mostly just sitting quietly waiting to get back on.

Alcohol actually disrupts sleep. The best way to travel on a sleeper train is just to make sure you are very tired when you travel.

 

[xotGD]

Alcohol actually disrupts sleep. The best way to travel on a sleeper train is just to make sure you are very tired when you travel.

Yep - do an overnight the previous night with no sleep to give yourself a chance to drop off during the second overnight.

Tested to destruction with 7 in a row back in the day!

 

[railfan99]

For anyone interested, coach A was at the very back of the train as it arrived at Crewe, however, the doors didn't unlock and a member of staff walked down from the middle to check the 4 of us in the seated coach in, and boarded us at the Club Car door, and we walked through into the seats bit. Big love to the staff who were so helpful during the change of coach at Edinburgh too!

How many were in the sitting car departing Crewe, and departing Edinburgh?

 

[Jacob]

From Crewe it was pretty full, most seats occupied apart from ones reserved from Crewe. Felt very weird entering the dim, quiet coach at Crewe like I was invading the peace

Once we boarded the new coach at Edinburgh, it was maybe 5 people total and then two who boarded as day passengers. Staff let me and my friend spread out a bit and it was really nice on that portion!