Caledonian Sleeper

[prasa]

As noted above, this is likely a real person who has hit the "Copilot" button to send their reply.

I would reply to their email and provide as accurate geo coordinates as you can. Then at least you have done what you can do.

Even though you can put a name and department on an email, doesn't mean you weren't talking to a clanker.

There's every possibility that they use an alias account for their AI rubbish, or it might be a real person who's making excessive use of Copilot/OpenAI to do their job for them

Meanwhile they are the only TOC I've seen post this:

Did you know?

We operate our Guest Service Centre from locations in Inverness and Glasgow and we are committed to sustainable employment in the Scottish Highlands.

Our team of Guest Ambassadors are happy to assist with any questions you have, and all our inbound chats and enquiries are handled by a member of the team. We do not utilise chat bot functionality or any form of AI on our live chat platform.

Although they have posted about how they are using AI to reduce routine tasks and mundane work. https://www.microsoft.com/en/custom...5-contact-center#customers-share-modal-dialog

 

[Bletchleyite]

Although they have posted about how they are using AI to reduce routine tasks and mundane work. https://www.microsoft.com/en/custom...5-contact-center#customers-share-modal-dialog

That would tally with it being a person using Copilot and not reading what they're sending properly before sending it. A modern version of a standard template, perhaps, and just as bad as one.

Clue for businesses: AI has a role, but no customer was ever satisfied by a standard letter (personally if I'm ever sent one in reply to a customer service request I massively kick off and escalate things as high as I possibly can), and AI makes it even worse (and is really obvious). Just don't. Nothing says "we don't care about our customers" like sending a template or AI reply without reading, properly digesting and either acting on or justifying why you can't act on the customer's request.

 

[najaB]

Meanwhile they are the only TOC I've seen post this:

Did you know?

We operate our Guest Service Centre from locations in Inverness and Glasgow and we are committed to sustainable employment in the Scottish Highlands.

Our team of Guest Ambassadors are happy to assist with any questions you have, and all our inbound chats and enquiries are handled by a member of the team. We do not utilise chat bot functionality or any form of AI on our live chat platform.

Although they have posted about how they are using AI to reduce routine tasks and mundane work. https://www.microsoft.com/en/custom...5-contact-center#customers-share-modal-dialog

I could be wrong, but I believe that @Sealink was communicating with Network Rail, rather than Caledonian Sleeper.

 

[Sealink]

I could be wrong, but I believe that @Sealink was communicating with Network Rail, rather than Caledonian Sleeper.

I certainly was!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Monday at 12:34 ==

As noted above, this is likely a real person who has hit the "Copilot" button to send their reply.

I would reply to their email and provide as accurate geo coordinates as you can. Then at least you have done what you can do.

In my original message I included LAT/LON data and a screenshot from Google maps.

 

[najaB]

In my original message I included LAT/LON data and a screenshot from Google maps.

Then you've done all that can be expected (and way more than most would have).

 

[jagardner1984]

Also an interesting question - in these days of data logging and post event scrutiny.

If - and obviously god forbid and all that, but using the example of one of the recent derailments in the South East, there was an email trail from a passenger which had been shut down / dismissed without human review ....

kind of not a good look, really, is it ?

 

[Sealink]

Then you've done all that can be expected (and way more than most would have).

I have received this reply (and another repeating the earlier questions, was I travelling Southbound and on the Glasgow or Edinburgh portion. Despite the earlier replying confirming Glasgow - Euston.)

The reply below is better.

Thank you for taking the time to get in touch and for reporting what you experienced during your journey. We appreciate you letting us know, particularly given the recent hot weather conditions.

I have spoken with the Maintenance Manager, who has confirmed that we have regular monitoring and inspection regimes in place to identify and assess issues with the track and associated infrastructure.
These inspections are designed to detect any defects or changes in condition that may require attention. If any intervention is needed, this will be actioned accordingly.

While I appreciate the location information is only an estimate, it is still helpful and has been noted.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention, as reports from passengers can provide valuable additional information alongside our ongoing inspection and maintenance activities.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact us.

 

[najaB]

The reply below is better.

Indeed. One wonders if they're perhaps reading this thread!

 

[mike_transport]

Hi all I’m curious about the reason why you have to change seats in the middle of the night if your travelling on the Caledonian Sleeper from London to Fort William.

If anyone knows it would be appreciated thanks.

 

[styles]

Hi all I’m curious about the reason why you have to change seats in the middle of the night if your travelling on the Caledonian Sleeper from London to Fort William.

If anyone knows it would be appreciated thanks.

The train splits into separate Fort William/Inverness services.

Is my understanding anyway!

 

[800002]

It's too do with rotating the vehicles on / off maintenence.
If all the sets ran end to end ask the time there is no opportunity to rotate
(As I understand it).
The splitting is incidental. They need to split anyway.

 

[teaspoon]

I've just arrived in Euston from the lowland sleeper (34 mins early), and thought it was worth posting the following in case it was useful to others, as I couldn't find any up-to-date information when I tried searching for it beforehand:

the Caledonian Sleeper website goes into quite a bit of detail about bikes, but doesn't mention folding bikes - however it wasn't a problem for me to take my Brompton into the cabin with me.

I was travelling in a Classic room and bought a shower token from the lounge car host for £10. There are two shower rooms located at the back of the sleeper lounge on platform 1 at Euston. You're given a towel on the way in, and there are shampoo and shower gel dispensers in the shower.
(it's free for Club room passengers, though obviously they've paid somewhat more for their room)

photo of the shower room, taken with a wide angle setting, making it look slightly more spacious than it really is:

 

[styles]

I've just arrived in Euston from the lowland sleeper (34 mins early), and thought it was worth posting the following in case it was useful to others, as I couldn't find any up-to-date information when I tried searching for it beforehand:

the Caledonian Sleeper website goes into quite a bit of detail about bikes, but doesn't mention folding bikes - however it wasn't a problem for me to take my Brompton into the cabin with me.

I was travelling in a Classic room and bought a shower token from the lounge car host for £10. There are two shower rooms located at the back of the sleeper lounge on platform 1 at Euston. You're given a towel on the way in, and there are shampoo and shower gel dispensers in the shower.
(it's free for Club room passengers, though obviously they've paid somewhat more for their room)

I used to take my Brompton on as well! Always took it into my room no issues. I did usually try and wipe the tyres down a wee bit if it had been raining outside though.

I rarely see anybody using the station showers when I've used them. I tend to stump up for a Club room these days mind - the company is the one paying

 

[800002]

There are two shower rooms located at the back of the sleeper lounge

Any comment on cleanliness/ usability of the showers?

And what is the quality of the onboard shower? ,(I have wondered if it's suitable/ practical on board)

 

[JonathanH]

It's too do with rotating the vehicles on / off maintenence.
If all the sets ran end to end ask the time there is no opportunity to rotate
(As I understand it).
The splitting is incidental. They need to split anyway.

That rotation is achieved by the rolling stock running alternately on highland and lowland services, so the rolling stock reaches Polmadie depot every fourth night. The two coaches running to Fort William but not London are swapped out in Edinburgh as necessary.

Hi all I’m curious about the reason why you have to change seats in the middle of the night if your travelling on the Caledonian Sleeper from London to Fort William.

If anyone knows it would be appreciated thanks.

The trains operate to three Highland destinations, but with only two seated / club coaches, as the formations are limited to 16 coaches (two portions of 8 coaches). In order to allow a seated coach and a club coach to go to Fort William, they have to be added at Edinburgh, when the Fort William sleeping coaches are detached from the Aberdeen portion.

Historically, the seated demand to the Aberdeen branch has exceeded that to the Fort William branch.

 

[styles]

Any comment on cleanliness/ usability of the showers?

Not the person you're asking but whenever I've used them they've been spotless. They're power showers so quite nice. Can't comment on accessibility.

It is a while since I've used one mind.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Hi all I’m curious about the reason why you have to change seats in the middle of the night if your travelling on the Caledonian Sleeper from London to Fort William.

If anyone knows it would be appreciated thanks.

The Highland Sleeper only has two seated cars leaving London, but runs to three destinations. The two seated cars run to Aberdeen and Inverness. Seated passengers for Fort William have to transfer to another car which is attached to the Fort William sleeping cars during the shunting manoeuvres at Edinburgh.

 

[jagardner1984]

Hi all I’m curious about the reason why you have to change seats in the middle of the night if your travelling on the Caledonian Sleeper from London to Fort William.

If anyone knows it would be appreciated thanks.

The actual reason is that the length of the Inverness half set, added to the Aberdeen quarter set and Fort William quarter set, with their sleeping and lounge cars, would exceed 16 cars, and therefore wouldn’t fit into platform 1 and 15 at Euston.

Therefore the arrangement has long been the southbound lounge and seats from fort William is detached at Waverley, and passengers in the seats then have a seat reserved in the Aberdeen seated coach they move into at Waverley, before completing their journey.

Those two cars then sit at Waverley then wait until 4am or so before being attached to the Northbound Fort William sleeping cars, which travel the full route, to complete the train heading northbound.

Because those cars would effectively only travel between Edinburgh and Fort William - they would need to be rotated out to Polmadie between 1am and 4am. Where most of the maintenance occurs.

 

[800002]

The trains operate to three Highland destinations, but with only two seated / club coaches, as the formations are limited to 16 coaches (two portions of 8 coaches). In order to allow a seated coach and a club coach to go to Fort William, they have to be added at Edinburgh, when the Fort William sleeping coaches are detached from the Aberdeen portion.

Ahh... yes, now I remember. Thank you.

 

[teaspoon]

Any comment on cleanliness/ usability of the showers?

it was spotless, though I think I was the first one in this morning (and of course left it in a good state for the next person!)

There's no chair or bench, which I appreciate some may find useful for getting dressed.

 

[Sleepy]

I've just arrived in Euston from the lowland sleeper (34 mins early), and thought it was worth posting the following in case it was useful to others, as I couldn't find any up-to-date information when I tried searching for it beforehand:

the Caledonian Sleeper website goes into quite a bit of detail about bikes, but doesn't mention folding bikes - however it wasn't a problem for me to take my Brompton into the cabin with me.

I was travelling in a Classic room and bought a shower token from the lounge car host for £10. There are two shower rooms located at the back of the sleeper lounge on platform 1 at Euston. You're given a towel on the way in, and there are shampoo and shower gel dispensers in the shower.
(it's free for Club room passengers, though obviously they've paid somewhat more for their room)

photo of the shower room, taken with a wide angle setting, making it look slightly more spacious than it really is:

Bit cheeky to charge for use when GWR showers at Paddington, Truro & Penzance are free of charge for Sleeper users ?

 

[Western Gaffer]

Bit cheeky to charge for use when GWR showers at Paddington, Truro & Penzance are free of charge for Sleeper users ?

Are there any regulatory obligations that would require unrelated TOCs to apply charges in the same way?

 

[tram21]

Bit cheeky to charge for use when GWR showers at Paddington, Truro & Penzance are free of charge for Sleeper users ?

On the GWR sleeper you are seen as 'first class' and therefore get everything as there is only one class of cabin.

On the Caledonian, in terms of sleeper cabins, Classic is '2nd class' and therefore basic, whereas Club & Caledonian Double are 'first class'.

Hope that makes sense!

 

[leightonbd]

Any comment on cleanliness/ usability of the showers?

And what is the quality of the onboard shower? ,(I have wondered if it's suitable/ practical on board)

In my experience the lounge showers are excellent, and preferable to the onboard version (which is push-button, lowish pressure, not too hot). I tend only to travel ‘home’ on the CS, so a morning shower isn’t a big deal, whereas an evening one is much appreciated. I always make the time to get to the lounge so as to shower before boarding.

The onboard version is passable but in an ideal world, arriving in London for work I’d make time to use the CS lounge, not just to shower but for a better shave too.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Travelled on the Lowlander to Glasgow last night. The only failure was the coffee machine in the lounge at Euston.

 

[Tetragon213]

Any comment on cleanliness/ usability of the showers?

And what is the quality of the onboard shower? ,(I have wondered if it's suitable/ practical on board)

Onboard shower is a bit low on pressure. Drainage was a bit iffy as well, and there's no hook inside to hang up a change of underwear or a bathrobe, so either you need to jerry rig a way of keeping a change of clothes dry, or be travelling with someone who won't be awkward about you being in the main cabin with no clothes on.

 

[800002]

So I've been in a variety of club cabins and an accessibility double, with varying degrees of gurgling and or foam bubbling/ backing up into the sink from the tank beneath.

Is this a commonly experienced issue amongst the group? I think ove had it more often than. Ot over about 6 journies.
I would wonder if the same occurrs with the showers on board.

I would say, it wasn't constant / continuous and nor could I relate it to main toilet activity either...

 

[AberdeenBill]

I was on last nights Highlander which terminated at Edinburgh (lack of driver apparently). Then caught the 05:30 Scotrail to Aberdeen which arrived at 08:12. How does Delay Repay work in these circumstances? I was only about 20 mins late on arrival but do CS make any contribution for the inconvenience of being wakened at 4am with the announcement and missing te breakfast etc?

 

[SuspectUsual]

I was on last nights Highlander which terminated at Edinburgh (lack of driver apparently). Then caught the 05:30 Scotrail to Aberdeen which arrived at 08:12. How does Delay Repay work in these circumstances? I was only about 20 mins late on arrival but do CS make any contribution for the inconvenience of being wakened at 4am with the announcement and missing te breakfast etc?

If they don’t get in touch, I would ask their customer services for compensation as on the face of it you don’t have a delay repay claim

 

[Wuggie Norple]

Fort Bill portion cancelled tonight:

“We are very sorry to advise that tonight’s service from London Euston to Fort William has been cancelled as our coaches remain blocked in Fort William following the derailment of another train. Unfortunately, this means we do not have the required carriages available to operate tonight’s service.”

Thankfully we are on the Aberdeen portion. Anyone know whose train has derailed?