Caledonian Sleeper

[185143]

This hasn't been the most pleasant of experiences-and certainly a very poor first impression! The staff I've spoken to though, both onboard, on the phone and from VT at Crewe and Preston have all been lovely though.

Not surprisingly I slept quite well once I was finally onboard at 03:45, having been awake since about 05:30 yesterday morning! I was the only passenger to board at Preston too-the guard knew I was coming and kept a pair of seats free for me. Completely ballsed up my plan though, I was hoping to get the 08:55 Kyle service and scratch a few shacks...

Which loco worked the Northbound Lowlander in the end? I was too tired to notice at Preston.

 

[TimboM]

Which loco worked the Northbound Lowlander in the end? I was too tired to notice at Preston.

92 014 to Glasgow
92 018 Carstairs to Edinburgh

 

[185143]

92 014 to Glasgow
92 018 Carstairs to Edinburgh

Many thanks.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Tonight's sleeper from Euston has been cancelled.

What rights do passengers have? When I go, nothing other than waking up in Inverness will do for me.

If that’s your requirement, you need a suitably early day train or flight and a hotel. Nothing is totally reliable.

 

[BRX]

Many thanks. Far too far away from me to see unfortunately.

This is what it looks like from on board

 

[47271]

Between Wamphray and Lockerbie.

...and sometimes stopped at Lockerbie station. If crew are out of position or need to work out and back in one night then very occasionally both Highlanders have been halted at Lockerbie for a quick change. I don't know if this has happened since CS took over, but for sure it happened in Scotrail days.

 

[Scotrail84]

...and sometimes stopped at Lockerbie station. If crew are out of position or need to work out and back in one night then very occasionally both Highlanders have been halted at Lockerbie for a quick change. I don't know if this has happened since CS took over, but for sure it happened in Scotrail days.

Usually happens during the festive period when the days are out of sync, last time in December 2018 and this January this year there was 3 crossovers but this years festive period there will only be one.

 

[Highlandspring]

Couldn’t the faulty coach have been shunted out? That happened on one of my trips in Inverness last year and meant a very late departure but most of the time was made up by Inverness

I think by the time they’d spent trying to fix it, to then drag the set to Wembley and knock out the Aberdeen brake, or the entire portion, would have left no chance of getting the set to Scotland in a reasonable time to start Y11 and S25. As it was the empties didn’t leave Euston until just after 2300 and arrived in Edinburgh around 0530 so the Fort William was over 1hr20 late away and the Inverness was over an hour and a half late starting. If they’d knocked out the coach at the London end then the stock would have had to run north during the day today and wouldn’t have been able to split at Edinburgh as there’s not the platform capacity available to do that. Each situation is different and as always with discussions like this it isn’t as simple as ‘just’ doing what looks obvious from outside.

 

[Scotrail84]

90 042 on 1M16 which is 12 vice 16 after a coach was removed at Edinburgh because of an issue.

 

[185143]

90 042 on 1M16 which is 12 vice 16 after a coach was removed at Edinburgh because of an issue.

Thought the walk at Euston was less than I was expecting!

Which coach was it, Aberdeen seats again? I seem to recall only seeing one seated coach and that was in the Inverness portion. It also explains the 25L departure from Waverley.

 

[adrock1976]

90 042 on 1M16 which is 12 vice 16 after a coach was removed at Edinburgh because of an issue.

Could you kindly explain further how the formation ended up with 12 coaches after having had one removed?

When I was at school many years ago, 16 minus 1 equals 15.

 

[6Z09]

Thought the walk at Euston was less than I was expecting!

Which coach was it, Aberdeen seats again? I seem to recall only seeing one seated coach and that was in the Inverness portion. It also explains the 25L departure from Waverley.

Same problem coach from Northbound on Monday night?

 

[Scotrail84]

Could you kindly explain further how the formation ended up with 12 coaches after having had one removed?

When I was at school many years ago, 16 minus 1 equals 15.

Only had 13 to begin with.

 

[Scotrail84]

Thought the walk at Euston was less than I was expecting!

Which coach was it, Aberdeen seats again? I seem to recall only seeing one seated coach and that was in the Inverness portion. It also explains the 25L departure from Waverley.

Yes, brake van removed at Edinburgh to be sent for repairs.

Its in the mid road at Waverley, or at least it was.

 

[Scotrail84]

Same problem coach from Northbound on Monday night?

Yes, same coach.

 

[Norther Monkey]

Is there one available to head back north tonight?

 

[Scotrail84]

Is there one available to head back north tonight?

No but they could attach one at Carstairs, thats been done before.

 

[Norther Monkey]

So, a potentially a disruptive journey for Aberdeen seated passengers tonight.

 

[Scotrail84]

So, a potentially a disruptive journey for Aberdeen seated passengers tonight.

Edinburgh portion tonight.

 

[Kite159]

I would imagine any Edinburgh seated passengers will get given an upgrade to a berth if available. I can't imagine loadings on a Wednesday night in mid February being that high

 

[TimboM]

No but they could attach one at Carstairs, thats been done before.

There are VSTPs in for the Carstairs loco (92033) to run to Polmadie from Carstairs ex-1C11 then run back to Carstairs as an ECS working in time for 1B26 - so that looks like exactly what's happening.

 

[Scotrail84]

92 018 on 1S25 with 90 044 tucked in behind DIT.

 

[Scotrail84]

There are VSTPs in for the Carstairs loco (92033) to run to Polmadie from Carstairs ex-1C11 then run back to Carstairs as an ECS working in time for 1B26 - so that looks like exactly what's happening.

Yes, a brake coach will be shunted in at Carstairs to allow the split to take place.

 

[Highlandspring]

The brakevan that was detached from M16 at the Waverley this morning will be worked south on M16 tonight.

 

[Scotrail84]

The brakevan that was detached from M16 at the Waverley this morning will be worked south on M16 tonight.

Yes it will, tricky move from the mid road to the rear of M16 though.

 

[185143]

I would imagine any Edinburgh seated passengers will get given an upgrade to a berth if available. I can't imagine loadings on a Wednesday night in mid February being that high

Put it this way, everyone for Aberdeen, Inverness and Edinburgh managed to fit into the same seated coach on Monday night and there were still a few seats spare

 

[faltskog36abba]

Hello everyone, my family are booked on the night sleeper from Preston to inverness on Tuesday/Wednesday early hours in September until Saturday morning around 4.45 am -arrive back in Preston. Can anyone recommend a nearby carpark which isn't too expensive, Which will enable me to pick up the car at such an early hour?. Many thanks.

 

[route101]

Put it this way, everyone for Aberdeen, Inverness and Edinburgh managed to fit into the same seated coach on Monday night and there were still a few seats spare

Glasgow seats was quiet few Fridays back . Kinda surprised , lot cheaper than berths and more comfortable than Megabus

 

[Bletchleyite]

Hello everyone, my family are booked on the night sleeper from Preston to inverness on Tuesday/Wednesday early hours in September until Saturday morning around 4.45 am -arrive back in Preston. Can anyone recommend a nearby carpark which isn't too expensive, Which will enable me to pick up the car at such an early hour?. Many thanks.

Early hours might be an issue. FWIW the station car park is £54 prebooked for that. How far from Preston do you live? You may want to consider a taxi each way instead.

 

[gordonjahn]

Anyone noticed that you can't book a ticket from Carlisle to London for a Friday night on the Caledonian Sleeper website? We toyed with the idea, but the train leaves Carlisle on the Saturday morning and it won't let you select a Saturday departure - the Friday option being 1:45 on the Friday. If you try for the Sunday night train, you're told there's no trains (which is sort of right as it's on Monday morning). In the end, the lack of an easy way to combine Sleeper and return on day train meant we didn't bother and booked first class advances from Glasgow so inclusive beer and dinner in place of late bed/early start!