Caledonian Sleeper

[Highlandspring]

Who’s Mark Smith?

 

[berneyarms]

Who’s Mark Smith?

The “Man in Seat 61” - www.seat61.com

Clicking on the link in the post you replied to would bring you to his twitter.

 

[Highlandspring]

Thank you. I don’t want to have anything to do with Twitter and I don’t click on links to it.

 

[berneyarms]

Thank you. I don’t want to have anything to do with Twitter and I don’t click on links to it.

That’s a tad OTT - his twitter account is very informative.

I’m not sure what you’d have against that to be honest.

Like any social media - it can be very informative - you don’t have to look at stuff or people you’re not interested in.

 

[Kingston Flyer]

CALEDONIAN SLEEPER UPDATE: The new Caledonian sleeper trains (as already running to Edinburgh/Glasgow) will be introduced on the Highland sleeper London to Inverness/Aberdeen/Ft William from 7 July northbound & 8 July southbound.

Looks like my booking for 12/07 & 14/07 could be fun then, possibly quite busy.

I just hope introduction doesn't get pushed back any further

 

[6Z09]

Classic, as far as seated and lounges go,could mean falling to bits?

 

[kingqueen]

I'm booked for the 7th July northbound in the accessible cabin. So its first night, assuming it doesn't get put back.
I look forward to it with excitement and trepidation. I hope nothing goes wrong.
Cheers
Doug

 

[GrimShady]

What's are the seats like in seated coach?

 

[kingqueen]

Thank you. I don’t want to have anything to do with Twitter and I don’t click on links to it.

Mark Smith is a great promoter of the sleeper service and an authoritative source of information on such (also a thoroughly nice guy, by the by) so his info is as reliable as it gets, generally more reliable and certainly more up to date even than that published by Caledonian Sleeper. If you can get over your understandable aversion to Twitter, he's worth reading. You don't have to have a Twitter account or anything, and clicking on Twitter links won't result in anything any more dangerous than sometimes seeing people's ridiculous or insulting posts (not Mark's!)

 

[GrimShady]

I think it was a serious error not ordering two Mk5a TSOs in addition to what was ordered, allowing a dedicated couple of coaches for that purpose.

Agreed. It would have been a nice addition to the day service.

 

[Kendalian]

I'm booked on the northbound Highlander on 19th June to Fort Bill in a Club solo, so very disappointed (although not surprised) by today's news.
Not had an email yet from CS (I am 2 weeks down the list....) and booked on a non-flex ticket so normally non-refundable if I want to cancel.

I checked my e-ticket and it rightly confirms it's been issued subject to National Rail Conditions of Travel.

Here's clause 30.1 -

30. Your right to a refund if your train is disrupted and you choose not to travel
30.1. If the train you intended to use is cancelled, delayed, or your reservation will not be honoured, and you decide not to travel, you may return the unused Ticket to the original retailer or Train Company from whom it was purchased, where you will be given a full refund with no administration fee being charged. This Condition applies to all Tickets, including Tickets (such as advance Tickets) that are otherwise non-refundable, and also applies if you have begun your journey but are unable to complete it due to delay or cancellations and return to your point of origin.

My italics and bold for "or your reservation will not be honoured".

In this case the reservation (which is specifically referred to as such on the e-ticket) will not be honoured by CS. "Will not be honoured" is future tense not past tense!

On that basis I reckon a full refund is due to anyone who booked on an advance ticket and now doesn't want to travel.

Any ticket experts out there with an opinion? No doubt CS will try to hide behind their "Guests' Charter" but in ticket disputes it's the National Rail C of T which are the "Bible"!

 

[wyddfa]

Sleeper strike?

https://www.scotsman.com/news/trans...eat-to-new-caledonian-sleeper-fleet-1-4931588

 

[VT 390]

I am booked in to a Club room on the 9th July from Euston to Fort William.
If this the second day of the new stock operating it is likely to be busy but I really want to have food in the lounge car, is there any way of guaranteeing a seat in the evening and in the morning?
Thanks

 

[WesternLancer]

I am booked in to a Club room on the 9th July from Euston to Fort William.
If this the second day of the new stock operating it is likely to be busy but I really want to have food in the lounge car, is there any way of guaranteeing a seat in the evening and in the morning?
Thanks

That time of year it would probably be fully booked anyway (whether old or new stock, or new stock just started or not) - and the new stock has more space in the lounge car reports on here said, so that would imply you have just as much chance getting a seat as you had before, hopefully. Otherwise only strategy is to get there early.

 

[WesternLancer]

Thank you. I don’t want to have anything to do with Twitter and I don’t click on links to it.

Well Mark S usually posts a monthly synopsis of key news on the news pages of his seat 61 website (link above) - so you can check that if you prefer.

If you have never looked at it I'd suggest a perusal of his pages on the Caledonian Sleeper - you will find no finer source of information IMHO.

 

[VT 390]

That time of year it would probably be fully booked anyway (whether old or new stock, or new stock just started or not) - and the new stock has more space in the lounge car reports on here said, so that would imply you have just as much chance getting a seat as you had before, hopefully. Otherwise only strategy is to get there early.

Does that mean I could go straight to the Club car when boarding starts (hopefully at 20:30) before going to my room?

 

[WesternLancer]

Does that mean I could go straight to the Club car when boarding starts (hopefully at 20:30) before going to my room?

As it happens the issue is dealt with on Mark Smith's website (as per link above) or https://www.seat61.com/CaledonianSleepers.htm

I quote the extract, my bolding (tho worth a look at his whole entry on the lounge car, this being one point of 4)

• The Man in Seat 61 says "It doesn't get any better or more civilised than this. Speeding north with a plate of haggis, tatties 'n neeps and maybe a dram or two of a single malt in the lounge car, then retiring to your private sleeper and waking up in the highlands of Scotland as deer bound away from the train. Top tip, do what the regular travellers do: Check in with your sleeper steward, leave your luggage in your compartment, and go and grab a seat in the lounge car before the train leaves. On busy nights such as Fridays or Sundays the lounge is very popular and if you wait till later you might find all seats taken. Finding a seat for breakfast in the morning isn't usually any problem, and the big lounge windows give you the best view of the highland scenery over you bacon and scrambled egg..."

As a club passenger you get priority over std class (and contrary to what Mark says I have seen occasions in the past where when busy the door to the lounge car would get a paper note - or napkin stuck on - on it saying '1st class only', which would then get taken off a bit when numbers declined.

Mind you, as with all railway catering these days you can NEVER, in my experience, fully guarantee it operating properly, so if you want to be sure to avoid going to bed hungry I'd rec'd getting some sort of snack before boarding, or at least packing a sandwich or some other emergency rations.

 

[WesternLancer]

Does that mean I could go straight to the Club car when boarding starts (hopefully at 20:30) before going to my room?

Not sure if it is sensible to go direct there. If the steward thinks you are a no show in the cabin they might sell the room to someone who turns up on spec and asks if any spare. Unlikely of course but not what you would want

I'd have a look at RTT to work out when the carriages are due in to the station FROM the carriage sidings, and then be at or near the platform from then onwards. That way you can be sure to be in pole position to get you kit stowed in the cabin when they permit boarding, have a brief welcome chat to the steward who will usually want to show you the key features of the cabin and how to work them, and then still get promptly down to the lounge car as suggested.

 

[Kendalian]

I’ve just received an email regarding my booking from fort William on 2nd june which refers to bookings until 7th July and says they will be ‘classic’ trains. It says I’ll get £20 refund but not sure how that will work with Flexipass.

Have you heard anymore yet Essexman? Were you not offered a full refund?
Scottish Transport minister quoted in the Scotsman saying full refund available but nothing from CS I can see to confirm this.

 

[WesternLancer]

Whilst disappointing news ref the Highlander, I'm looking on the bright side - hopefully a few cancellations will free up some berths for those of us who enjoy the classic Mk3 accommodation and the delights of the drop light over coming weeks!

With luck there will be many more years ahead to enjoy the Mk5s after all.

 

[vlad]

Classic, as far as seated and lounges go,could mean falling to bits?

All I'll say is last Thursday/Friday the Inverness southbound lounge was out-of-use due to excessive temperatures - and the CS staff member told me that problem had happened earlier in the week to a different lounge.

(I've had the lounge be inaccessible enough times now that I now assume by default there won't be one.)

 

[Hadders]

I'm travelling on the seats from Fort William to Glasgow on 18th June. Booking tickets for this as a 'day' train seems to get harder every year. The Sleeper website doesn't want to know. Trainsplit was the only site I could find that would do it, and at a very reasonable price as well.

One final chance for me for a proper view out of the vestibule windows by the looks of it

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'm travelling on the seats from Fort William to Glasgow on 18th June. Booking tickets for this as a 'day' train seems to get harder every year. The Sleeper website doesn't want to know. Trainsplit was the only site I could find that would do it, and at a very reasonable price as well.

One final chance for me for a proper view out of the vestibule windows by the looks of it

You don't need to book to use it as a day coach to Glasgow, despite what the timetable says.

 

[Essexman]

Have you heard anymore yet Essexman? Were you not offered a full refund?
Scottish Transport minister quoted in the Scotsman saying full refund available but nothing from CS I can see to confirm this.

Yes I was offered a full refund but still want to travel - Email said -

Good morning

We are contacting you regarding your journey booked with us for travel between 02 June 2019 and 07 July 2019.

Unfortunately, we are sorry to have to inform you that due to issues relating to a delay in the availability of our new trains, we will not be able to operate our new fleet on this particular journey.

We will instead, be running our current trains and can therefore still ensure you get to your destination and experience our excellent levels of service and hospitality on board.

If you still want to travel with us on your original booking date, you don’t need to do anything else. Your booking will be automatically updated to an alternative accommodation type on our current trains, and the tickets you have remain valid for your journey. You do not require replacement tickets.

The details of this change to your booking are below.

Your reservation will be automatically transferred to a Classic room(s) on our current train. We will automatically refund you £20 per room already booked for travel in this period.

However, if you wish to change or cancel your journey with us, you should do this in your online account.

Thank you for your loyalty and we look forward to welcoming you on board.

Ryan Flaherty
Managing Director
Serco Caledonian Sleeper
1 Union Street, Inverness, Scotland IV1 1PP

 

[Kendalian]

Thanks for that Essexman.

I've not had anything at all from CS. They read my Facebook message asking about refunds but did not reply.

I've emailed them and received an auto reply saying they would reply within 10 days!

Just registered on their site to cancel booking but it says I've no bookings! Oh well I'll have to ring tomorrow!

 

[Essexman]

Thanks for that Essexman.

I've not had anything at all from CS. They read my Facebook message asking about refunds but did not reply.

I've emailed them and received an auto reply saying they would reply within 10 days!

Just registered on their site to cancel booking but it says I've no bookings! Oh well I'll have to ring tomorrow!

I've just tried to cancel another booking (unrelated to delay in new trains) but clicking on the cancel button doesn't seem to have any effect and they haven't reinstated a flexipass ticket.

 

[island]

I've just tried to cancel another booking (unrelated to delay in new trains) but clicking on the cancel button doesn't seem to have any effect and they haven't reinstated a flexipass ticket.

I’d just pick up the phone.

 

[Highlandspring]

1C11 cancelled tonight due to a loco fault.

 

[marks87]

1C11 cancelled tonight due to a loco fault.

The Edinburgh portion is "starting at Carstairs" according to the CS Twitter. Which means either there's enough capacity in just the Glasgow portion, or the stock is running empty suggesting an in-service fault (train supply?).

 

[JModulo]

The Edinburgh portion is "starting at Carstairs" according to the CS Twitter. Which means either there's enough capacity in just the Glasgow portion, or the stock is running empty suggesting an in-service fault (train supply?).

Or as stated above, a loco fault, with no loco to take the empties to Edinburgh so its running as a full 16 from Glasgow.