Caledonian Sleeper

[EE Andy b1]

Frankly, at £230 a berth, which is all that's left for that trip, not a chance.

But you might get a full refund when it all goes pair shaped again!!

 

[JModulo]

Would you be happy to book the CS at this stage?

Yes, just for the sheer hilarity of it all.

 

[Bletchleyite]

But reading about the problems and the delays, means I am not sure about booking. I am happy to accept some delay and get delay repay, but would prefer not to have to change to a replacement bus or wait at Acton Bridge etc. Would you be happy to book the CS at this stage?

I'm needing to go to Inverness at some point in the not too distant future and did fancy the idea of a final fling on the Mk3s, but at the minute I doubt I'd touch it with a bargepole. If I want to go there on a bus, Nat Ex/Megabus will do me that far cheaper - booked in advance about a tenner I think. (Shame the Megabus sleeper no longer runs, it was great).

The Lowlander - not a chance.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Such a shame as the stock looked promising, but something seriously not right with rolling stock from CAF at the moment. None of it works, YET!

Cheap As...

 

[EE Andy b1]

Cheap As...

Yup!

 

[MylesHSG]

The broken lowlander arrived back at Wembley just after 17:00. Was it the full set? Maybe they can get it fixed for Sunday evenings service. We'll see.

 

[Mathew S]

But you might get a full refund when it all goes pair shaped again!!

If I could talk my employer into paying, I'd consider it, especially as I'd get to keep the delay repay!
But if I actually needed to be in Glasgow the following morning, not worth the risk at the moment.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Cheap As...

Could someone remind me who the other bidders for the new rolling stock were? Have any of them recently supplied 'expensive but high quality' sleeper trains anywhere else (that have been introduced without any delays, breakdowns, etc.)?

 

[EE Andy b1]

Could someone remind me who the other bidders for the new rolling stock were? Have any of them recently supplied 'expensive but high quality' sleeper trains anywhere else (that have been introduced without any delays, breakdowns, etc.)?

Don't know but with CAF it's....
Class 195 delayed.
Class 331 delayed.
Mk5a TPE sets delayed.
Mk5 Sleepers delayed, now running partly, sort of, now and then.

Whatever the different issues, it's not a good showing for CAF.

All might be great in the future, who knows.

 

[bobbyrail]

Their seems to be more people concerned with getting a delay repay claim on this thread than those which actually want the services to arrive on time. Not saying that repay should not happen but it just seems like some pray for it. Should the MK5's have delay repay prayer rooms to accommodate this section of society.

 

[EE Andy b1]

That's quite funny!!

 

[Dr Hoo]

Interesting that CAF have nevertheless just won the order for new Docklands Light Railway trains as well.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Their seems to be more people concerned with getting a delay repay claim on this thread than those which actually want the services to arrive on time. Not saying that repay should not happen but it just seems like some pray for it. Should the MK5's have delay repay prayer rooms to accommodate this section of society.

Depends how much of a hurry I'm in. Mostly I'd rather arrive on time.

 

[EE Andy b1]

Interesting that CAF have nevertheless just won the order for new Docklands Light Railway trains as well.

Cheap As F..., again then!

Not sure if Class 397 is delayed!

 

[alangla]

I'm needing to go to Inverness at some point in the not too distant future and did fancy the idea of a final fling on the Mk3s, but at the minute I doubt I'd touch it with a bargepole. If I want to go there on a bus, Nat Ex/Megabus will do me that far cheaper - booked in advance about a tenner I think. (Shame the Megabus sleeper no longer runs, it was great).

The Lowlander - not a chance.

Serious question- why not EasyJet? If you’re in or around Milton Keynes, surely it’s just a coach to Luton then straight up the road? You’d be door to door in probably 4-5 hrs.

It does say something about Caledonian Sleeper that most people on a rail forum reckon flying is better...

 

[Essexman]

No way I’d take an inland flight but if CS can’t be relied on I’ll switch to day trains.

Hopefully these are just teething problems with the new trains but they should have been more effectively tested before being put in service.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Serious question- why not EasyJet? If you’re in or around Milton Keynes, surely it’s just a coach to Luton then straight up the road? You’d be door to door in probably 4-5 hrs.

It does say something about Caledonian Sleeper that most people on a rail forum reckon flying is better...

That's probably what I will do. I don't fancy that long on a bus.

I just meant that if I *wanted* a long bus ride I could have one for far cheaper than even the CS seats

 

[mirodo]

Depends how much of a hurry I'm in. Mostly I'd rather arrive on time.

In my case, a half hour delay to my Monday morning arrival in Glasgow (meaning an extra half hour in bed) was quite welcome, as the meeting I was travelling up for didn't start until 10am. A full extra hour in bed and 100% delay repay refund would have been even more welcome!

 

[Bletchleyite]

In my case, a half hour delay to my Monday morning arrival in Glasgow (meaning an extra half hour in bed) was quite welcome, as the meeting I was travelling up for didn't start until 10am. A full extra hour in bed and 100% delay repay refund would have been even more welcome!

The trouble with a number of these recent incidents is that they're not simple delays, they resulted in being turfed off at awkward times of day and so less sleep. And I personally find it hard to sleep if I think something is afoot (e.g. hearing another house's smoke alarm go off for a bit at 2am last night - probably burnt toast coming in from the pub - kept me awake for a good couple of hours).

 

[mirodo]

The trouble with a number of these recent incidents is that they're not simple delays, they resulted in being turfed off at awkward times of day and so less sleep. And I personally find it hard to sleep if I think something is afoot (e.g. hearing another house's smoke alarm go off for a bit at 2am last night - probably burnt toast coming in from the pub - kept me awake for a good couple of hours).

That's a fair point. I wouldn't even contemplate the sleeper at the moment for my meetings in Glasgow - far better to travel up the afternoon before and stay in a hotel.

 

[alistairlees]

I might possibly need to make a near last minute trip to Glasgow. The lowlander from Glasgow on Sunday 7th July would be ideal in terms of timetable for my return to London and CS would be my preferred mode of travel if everything was working fine, despite it probably being more expensive than a Glasgow hotel and early morning flight (haven't checked).

But reading about the problems and the delays, means I am not sure about booking. I am happy to accept some delay and get delay repay, but would prefer not to have to change to a replacement bus or wait at Acton Bridge etc. Would you be happy to book the CS at this stage?

You shouldn’t base your decision solely on a reading of the comments in the forum. It’s hardly balanced and as you would expect concentrates on the problems, without reporting the things that ran smoothly.

The lowlander has been running with new trains since Sunday 28th April. That’s 8 weeks with six days in each week; and two directions and two portions. That’s 192 services. So far as I know two have failed to reach their destination (Stafford and Acton Bridge); there have been eight cancelled as s result of Stafford; and I expect there have been a few more cancelled / very late (let’s say 5 but happy to be corrected). Assuming that’s right then 177 out of 192 have run on time / not too late (eg up to 30 mins). That’s about 92%. In any other walk of life you would probably think that’s good odds.

Mind, I haven’t check RTT or anything to see how correct this is. Whilst I’m sure it needs some adjustment I expect that the reality is better than a reading of this forum (or twitter) would have you believe.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Mind, I haven’t check RTT or anything to see how correct this is. Whilst I’m sure it needs some adjustment I expect that the reality is better than a reading of this forum (or twitter) would have you believe.

The trouble is that the sleeper is high-consequence. Loss of a night's sleep results in a ruined day. Whereas being delayed an hour by the likes of LNR failing to operate anything resembling the timetable is merely a bit annoying, as it's fairly easy in most cases to plan around it by travelling earlier or drive instead.

Not to mention that if it positioned itself as a budget operation like Thello, Flix or the few remaining SNCF night trains you'd expect a bit of a cack-handed operation. But it sells itself as a premium hotel on rails (i.e. a JW Marriott or Renaissance Hotel, say, not a Travelodge), and then doesn't act like one.

 

[Glenn1969]

As the Southbound Lowlander didn't make it past Acton Bridge this morning will the full train North be able to operate tomorrow. I'm planning on doing the Far North, Kyle and Aberdeen lines from Inverness in September for my 50th birthday week and on this form am glad I don't have to rely on the Sleeper to get my to the Highlands

 

[trebor79]

You shouldn’t base your decision solely on a reading of the comments in the forum. It’s hardly balanced and as you would expect concentrates on the problems, without reporting the things that ran smoothly.

The lowlander has been running with new trains since Sunday 28th April. That’s 8 weeks with six days in each week; and two directions and two portions. That’s 192 services. So far as I know two have failed to reach their destination (Stafford and Acton Bridge); there have been eight cancelled as s result of Stafford; and I expect there have been a few more cancelled / very late (let’s say 5 but happy to be corrected). Assuming that’s right then 177 out of 192 have run on time / not too late (eg up to 30 mins). That’s about 92%. In any other walk of life you would probably think that’s good odds.

Mind, I haven’t check RTT or anything to see how correct this is. Whilst I’m sure it needs some adjustment I expect that the reality is better than a reading of this forum (or twitter) would have you believe.

Wot he says. I was very happy when I travelled from Glasgow to Euston a few weeks ago. Other than a minor issue with unwanted lighting for a few seconds and a cool shower there was little to find fault with.

 

[Statto]

You shouldn’t base your decision solely on a reading of the comments in the forum. It’s hardly balanced and as you would expect concentrates on the problems, without reporting the things that ran smoothly.

The lowlander has been running with new trains since Sunday 28th April. That’s 8 weeks with six days in each week; and two directions and two portions. That’s 192 services. So far as I know two have failed to reach their destination (Stafford and Acton Bridge); there have been eight cancelled as s result of Stafford; and I expect there have been a few more cancelled / very late (let’s say 5 but happy to be corrected). Assuming that’s right then 177 out of 192 have run on time / not too late (eg up to 30 mins). That’s about 92%. In any other walk of life you would probably think that’s good odds.

Mind, I haven’t check RTT or anything to see how correct this is. Whilst I’m sure it needs some adjustment I expect that the reality is better than a reading of this forum (or twitter) would have you believe.

You don't even have to read any forum, take a look at Caledonian Sleepers own twitter feed, which is full of delay/cancellations/trains terminating short, not great for something that's being called a hotel on rails, seems an issue to be every other day, a lot of which is getting the sleeper ready from Wembley depot. Yesterday's issue with the southbound lowland, turfing passengers out at Acton Bridge, not a great station to cancel any service there with it being a rural station with a few trains a day[luckily enough there was one due 07.32], i don't know whether the lowland could have carried on in service to Crewe, since it went ECS movement there.

 

[alistairlees]

You don't even have to read any forum, take a look at Caledonian Sleepers own twitter feed, which is full of delay/cancellations/trains terminating short, not great for something that's being called a hotel on rails, seems an issue to be every other day, a lot of which is getting the sleeper ready from Wembley depot. Yesterday's issue with the southbound lowland, turfing passengers out at Acton Bridge, not a great station to cancel any service there with it being a rural station with a few trains a day[luckily enough there was one due 07.32], i don't know whether the lowland could have carried on in service to Crewe, since it went ECS movement there.

Yes, I mentioned Twitter in my post. Does anyone have the facts? Using a combination of the facts and the feedback here and elsewhere would seem to be the best way of making a decision. Making a decision solely based on self selecting reports on the bad journeys only probably isn’t.

 

[Essexman]

No news from CS on Lowlander tonight or following days. If northbound to Glasgow may not run on Tuesday I need to cancel Flexipass booking by midday today and make alternative arrangements.

 

[woodhouse122]

TBH i wouldnt risk buying a ticket for a Lowlander service with all these faults and cancelations,i rode on the seated carriage up to Glasgow last sunday evening but i doubt i'll be using it again,still lots of problems with the lights coming on and off for the first hour and too much air con meant the carriage was freezing and even the ultra thin blanket handed out couldnt take the chill off (dread to think what it could be like in the winter months) i think i made the right decision by getting the megabus back which was a nore comfatable journey

 

[BRX]

Some facts. For euston to glasgow. Where it's delayed, its fairly consistently less than about half an hour.

https://www.recenttraintimes.co.uk/...&MetAvg=Mea&MetSpr=RT&MxScDu=&MxSvAg=&MnScCt=

 

[Mathew S]

Some facts. For euston to glasgow. Where it's delayed, its fairly consistently less than about half an hour.

https://www.recenttraintimes.co.uk/Home/Search?Op=Srch&Fr=London+Euston+(EUS)&To=Glasgow+Central+(GLC)&TimTyp=D&TimDay=8p&Days=Wk&TimPer=10w&dtFr=14/04/2019&dtTo=23/06/2019&ShwTim=AvAr&MxArCl=50&TOC=All&ArrSta=5&MetAvg=Mea&MetSpr=RT&MxScDu=&MxSvAg=&MnScCt=

The problem is it's not just about time. It's also about being confident that you'll get a comfortable night of decent quality sleep. If I've got a day of meetings in Glasgow, I can't afford to be exhausted all day because of problems with lights, air conditioning, temperature, water systems, lack of food, etc.
The sleeper is more expensive than a day train plus hotel (and the last time I looked, the sleeper was £100+ more expensive), so to be justifiable it needs to offer me everything a hotel would, and something extra on top. At the moment, it doesn't do that.
I'd consider using the Fort William portion just for the experience, but for a journey to Glasgow / Edinburgh the sleeper, for me, just doesn't have a purpose at these prices.