Caledonian Sleeper

[bb21]

Please note all discussion on one's willingness to use the lounge car now removed to a separate thread https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...rs-use-the-lounge-car-now-on-sleepers.219861/

 

[JonathanH]

Just noticed on Facebook that the lowlander service is starting at Watford tonight with road transport provided from Euston at the earlier time of 22.30. This apparently is due to repair works at Euston, I wonder what got damaged in the flooding then?

Seemingly a general closure of Euston tonight - there was another thread about the last LNR train being 2242.
https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...m-euston-departs-at-2242.219853/#post-5220687

Amended late night / early morning trains to / from London Euston tonight until tomorrow morning

Train operator affected
Avanti West Coast; Caledonian Sleeper; London Northwestern Railway;

Description
Network Rail need to carry out urgent engineering works at London Euston, following damage to the railway infrastructure caused by heavy rainfall on Monday 12 July.

From approximately 22:30 tonight, until approximately 06:00 tomorrow morning, some lines to and from London Euston will need to be closed to allow staff to safely carry out repairs. As a result, some late night / early morning trains to / from London Euston may be cancelled or amended.

Customer Advice:

Avanti West Coast

Avanti West Coast services will be affected from 22:30 onwards this evening. Customers with tickets for trains at these times should travel earlier, or allow extra time for their journey as rail replacements will be in operation between London Euston & Watford Junction. Please see alterations below:

The following services will terminate at Watford Junction and road transport will run onwards to London Euston.

18:40 Glasgow Central - London Euston.
21:15 Manchester Piccadilly - London.
21:46 Wolverhampton - London Euston.
18:52 Edinburgh - London Euston.

At Milton Keynes Central

20:48 Liverpool Lime Street - London Euston will terminate at Milton Keynes Central. A service will depart Milton Keynes Central at 23:00 for travel onwards to Watford Junction.
Customers travelling on the 23:30 London Euston to Wolverhampton service will be provided road transport where required.

At London Euston

22:30 London Euston - Wolverhampton will depart London Euston 20 mins late at 22:50.

Early Thursday morning amendments

05:27 London Euston - Liverpool Lime Street will start from Watford Junction at 05 46.
05:31 London Euston - Glasgow Central will start from Watford Junction at 05:51.


Caledonian Sleeper

The London Euston to Edinburgh & Glasgow service will start from Watford Junction at 00:12. There will be road transport supplied to take guests to Watford Junction, which will be departing London Euston at the earlier time of 22:30hrs.

London Northwestern Railway

The last train into London Euston will be 21:10 Northampton to London Euston. The last train out of London Euston will be the 22:42 London Euston to Milton Keynes Central.

Rail replacement transport will be in operation. You can view the London Northwestern Railway timetable for Wednesday 14 July here.

Check before you travel:

These changes are not currently shown in the National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner. We are expecting trains to show correct later on this evening, so we advise that customers check back later on today.

Twitter:
If you would like to follow this incident on Twitter, please use #Euston

Compensation:
You may be entitled to compensation if you experience a delay in completing your journey today. Please keep your train ticket and make a note of your journey, as both will be required to support any claim.

Feedback:
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[InOban]

This is a Northern line train terminating at fort William.


On the subject would I be happy using the lounge car at present the answer is yes I probably would. I've used minuscule hotel rooms, small cafes and various other things during the opened stages of the pandemic and provided the people operating such places are doing it properly then it's fine although I suspect the physical distancing requirements would make operation of the lounge quite challenging at the present time and it's probably easier on a practical note to run themselves ragged doing room service however I wonder if the staff have been given any additional support or or anything to provide this as one wonders if this was part of the grievances they had their strike about the other week


I've stayed in more than one place in the last year or so where are in order to provide the service safely there has been only one or possibly two tables seated in the dining room for breakfast at once and and should this be the sort of situation being faced by The lounge car then NZ room service is definitely the answer. But as to if I'd be happy to use it the answer is yes I would. I'm not going to go deeply into the whether I care about coronavirus thing because that's not a subject for this thread but I will say that I follow all necessary precautions and in some cases go above and beyond to both protect myself and those around me

I understand that quite a few local B&Bs here are no longer providing breakfast

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Jul 2021 ==

This is a Northern line train terminating at fort William.


On the subject would I be happy using the lounge car at present the answer is yes I probably would. I've used minuscule hotel rooms, small cafes and various other things during the opened stages of the pandemic and provided the people operating such places are doing it properly then it's fine although I suspect the physical distancing requirements would make operation of the lounge quite challenging at the present time and it's probably easier on a practical note to run themselves ragged doing room service however I wonder if the staff have been given any additional support or or anything to provide this as one wonders if this was part of the grievances they had their strike about the other week


I've stayed in more than one place in the last year or so where are in order to provide the service safely there has been only one or possibly two tables seated in the dining room for breakfast at once and and should this be the sort of situation being faced by The lounge car then NZ room service is definitely the answer. But as to if I'd be happy to use it the answer is yes I would. I'm not going to go deeply into the whether I care about coronavirus thing because that's not a subject for this thread but I will say that I follow all necessary precautions and in some cases go above and beyond to both protect myself and those around me

I understand that quite a few local B&Bs here are no longer providing breakfast

 

[andbrads]

Not really, but a point which has been raised earlier is that the sleeper hosts are essential for the running of the train (they’re not like catering hosts on other services) - if they have to self-isolate and no replacements can be found then the sleeper might have to be cancelled with passengers forced to make alternative arrangements at short notice (which could be difficult in Covid times). Much better just to keep the sleeper running and to minimise the staff’s chance of catching Covid.

You should have been offered room service in the evening with a menu in your berth; CS should have informed you if this was unavailable. Perhaps take this up with them, as you should have been offered in-room refreshments even if the lounge car wasn’t open?

I disagree with increasing prices any further, as CS’ refreshments are already very expensive by the standards of on-train catering - it would get to a stage where the items offered such poor value for money that passengers would just buy before boarding anyway.

Much better for who, the staff or the customer?

Let's put this another way; you board a flight to Singapore or Buenos Aires. You are told, at the gate, that there will only be a very basic breakfast for the 13 hours or so. The cabin crew is there primarily for your safety, after all. Would you think this was acceptable?

 

[Bletchleyite]

If you're going to FW, just go to Morrison's or Maccies for breakfast. Both are immediately outside the station, and both do far better brekkies than the Cally ever will.

 

[alangla]

ScotRail are advertising 20% off off-peak tickets for Caledonian Sleeper ticket holders until 30th September. https://www.scotrail.co.uk/offers/discounts/caledonian-sleeper
Given most services arrive at their destinations well before the 09:15 stated on the offer, is this not a bit useless, at least Northbound?
I realise it’ll offer a discount for those travelling in the evening to join the Southbound Sleeper or who want to hang about for a bit before boarding their next service but not if you want to come off the sleeper then continue your journey.

Also, am I misremembering or did First/NatEx give a free connecting journey anywhere in Scotland when they ran the sleepers as part of the ScotRail franchise?

 

[andbrads]

If you're going to FW, just go to Morrison's or Maccies for breakfast. Both are immediately outside the station, and both do far better brekkies than the Cally ever will.

Not sure you can get eggs royale in either, granted being able to actually get this on CS' is proving extremely difficult these days.

 

[Blindtraveler]

The sleeper breakfast must really be very very bad if if anyone thinks what McDonald's are offering is better

 

[Bletchleyite]

Not sure you can get eggs royale in either, granted being able to actually get this on CS' is proving extremely difficult these days.

If that's your particular desire I'm sure there'll be a cafe in FW that does it.

 

[najaB]

The sleeper breakfast must really be very very bad if if anyone thinks what McDonald's are offering is better

I dunno. The double sausage and egg McMuffin and a caramel latte is a pretty hard combo to beat. The only thing I get from McD's with any regularity - and even then we're talking two or three times a year.

 

[Davester50]

Have they removed the select your berth option?
I was looking at booking for October and can't seem to be able to choose. I've checked for sooner, in case it's an engineering works thing, but even then, I can't see an option.

 

[alistairlees]

Have they removed the select your berth option?
I was looking at booking for October and can't seem to be able to choose. I've checked for sooner, in case it's an engineering works thing, but even then, I can't see an option.

It's temporarily removed. Back soon.

 

[Blindtraveler]

This feature seems to periodically break without warning. As it usually the same price over the phone I call them and do it that way and you'll probably get your choice

 

[nlogax]

The sleeper breakfast must really be very very bad if if anyone thinks what McDonald's are offering is better

CS experience during pandemic has been breakfast delivered to berths. A crusty roll with microwaved bacon, small bottle of OJ and a half-decent coffee. Hardly haute cuisine but for whatever reason the last time I used the sleeper these were given free to those of us in Classic berths. Pretty positive experience.

 

[trebor79]

If you're going to FW, just go to Morrison's or Maccies for breakfast. Both are immediately outside the station, and both do far better brekkies than the Cally ever will.

Not sure you can get eggs royale in either, granted being able to actually get this on CS' is proving extremely difficult these days.

Yes the eggs royale was very nice when I sampled it.

Is the greasy spoon cafe still going in the FW station building? Decent brekkie in there, even if the sausage was square!

 

[Davester50]

It's temporarily removed. Back soon.

Ahh, OK, thanks.

This feature seems to periodically break without warning. As it usually the same price over the phone I call them and do it that way and you'll probably get your choice

That's a good idea. Thanks very much.

 

[andbrads]

CS experience during pandemic has been breakfast delivered to berths. A crusty roll with microwaved bacon, small bottle of OJ and a half-decent coffee. Hardly haute cuisine but for whatever reason the last time I used the sleeper these were given free to those of us in Classic berths. Pretty positive experience.

If a cup of hot water with a sachet of Nescafé constitutes a half-decent coffee, what would bad be?!

 

[nlogax]

If a cup of hot water with a sachet of Nescafé constitutes a half-decent coffee, what would bad be?!

It wasn't Nescafe last time I did it, iirc. Even McD's would have been better than that.

 

[Bletchleyite]

If a cup of hot water with a sachet of Nescafé constitutes a half-decent coffee, what would bad be?!

Is that all they're doing? An industrial-sized filter machine would hardly be a difficult thing to have on board. Or if they must use instant, the microground stuff is better.

 

[najaB]

Is that all they're doing? An industrial-sized filter machine would hardly be a difficult thing to have on board.

That's what they had on the Mk3's so it would be a big step back if they don't have them now.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Last cup of sleeper coffee I had was definitely not NESCAFÉ. This was served me in a seat so if both passengers are getting worse coffee than those in the seats then I'm sure trading standards would be fascinated to know. Certainly on the old stock the sleeper coffee under the current management was very good. Not as delicious as I could make at home with my chosen brand and other variables but still perfectly satisfactory enough that when I did a little farewell trip to the old stock on a random jolly to Inverness diverted via Aberdeen and Elgin one Friday night I got through 3 or possibly four coffees between Dundee and Inverness in the morning

 

[najaB]

If a cup of hot water with a sachet of Nescafé constitutes a half-decent coffee, what would bad be?!

I only had that once on the sleeper, and the host apologised about it and said that the coffee machine was broken.

 

[trebor79]

If a cup of hot water with a sachet of Nescafé constitutes a half-decent coffee, what would bad be?!

I only had that once on the sleeper, and the host apologised about it and said that the coffee machine was broken.

That's what you get on GWR at the moment. Worse if tea you get a cup of hot water and a tea bag to put in yourself. I didn't realise and "let it brew" for 5 minutes before I discovered the tea bag wasn't in it! Surprisingly, it wasn't as disgusting as I thought it might have been brewed with luke warm water.

 

[Bletchleyite]

That's what you get on GWR at the moment. Worse if tea you get a cup of hot water and a tea bag to put in yourself. I didn't realise and "let it brew" for 5 minutes before I discovered the tea bag wasn't in it! Surprisingly, it wasn't as disgusting as I thought it might have been brewed with luke warm water.

For tea I'd rather it was that way - a cup of boiling water (not hard to do good enough from a pump flask) and a packaged decent-quality tea bag e.g. Yorkshire Gold. And some milk to add myself, ideally not that "Millac Maid" rubbish that isn't actually milk, though I find UHT acceptable for tea, those "milk stick" things work well enough.

Tea is one of the few things that's decent enough from a trolley as if the tea bag is decent it's hard to really get it wrong.

 

[andbrads]

Is that all they're doing? An industrial-sized filter machine would hardly be a difficult thing to have on board. Or if they must use instant, the microground stuff is better.

That's exactly what I got on Monday 5th July morning as we approached Aberdeen.

 

[MrEd]

Is that all they're doing? An industrial-sized filter machine would hardly be a difficult thing to have on board. Or if they must use instant, the microground stuff is better.

It was instant Nescafé last time I travelled. Not fantastic but not the worst either. They used to use a decent brand called Caffia although I distinctly remember that it was a high quality instant rather than filter coffee - I may have misremembered this, though.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Jul 2021 ==

Not sure you can get eggs royale in either, granted being able to actually get this on CS' is proving extremely difficult these days.

What is eggs royale? I don’t ever remember this being available on the sleeper - for the past eighteen months I think that the breakfast has been either a bacon roll or granola with a muffin and a bottle of juice/hot drink (in First) or a drink and a muffin (in standard). Before Covid I seem to remember that there was also porridge, a smoothie and some semblance of a full Scottish breakfast (although I don’t think that this was ever very good, and certainly inferior to Morrisons’ or the Lochaber Cafe’s effort).

 

[andbrads]

It was instant Nescafé last time I travelled. Not fantastic but not the worst either. They used to use a decent brand called Caffia although I distinctly remember that it was a high quality instant rather than filter coffee - I may have misremembered this, though.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Jul 2021 ==


What is eggs royale? I don’t ever remember this being available on the sleeper - for the past eighteen months I think that the breakfast has been either a bacon roll or granola with a muffin and a bottle of juice/hot drink (in First) or a drink and a muffin (in standard). Before Covid I seem to remember that there was also porridge, a smoothie and some semblance of a full Scottish breakfast (although I don’t think that this was ever very good, and certainly inferior to Morrisons’ or the Lochaber Cafe’s effort).

Eggs royale is like benedict but with salmon instead of ham.

 

[MrEd]

View attachment 99668

Eggs royale is like benedict but with salmon instead of ham.

View attachment 99669

I see now. Presumably that was a breakfast option for a short time with the new stock before the pandemic hit? I must never have noticed it nor got round to trying it.

 

[andbrads]

I see now. Presumably that was a breakfast option for a short time with the new stock before the pandemic hit?

Yes and I am hoping that the fuller menu comes back.

 

[Nunners]

Does anyone know if there is any plan to reinstate the pickup calls on the Inverness portion any time soon? I'll be staying in Aviemore in mid-august and it would be nice to take the sleeper up to Inverness in the morning.