Caledonian Sleeper

[norbitonflyer]

A connecting coach to Dalwhinnie (which is a much shorter journey than Glasgow) would surely give the seated passengers a better product and give CS a simpler operation and reduced costs.

Not all the seated passengers are for Fort William, and the A86 road from Dalwhinnie only runs anywhere close to the West Highland line after Tulloch.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Not all the seated passengers are for Fort William, and the A86 road from Dalwhinnie only runs anywhere close to the West Highland line after Tulloch.

It just doesn't make any sense. If CS have undercapacity on the Inverness seats, then it would make more sense to order another seated coach from CAF while the jigs presumably still exist, but I doubt they do.

 

[Steddenm]

I don't think you would save much money by doing that, basically just diesel and track access. It's having a third portion at all that adds a lot of the faff and cost over a simpler two-portion train, as it complicates the shunting considerably and requires another driver and guard.



There's something electronic in either the lounge or the seated car that they can't run without, I forget which it is for certain but think it's the seats.

Isn't the train control management system in one of the coaches and the entire train cannot operate without this, therefore needing the lounge/seated coach in the consist?

 

[185143]

Isn't the train control management system in one of the coaches and the entire train cannot operate without this, therefore needing the lounge/seated coach in the consist?

That's probably what's in the TMs office.

Thinking about it, wasn't this also used as the excuse to close the seated coach from March 2020?

 

[CrispyUK]

Message from CS customer services tells them to board a Scotrail service departing 2 hours ahead of the sleeper to Glasgow Queen Street "and from there you will board the sleeper to London Euston". Nope, 1M11 is starting from Waverley...

The sleeper called at Queen Street for these passengers to board, but not until shortly after midnight, so over a 2.5 hour connection from the inbound Scotrail service. Time spent waiting around at Queen Street when I bet most passengers were expecting to be tucked up in bed at that point!

 

[Scotrail314209]

I feel sorry for the staff in the Guest Service Center, who are no doubt being given a hard time from passengers due to all the disruption..

 

[norbitonflyer]

The sleeper called at Queen Street for these passengers to board,

After starting at Waverley? What was its route after that?

 

[CrispyUK]

After starting at Waverley? What was its route after that?

ECS from Fort William to Queen Street, then on to Edinburgh with passengers.

 

[6Z09]

After starting at Waverley? What was its route after that?

Those boarding at Queen Street Low Level will have been passengers for the Fort William portion of the southbound Highlander service.(Not 1M11)

 

[williamn]

Just off the ‘Glasgow’ train which today terminated in Edinburgh. Breakfast in my Club room was a grim flapjack. Not very premium! Other than that tho the bed was super comfortable and the shower great.

As we left Euston we clearly left two people behind. They were dawdling and maybe unaware of the time - you wonder how it was that no one shouted at them to get on.

 

[Falcon1200]

I don't think you would save much money by doing that, basically just diesel and track access. It's having a third portion at all that adds a lot of the faff and cost over a simpler two-portion train, as it complicates the shunting considerably and requires another driver and guard.

I would agree, and unless new servicing facilities were installed at Dundee the train would have to run to Aberdeen ECS anyway.

 

[RochdalePioneers]

Those boarding at Queen Street Low Level will have been passengers for the Fort William portion of the southbound Highlander service.(Not 1M11)

I appreciate that. It's just that when I looked last night there was no CS service operating through Queen Street.

 

[najaB]

I would agree, and unless new servicing facilities were installed at Dundee the train would have to run to Aberdeen ECS anyway.

It would run to Polmadie.

 

[Berliner]

Just off the ‘Glasgow’ train which today terminated in Edinburgh. Breakfast in my Club room was a grim flapjack. Not very premium! Other than that tho the bed was super comfortable and the shower great.

As we left Euston we clearly left two people behind. They were dawdling and maybe unaware of the time - you wonder how it was that no one shouted at them to get on.

How do you know they were on the sleeper?

An Avanti usually arrives on the platform next to the sleeper not long before it leaves, they could have come off that.

 

[norbitonflyer]

As we left Euston we clearly left two people behind. They were dawdling and maybe unaware of the time - you wonder how it was that no one shouted at them to get on.

Could they have been seeing someone off?

 

[williamn]

How do you know they were on the sleeper?

An Avanti usually arrives on the platform next to the sleeper not long before it leaves, they could have come off that.

Because they had luggage and they were exclaiming ‘no no!’ as the train started to move!

 

[Grumpy]

You've obviously never used the road from Dalwhinnie towards FW

Deleted-duplicate post

 

[InOban]

When the WHL is closed, passengers are coached from Kingussie. Apart from the condition of the road, any coach would have to come from a much larger settlement than Dalwhinnie, which a tiny village.

 

[Scotrail84]

Just off the ‘Glasgow’ train which today terminated in Edinburgh. Breakfast in my Club room was a grim flapjack. Not very premium! Other than that tho the bed was super comfortable and the shower great.

As we left Euston we clearly left two people behind. They were dawdling and maybe unaware of the time - you wonder how it was that no one shouted at them to get on.

People miss trains and other modes of transport everyday. If every train or bus waited for every passenger who was running late then the timetables would be in disarray. Nothing would ever be on time. Train leaves at xx:xx, if you're not there on time then tough.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I'm concerned that for a club room customer Caledonian Sleeper think that a flapjack and presumably a cup of tea or coffee and maybe some orange juice?? is acceptable

 

[Merseysider]

I'm concerned that for a club room customer Caledonian Sleeper think that a flapjack and presumably a cup of tea or coffee and maybe some orange juice?? is acceptable

Agreed. Certainly not worth being woken up at 6.30am for!

 

[Berliner]

Because they had luggage and they were exclaiming ‘no no!’ as the train started to move!

The sleeper has staff on the platform until the last minute, plus the guard at the very end, plus the Euston dispatch staff all along the platform too, plus station staff, that's a lot of staff to not interact with late runners in some way, which is what I find odd.

As you were in the Glasgow portion (at the front of the train as it leaves Euston) then when you spotted these people they would already have had time to walk at least half the length of the train, so would have been on the platform a few minutes before departure, surely?

 

[43096]

It would run to Polmadie.

So rather than run to Aberdeen (72 miles), you'd have the loco run round (presumably not using the bay platforms, or you'd need another loco) and then go to Glasgow (something over 80 miles) for servicing, having to pick its way through the much more densely used lines to south Glasgow.

I'm not seeing how that saves you anything - in fact it costs a whole lot more. You haven't thought this through at all.

 

[MrEd]

I'm concerned that for a club room customer Caledonian Sleeper think that a flapjack and presumably a cup of tea or coffee and maybe some orange juice?? is acceptable

The Lowlander must be different, because I was on the Highlander to Fort William last night in a club room and was given a menu card to fill out with five choices (porridge, smoothie, bacon roll, Highland breakfast, smoked salmon) - I went for the smoked salmon and poached eggs which was nicely served in the lounge car along with toast and tea.

 

[trebor79]

The Lowlander must be different, because I was on the Highlander to Fort William last night in a club room and was given a menu card to fill out with five choices (porridge, smoothie, bacon roll, Highland breakfast, smoked salmon) - I went for the smoked salmon and poached eggs which was nicely served in the lounge car along with toast and tea.

Would have been rude to tick 3 options?

 

[Scotrail84]

Would have been rude to tick 3 options?

That would be called sheer greed and I highly doubt you'd be given all 3 anyway. Theres only limited stock available and gannets wanting 3 breakfasts for the sake of is not something the crew should have to deal with.

 

[trebor79]

I don't think there would be anything wrong with a smoothie, porridge and either a bacon roll or smoked salmon. Likewise smoothie and Highland breakfast doesn't seem particularly gluttonous.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Would have been rude to tick 3 options?

If you did they'd probably just take that to mean "any of the three" and give you whatever they had most of.

 

[MrEd]

Would have been rude to tick 3 options?

Yes - you need to choose one hot drink, one juice (orange or apple) and one breakfast out of the five. Note that the Highland breakfast and smoked salmon with poached eggs cannot be delivered to rooms and can only be served in the lounge car.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Aug 2021 ==

If you did they'd probably just take that to mean "any of the three" and give you whatever they had most of.

Possibly, although I rather think that the attendant in charge of your coach would find you in the lounge car (or come to your room) and ask you to make a firm decision. Attendants spend a lot of time each evening chasing passengers who have filled out those cards incorrectly (or not clearly).

 

[najaB]

So rather than run to Aberdeen (72 miles), you'd have the loco run round (presumably not using the bay platforms, or you'd need another loco)...

Nope. Platforms 1 and 4 both have the ability to run round.

...and then go to Glasgow (something over 80 miles)

There's about 15 miles difference. Which is a few tens of pounds additional cost. If Glasgow is too far, Perth has (I believe) the necessary equipment to service CET tanks. Failing that, I expect that Cadder will.

I'm not seeing how that saves you anything - in fact it costs a whole lot more.

It saves the cost of a second servicing depot.