Caledonian Sleeper

[trainophile]

It's not an entirely stupid question given that it's sold as a premium train (yes, I know it's more like a Premier Inn!) and premium trains often do have dress codes.

CS doesn't, however, bar basic decency (i.e. something on your top and bottom half and a pair of shoes, trainers, flipflops or non-muddy boots of some kind). Alongside the cabins being a Premier Inn on wheels (albeit at a more Hilton like price), think of the lounge car as (overpriced) 'Spoons on wheels in those terms.

Thank you. I figured so but better safe than sorry. Once we were the only couple in denims and with backpacks in a first class carriage from Paddington on an evening peak train, and to make matters worse our reserved seats were at a table sitting opposite two very smartly suited and booted gents who were using their laptops.

 

[Siemens Trains]

I think you’re confusing the Caledonian Sleeper with the Orient Express.

Understandable when so many passengers compare their CS journey to a 'murder'.

 

[87electric]

Understandable when so many passengers compare their CS journey to a 'murder'.

Top comment.

 

[43066]

Understandable when so many passengers compare their CS journey to a 'murder'.

I like what you did there!

 

[E100]

A surprise this morning at Newcastle. Something appeared to have happened to the highland sleeper at Morpeth overnight.

 

[Southern Dvr]

A surprise this morning at Newcastle. Something appeared to have happened to the highland sleeper at Morpeth overnight.

PHBT between Morpeth and Newcastle. Northbound sleeper still at Newcastle awaiting events.

 

[E100]

Sorry what’s a PHBT?

Either way doesn’t sound good.

 

[androdas]

Sorry what’s a PHBT?

Either way doesn’t sound good.

Person Hit By Train

 

[E100]

Oh dear that’s awful. Thanks for the clarification never the less

 

[island]

RTT says the northbound lowland terminated at Newcastle and the northbound highland has gone ahead just over 2 hours late.

 

[JModulo]

RTT says the northbound lowland terminated at Newcastle and the northbound highland has gone ahead just over 2 hours late.

Currently onboard and I believe the lowlander is still continuing to Edinburgh where it will be terminated. Thats what staff are saying, anyway.

*EDIT*

Northbound now on the move 380 late, terminating at Edinburgh. Southbound Highlander terminating at Newcastle.

 

[Unstoppable]

Was the sleeper the train directly involved in the fatality?

 

[androdas]

Was the sleeper the train directly involved in the fatality?

It was 1S66 the northbound highland that was involved, The lowland was behind it and held at Newcastle. Discussion in this thread:

ECML Morpeth to Newcastle

Hi has anybody got any idea what has happened between Morpeth and Newcastle on the ECML. Many thanks Jon

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[lachlan]

Have the cabins gone up in price recently? I am sure they used to be ~£130 with a railcard, now they're £165. Or perhaps, it used to be a bit cheaper for a single person and they've now made it the same cost no matter whether there's one guest or two.

 

[alistairlees]

Have the cabins gone up in price recently? I am sure they used to be ~£130 with a railcard, now they're £165. Or perhaps, it used to be a bit cheaper for a single person and they've now made it the same cost no matter whether there's one guest or two.

They vary in price depending on demand; like any other Advance ticket.

 

[trek]

Have the cabins gone up in price recently? I am sure they used to be ~£130 with a railcard, now they're £165. Or perhaps, it used to be a bit cheaper for a single person and they've now made it the same cost no matter whether there's one guest or two.

Pretty sure there have been increases to all of the lower price quotas.

It used to be pretty easy to find solo cabins on the lowlanders at the £100 rate (£66 railcard). I did a few journeys at that rate and was very satisfied given what I had paid. Now I have clicked through lots of days (their terrible website and lack of a low fare calendar does not make this easy at all...) and can't find anything below £175.

 

[alistairlees]

Now I have clicked through lots of days (their terrible website and lack of a low fare calendar does not make this easy at all...) and can't find anything below £175.

Watch this space

 

[lachlan]

Pretty sure there have been increases to all of the lower price quotas.

It used to be pretty easy to find solo cabins on the lowlanders at the £100 rate (£66 railcard). I did a few journeys at that rate and was very satisfied given what I had paid. Now I have clicked through lots of days (their terrible website and lack of a low fare calendar does not make this easy at all...) and can't find anything below £175.

Yes, the seats now tend to be £36.50 to Aberdeen whereas I’m sure they used to be £33

I was also thinking there used to be a solo fare that was a bit less than a cabin but now it appears to be the same cost regardless of number of travellers

 

[jagardner1984]

Pretty sure there have been increases to all of the lower price quotas.

It used to be pretty easy to find solo cabins on the lowlanders at the £100 rate (£66 railcard). I did a few journeys at that rate and was very satisfied given what I had paid. Now I have clicked through lots of days (their terrible website and lack of a low fare calendar does not make this easy at all...) and can't find anything below £175.

Actually think the easiest given the lack of options per day would be the easyJet model, where you enter the from/to and number of passengers, and the calendar then shows a “prices from” under the dates. It would direct the price conscious to the most suitable dates.

 

[alistairlees]

Actually think the easiest given the lack of options per day would be the easyJet model, where you enter the from/to and number of passengers, and the calendar then shows a “prices from” under the dates. It would direct the price conscious to the most suitable dates.

 

[jagardner1984]

My lack of emoji awareness means I’m unsure if you think this an excellent or moronic idea

 

[Trainbike46]

My lack of emoji awareness means I’m unsure if you think this an excellent or moronic idea

Or maybe you guessed exactly what Cally sleeper is introducing?

(here's hoping)

 

[zwk500]

My lack of emoji awareness means I’m unsure if you think this an excellent or moronic idea

I think it's an excellent idea regardless. Perhaps Eurostar's presentation may be better where they give you all the trains (prices) for your given day, then have the day either side with 'prices from' above.

 

[lachlan]

Would definitely be beneficial for myself as I’ll choose what nights to travel based on when the seats or cheapest cabins are available.

 

[Royston Vasey]

Actually think the easiest given the lack of options per day would be the easyJet model, where you enter the from/to and number of passengers, and the calendar then shows a “prices from” under the dates. It would direct the price conscious to the most suitable dates.

And they then book and fly by Easyjet because it's still too expensive!

 

[najaB]

And they then book and fly by Easyjet because it's still too expensive!

Value and cost aren't the same thing. For many people the higher price of the Sleeper still represents better value overall.

 

[jagardner1984]

Value and cost aren't the same thing. For many people the higher price of the Sleeper still represents better value overall.

Amuses me the people who insist the sleeper is a worthless service, when for many - who need to be in one city* after a particular time, or in another* before a particular time, it is one of the only options (I don’t really count a night bus) - by quite some margin.

Given it is often difficult to get a berth of any kind, I am clearly not alone in that opinion.

* Key point, in said city, as opposed to, for example, Luton, which isn’t.

 

[najaB]

Amuses me the people who insist the sleeper is a worthless service, when for many - who need to be in one city* after a particular time, or in another* before a particular time, it is one of the only options (I don’t really count a night bus) - by quite some margin.

Also, people who find the inconvenience of getting to/from an airport where an early/late flight is involved outweighs the additional cost of the sleeper. For example, it's a ten-minute walk to the train station for me, vs over an hour to get to Edinburgh or Glasgow airports.

 

[Meerkat]

Amuses me the people who insist the sleeper is a worthless service, when for many - who need to be in one city* after a particular time, or in another* before a particular time, it is one of the only options (I don’t really count a night bus) - by quite some margin.

Given it is often difficult to get a berth of any kind, I am clearly not alone in that opinion.

* Key point, in said city, as opposed to, for example, Luton, which isn’t.

Who argues the service is worthless? Main criticism is whether its value for the Scottish taxpayer.

 

[jagardner1984]

Who argues the service is worthless? Main criticism is whether its value for the Scottish taxpayer.

You’ll read a lot of “HS2 will make the Lowlander redundant” … “most meetings are not at 9am nowadays” ….. “why don’t you just get the first Avanti” … further upthread.

There has obviously been an exponential increase in fares over the Serco years. And yet there are still dates you struggle to get a berth. So quite how that all pans out in terms of subsidy and inflation I don’t quite know, but clearly running a train at close to 100% occupancy on a mixture of X% fare and Y% subsidy, is a perfect incentive to increase X and decrease Y, until the occupancy figure begins to fall and thus revenue begins to fall.

Particularly if I were a transport minister seeking cuts in a budget already run ragged by the much bigger news stories of islands cut off by ferries almost as old as me, massive engineering projects through the highlands to dual the A9, and the small matter of decarbonising a largely (outside of a handful of the towns/cities) Diesel based rail system.