Caledonian Sleeper

[Morayshire]

I've just been informed by the Train Manager that there are currently no trains running in and out of Edinburgh due to a major signalling failure there too. CS are trying to arrange coaches for onward destinations when the train terminates at Edinburgh. He hopes to have more information in an hour or so.

There are also blanket speed restrictions due to weather across most routes in Scotland as well this morning to contend with.

 

[D6130]

There are also blanket speed restrictions due to weather across most routes in Scotland as well this morning to contend with.

Yes.....also I think between Oxenholme and Penrith, as we had a pretty pedestrian trundle over the Lakeland fells.

According to Real Time Trains, services are arriving and departing Waverley more-or-less on time.

 

[Tezza1978]

Was at WBQ this morning heading to Leeds for a work event today and saw the unusual sight of the sleeper barrelling through the station at speed heading south, immediately thought "bloody hell. That's running late" reading this thread now I know why!. RT Trains says it's the Inverness portion of the Highlander....

 

[Falcon1200]

On the Highlander to London tonight.
Was expecting to arrive at 0800, but Real Time Trains WTT now showing 0900.

I think it's just a data feed error; it's unlikely to take 76 minutes from Camden to Euston.

It looks that rather than retiming the entire journey, arrival times at destination (only) have been revised to take account of anticipated delays en route. So, as well as 1M16 (the Highlander), 1Y11 for example was shown to pass Fort William Jc at 0951.5 but not arrive at Fort William until 1100! Academic now as the train is shown cancelled however.

Hopefully the retiming was done to give passengers a better idea of how the journey would go, rather than affect Delay Repay, although events have now overtaken that issue anyway.....

 

[The Puddock]

I've just been informed by the Train Manager that there are currently no trains running in and out of Edinburgh due to a major signalling failure there too. CS are trying to arrange coaches for onward destinations when the train terminates at Edinburgh. He hopes to have more information in an hour or so.

EDIT: We've just passed through Carlisle without making the booked stop at 07 34. (+316).

I don’t know where that has come from because there’s no issue with the signalling at Edinburgh (at the time of writing at least!)

 

[Deafdoggie]

To paraphrase Monty Python "Tis but a light breeze!"

 

[popeter45]

hopeing non of this plays out like this on friday night when im taking the sleeper again

 

[cb a1]

I'm hoping it's all cleared for tonight when I head back home!

 

[Deepgreen]

I don’t know where that has come from because there’s no issue with the signalling at Edinburgh (at the time of writing at least!)

The railway's mis-information culture strikes yet again...

 

[DelW]

Presumably everyone travelling on CS last night will get a free journey? No wonder that it needs so much subsidy.

Not that that's new of course - the one time that I used the Fort William sleeper in Scotrail days, we arrived at FW at around 11:00 and my full northbound fare was refunded (1st class at around £186 IIRC).

 

[Blindtraveler]

Although presumably network Rail will pick the tab up for last night's fun and games as it was their signaling system that went pop

I would also assume that has a whole the industry has insurance against bad weather and the carnage thus caused

 

[185143]

I'm hoping it's all cleared for tonight when I head back home!

Was that you I spoke to briefly in the Aberdeen lounge then? Both of us in the seats.

 

[D6130]

I managed to transfer to the Inverness portion club car at the Waverley. Now climbing towards Druimuachdar Summit approximately 5 hours and 10 minutes late behind 73 971 & 969.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

...although events have now overtaken that issue anyway.....

I think that's putting it mildly!!

The winds appear to have been worse than forecast haven't they?

 

[D6130]

After a blistering run down the bank from Slochd, we rolled to a stand in platform 2 at Inverness at 13 31....only +256, having been +324 at Blair Athol. Now for food, beer and sleep. Here endeth the lesson!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Unfortunately tonight is also disrupted southbound as a result of all this - Aberdeen passengers are to use ScotRail to Edinburgh and Fort William are to go by bus to Edinburgh (I assume nobody booked Corrour - must be grim out there!)

Travel Updates

Travel Updates | Caledonian Sleeper. View the latest travel updates, service alterations and planned engineering works for Caledonian Sleeper services.

www.sleeper.scot

We are very sorry to announce that due to extreme weather conditions, tonight’s Aberdeen to London Euston and Fort William to London Euston services will now depart from Edinburgh Waverley.
Boarding at Edinburgh Waverley will commence and 22:30 and arrival time into London Euston is unaffected. Seat and room numbers remain the same as booked.
Guests impacted are entitled to a 25% refund and this will be processed automatically for all guests that booked directly with us and you do not need to contact us.
If you have booked via any other retailer, then please visit Contact us | Caledonian Sleeper to complete a contact form to allow this refund to be processed. Please complete the requested detail and select “Change or refund a ticket” in the Enquiry subject.
If any guest prefers not to travel, please contact our us via our Live Chat for a refund for prior to the train’s departure this evening.

---

Aberdeen to London Euston

We have arranged ticket acceptance on all Scotrail services today between Aberdeen and Edinburgh.
Guests traveling from Arbroath, Stonehaven, Leuchars, Dundee and Montrose can also travel to Edinburgh on Scotrail services with their Caledonian Sleeper ticket.

---

Fort William to London Euston

We have arranged road replacement transport from your destination station to take you to Edinburgh.
Road replacement service will leave Fort William at the earlier time of 19:30 and from booked intermediate stations at the scheduled departure time.

---

 

[185143]

Myself and around 25 others ended up being taxied from Edinburgh to Fort William.

Got a couple of hours sleep in the taxi, made it here for about 13:10. Playing the waiting game of "is the 16:19 to Mallaig running?" now over a fantastic pizza and a (OK, several) pints in the excellent Black Isle Bar.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 Sep 2023 ==

Unfortunately tonight is also disrupted southbound as a result of all this - Aberdeen passengers are to use ScotRail to Edinburgh and Fort William are to go by bus to Edinburgh (I assume nobody booked Corrour - must be grim out there!)

Travel Updates

Travel Updates | Caledonian Sleeper. View the latest travel updates, service alterations and planned engineering works for Caledonian Sleeper services.

www.sleeper.scot

Pretty certain it was just Helensburgh and Fort William Northbound last night.

 

[DelW]

Unfortunately tonight is also disrupted southbound as a result of all this - Aberdeen passengers are to use ScotRail to Edinburgh and Fort William are to go by bus to Edinburgh (I assume nobody booked Corrour - must be grim out there!)

Travel Updates

Travel Updates | Caledonian Sleeper. View the latest travel updates, service alterations and planned engineering works for Caledonian Sleeper services.

www.sleeper.scot

Slightly concerning that CS staff don't know the difference between "destination" and "departure":

We have arranged road replacement transport from your destination station to take you to Edinburgh.

 

[SuspectUsual]

the excellent Black Isle Bar

Absolutely. An oasis of decent food and beer in the wasteland of the middle of Fort William

 

[cb a1]

Was that you I spoke to briefly in the Aberdeen lounge then? Both of us in the seats.

Sorry no. I boarded in Perth.

 

[185143]

Sorry no. I boarded in Perth.

Ah, not even on the same train then!

I went to see how I was getting to Fort William and someone else said they were just up for the day.

 

[alf]

Presumably everyone travelling on CS last night will get a free journey? No wonder that it needs so much subsidy.

Sorry to interrupt with a tangential question....but who subsidises the sleeper? Is it just the Scottish Government or is it both Governments paying in proportion to the sleeper mileage in their country?

 

[alistairlees]

Sorry to interrupt with a tangential question....but who subsidises the sleeper? Is it just the Scottish Government or is it both Governments paying in proportion to the sleeper mileage in their country?

The Scottish Government.

 

[al78]

"We are very sorry to announce that due to extreme weather conditions, tonight’s Aberdeen to London Euston and Fort William to London Euston services will now depart from Edinburgh Waverley."

I have been involved in weather forecasting duties this morning and all available forecast models were showing gusts around 40-50 mph across much of the UK on Tuesday/Wednesday this week, up to 60 mph along very exposed coastlines and over high ground. Unless actual winds recorded were WELL in excess of this the weather has not been extreme.

Correction:

"We are very sorry to announce that due to crap resilience on the network to a typical blustery unsettled day in autumn, tonight’s Aberdeen to London Euston and Fort William to London Euston services will now depart from Edinburgh Waverley."

 

[InOban]

Much more to do with rain than wind. Since Carmont NR Scotland are much more cautious. Understandably.

 

[BRX]

Much more to do with rain than wind. Since Carmont NR Scotland are much more cautious. Understandably.

Do they attempt some kind of relative risk assessment for sending people by taxi or bus instead, I wonder, or are these travel modes treated as if risk free while the rail one isn't.

 

[trebor79]

Much more to do with rain than wind. Since Carmont NR Scotland are much more cautious. Understandably.

Do they attempt some kind of relative risk assessment for sending people by taxi or bus instead, I wonder, or are these travel modes treated as if risk free while the rail one isn't.

Exactly. Knee jerk reactions to one-off disasters often lead to unintended and not thought about consequences.

 

[Cloud Strife]

Do they attempt some kind of relative risk assessment for sending people by taxi or bus instead, I wonder, or are these travel modes treated as if risk free while the rail one isn't.

Would it really be a big problem for the train to simply go slowly through potentially affected areas? I'm sure passengers would prefer to be in their cabins/beds on a train going 30-40mph rather than sitting on a coach for 3 hours.

 

[InOban]

That's what they generally do, but on the WHL and the HML, being all or partially single track it leads to escalating delays - they've scrubbed some WHL services until the weather clears.

 

[King Lazy]

I suspect but can’t prove use of road transport comes down to who get blamed.

I’m train crew and have been on numerous taxi rides of 3+ hours on motorways while the railway next door is closed or has a blanket speed limit in place due to weather.

The taxi is however ploughing through standing water at 70mph with other vehicles following closely behind. You have no idea of their tiredness level or how long they’ve been on duty.

I expect that if the taxi crashes the railway will claim that the risk assessment was already in place ie DVLA licences the driver, local authority licences the driver to drive taxis etc.

I’ve raised this many times and the helpful answer is always “if the driver is going too fast or you feel they are dangerous tell him then to pull over and we’ll get another taxi” (in the middle of nowhere in bad weather).

I’m surprised the unions never care about the length of Traincrew taxi rides given the likelihood of road vehicle accidents compared to cars. And the same obviously applies to passenger safety.