Caledonian Sleeper

[M&NEJ]

Looks like 1S26 has sat down around Warrington since 03:11. There's a West Coast Railways light engine gone from Carnforth to Warrington, 5Z59, presumable to effect a rescue? (From RTT)

Edit: presumably

 

[paul1609]

Arnold Clark in Harbour Road Inverness.

When we have flown into Inverness they collect you in a minibus from the Airport so I'm sure they'd do it at the Station.

Be warned Car hire prices have rocketed since the pandemic, but they were always cheaper than the big boys.

If your going to hire a car for a week it will almost certainly be (much!) cheaper to do it at Glasgow Airport than Inverness. If you want to bring your own cycle by train travel to Paisley Gilmour Street the airports only 1.5 miles from there. Its then about a 220 mile/ 5 hour (very nice) drive to Kinlochewe.

 

[Bald Rick]

Plenty of car hire in Inverness, although I don't know if any of them will bring a car to the station. Mostly on Harbour Road

Yes Enterprise do station collection, as do a local firm called Focus.

If its just one person travelling, and with a bike, its usually much cheaper to hire a small van.

If you don't need a car anyway, I'd be tempted to consider cycling from Achnasheen station (on the Kyle line; connecting off the sleeper gets you in 10:18). The cycle would be about about 9 miles along a road, but difficult to judge from a map how busy the road is.

The road is not busy at all, it’s wide, but people drive fast down there. The good news is that it‘s flat for the first 6k, gently up hill for the next 2, then a wondeful wonderful drop down through Glen Docherty* for the 5k to Kinlochewe.

*sounds like an Irish football player from the early 90s, but looks much better!

 

[norbitonflyer]

Arnold Clark in Harbour Road Inverness.

When we have flown into Inverness they collect you in a minibus from the Airport so I'm sure they'd do it at the Station.

They do - we've used them a couple of times. Minor drawback is they close at 5pm, leaving you with a long time to kick your heels until the sleeper opens

 

[Jamitay]

Looks like 1S26 has sat down around Warrington since 03:11. There's a West Coast Railways light engine gone from Carnforth to Warrington, 5Z59, presumable to effect a rescue? (From RTT)

Edit: presumably

Hi there, Brand new, newbie here.
Happy to join and share and learn, so thanks for having me.

In response to your post, I was at Warrington Bank Quay this morning and indeed it is sat there due to an incident with the Second pantograph.

The poor passengers onboard were dispatched by other means just after 03:00 this morning.

I’m attempting to add some pictures I managed to get.

 

[ajrm]

The information is in the Q&A section:

During Your Trip

Read our Help and Support pages for everything you need to know while travelling with Caledonian Sleeper, including our hints and tips and all information about our accommodation.

www.sleeper.scot

As I said though, it still refers to the Avanti lounge at Euston.

 

[M&NEJ]

Hi there, Brand new, newbie here.
Happy to join and share and learn, so thanks for having me.

In response to your post, I was at Warrington Bank Quay this morning and indeed it is sat there due to an incident with the Second pantograph.

The poor passengers onboard were dispatched by other means just after 03:00 this morning.

I’m attempting to add some pictures I managed to get.

Welcome to the Forum! - and thanks for the photos - interesting to see on RTT that platform 3 is blocked by the sleeper; so northbound services have been using platform 4 all morning.

 

[syorksdeano]

I thought that they would have moved it by now, so I am only assuming that a lot more damage has been caused

 

[_toommm_]

I thought that they would have moved it by now, so I am only assuming that a lot more damage has been caused

On the move:

Realtime Trains | 5S26 1437 Warrington Bank Quay to Polmadie Car M.D. | 03/11/2023

Real-time train running information for 5S26 1437 departure from Warrington Bank Quay to Polmadie Car M.D. on 03/11/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[JohnMcL7]

Do you know what's hauling it?

 

[M&NEJ]

Sorry it's a bit blurred in my photo but I think that's 92.023 passing Lancaster

 

[InOban]

Presumably they had to bring a 92 down from Scotland after its normal duties were complete. What's happened to it's original 92?

 

[Class385]

92023 hauled the empties back to Polmadie once the faulty pan had been removed & a driver resourced.
A 92 from Scotland was dispatched south but stopped & returned north at Penrith when the original loco was declared fit to run.

 

[JonathanH]

There must be one TMS coach for every 7 (8 including TMS) coaches. So there are two in the case of the WCML sleepers. That would equate to needing an extra driving coach (iirc thats where the brain is) for anything over 8 coaches upto 16 coaches.

The Inverness sleeper is shown as having run with 10 coaches north of Edinburgh this morning, as it was additionally conveying the Fort William coaches. Just one TMS coach.

Reported as 66766-73968-15008-15110-15214-15310-15339-15333-15313-15209-15308-15304

 

[Peter Sarf]

The Inverness sleeper is shown as having run with 10 coaches north of Edinburgh this morning, as it was additionally conveying the Fort William coaches. Just one TMS coach.

Reported as 66766-73968-15008-15110-15214-15310-15339-15333-15313-15209-15308-15304

Well I'll be. Thought that was impossible !.

 

[Indigo Soup]

Isn't that how some of the Austrian sleepers work? You get a travel ticket - price depending on when, etc, ie their equivalent of an Advance or whatever - and then add on a standard amount for a couchette berth or a bed in a single sleeper compartment or a bed in a double, etc... At least that's what it looked like when I last checked out a possible booking with them.

It's also how sleepers in the UK used to work - and, apparently, how the Night Rivera still works. It isn't actually that long since you could buy a sleeper supplement for the Caledonian Sleeper, either!

 

[alistairlees]

It's also how sleepers in the UK used to work - and, apparently, how the Night Rivera still works. It isn't actually that long since you could buy a sleeper supplement for the Caledonian Sleeper, either!

You can still buy a supplement for Caledonian Sleeper

 

[JamieL]

There seems to have been a capacity issue on Caledonian Sleeper (Fort William portion) over the last few weeks. Tried to book a Club Room at short notice on a few occasions now and tickets have sold out (Seat always seems to be available and sometimes Classic - no thanks!).

 

[JonathanH]

There seems to have been a capacity issue on Caledonian Sleeper (Fort William portion) over the last few weeks. Tried to book a Club Room at short notice on a few occasions now and tickets have sold out (Seat always seems to be available and sometimes Classic - no thanks!).

It only runs with two sleeping coaches at this time of year.

 

[Bald Rick]

There seems to have been a capacity issue on Caledonian Sleeper (Fort William portion) over the last few weeks. Tried to book a Club Room at short notice on a few occasions now and tickets have sold out (Seat always seems to be available and sometimes Classic - no thanks!).

Theres enough people with enough money who are prepared to pay the prices.

 

[williamn]

Not sure if old news but the annoying graphics over the windows seems to have been removed, at least from the set I saw at Euston the other day.

 

[JonathanH]

Theres enough people with enough money who are prepared to pay the prices.

In which case it calls into question whether the practice of lopping capacity off the service continues to be appropriate.

 

[Blindtraveler]

There seems to have been a capacity issue on Caledonian Sleeper (Fort William portion) over the last few weeks. Tried to book a Club Room at short notice on a few occasions now and tickets have sold out (Seat always seems to be available and sometimes Classic - no thanks!).

What's your problem with classic? I admit I haven't tried them but should have thought they'd be perfectly adequate now your guaranteed the cabin to yourself

 

[JamieL]

What's your problem with classic? I admit I haven't tried them but should have thought they'd be perfectly adequate now your guaranteed the cabin to yourself

I am old and don't want to walk too far in the middle of the night I have used classic a few times, and the accommodation is fine, but the ensuite is useful at my age! Plus I always do breakfast in the Club Car so it makes sense for the priority access and 'free' (AKA paid as part of ticket) meal.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Nov 2023 ==

It only runs with two sleeping coaches at this time of year.

I didn't realise that. Seems an odd decision when there is clearly a market if its selling out often (although I admit I have only looked on days I was planning to book). Had a to use plane a few times now due to lack of capacity on the Sleeper - not a fan of domestic flying but it beats using the day train at this time of year given how dull it is staring into the darkness for hours on end!

 

[norbitonflyer]

Plus I always do breakfast in the Club Car so it makes sense for the priority access and 'free' (AKA paid as part of ticket) meal.

In my experience priority access is not honoured - in practice its first come first served.

 

[JamieL]

In my experience priority access is not honoured - in practice its first come first served.

If you put the time on your meal card you will have a reserved seat waiting for you.

 

[al78]

Here is a video of someone comparing first class on a day train to the sleeper between Edinburgh and London. He doesn't sell the sleeper seated accomodation to me at all, I'm surprised it is that noisy. Whenever I have used the classic cabins it has never been as bad as that so maybe there is something about the seated accommodation.

 

[norbitonflyer]

If you put the time on your meal card you will have a reserved seat waiting for you.

That's ok for breakfast, but in the evening anbd in the lounges it's a free-for-all. Club reservation notwithstanding, we were turned away from the sleeper lounge at Inverness on our latest trip, despite turning up on the dot of 18:30, when it was supposed to open.

 

[Butts]

That's ok for breakfast, but in the evening anbd in the lounges it's a free-for-all. Club reservation notwithstanding, we were turned away from the sleeper lounge at Inverness on our latest trip, despite turning up on the dot of 18:30, when it was supposed to open.

What is the capacity of the Sleeper Lounge and how many people would theoretically have the status to enter ?

Is there an imbalance ?

 

[kingqueen]

He doesn't sell the sleeper seated accomodation to me at all, I'm surprised it is that noisy. Whenever I have used the classic cabins it has never been as bad as that so maybe there is something about the seated accommodation.

The accessible Sleeper cabins are that noisy, in my experience, and with extra sound from loo flushes next door.
Some of the reason for the ride and noise in accessible cabins being that they are necessity at the ends of the carriage and thus above the wheels.