Caledonian Sleeper

[CW2]

The turn this thread has taken is pretty disappointing.
The railway acted proactively to modify the timetables because of an exceptional weather event.
The modification was a sensible and proportionate response, and (with hindsight) was certainly necessary, and worked well.
I would call that a good example of the railway industry partners working together to minimise disruption.
It is pretty sad to see contributors on here trying to be righteously indignant about the fact the timetable was changed at short notice, and the inference this was all a big con to avoid delay repay.
Instead, we should be taking this as an example of how to do it in future.

 

[Bald Rick]

The turn this thread has taken is pretty disappointing.
The railway acted proactively to modify the timetables because of an exceptional weather event.
The modification was a sensible and proportionate response, and (with hindsight) was certainly necessary, and worked well.
I would call that a good example of the railway industry partners working together to minimise disruption.
It is pretty sad to see contributors on here trying to be righteously indignant about the fact the timetable was changed at short notice, and the inference this was all a big con to avoid delay repay.
Instead, we should be taking this as an example of how to do it in future.

well said.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The turn this thread has taken is pretty disappointing.
The railway acted proactively to modify the timetables because of an exceptional weather event.
The modification was a sensible and proportionate response, and (with hindsight) was certainly necessary, and worked well.
I would call that a good example of the railway industry partners working together to minimise disruption.
It is pretty sad to see contributors on here trying to be righteously indignant about the fact the timetable was changed at short notice, and the inference this was all a big con to avoid delay repay.
Instead, we should be taking this as an example of how to do it in future.

I'm also in agreement with this.

It's by far much better than cancelling the service.

Current carryings on CS indicate that either customers are happy to come back for another trip OR there is still an unlimited supply of new customers willing to try.

It's definitely doing well. A couple of weeks ago I made a booking for a "haulage raid" on Glasgow, going out to Dalmuir on a Thursday night in late November and back from Glasgow Central on the Friday night.

There was very little availability on both directions. That's at nearly two months ahead for late November and avoiding the more popular dates for those directions...

 

[JamieL]

The turn this thread has taken is pretty disappointing.
The railway acted proactively to modify the timetables because of an exceptional weather event.
The modification was a sensible and proportionate response, and (with hindsight) was certainly necessary, and worked well.
I would call that a good example of the railway industry partners working together to minimise disruption.
It is pretty sad to see contributors on here trying to be righteously indignant about the fact the timetable was changed at short notice, and the inference this was all a big con to avoid delay repay.
Instead, we should be taking this as an example of how to do it in future.

Agree completely. To get the trains through, both north and south, in that weather was a demonstration of the sort of resilience that the railway should strive for.

 

[paninaro]

Yup 100% agree (and I speak as someone who benefited from 50% of the Sleeper fare paid back the other week via Delay Repay).

 

[Sealink]

Caledonian Sleeper staff to start wearing body cams after 'increase in abuse'

CALEDONIAN Sleeper staff are set to wear body cameras amid concerns over an “increase in verbal abuse” ...

www.thenational.scot

Caledonian Sleeper staff to start wearing body cams due to increase in verbal abuse..

 

[Peter Sarf]

The turn this thread has taken is pretty disappointing.
The railway acted proactively to modify the timetables because of an exceptional weather event.
The modification was a sensible and proportionate response, and (with hindsight) was certainly necessary, and worked well.
I would call that a good example of the railway industry partners working together to minimise disruption.
It is pretty sad to see contributors on here trying to be righteously indignant about the fact the timetable was changed at short notice, and the inference this was all a big con to avoid delay repay.
Instead, we should be taking this as an example of how to do it in future.

I agree. This was a case of damage limitation for the customer. Delay is better than being stranded and it is not a regular occurence.

I think what grates is where persistent bad adherence to the original timetable occurs - for example TPE and Avanti so consistently cancelling services that really meant there was a long term persistent problem being got round with Pcodes (iirc).

Caledonian Sleeper staff to start wearing body cams due to increase in verbal abuse..

Oh dear. I suspect the bar staff will need it more than others ?. It works both ways - makes customers realise they have to behave BUT also makes staff think carefully about how they deal with situations.

Body cams are I think going to become very common everywhere. Even to the point that someone like me as a customer thinks its a good idea for me to wear one !. BUT that is for another thread.

 

[norbitonflyer]

The turn this thread has taken is pretty disappointing.
The railway acted proactively to modify the timetables because of an exceptional weather event.
The modification was a sensible and proportionate response, and (with hindsight) was certainly necessary, and worked well.
I would call that a good example of the railway industry partners working together to minimise disruption.
It is pretty sad to see contributors on here trying to be righteously indignant about the fact the timetable was changed at short notice, and the inference this was all a big con to avoid delay repay.
Instead, we should be taking this as an example of how to do it in future.

Quite. A railway ticket isn't a betting slip - "we bet you the price of your ticket that the train will be on time"

Getting people where they need to be is what the railway is about. Paying them back because you failed to do so should be a last resort. So rescheduling to avoid the weather, provided you tell people well enough in advance, is a good thing. It may not be possible for everyone to travel at tge new time, but they were not going to be able to get to their destination anyway if the train had left at the orignal time and got stuck.

 

[35B]

Quite so, but there does seem to be an attitude of some operators that punctuiality doesn't matter (delays/missed connections are acceptable) as long as the people affected get a refund. No matter that they've missed a funeral/first night/cup final/coronation whatever.

Which is a bit like giving you your money back for the faulty battery that burned your house down.

Any economic choice can be gamed. But, as a consumer, I prefer it to the alternative - which was a great big "stuff you".

 

[_toommm_]

Oh dear. I suspect the bar staff will need it more than others ?. It works both ways - makes customers realise they have to behave BUT also makes staff think carefully about how they deal with situations.

Body cams are I think going to become very common everywhere. Even to the point that someone like me as a customer thinks its a good idea for me to wear one !. BUT that is for another thread.

They do work well, even when they're not obviously recording. I wear one day to day in my job, and even though I've never turned it on with a face to face confrontation (other than apprehending a known criminal where we're building evidence) the placebo of having it there does calm people down IME.

 

[Krokodil]

Caledonian Sleeper is the last place I'd have expected to need bodycams. I can't imagine their trains ever being like our last one on a Saturday night, nor do I picture them having feral teenagers to deal with.

What a shocking indictment on modern society.

 

[mpellatt]

Getting people where they need to be is what the railway is about.

This. So much this.
Which ("slightly" hijacking the discussion) is why skipping stops to try and get back to the timetable (even if it actually makes no difference at the end station, as often seems to be the case) annoys passengers so much.
It so often seems the railways think they're solely about getting trains from A to B, not people from A,B,C,D,etc. to E,F,G,H,etc.
Yes, I know about delay propagation (hell, I use the utterly non-resilient Salisbury-Exeter route) but nevertheless.....

 

[Sealink]

Caledonian Sleeper is the last place I'd have expected to need bodycams. I can't imagine their trains ever being like our last one on a Saturday night, nor do I picture them having feral teenagers to deal with.

What a shocking indictment on modern society.

I was on seated sleeper last year and someone got on at Preston shouting at the top of his voice. Eventually police were called.

Even made the local news!

Drunk passenger booted off Caledonian Sleeper train at Preston

The man refused to leave the train

www.lancs.live

Drunk passenger booted off Caledonian Sleeper train at Preston after refusing to leave carriage

 

[Scotrail84]

Caledonian Sleeper is the last place I'd have expected to need bodycams. I can't imagine their trains ever being like our last one on a Saturday night, nor do I picture them having feral teenagers to deal with.

What a shocking indictment on modern society.

Every TOC encounters problem passengers at some point. Some more than others. The Sleeper will be no exception

 

[godfreycomplex]

Caledonian Sleeper is the last place I'd have expected to need bodycams. I can't imagine their trains ever being like our last one on a Saturday night, nor do I picture them having feral teenagers to deal with.

What a shocking indictment on modern society.

The sleeper has a lot of highly moneyed first class passengers on it, who can be a thousand times more belligerent and obnoxious than “feral teenagers”

 

[robert thomas]

The sleeper has a lot of highly moneyed first class passengers on it, who can be a thousand times more belligerent and obnoxious than “feral teenagers”

That's not my experience and I've been a regular sleeper passenger for over 60 years

 

[godfreycomplex]

That's not my experience and I've been a regular sleeper passenger for over 60 years

Fair enough

 

[Krokodil]

The sleeper has a lot of highly moneyed first class passengers on it, who can be a thousand times more belligerent and obnoxious than “feral teenagers”

Really? Do the wealthy first class passengers spit at staff?

 

[Scotrail84]

Really? Do the wealthy first class passengers spit at staff?

You would be surprised at what 'entitled' wealthy first class passengers are capable of.

 

[ruaival]

I was on seated sleeper last year and someone got on at Preston shouting at the top of his voice. Eventually police were called

When I joined at Preston for a sleeper cabin to Pitlochry several years back, it was a routine Police presence on the platforms given the distinct "small hours" clientele out on the surrounding streets.

 

[87electric]

I agree. This was a case of damage limitation for the customer. Delay is better than being stranded and it is not a regular occurence.

I think what grates is where persistent bad adherence to the original timetable occurs - for example TPE and Avanti so consistently cancelling services that really meant there was a long term persistent problem being got round with Pcodes (iirc).

Oh dear. I suspect the bar staff will need it more than others ?. It works both ways - makes customers realise they have to behave BUT also makes staff think carefully about how they deal with situations.

Body cams are I think going to become very common everywhere. Even to the point that someone like me as a customer thinks its a good idea for me to wear one !. BUT that is for another thread.

I think Orwell missed the trick by not attaching CCTV to everyones chest. It saddens me that society has to implement these actions. From street cameras, to dash cams, to chest cams and let’s not forget Vine’s head cam. I’m sure Caledonian Sleeper have good reasons for their decision.

 

[route101]

Caledonian Sleeper is the last place I'd have expected to need bodycams. I can't imagine their trains ever being like our last one on a Saturday night, nor do I picture them having feral teenagers to deal with.

What a shocking indictment on modern society.

About five years ago I took the seated sleeper from Glasgow Central and one of the passengers got very angry with guard as it wasn't leaving.

 

[sh24]

You would be surprised at what 'entitled' wealthy first class passengers are capable of.

Indeed. A visit to Flyertalks BA forum DKYWIA thread will show they are capable of some pretty unpleasant and highly entitled behaviour. It might not be feral, but still deeply nasty for staff.

 

[Scotrail84]

Indeed. A visit to Flyertalks BA forum DKYWIA thread will show they are capable of some pretty unpleasant and highly entitled behaviour. It might not be feral, but still deeply nasty for staff.

Sounds like an interesting read. You got a link?

 

[sh24]

Sounds like an interesting read. You got a link?

DYKWIA Thread - FlyerTalk Forums

British Airways | The British Airways Club - DYKWIA Thread - This thread is a continuation of the ever popular https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...3-edition.html thread. Airports are funny places. While they are increasingly designed to both complement and positively influence human...

www.flyertalk.com

Have fun! Or just be depressed at how tragically some people behave...

 

[wastedlife]

Sounds like an interesting read. You got a link?

Hope you have got a while....link to 2024 thread

BA DYKWIA 2024

 

[Scotrail84]

DYKWIA Thread - FlyerTalk Forums

British Airways | The British Airways Club - DYKWIA Thread - This thread is a continuation of the ever popular https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...3-edition.html thread. Airports are funny places. While they are increasingly designed to both complement and positively influence human...

www.flyertalk.com

Have fun! Or just be depressed at how tragically some people behave...

Hope you have got a while....link to 2024 thread

BA DYKWIA 2024

Thanks folks.

 

[Travelmonkey]

Caledonian Sleeper staff to start wearing body cams due to increase in verbal abuse..

It is disappointing it has gotten to this stage, although given its a cross border service what jurisdiction would it come under English or Scottish?

Ultimately all the TOCs have some bodycam wearing staff as do many other public facing roles, see Wetherspoons or even my bank. Here's hoping it acts as a deterant or at very least leads to prosecution of those whom decide to behave in a uncouth manner.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 28 Oct 2024 ==

Back to cally sleeper though, is it worth taking it on a ECML diversion night?

 

[TheBigD]

Back to cally sleeper though, is it worth taking it on a ECML diversion night?

You get a half hour stop in Wembley Receptions but otherwise there's no real difference apart from the longer journey time, 55 minutes in the case of the northbound Highlander.

On Sunday January 12th 2025 it is booked via ECML and the York avoider if that is of interest to you.

 

[Travelmonkey]

You get a half hour stop in Wembley Receptions but otherwise there's no real difference apart from the longer journey time, 55 minutes in the case of the northbound Highlander.

On Sunday January 12th 2025 it is booked via ECML and the York avoider if that is of interest to you.

Was thinking of heading up to Inverness for a few days, there is some under £100 rooms down in the week so may even get a cushy double back to London on the normal route,