Caledonian Sleeper

[Darandio]

I see the Southbound Lowlander was cancelled on Weds. Seems to be a reliability low point at the moment.

Not really their fault.

WCML Disruption 03/09

Southbound service blocking the line at Oxenholme. I am at Glasgow Central trying to catch the 1640 Euston which is showing as delayed. Station announcements are directing London passengers to go via Edinburgh - but looks like the 1830 Kings x is cancelled, so the only alternative is the very...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[glenbogle]

I see the Southbound Lowlander was cancelled on Weds. Seems to be a reliability low point at the moment.

All Southbounds didn’t leave the Central Belt due to the OHL problems on the WCML.

 

[williamn]

Not really their fault.

WCML Disruption 03/09

Southbound service blocking the line at Oxenholme. I am at Glasgow Central trying to catch the 1640 Euston which is showing as delayed. Station announcements are directing London passengers to go via Edinburgh - but looks like the 1830 Kings x is cancelled, so the only alternative is the very...

www.railforums.co.uk

It rarely is, but the customer won't care whose fault it is.

 

[thejuggler]

I experienced cancellation of the Wednesday service to Fort William.

I have since received an email asking about my experience. However for Transport Focus it is a very poor survey as the questions and answers all assume the service actually ran.

 

[rower40]

Down Fort William portion from last night (10th Sept): Open Train Times shows it having left Garelochhead at 1217 (timetabled at 0647), but not reported as reaching anywhere beyond. Where is it the noo?

Update - must just be a lack of reporting points on the West Highland; it's just flagged up as leaving Crianlarich, still 5h30 (ish) late, so hasn't lost any more time.

It was 69 late leaving Edinburgh, then vanished (as far as Open Train Times is concerned) at Haymarket West, then re-appeared at Westerton at 1105 compared to a timetabled passing time of 0600.

 

[hexagon789]

Down Fort William portion from last night (10th Sept): Open Train Times shows it having left Garelochhead at 1217 (timetabled at 0647), but not reported as reaching anywhere beyond. Where is it the noo?

Update - must just be a lack of reporting points on the West Highland; it's just flagged up as leaving Crianlarich, still 5h30 (ish) late, so hasn't lost any more time.

It was 69 late leaving Edinburgh, then vanished (as far as Open Train Times is concerned) at Haymarket West, then re-appeared at Westerton at 1105 compared to a timetabled passing time of 0600.

It was diverted via the Fife Circle (passed Kirkcaldy at around 0830) and then the Edinburgh and Glasgow rather than the usual route via Bathgate.

It also suffered a breakdown near Castlecary for sometime, holding up 3 ScotRail services and causing a 4th to divert via Springburn from Larbert.

 

[voyagerdude220]

Down Fort William portion from last night (10th Sept): Open Train Times shows it having left Garelochhead at 1217 (timetabled at 0647), but not reported as reaching anywhere beyond. Where is it the noo?

Update - must just be a lack of reporting points on the West Highland; it's just flagged up as leaving Crianlarich, still 5h30 (ish) late, so hasn't lost any more time.

It was 69 late leaving Edinburgh, then vanished (as far as Open Train Times is concerned) at Haymarket West, then re-appeared at Westerton at 1105 compared to a timetabled passing time of 0600.

Looking on Trust, it appears as if the northbound Fort William Sleeper has randomly run Edinburgh-Haymarket-Inverkeithing (08:00)- Glenrothes (08:26) -Kirkcaldy (08:34) - Inverkeithing- Falkirk High- Westerton 11:05.

Edit: As per Hexagon789's post above at the same time as mine.

 

[hexagon789]

Looking on Trust, it appears as if the northbound Fort William Sleeper has randomly run Edinburgh-Haymarket-Inverkeithing (08:00)- Glenrothes (08:26) -Kirkcaldy (08:34) - Inverkeithing- Falkirk High- Westerton 11:05.

Correct, it went via Fife for some reason, then over the E&G towards Glasgow QS.

 

[voyagerdude220]

It also suffered a breakdown near Castlecary for sometime, holding up 3 ScotRail services and causing a 4th to divert via Springburn from Larbert.

Massive diversion?

 

[hexagon789]

Massive diversion?

Castlecary is between Greenhill Upper Jcn. and Croy

 

[glenbogle]

Massive diversion?

Done well to only be 6 hours late going via Castlecary!

 

[voyagerdude220]

Castlecary is between Greenhill Upper Jcn. and Croy

Tongue in cheek- I apologise I hadn't heard of Castlecary in Scotland. Doh!

 

[glenbogle]

It’s away from Crianlarich at 1317 - 329 late.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Sep 2025 ==

Correct, it went via Fife for some reason, then over the E&G towards Glasgow QS.

Sounds like it’s been wrongly routed by the signaller and the driver has accepted it!

 

[hexagon789]

Tongue in cheek- I apologise I hadn't heard of Castlecary in Scotland. Doh!

I wasn't sure, I thought maybe you were being facetious!

Never mind, next time I'll either say Castlecary, between Greenhill and Croy or simply start out saying between Greenhill and Croy!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Sep 2025 ==

Sounds like it’s been wrongly routed by the signaller and the driver has accepted it!

Ouch.

I assume the driver must've signed via Fife though, or ot wouldn't have gone right round the Circle?

 

[Tester]

Tongue in cheek- I apologise I hadn't heard of Castlecary in Scotland. Doh!

Sadly 'famous' for two serious collisions.

 

[ABB125]

Is there any reason to send it round the Fife circle rather than just sitting in a platform at EDB (on the assumption that the line ahead was blocked) or in a loop somewhere? Though it appears to have left EDB 70 minutes late regardless

 

[hexagon789]

Is there any reason to send it round the Fife circle rather than just sitting in a platform at EDB (on the assumption that the line ahead was blocked) or in a loop somewhere? Though it appears to have left EDB 70 minutes late regardless

Glenbogle suggested a wrong routeing.

 

[rower40]

Is there any reason to send it round the Fife circle rather than just sitting in a platform at EDB (on the assumption that the line ahead was blocked) or in a loop somewhere? Though it appears to have left EDB 70 minutes late regardless

Once the driver took the wrong-route at one of the Haymarket junctions, there's not much that can be done; as the sleeper is not Top-n-tailed, so it can't just reverse in Dalmeny Loop to use the line to Winchburgh. So it has to go across the Forth Bridge, round the Fife Circle, back across the Forth Bridge, THEN turn right at Dalmeny, to have any hope of getting towards Glasgow and the West Highland line.

 

[norbitonflyer]

I assume the driver must've signed via Fife though, or ot wouldn't have gone right round the Circle?

Would both sides of the Circle be signed by GBRf drivers (as a diversion for Aberdeen sleepers)?

 

[GordonT]

Is there any reason to send it round the Fife circle rather than just sitting in a platform at EDB (on the assumption that the line ahead was blocked) or in a loop somewhere? Though it appears to have left EDB 70 minutes late regardless

Routeing confusion of portions?

 

[BRX]

Although the full Highlander seems to have arrived in Edinburgh on time, the Inverness portion appears to have been cancelled from Edinburgh northwards. The Aberdeen portion is pathed to go via Stirling but from RTT looks like it also went via Fife this morning, and left Edinburgh 109 mins late.

Obviously there was some kind of trouble at Edinburgh, and the FW portion left Edinburgh before the Aberdeen one, the other way around from usual so perhaps it's not too difficult to see how confusion might have led to the FW being put onto the Aberdeen route, which was already different from normal.

The Fort William portion seems to have left Haymarket at 0604 and the Aberdeen one 20 mins later. I wonder if they managed to pass each other, in opposite directions, somewhere along the Fife coast?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Sep 2025 ==

Ah, I see from elsewhere that Inverness & Aberdeen portions were combined, meaning 12 mk5s went to Aberdeen behind a 66/73 combo. Reason being the line blocked by a crashed car near Dunkeld. The Inverness carriages later went across the top from Aberdeen to Inverness during the daytime.

 

[AMD]

I wonder if they managed to pass each other, in opposite directions, somewhere along the Fife coast?

Yes, they would have passed at Dalmeny - the FW portion was in the loop there both times I passed this morning, at around 0620 and 0805, and I had the Aberdeen portion on the tail of my train at Kirkcaldy....

 

[InvHst]

I wasn't sure, I thought maybe you were being facetious!

Never mind, next time I'll either say Castlecary, between Greenhill and Croy or simply start out saying between Greenhill and Croy!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Sep 2025 ==


Ouch.

I assume the driver must've signed via Fife though, or ot wouldn't have gone right round the Circle?

New driver required hence the lopping at Dalmeny

 

[Falcon1200]

as the sleeper is not Top-n-tailed, so it can't just reverse in Dalmeny Loop to use the line to Winchburgh.

Presumably running round at Dalmeny was not possible?

 

[D6130]

Presumably running round at Dalmeny was not possible?

You would have to run both locos round separately.... otherwise the 73 would be in the wrong position to supply ETS.

 

[rower40]

On leaving Dalmeny Loop, were the passengers given the option to alight at Dalmeny station, to get daytime trains to their destinations? While many sleeper passengers might relish the scenic tour of Fife and the central belt, there might be passengers on the day coach using it as an early service to the West Highlands.

 

[Siemens Trains]

Tongue in cheek- I apologise I hadn't heard of Castlecary in Scotland. Doh!

Sadly 'famous' for two serious collisions.

Also famous for Castlecary Arches, where railway lines cross the motorway supported by an impressive viaduct. Worth checking out if you're interested in that type of industrial revolution thing.
I notice there's a quaint Castle Cary town and station in England too but its associated bridges seem rather less obtrusive.

 

[voyagerdude220]

Also famous for Castlecary Arches, where railway lines cross the motorway supported by an impressive viaduct. Worth checking out if you're interested in that type of industrial revolution thing.
I notice there's a quaint Castle Cary town and station in England too but its associated bridges seem rather less obtrusive.

Thank you

 

[aaronspence]

You would have to run both locos round separately.... otherwise the 73 would be in the wrong position to supply ETS.

And I guess by the time you schedule that it would have been quicker to go around Fife circle?

 

[BRX]

You would have to run both locos round separately.... otherwise the 73 would be in the wrong position to supply ETS.

Would you also need to get someone to the site to do all the coupling/uncoupling or are drivers able to do that themselves in such situations?