Caledonian Sleeper

[JonathanH]

Have they resolved the issue where people were blocked from making reservations for local journeys because they didn't want them stopping tickets being sold for the overnight trip? Or is that still an issue? If it is they can't really be saying it's compulsory reservation.

I think it is just a short booking horizon, eg you can only book up to about two weeks in advance for local journeys.

 

[59CosG95]

You jest, but they might well want to visit one of the major exhibitions at the NEC, either for personal or work reasons.

I suspect it'll be more of an origin than a destination though.

Not forgetting the Arena next door.

 

[Cross City]

You jest, but they might well want to visit one of the major exhibitions at the NEC, either for personal or work reasons.

I suspect it'll be more of an origin than a destination though.

That, and Solihull is a genuinely nice place. It has the most expensive neighbourhood in the UK outside of the South East.

 

[Zomboid]

I can see the forthcoming 22:42 from Birmingham International to the Highlands being very popular. A night out in the pubs of Digbeth, then waking-up on Rannoch Moor!

Shame about the too-tight connection to the last northbound XC (2238), those of us from that way will have to enjoy a late night hour of Birmingham International, or more likely just go to Euston.

 

[Garmoran]

You jest, but they might well want to visit one of the major exhibitions at the NEC, either for personal or work

I doubt if the idea will occur to CS marketing department. I have yet to receive an email from them which is aimed at residents of the Highlands, although all the bookings that I have made were returns to Euston from FW.
Their marketing seems to be exclusively aimed at visitors to Scotland.

 

[35B]

I doubt if the idea will occur to CS marketing department. I have yet to receive an email from them which is aimed at residents of the Highlands, although all the bookings that I have made were returns to Euston from FW.
Their marketing seems to be exclusively aimed at visitors to Scotland.

If you're not being marketed to, that suggests to me that they have quite a good idea of where their marketing spend will get the best effect. Alternatively, if you're getting marketing for travel to Scotland, something else may be awry.

 

[Jimini]

If you're not being marketed to, that suggests to me that they have quite a good idea of where their marketing spend will get the best effect. Alternatively, if you're getting marketing for travel to Scotland, something else may be awry.

I’m in Coventry this week (lucky me eh), and have seen plenty of CS ads on the likes of Facebook etc. pushing the new B’ham stop.

 

[Bikeman78]

Realtime Trains | 1Y11 2101 London Euston to Fort William | 29/09/2025

Real-time train running information for 1Y11 2101 departure from London Euston to Fort William on 29/09/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

This is Sunday night's down Fort Bill - disappears off RTT between Newbridge Junction and Westerton and picks up 18 minutes by doing so. Yes, it is a normal service train from GQS but its (i) pick up only and (ii) compulsory reservation; so if nobody books to get on at Queen Street there is no requirement to go that way. (What I don't know is how long before scheduled departure time reservations close)

Anyone from Glasgow could have taken the 0602 from Queen Street and made the sleeper at Dalmuir.

 

[Jimini]

Guessing it's nixed tonight given the fatality at Harrow & Wealdstone

*Edit* looks like things are moving via the slow lines around Watford to avoid the blockage.

 

[trebor79]

That, and Solihull is a genuinely nice place. It has the most expensive neighbourhood in the UK outside of the South East.

Indeed. Colleague and I ended up there for dinner after a thing at the NEC. We were both pleasantly surprised. "This isn't what I imagined Solihull would look like".

 

[norbitonflyer]

Guessing it's nixed tonight given the fatality at Harrow & Wealdstone

*Edit* looks like things are moving via the slow lines around Watford to avoid the blockage.

The slow lines or the DC lines? (can CS's 92s still work on DC?)

 

[59CosG95]

The slow lines or the DC lines? (can CS's 92s still work on DC?)

As someone on the GBRf 2018 tour (part of which ran from Waterloo's former Int'l platforms to Blackpool North) I can confirm that they do, or at least the one that hauled us did.

 

[Zomboid]

Whether they can run on the Euston - Watford DC lines is another matter, there Eurostar and class 92 routes were upgraded to handle the power draw, which is considerably higher than an overground unit.

 

[zwk500]

Whether they can run on the Euston - Watford DC lines is another matter, there Eurostar and class 92 routes were upgraded to handle the power draw, which is considerably higher than an overground unit.

In Table D of the sectional appendix Class 92 is listed as 'N' (Not Cleared) for all of MD120 (Watford DC Lines).

 

[Morayshire]

Guessing it's nixed tonight given the fatality at Harrow & Wealdstone

*Edit* looks like things are moving via the slow lines around Watford to avoid the blockage.

Well the Highlander did run and made it to Edinburgh 50 mins late. But the Aberdeen portion got delayed further this morning due to an obstruction on the track at Dock Street tunnel in Dundee this morning.

 

[Lee_Again]

Interesting routing when the Birmingham International stop is introduced.

Realtime Trains | 1S25 2115 London Euston to Inverness | 20/01/2026

Real-time train running information for 1S25 2115 departure from London Euston to Inverness on 20/01/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[MadMac]

Interesting routing when the Birmingham International stop is introduced.

Realtime Trains | 1S25 2115 London Euston to Inverness | 20/01/2026

Real-time train running information for 1S25 2115 departure from London Euston to Inverness on 20/01/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

View attachment 189579

I think that’s the way it goes now?

 

[Lee_Again]

I think that’s the way it goes now?

I'm not sure it is..

 

[zwk500]

I think that’s the way it goes now?

Last night it went via the Trent Valley.

Interesting routing when the Birmingham International stop is introduced.

Avoiding New Street is a sensible choice for the sleeper given it'll likely lock up a decent portion of the station if it got held at the platform.

 

[Lee_Again]

Last night it went via the Trent Valley.

Avoiding New Street is a sensible choice for the sleeper given it'll likely lock up a decent portion of the station if it got held at the platform.

avoiding NS makes complete sense.. but looking at the route it seems to be using some [potentially] freight/rare track... I'm not familiar with the area; hoping some locals can shed some more info..

 

[Bald Rick]

avoiding NS makes complete sense.. but looking at the route it seems to be using some [potentially] freight/rare track... I'm not familiar with the area; hoping some locals can shed some more info..

Its the route the sleeper takes whenever it is diverted off the Trent Valley; Avanti are also routinely diverted that way planned and unplanned.

 

[Lee_Again]

Its the route the sleeper takes whenever it is diverted off the Trent Valley; Avanti are also routinely diverted that way planned and unplanned.

I know this map shouldn't be considered an authority (it's mostly very good), but the route suggests a red (freight) route - I've shaded yellow.. is that the case?

 

[Bald Rick]

Yes, the red seems to denote routes that don’t have a timetabled public passenger service under normal conditions. That includes Aston - Stechford and Portobello Jn to Bushbury Jn (Wolverhampton). However both see regular diversions of trains - Avanti and the Sleeper - when the Trent Valley (Rugby - Stafford via Lichfield) is closed.

 

[zwk500]

I know this map shouldn't be considered an authority (it's mostly very good), but the route suggests a red (freight) route - I've shaded yellow.. is that the case?

It's passenger-rated and fully available for passenger services at any point. However, because it avoids Birmingham New Street no regular passenger services are booked to use it. Charters quite regularly use it (or used to) when calling at Birmingham International but avoiding New Street.

 

[Lee_Again]

Yes, the red seems to denote routes that don’t have a timetabled public passenger service under normal conditions. That includes Aston - Stechford and Portobello Jn to Bushbury Jn (Wolverhampton). However both see regular diversions of trains - Avanti and the Sleeper - when the Trent Valley (Rugby - Stafford via Lichfield) is closed.

thank you

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Oct 2025 ==

It's passenger-rated and fully available for passenger services at any point. However, because it avoids Birmingham New Street no regular passenger services are booked to use it. Charters quite regularly use it (or used to) when calling at Birmingham International but avoiding New Street.

thank you

 

[OscarH]

Its the route the sleeper takes whenever it is diverted off the Trent Valley; Avanti are also routinely diverted that way planned and unplanned.

I think it might also just go that way on Sunday nights?

We were surprised by the routing while on the southbound lowlander Sunday just gone, but when we went back a few Sundays it was consistent (unless we just didn't go back far enough)

 

[Spaceship323]

And of course Wrexham and Shropshire used to go that way in normal passenger service

 

[norbitonflyer]

I have been that way on the sleeper. I think it's fairly common when the Trent Valley is closed overnight for maintenance

 

[Bill57p9]

The Lowlander is scheduled to use exactly the same route, both ways, on Sunday evenings


Re. 92s on DC: Providing traction and ETS to a whole rake of 16 Mk5s would draw an impressive amount of current at 750v. Still, I suppose this was the intention for Nightstar

 

[merry]

However, because it avoids Birmingham New Street no regular passenger services are booked to use it.

Point of pedantry: the Stechford line does have at least one "parliamentary " timetabled service a week; I think it used to be late evening on weekdays years ago but the time changes across timetables. Weely apparently counts as 'regular'.