Caledonian Sleeper

[HaxbyTraveller]

I've just got the sleeper from Briancon to Paris, unlike my experience on the Scottish and Cornish sleepers, it was so smooth that I didn't even realise we had stopped moving when we got into Austerlitz. On the negative side, the compartments were for 4 and then the electric failed so we got moved to a compartment for 6!

 

[D1537]

You are travelling on the Lowlander to Edinburgh. Your coaches will sit in a platform at Edinburgh until 08:00. It's quite possible that this will be retimed to go via the West Coast (and leave later / arrive at a more normal time)

Yes, it's the Lowlander. The Highlander leaves at 20:30.

 

[Geezertronic]

Can anyone confirm what route the Highlander will take through Birmingham and onward to Crewe when it stops at Birmingham International? Will it route via New Street without stopping?

 

[MrJeeves]

Can anyone confirm what route the Highlander will take through Birmingham and onward to Crewe when it stops at Birmingham International? Will it route via New Street without stopping?

It's pretty easy to find the schedule and planned routes on Realtime Trains:

Realtime Trains | 1S25 2115 London Euston to Inverness | 27/05/2026

Real-time train running information for 1S25 2115 departure from London Euston to Inverness on 27/05/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[JonathanH]

Can anyone confirm what route the Highlander will take through Birmingham and onward to Crewe when it stops at Birmingham International? Will it route via New Street without stopping?

It goes from Stetchford, through Aston and Bescot to Bushbury Junction, avoiding Birmingham New Street and Wolverhampton.

 

[Geezertronic]

Interesting, thanks both

 

[MDoodle]

You are travelling on the Lowlander to Edinburgh. Your coaches will sit in a platform at Edinburgh until 08:00. It's quite possible that this will be retimed to go via the West Coast (and leave later / arrive at a more normal time)

Thanks all. Will check again to see if the schedule changes few days before the journey.

 

[norbitonflyer]

It goes from Stetchford, through Aston and Bescot to Bushbury Junction, avoiding Birmingham New Street and Wolverhampton.

Some rare track there.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Jan 2026 ==

Yes, it's the Lowlander. The Highlander leaves at 20:30.

View attachment 195933

When the Lowlander runs via the ECML, it leaves earlier and the split happens at Edinburgh instead of Carstairs. To allow a reasnoable arrival at Glasgow, the Edinburgh arrives quite early but you shouldnt have to leave the train until a more civilised hour.

 

[Steve Harris]

Some rare track there.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Jan 2026 ==


When the Lowlander runs via the ECML, it leaves earlier and the split happens at Edinburgh instead of Carstairs. To allow a reasnoable arrival at Glasgow, the Edinburgh arrives quite early but you shouldnt have to leave the train until a more civilised hour.

Not really, as nearly all that route has had passenger services in the past (parliamentary admittedly) and some of that route will have a scheduled passenger service in the not to distant future.

The only really rare bit is Portobello Jnc - Bushbury Jnc.

Of course when the CS services get diverted via the ECML you might get the rare track of the City Lines past Willesden Jnc Low Level station. (AFAIA they're not booked that way but have been known to use them in the past).

 

[Bill57p9]

Some rare track there.

Not really, as nearly all that route has had passenger services in the past (parliamentary admittedly) and some of that route will have a scheduled passenger service in the not to distant future.

The only really rare bit is Portobello Jnc - Bushbury Jnc.

The Lowlander has used this route on Sunday nights for decades. Presumably that also ticks the box of the line having a passenger service.

 

[JonathanH]

Southbound Highland sleeper has gone via the Trent Valley this morning due to late running so the first call at Birmingham International hasn't happened. I guess it is possible there was no one booked for the call.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Of course when the CS services get diverted via the ECML you might get the rare track of the City Lines past Willesden Jnc Low Level station. (AFAIA they're not booked that way but have been known to use them in the past).

You also get the North London incline, which connects the North London line with the East Coast Main line between camden Road and Copenhagen Tunnel

 

[Falcon1200]

1M11 2340 Glasgow C-Euston departed Central 122 minutes late last night, and arrived at Euston just 3 minutes late (in fact early on the public arrival time)! 1C11 Edinburgh portion was cancelled (loco failure?) so 1M11 did not have to stop at Carstairs for the attachment.

 

[DarloRich]

Is the plan for the sleeper to use New Street in the future? I thought I had read that............

 

[alistairlees]

Is the plan for the sleeper to use New Street in the future? I thought I had read that............

No

 

[DarloRich]

No

ok! I must have misremembered! Now, if they would only stop at Milton Keynes

 

[BenBracken]

Looks like the northbound highlander was an hour late into Birmingham last night. Not a great start for its big day!

 

[DarloRich]

Looks like the northbound highlander was an hour late into Birmingham last night. Not a great start for its big day!

Sadly, there was a fatality between Hemel Hempstead and Watford last night

 

[Bletchleyite]

ok! I must have misremembered! Now, if they would only stop at Milton Keynes

Platforms are only about 270m. BHI is a pretty good interchange, though, better than Crewe or Euston.

 

[jfollows]

See also https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/caledonian-sleeper.176365/post-6790140 for platform length details.
Although International is not long enough for the full sleeper either, it’d be a bigger problem at New Street because the train would also block a number of platforms.

 

[35B]

See also https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/caledonian-sleeper.176365/post-6790140 for platform length details.
Although International is not long enough for the full sleeper either, it’d be a bigger problem at New Street because the train would also block a number of platforms.

And very much better integrated into the motorway network.

 

[Steve Harris]

The Lowlander has used this route on Sunday nights for decades. Presumably that also ticks the box of the line having a passenger service.

Kind of, a very expensive passenger service if you want to bash the track, unlike using the Wolverhampton- Walsall and Stechford- Aston parly services which used to run years/decades ago.

In fact, I've bashed the North London Incline on quite a few charters (they're expensive too, so they should be classed as "passenger services"). It really depends on your own definition of a passenger service I suppose (frequency, cost etc).

I see BBC News have now commented on the addition of the Birmingham International call.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c75x4dy6754o

Anglo-Scottish sleeper trains set to call at city

Sleeper trains between London and the Scottish Highlands will start calling at Birmingham from Thursday night, in what has been called a "historic timetable update".

Operator Caledonian Sleeper described the move as the most significant change to its network in more than three decades.

 

[Beebman]

Geoff Marshall has posted a video about the addition of the Birmingham International call:

His synopsis:

As of January 15th 2026, the Caledonian Sleeper is making a new additional stop at Birmingham International, meaning you can board it heading north on the Highlander service, or get off it when heading south. Whilst on the trip, let's also talk a little about the history of sleeper services in the UK, and then there was also the opportunity to see the moment in Edinburgh in the early hours of the morning when the train splits into three separate portions ... My thanks to Caledonian Sleeper for the ticket to Aberdeen to make this video.

 

[BenBracken]

This is a great addition to the service. I have family in Inverness that travel to Birmingham for business and pleasure, I know one of them is using the seated sleeper option next month as its a lot more efficient and cost effective way of travelling down, especially with the loss of the FlyBe scheduled flights.

 

[enginedin]

1M11 2340 Glasgow C-Euston departed Central 122 minutes late last night, and arrived at Euston just 3 minutes late (in fact early on the public arrival time)! 1C11 Edinburgh portion was cancelled (loco failure?) so 1M11 did not have to stop at Carstairs for the attachment.

What are the practicalities when this happens? I wonder if the Glasgow portion was so late because they conveyed all the Edinburgh passengers to Glasgow but then still got the sleeping coaches to Glasgow because (from my limited understanding) only the loco which provides the "hotel" power had failed?

 

[Peter0124]

What are the practicalities when this happens? I wonder if the Glasgow portion was so late because they conveyed all the Edinburgh passengers to Glasgow but then still got the sleeping coaches to Glasgow because (from my limited understanding) only the loco which provides the "hotel" power had failed?

5C11 failed at Fauldhouse, so the loco from 1M11 was used to rescue. 5C11 got back in Polmadie about ~00:45 last night hence the delay.

Unsure if Edinburgh pax were sent over or put up in hotels and sent on the first few LNER trains?

 

[The Planner]

Even Portobello Bushbury is doable when engineering works take place between New St and Wolves as XC miss Wolves out.

 

[peteb]

Sad news about the fatality heavily delaying the inaugural Caledonian Sleeper from Birmingham International last night.

But question the procedure at Inverness where the Kyle of Localsh departure (potentially a +10 connection?) left at 0855, with the sleeper arriving at 0856 1/2.

I'm guessing unless one held a through ticket to a Kyle line station there'd be no comeback for missing the connection?

 

[MrJeeves]

I'm guessing unless one held a through ticket to a Kyle line station there'd be no comeback for missing the connection?

Your rights are the same with 1 ticket to your destination, or 25 tickets.

Passengers would be told to take the next service to Kyle, and claim delay repay from Caledonian Sleeper, but that might be a bit of a battle based on past reports.

 

[norbitonflyer]

I have just booked the sleeper from Glasgow to London on September 4th and see it will leave at the earlier time of 2130 rather than the usual 2340. Does that mean I'm going via the ECML?