Caledonian Sleeper?

[merlodlliw]

Anyone recall, just prior to privatisation, BR tried to kill off the Fort William portion, I am sure one person in Fort William found some legal document that said the sleeper could not be axed, anyone recall this.


Also I took the Holyhead Euston Sleeper one Sunday morning in the 70s, caught the train at Chester about 2.30a.m. diverted via Birmingham New Street.If I recall correct
this train conveyed just one sleeper carriage and only travelled in the up direction, it was sent back to Holyhead attached first carriage on a train from Euston this passed
through Chester at around 3.45 p.m.

 

[mrcheek]

Anyone recall, just prior to privatisation, BR tried to kill off the Fort William portion, I am sure one person in Fort William found some legal document that said the sleeper could not be axed, anyone recall this.

I heard the reason the "Deerstalker" was saved was a campaign by a small group of MPs who liked to go up there on hunting trips...

 

[rail-britain]

The service was "saved" as it was the only direct service for the MP at the time
This MP presented a list of all the journeys they had made in the previous 12 months

However, the Aberdeen sleeper was not so lucky
The MP that used to use Cupar stopped doing so (southbound), and so that station stop was dropped
Ironically, he informed BR that he was going to stop using the service and in the following timetable the stop ended
I was present on his last trip, which prior to that he was using about once every 3 weeks

 

[djw1981]

http://www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/docs/central/2008/nr_081128_rail_franchise_km.pdf

Page 2, "First ScotRail will receive £2.5 billion in government subsidy for the franchise over its ten-year term."

I assume that some of that goes to the sleeper, otherwise why is a First Class ticket on the sleeper £120, when during the day it would be £161 on a train carrying more passengers and fewer staff.

2300 is a perfectly reasonable boarding time for most people, in that it allows an evening';s business or pleasure prior to boarding.

If you pay £161 during the day then you are eithr booking evry late or not looking very hard. Most Glasgow-london trips can be done for under £80 each way.

 

[rail-britain]

If you pay £161 during the day then you are eithr booking evry late or not looking very hard. Most Glasgow-london trips can be done for under £80 each way

Try the other directio, Euston - Glasgow
I was looking at using the 16:30 Euston - Glasgow and even the Advance First was at least £100
As it was I changed my plans and went for a trip to Rugby instead

 

[Greenback]

This I think is refering to the whole franchise, without the £250 million per year we would have no service north of Dundee or Perth I suspect!

That's correct. Even the sleepers don;t cost £250m per annum to operate!

2300 is a perfectly reasonable boarding time for most people, in that it allows an evening';s business or pleasure prior to boarding.

Indeed, there would be little point in having a sleeper traind eparting at 2100 and arriving at 0330. One would think that having a later bedtime than usual would help you get to sleep, not make it more difficult!

On my one sleeper journey in the UK I admit I found it quite difficult to get to sleep initially, though I'm not sure whether this was due to the excitement, the bunk, the noise, the bouncing or a combination of all of that. Still, one I did drop off I slept very well, apart from waking briefly during the Edinburgh shunt, and woke at London feeling quite refreshed.

I'm happy to report that the sink smelt fine and, not having had a beer in the Lounge Car, I was able to make it through the night without needing the toilet!

 

[PaulLothian]

Have never used a sleeping compartment on the sleeper, but have occasionally used the seated coach from Edinburgh to London, usually when travelling at very short notice to family funerals. These are some of the most spacious seats to be found in British trains, and, having long legs, I wish they were all like that. The older I get, the easier I find it to sleep most of the journey, whatever the exciting things going on outside the blinds!

My only previous experience of (very) upright sleeping on that trip was in an end-of-term charter train put on by the Students' Union in about 1970 - it was a packed compartment coach, but I have now forgotten the details. The main appeal was that it cost less than half the normal fare at a time when there were few significant discounts!