How many hours connection time should I allow for Sleeper?

[30907]

There are two separate issues here:
what is a valid connection for the railway to accept responsibility for onward travel?
what is a sensible connection when the next train is several hours later?
In this case, I would go with alastairlees and aim to be at Euston around the time the train is platforms (BTW can one use the Lounge these days?)

 

[XAM2175]

What kind of trouble? If it's a valid connection you will be given alternative transportation in the event of missing the connection, as well as being entitled to delay compensation.

I think they may be approaching this from the perspective of somebody used to extra-long-distance services that run only once per day, and sometimes even less than daily. If you miss one of them your options can often be limited to taking tomorrow's service, or abandoning your rail journey and heading for the airport.

I suspect this also informs their feelings about compulsory reservations on long distance routes, assuming that they're mentally comparing XC's Penzance-Aberdeen with something like the Spirit of Queensland or the Westlander.

 

[superalbs]

There are two separate issues here:
what is a valid connection for the railway to accept responsibility for onward travel?
what is a sensible connection when the next train is several hours later?
In this case, I would go with alastairlees and aim to be at Euston around the time the train is platforms (BTW can one use the Lounge these days?)

Lounge access is only with a first class ticket (Club or Double).

 

[thaitransit]

I think they may be approaching this from the perspective of somebody used to extra-long-distance services that run only once per day, and sometimes even less than daily. If you miss one of them your options can often be limited to taking tomorrow's service, or abandoning your rail journey and heading for the airport.

I suspect this also informs their feelings about compulsory reservations on long distance routes, assuming that they're mentally comparing XC's Penzance-Aberdeen with something like the Spirit of Queensland or the Westlander.

Yes I view regional UK trains in a similar light to Queensland Rail regional trains. generally the regional trains in Queensland are either daily or twice weekly services. So you don't miss them under any circumstances as you could be left waiting days for next service. If your lucky there might be parallel coach services on some routes one could turn to. if you miss the train but you would have to pay again!

There is no way one would stand up on the westlander etc its 17 hours overnight trip with most passengers travelling for at least 12 hours. There is a lot of end to end travel on these western route like the westlander. But air travel is very expensive and just as infrequent as the trains on these routes so no advantage there.

 

[thaitransit]

What kind of trouble? If it's a valid connection you will be given alternative transportation in the event of missing the connection, as well as being entitled to delay compensation.

Would that cover the cost of a hotel for the night while waiting for the next days sleeper train?

If its a vaild connection isn't that going result in you be put on a road coach all night a far worse outcome as the benefit of the sleeper train is lost?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Would that cover the cost of a hotel for the night while waiting for the next days sleeper train?

If its a vaild connection isn't that going result in you be put on a road coach all night a far worse outcome as the benefit of the sleeper train is lost?

In the specific case of the Sleeper a hotel is more likely than a taxi, because given the distance the former is likely to be cheaper and preferable. There is both a Travelodge and a Premier Inn nearby. However what most people would probably do is abandon their journey and return home, trying again the next day.

 

[thaitransit]

In the specific case of the Sleeper a hotel is more likely than a taxi, because given the distance the former is likely to be cheaper and preferable. There is both a Travelodge and a Premier Inn nearby. However what most people would probably do is abandon their journey and return home, trying again the next day.

I would assume the chosen open would depend on if the passenger was a local to london or someone travelling through from somewhere much further away

 

[Surreytraveller]

Yes I view regional UK trains in a similar light to Queensland Rail regional trains. generally the regional trains in Queensland are either daily or twice weekly services. So you don't miss them under any circumstances as you could be left waiting days for next service. If your lucky there might be parallel coach services on some routes one could turn to. if you miss the train but you would have to pay again!

There is no way one would stand up on the westlander etc its 17 hours overnight trip with most passengers travelling for at least 12 hours. There is a lot of end to end travel on these western route like the westlander. But air travel is very expensive and just as infrequent as the trains on these routes so no advantage there.

In the UK, regional trains are generally at least hourly. Some routes every twenty minutes

 

[Bletchleyite]

I would assume the chosen open would depend on if the passenger was a local to london or someone travelling through from somewhere much further away

Most likely, yes. Relatively few people will be travelling from much further away, though, as it then becomes a rather long and convoluted journey. The urgency of the journey is also relevant - someone with an important meeting might wish to be away on the first day train rather than trying the same thing again the following day. Some may even want to return home and be refunded, e.g. if going for a weekend's hillwalking in the Highlands, missing the Friday evening sleeper would render the whole thing pointless, or at least only really recoverable by instead booking an early morning flight to Glasgow/Inverness and a hire car.

 

[30907]

The Seat61 advice (in a mainland Europe context) seems pretty good:
https://www.seat61.com/european-train-travel.htm#how-long-to-allow-for-connections

 

[XAM2175]

Yes I view regional UK trains in a similar light to Queensland Rail regional trains.

And that's where you're going wrong, because they're very different.
(and I say this as somebody with experience of regional trains not just in Queensland but also Victoria and New South Wales)