Overnight accommodation for train staff

[contrex]

In France they used to rent hotel rooms by the hour, and still do. These days they genteelly talk about 'microstays', but couples who couldn't sleep together anywhere else used to resort to the cinq à sept (5 to 7 PM) in a hotel.

 

[noddingdonkey]

I don’t think that’s happened for over a year now, as it ended when the pandemic started last March, and I’m not sure when it will come back (if ever- it will save a fortune in hotel bills). The sleeper hosts and train managers are currently swapping over at Lockerbie each night (or Alnmouth if an East Coast diversion), with London-based staff working between London and Lockerbie/Alnmouth and Scottish staff north thereof. I don’t believe any of the GBRF drivers who work the sleeper did lodging turns anyway, so their turns haven’t changed much.

That must have implications for the train managers' route competency?

 

[High Dyke]

I mean you're technically on-duty so I never would. Also I feel it would potentially fatigue you for your first job after a nap. I wouldn't class it as a great sleep considering the seating in most mess rooms. Surely I'd dim / turn off the lights and not do much / listen to music but wouldn't nap. But that's all part of shift fatigue I guess each to their own.

Fair enough. However, would you rather have a driver at the controls of a moving train who has had a power nap in the safety of a messroom or a driver have a micro-sleep whilst driving the train. I believe there have been one or two incidents that have been affected by such causal factors.

 

[AndyMike]

I remember once travelling on the sleeper from Edinburgh to London overnight on 23rd/24th December.

As there were no return services on 24th/25th December, there was a crew change at Preston, with the Scottish crew working the train between Edinburgh and Preston, and the London crew between Preston and London.

When I used to work at Euston and Kings Cross, I would regularly see sleeper staff coming into and out of the various hotels in the area.

I have also seen Eurostar staff use the Premier Inn in York Way, Kings Cross.

As have I - and at the Park Inn at Brussels Midi.

 

[bobslack1982]

I used to stay at the Jury’s Inn at Islington quite a bit with work and I’d always see a crew of First staff checking in around 8am on a morning so I assumed they’d have been working the Sleeper.

 

[route101]

I used to stay at the Jury’s Inn at Islington quite a bit with work and I’d always see a crew of First staff checking in around 8am on a morning so I assumed they’d have been working the Sleeper.

I've seen them at the Jurys Inn in Edinburgh too. London crew I guess.

 

[Norther Monkey]

Fair enough. However, would you rather have a driver at the controls of a moving train who has had a power nap in the safety of a messroom or a driver have a micro-sleep whilst driving the train. I believe there have been one or two incidents that have been affected by such causal factors.

I work as aircrew and our aviation medics recommended naps of 40mins as being ideal. Long enough to gain benefit but not long enough to enter that 'deep' phase of sleep where you feel 'groggy' if you need to be woken, and back operating, suddenly.

Often seen it used during the cruise period of long flights with two pilots, the effect being that crew are better rested for the critical approach and landing phase.

 

[MrEd]

I've seen them at the Jurys Inn in Edinburgh too. London crew I guess.

Yes, that’s right. That’ll be the London crew off the Lowlander as well as the London-based train manager from the Highlander and (I think) the Fort William portion attendant(s) who is/are relieved by a Fort William-based one at Edinburgh.

 

[cakefiend]

Yes, that’s right. That’ll be the London crew off the Lowlander as well as the London-based train manager from the Highlander and (I think) the Fort William portion attendant(s) who is/are relieved by a Fort William-based one at Edinburgh.

The crew from the Fort only lodge in London. If they go to Edinburgh, they return north in the same shift.

 

[mpthomson]

I mean you're technically on-duty so I never would. Also I feel it would potentially fatigue you for your first job after a nap. I wouldn't class it as a great sleep considering the seating in most mess rooms. Surely I'd dim / turn off the lights and not do much / listen to music but wouldn't nap. But that's all part of shift fatigue I guess each to their own.

There's an old Army adage, if there's nothing going on don't stand up if you can sit down, don't sit down if you can lie down and don't lie down if you can be asleep. Short naps (less than an hours) can be very effective in increasing alertness if it's safe to do so.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

I have also seen Eurostar staff use the Premier Inn in York Way, Kings Cross.

Ah, that's where they go to now, is it?

When Eurostar used Waterloo International, I used to see them in the Union Jack Club in Waterloo, almost opposite the station, quite often. There'd be about half a dozen at a time, so it was probably a good earner for the Club as well as being very convenient for the staff.