Sleeper - Time vacating train ?

[trickortrack]

Hi there.

Sorry was not really sure were to post this. Going to London for 2 days break with the G/F on the sleeper, the last time we had rude (that's me being generous to them) sleeper host's. We arrived back in Glasgow and from the time the train stopped till we got off we were on the train 20mins only to be met by a ****ed off host telling us you'l have to get off the train now. I'm sure i read that you have at least 45mins - 1 hour to vacate the train is this correct ? We had no problem at Euston. Does anyone one know the turnaround time ? Cheers.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

I believe at Euston on the Glasgow Sleeper you should get about an hour (by 0800), but on the Highland sleepers it is something like 15 minutes at Euston, it is less at the other end (7 minutes at Inverness for example).

 

[Deerfold]

The information online indicates that if you arrived on time you should have 40 minutes at Glasgow.

http://www.scotrail.co.uk/sites/default/files/documents/sleeperttdec11.pdf (right at the bottom)

Although if it was at the beginning of the year you might have only had 25 minutes.

 

[Yew]

Don't forget you might have been slightly late too

 

[bb21]

I am surprised that you did not get a wake-up call until 20-minutes before you were due to vacate the cabin.

 

[bkhtele]

I suspect the host wants to go home! I have experienced the same enthusiasm to get me off the train.
In the unreal world of a marketing department the current sleeper leaflet states:
At Euston cabins available from 23.00 (22.45 Sunday! Vacate Cabin at Euston 8.00 am
At Glasgow cabins available from 22.00 vacate cabin at Glasgow 08.00

Suggest you pick up a leaflet and share with your host if necessary or just reassure them you will leave the train by 07.50. I do have some sympathy with them, probably every day they have someone who could have overstayed their welcome.
From a customer perspective getting off at say 07.50 is a lot better than just after 7am if you are a tourist arriving in Glasgow.
Anyway for some reason I love the sleeper, enjoying a beer and cheeseboard in the lounge car as the sleeper commences it's journey is a treat!

 

[paul1609]

I suspect the host wants to go home! I have experienced the same enthusiasm to get me off the train.
In the unreal world of a marketing department the current sleeper leaflet states:
At Euston cabins available from 23.00 (22.45 Sunday! Vacate Cabin at Euston 8.00 am
At Glasgow cabins available from 22.00 vacate cabin at Glasgow 08.00

Suggest you pick up a leaflet and share with your host if necessary or just reassure them you will leave the train by 07.50. I do have some sympathy with them, probably every day they have someone who could have overstayed their welcome.
From a customer perspective getting off at say 07.50 is a lot better than just after 7am if you are a tourist arriving in Glasgow.
Anyway for some reason I love the sleeper, enjoying a beer and cheeseboard in the lounge car as the sleeper commences it's journey is a treat!

Yeah i agree but its always more of a treat on the Highland Sleeper than on the Lowland one for me. Lowland atmosphere can be good but it can be pretty awful as well with the hosts trying to get rid of people out the lounge car. Highland seems to be consistantly good especially on the West highland line in winter with just a few passengers on it feels really special.

 

[wijit]

Not the same route, but going from Euston to Edinburgh we got a very rude awakening at carstairs for a service terminating at Edinburgh. With the incredibly ill mannered "host" telling us we had five minutes to vacate upon arrival at Waverley.
Never again.

 

[Greenback]

Hi there.

Sorry was not really sure were to post this. Going to London for 2 days break with the G/F on the sleeper, the last time we had rude (that's me being generous to them) sleeper host's. We arrived back in Glasgow and from the time the train stopped till we got off we were on the train 20mins only to be met by a ****ed off host telling us you'l have to get off the train now. I'm sure i read that you have at least 45mins - 1 hour to vacate the train is this correct ? We had no problem at Euston. Does anyone one know the turnaround time ? Cheers.

It's not a question of time in terms of minutes after arrival. Ther eis a set time by which you must vacate the cabin - 0800, Obviously, you can't leave the train (or the cabin) until arrival, so if the train is late and arrive at, say, 0815, you will be expected to leave the service immediately.

On the other hand, if the train arrives at 0755, you will still need to get off pretty much straight away!

 

[bkhtele]

On my first journey I listened to the host and was turfed out at 7.10 am on arrival at Glasgow, ever since I politely say I will be off before 8.00am and leave around 7.50. If I listened to the assertive host I would be getting off very early. Not very customer friendly. Clearly there is a balance between getting everyone off the train and arriving very early at your destination. Yes the highland sleeper destinations arrivals are much more civilised times.
Sometimes it is helpful arriving early of course, last time I wanted to catch the train onwards to Ireland from Glasgow so I was pleased to jump off on arrival. Scotrail do need to cater for different markets.

 

[trickortrack]

Thanks for the feedback guys. On both journeys we were on time but as some have said they do have "Rude" and obnoxius staff.. i wanted to give the cockney guy a "Glasgow Kiss" but my GF had to say better not or we will be sleeping in euston station . We both love the sleeper and we managed to get the names of both hosts and wrote a stinging letter to scotrail. We got a letter back telling us our complaints would be looked in to.....nothing of were very sorry you didnt enjoy your travel on board one of our services, I have even applied to scotrail for sleeper hosts jobs. I DONT care if the hosts get "Fed Up" if they dont like the job then get another job if your that grumpy. Someone from scotrail should do the "Undercover Boss" thing, they would get their eyes opened, needless to say were taking a copy of the alight times and our last complaint letter.

 

[michael769]

If people feel that they are being harassed or bullied into leaving before the agreed time I suggest contacting Scotrail to complain.

 

[Essexman]

I've often been hassled to leave well before 8.00 at Euston. Once was told that I had to get out the train as it was about to be taken to the sidings, only to find that there wasn't even a locomotive attached. I've written to Scotrail but never got a very satisfactory answer.

 

[Greenback]

I agree that any instances of such behaviour needs to be reported. Obviously, if any disciplinary action is taken against any membe rof staff, that won't be shared witht he complainant, as it is purely a matter between employer and employee.

If a satisfactory answer is not forthcoming, keep writing to them and telling them why you consider the response unsatisfactory!

 

[sprinterguy]

I've often been hassled to leave well before 8.00 at Euston. Once was told that I had to get out the train as it was about to be taken to the sidings, only to find that there wasn't even a locomotive attached. I've written to Scotrail but never got a very satisfactory answer.

I can never identify which rake is the Highland and which is the Lowland when they're both stood at Euston in the morning, but the first sleeper ECS (The one that uses platform 1) leaves Euston for Willesden at about 08:30, and the second one (The one that normally uses platform 15) follows it at around 09:00.

 

[Requeststop]

In all the years I have used the Penzance - Paddington sleeper service, and when it ran, the Bristol - Glasgow/Edinburgh sleper service, I have never had anything but curtesy and politeness from the sleeper attendants, and always been told when I'd be woken up if getting off at a stop (say Truro/StErth) or when I'd be woken if I was getting off at a terminus (say Paddington/Glasgow or Edinburgh) and asked what I'd like to have to drink when I wake up (Coffee, tea, orange juice, and these days biscuits, bacon rolls etc etc etc)

When I get politeness, I give back politeness. To me, the sleeper attendants have always been the best of the railway employees I have met, and I always try to say I thank you when I leave the train. Maybe it's because of the extra tenner I stuff into their hands when they bring me the nightcap, or the extra pillow I have asked for. After all they are shift workers and have to work with sometimes difficult public, and surely if I leave a tip for the hotel workers under the pillow when I vacate the room, and I can afford to pay for a sleeper berth on the train, why should I not tip the attendants on the train.

My admiration for the attendants comes from a particular journey when I was due to share a berth with a Trade Unionist from Truro who apparently snored heavily. He was a regular on the sleeper, and the lovely lady attendant moved me to a first class berth.

"There you are my lover", she told me, " I get so many complaints about him, so now you'll have some good rest tonight as they can hear his noise across the Tamar from Liskeard".

 

[Essexman]

I have always found the FGW sleeper staff to be superb.
Most on Scotrail are, but there are a few who aren't that friendly.
Boarding and leaving times are shown in the timetable but often staff don't adhere to them on Lowland sleeper. Highland seems to be OK.

 

[Sadsmileyface]

...why are people wanting to hang around on the sleeper?! Don't you have somewhere to go?

 

[Eagle]

...why are people wanting to hang around on the sleeper?! Don't you have somewhere to go?

Because it's bed. Bed is nice.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

...why are people wanting to hang around on the sleeper?! Don't you have somewhere to go?

Errr.... yeah... the other end of the country by the morning...

 

[ainsworth74]

...why are people wanting to hang around on the sleeper?! Don't you have somewhere to go?

Well the Night Riviera arrives at 0500 but that's a bit early to be turfing people out, don't you think? 0700 seems much more civilised to me.

 

[Requeststop]

...why are people wanting to hang around on the sleeper?! Don't you have somewhere to go?

Many and various reasons. Personally, in London I've travelled up for a connecting flight and I like to sleep in as long as I can before getting to Heathrow for the check-in time. First train of the day would not get me to London/Reading in time for check in time, hence the sleeper. The shops may not be open until 9 am.

 

[Deerfold]

The shops may not be open until 9 am.

And plenty of them 10am in London.

 

[The Colonel]

I last used the sleeper in the mid 90's and there was an extremely rude and unhelpful attendant on it. Was coming south and the coaches were late into Glasgow and he wouldn't let us on for ages. Similarly got turfed out early at Euston so like other posters vowed never again. Regardless of staff issues I find I never sleep that well on the first journey so don't get the benefit of the sleeper, but am usually ok on the return journey. I'd rather get a daytime train and a hotel at the other end, esp. now with the likes of Premier Inn & Travel Lodge which weren't about when I last used the sleeper.

 

[CallySleeper]

Well the Night Riviera arrives at 0500 but that's a bit early to be turfing people out, don't you think? 0700 seems much more civilised to me.

What I personally don't get is why you would want to bail at stations in Fife/Central Scotland at 5-6am... or what you would do/where you would go!

 

[paul1609]

I think that for most Southerners the sleeper is now a dead duck for business travel. Rail is just not competitive if youre going from south of London to Scotland a BA flight from Gatwick to Glasgow or Edinburgh is just more convient and probably cheaper. For leisure travel as an enthusiast I still use the sleeper Northbound but since the WCML upgrade has meant you can get home on the 10 oclockish from Fort William that has my business

 

[reb0118]

What I personally don't get is why you would want to bail at stations in Fife/Central Scotland at 5-6am... or what you would do/where you would go!

How about home? (or ship/shore establishment for RN personel).

 

[Essexman]

I think that for most Southerners the sleeper is now a dead duck for business travel. Rail is just not competitive if youre going from south of London to Scotland a BA flight from Gatwick to Glasgow or Edinburgh is just more convient and probably cheaper. For leisure travel as an enthusiast I still use the sleeper Northbound but since the WCML upgrade has meant you can get home on the 10 oclockish from Fort William that has my business

Disagree. I use the sleeper to Glasgow and occasionally others several times a year for business travel. Leave home about 10pm and arrive in Glasgow with time for a shower and breakfast, and often a local train out of the city, before meetings at 9am. Either catch a day train back in the afternoon or the sleeper home. Alternative of air would mean leaving home at 4am, driving to airport, hiring car at Glasgow, with all the hassle that entails. No comparison, sleeper wins for me every time.

 

[paul1609]

How about home? (or ship/shore establishment for RN personel).

Most of the traditional Naval Business to Fyfe would be classed as duty travel as very few people are actually based in Rosyth these days and it is operated as an outstation of Faslane.
Most Royal Navy duty travel was lost to rail as a result of ATOC withdrawing the discount paid to the MOD for the use of Rail Warrants in 2008.
Typically these days a sailor from Portsmouth visiting Rosyth will arrive on an early flybe flight from Southampton or BA from Gatwick.
These are perceived to be more cost effective than a rail journey lasting 10 hours. It is possible to specify that you want to travel by train but you have to book through the MODs agents HRG who book you on the cheapest fare which is invariably an advance, you are then given a code number that you can collect the tickets from a TVM or station , i think its booked via the Trainline.
It has to be said the airline e ticket is a lot more straightforward especially when a ship is delayed for some reason. trying to rebook rail tickets when you are 12 hours late on a advance ticket is impossible.

 

[Yew]

It can be a useful way to get to glasgow from lincoln and nottingham, especially is you use a bargain berth and an advance down to london/crewe