Struner
Member
I can tell you No, it isn't acceptable for people who booked seats.
I can tell you No, it isn't acceptable for people who booked seats.
Just a little bit of additional insight on the passenger impact of one of the Edinburgh cancellations - Sunday night just gone. You can more or less piece it together from CS's Twitter feed, but it's worth highlighting here as described to me today by an Edinburgh work colleague - not one of the tweeters - caught up in it.
The situation was made far worse by there being only sufficient capacity on the Glasgow section to accomodate a proportion of the Edinburgh passengers - it was the end of half term and apparently the Highlander was full too. This meant that the remainder could only be bussed to Euston. This was bad enough, but the coach only had one driver who, firstly, hadn't been warned that he was on his way to London and, secondly, had to stop several times to keep within his hours. To use my friend's phrase, that's what I call a second class ticket.
There was no prior notice and noone from CS on hand at Waverley for what was a short notice cancellation - something like 20 minutes before departure if the passenger is correct - and not even a bottle of water to be had.
The story adds nothing to knowledge on the causes - after all there was noone there to explain, we assumed a failure to provide sufficient stock, it may be buried in the tweets - but doesn't reflect well on the operator's capacity to deal with the passenger consequences of its current technical difficulties.
Indeed! Most probably they experienced the coach before! & now downgraded to a bus with a lot of hassle. I would only accept this if I got a full refund as well. It's called pleasing your guests.But please elaborate as to why not, they booked a seat on a train but they now have a seat on a coach instead!
Speaking for myself - it would be a downgrade because I'd not be able to get up and walk around, but also I get travelsick. I can survive a coach on motorways ok, but not if I try and read anything, or look at say, a phone screen for more than a moment. So, it makes a bit of a difference as to how you can pass the time, if you're not able to get to sleep!But please elaborate as to why not, they booked a seat on a train but they now have a seat on a coach instead!
Again , could any of them get the Highlander instead or Scotrail transport from Carstairs, Motherwell or Glasgow to Edinburgh if they wanted it?
so you upgraded from the coach to the seats then (at some time in the past)?Speaking for myself - it would be a downgrade because I'd not be able to get up and walk around, but also I get travelsick. I can survive a coach on motorways ok, but not if I try and read anything, or look at say, a phone screen for more than a moment. So, it makes a bit of a difference as to how you can pass the time, if you're not able to get to sleep!
If I needed to get there for the morning, and didn't have anywhere to stay the night I'd accept it as the best they can do to get me there in time. But I'd expect an early day time train as a reasonable option to provide.
Im booked on the lowlander on sunday and i'm dreading the journey if it's a coach as spending 8 plus hours on a bus up the M6 overnight is not what i call a magical Jouney as described on the CS Website (don't really have much choice though as i can't afford a night's hotel accomidation in london and a single to glasgow the next day ) ) it's the people in wheelchairs who are on the sleeper service and people who have booked to take thier bikes that i feel sorry for with these cancellations !!!!Speaking for myself - it would be a downgrade because I'd not be able to get up and walk around, but also I get travelsick. I can survive a coach on motorways ok, but not if I try and read anything, or look at say, a phone screen for more than a moment. So, it makes a bit of a difference as to how you can pass the time, if you're not able to get to sleep!
If I needed to get there for the morning, and didn't have anywhere to stay the night I'd accept it as the best they can do to get me there in time. But I'd expect an early day time train as a reasonable option to provide.
I'm not quite sure what point you are making...so you upgraded from the coach to the seats then (at some time in the past)?
BA, Flybe, Easyjet and Loganair must be loving all this chaos on the rails !!
Waiting for the first advert "having a pop" if the situation does not improve markedly in the near future.
Perhaps CS should have an Aircraft shadowing it as it traverses up the country ready to come to the rescue and save passengers from the humiliation of a "Coach Transfer".
An Embraer 195 could take off from LHR and be in Inverness before the sleeper has cleared Wembley on a lot of nights just recently.
A Tiger Moth could keep up and surpass the "Lumbering White Elephant". Fortunately Aircraft have developed a little more rapidly than Sleeper Services barely quicker or more reliable than those operating in the age of the Biplane.
The sleeper is negligible in the London-Scotland air/rail market. Around 200,000 people use the sleeper between London and Scotland each year, compared to around 7.5 million by air, and another 2m+ by day train. The sleeper has about 2% of the market.
A while ago someone here said there would be diversions to Oban this autumn. I've been trying to get the dates and got a response from Caledonian Sleeper today. They said that there are no plans for diversions to Oban in the autumn of 2019. That's a shame as I was looking forward to using it.
But please elaborate as to why not, they booked a seat on a train but they now have a seat on a coach instead!
it's the people in wheelchairs who are on the sleeper service and people who have booked to take thier bikes that i feel sorry for with these cancellations !!!!
Would you trust a "random" person updating the CS website?According to the Engineering Access Statement the sleeper is diverted to Oban week commencing 6th October. Of course engineering plans can change, but equally I wouldn't necessarily trust a random customer service person to know the definitive answer either.
Caledonian Sleeper service alterations said:Fridays 26th July, 2nd August and 9th August:
Euston to Fort William
Due to engineering work on the West Highland Line, this service will be diverted to Kingussie.
Road transport will be provided to transfer guests to Fort William.
There will be no service to Dalmuir, Dumbarton Central, Helensburgh Upper, Garelochhead, Arrochar & Tarbet, Ardlui, Crianlarich, Upper Tyndrum, Bridge of Orchy, Rannoch or Corrour.
Sundays 28th July, 4th August and 11th August:
Fort William to Euston
Due to engineering work on the West Highland Line, this service will begin at Kingussie.
Road transport will be provided to transfer guests from Fort William.
There will be no service from Corrour, Rannoch, Bridge of Orchy, Uppr Tyndrum, Crianlarich, Ardlui, Arrochar & Tarbet, Garelochhead, Helensburgh Upper, Dumbarton Central or Dalmuir.
Would you trust a "random" person updating the CS website?
https://www.sleeper.scot/service-alterations/
The schedules are in there for Kingussie so I doubt they will be going to Oban, but stranger things have happened!
The Sleeper is also diverted to Kingussie on 26th July, 2nd and 9th August with road transport provided to Tulloch, Roy Bridge, Spean Bridge and Fort William and no service to other stations. Same applies Southbound on the 3 Sundays. At least CS are giving plenty of warning
According to the Engineering Access Statement the sleeper is diverted to Oban week commencing 6th October. Of course engineering plans can change, but equally I wouldn't necessarily trust a random customer service person to know the definitive answer either.