As in “Transport Scotland another few miles further north”It's just Transport Scotland - there's no 'for'.
Why can’t they put the FW stock onto the Inverness portion and drop the FW guests at Kingussie for a bus?
Why can’t they put the FW stock onto the Inverness portion and drop the FW guests at Kingussie for a bus?
Your compensation will have been issued under EU261/2004. The amount payable is dependent on distance, and also requires the delay to be 3+ hours and be caused by circumstances that were not "extraordinary".
Edinburgh to London (any airport) would "only" give you €250 if your flight were eligible. If the circumstances were "extraordinary" you wouldn't get anything other than perhaps a refund and whatever goodwill your airline was prepared to offer.
Did the Fort William portion not run as a seperate train to Kingussie?They did that on Friday night, I'm not sure why they can't now. Much shorter bus journey.
Indeed. However, my flight was from Edinburgh to Seattle. Changing at Heathrow. Which is why I got the full EUR600 due to the delay between EDI & LHR. It's the final destination that matters.
Surprisingly few circumstances are "extraordinary". Even industrial action can be considered as being not "extraordinary".
Correct. They’re not selling any further seats/berths on trains there’s a good chance won’t run.It appears to be impossible to buy tickets to/from Fort William on the Caledonian Sleeper website, up until the end of August.
Perhaps they want to limit the number of people doing the Dundee rail replacement bus or something.
Me too I've used the sleepers since the early 1980s (mK 1s) to varying degrees up until my retirement this year, reliability has always been hit or miss- all part of the adventure.I have used the sleepers over the years, mainly on ALR’’s and have as far back as can remember, always found them to be hit or miss on punctuality, even few years back I had about 7 hours worth of delays in one week, ended up with about 450 in delay compensation, slowly the new stock seems to be bedding down ok, last time travelled on the sleepers they were showing their age and definitely needed either refurb or replacement, there will be spikes in delays and bad days, nearly anything new that comes out has teething problems be it car models to airliners, so not surprised there been problems with the Mk5’s, but I’m sure Serco will get on top of things and in few months all this will be a distant memory, I’m doing the sleepers again for a week end of September on a 1st class 7 day ALR so will be interested to try out the new stock.
On the West Highland line the vast majority of the users are one off tourists, there are also a lot of Rail industry priv holders. As somebody who commuted from Garelochead to/ from Kent for three years most weekends, it has never and could not compete with flights. I only know of 2 other regular customers in 3 years of travel. I used it because Im a rail enthusiast who used to get reduced travel because of my occupation. The fact that the train was 5 hours late getting to Fort William only enhances the dit value to US tourists imhowhich is great, but it’s not being pitched a magical multi mode mystery tour that has no reliable arrival time, it’s being pitched as luxury travel. And priced against a flight and a half decent hotel. And it doesn’t match up ...
The fact that the train was 5 hours late getting to Fort William only enhances the dit value to US tourists imho
Me too I've used the sleepers since the early 1980s (mK 1s) to varying degrees up until my retirement this year, reliability has always been hit or miss- all part of the adventure.
Worst reliability on the West Highland Line was during the final months of the class 37s whatever enthusiasts may tell you.
Americans pay top dollar for a service and are then overjoyed it's 5 hours late? Kind of backs up the perception of many that they are stupid.
I've been on late-running long distance and sleeper services more than a few times, most of them on Amtrak as it turns out. Being onboard for hours longer than anticipated while stopping in / trundling through decent scenery is absolutely a joy as long as there's not an expensive connection to risk missing or a rigid schedule to stick to.
So those high spending one off people who waste half a day on a bus. And tell all their brilliantly white trainered Hanks and Barbaras friends what a sodding nightmare it was. Can I persuade myOn the West Highland line the vast majority of the users are one off tourists, there are also a lot of Rail industry priv holders. As somebody who commuted from Garelochead to/ from Kent for three years most weekends, it has never and could not compete with flights. I only know of 2 other regular customers in 3 years of travel. I used it because Im a rail enthusiast who used to get reduced travel because of my occupation. The fact that the train was 5 hours late getting to Fort William only enhances the dit value to US tourists imho
I think that's my point, in the last 3 years of travelling on the West Highland Line there are only 3 other regular users I can identify. One alights at Bridge of Orchy and the other with his wife alights at Courour the rest of the passengers will be a one off tourists with a high proportion of railway priv users. There is no huge business user client base. There nobody else I can recognise as a regular user in the Aberdeen Lounge car either northbound. Other Forum users suggest that there is an intermediate station customer base on the Highland Main line, I don't doubt this.If it was a budget service aimed at InterRailers and the likes (like, say, Thello) that would be cool. But it doesn't work when it's a premium service aimed at business travellers who need to be on time.
I think that's the main criticism that can be levelled at them - they are not selling to the market they are actually delivering for.
Buy online and put it on your Scotrail ITSO card.
As far as I'm aware all service providers in Scotland are required to accept the contactless tickets.
I think that's my point, in the last 3 years of travelling on the West Highland Line there are only 3 other regular users I can identify. One alights at Bridge of Orchy and the other with his wife alights at Courour the rest of the passengers will be a one off tourists with a high proportion of railway priv users. There is no huge business user client base. There nobody else I can recognise as a regular user in the Aberdeen Lounge car either northbound. Other Forum users suggest that there is an intermediate station customer base on the Highland Main line, I don't doubt this.
If you are catering for a largely premium tourist base the late arrival probably isn't as devastating as this forum suggests they will just check in to their hotel later and write it down to an adventurous British experience
I take the view that as a very long-distance service operating on some challenging routes, delays on the sleeper will be inevitable from time to time. I certainly don’t know of any other sleeper service in the world with an immaculate timekeeping record.
It is a smartcard* - you can obtain the ScotRail version on their website.Ooh I’m not sure what one of those is? Is that a kind of smart card? Presumably I’ll need to visit a Scotrail ticket office to obtain the smart card first?
ScotRail said:What services can I use my ScotRail Smartcard on?
You can use your ScotRail Smartcard on ScotRail and Cross Country trains, as well as Smart Season Tickets on LNER services. Your card can also be used on the SPT Subway and participating GrassHOPPER bus services.
https://www.scotrail.co.uk/smartcard/your-questions#sharefaqs-panel-4
Transport Scotland said:2. Revenue Collection
2.1 If the Franchisee introduces a smartcard scheme for use by passengers, whether on a permanent or trial basis, it shall ensure that any such scheme is compliant with any specification and operating requirement of the Integrated Transport Smartcard Organisation and/or any other Train Operators running services to, from or within Scotland. The Franchisee shall ensure that passengers travelling on any of its Passenger Services in seated accommodation can do so using ITSO Certified Smartmedia or other emerging ticketing technologies which are brought into use by the ScotRail Franchisee or any other Train Operators running services within Scotland.
https://www.transport.gov.scot/medi...t-caledonian-sleeper-23-may-2014-redacted.pdf p51
Went from Crewe to Dundee last night. Got on just before midnight and woken at 5, saying to be ready to get off for the Fort William bus at 5.45.
There was no breakfast option, other than tea or coffee and a banana.
Just up to Spean Bridge on the bus now. Looks like we'll be at FW before the 9.57 ETA.
Would you say you've enjoyed a "magical journey" with "a touch of the extraordinary" whilst having "a timeless experience" and being able to "unwind from the stress of everyday life"?
(Quotes lifted from Caledonian Sleeper website)
Would you say you've enjoyed a "magical journey" with "a touch of the extraordinary" whilst having "a timeless experience" and being able to "unwind from the stress of everyday life"?
(Quotes lifted from Caledonian Sleeper website)