I'd be happy with a sleeping shelf. I'd probably be heading to the Highlands for a camping / bothy trip, so laying out my sleeping bag in a shared space is fine. However, it doesn't fit with the current marketing of a "luxury" service.
I've used the seated sleeper once, pre Serco, and it was very uncomfortable until a double-seat became free and I got a couple of hours kip in my sleeping bag. I think an opportunistic approach to making the best of the seated coach is probably best.
I did the Riga to Moscow sleeper in the lowest class about 18 months ago, something like a ‘sleeping shelf’ would be a good way of describing it. The benches were so hard that it was really difficult to sleep, but solve that problem and it’d be fine. Open plan, like a big dorm room in a hostel.
As flying (especially short haul) becomes less and less socially acceptable, especially among young people, a cheap option on the sleeper to target students/young people would be great.
Right now, I guess most are on budget airlines, with the rest on cheap-ish advances on day trains and Megabus/Nat Express. There are multiple coaches every night leaving Victoria for Glasgow/Edinburgh; the idea the sleeper couldn’t grab some of that market with a targeted offering seems absurd. I’d be first in line!
