Caledonian Sleeper

[Carlisle]

Given the NHS isn’t currently overwhelmed I fail to now see any good reason for running the sleeper until the lockdown is lifted

 

[43 302]

Long shot I know but does anyone happen to know what coach sets were on EUS to INV, 18/12/19 or EDB to EUS 19/12/20?

 

[route:oxford]

Given the NHS isn’t currently overwhelmed I fail to now see any good reason for running the sleeper until the lockdown is lifted

Isn't the Sleeper offering a free service to Key NHS workers?

There's quite a few people in Scotland do shifts in London Hospitals. Certainly one of my old colleagues does shifts at UCH, she usually heads South on a Friday Night, does a Saturday/Sunday 12 hours shift then comes back North on the Sunday evening.

 

[theironroad]

Isn't the Sleeper offering a free service to Key NHS workers?

There's quite a few people in Scotland do shifts in London Hospitals. Certainly one of my old colleagues does shifts at UCH, she usually heads South on a Friday Night, does a Saturday/Sunday 12 hours shift then comes back North on the Sunday evening.

Pay must be worth it to cover 2 sleeper fares and a sat night in a hotel (unless such supply accommodation) also I 'd imagine she's tired after a Fri night in sleeper even before starting work.

 

[Carlisle]

Isn't the Sleeper offering a free service to Key NHS workers?

There's quite a few people in Scotland do shifts in London Hospitals. Certainly one of my old colleagues does shifts at UCH, she usually heads South on a Friday Night, does a Saturday/Sunday 12 hours shift then comes back North on the Sunday evening.

Ok cheers, didn’t realise that

 

[robbeech]

Pay must be worth it to cover 2 sleeper fares and a sat night in a hotel (unless such supply accommodation) also I 'd imagine she's tired after a Fri night in sleeper even before starting work.

The pay in many industries can easily be worth it. I (when there is work in the entertainment industry) will regularly use the sleeper to do a days work in Scotland before getting the sleeper back the following night. Infact, on several occasions i've done a day train, often not until 1400/1500 and even the 1600 on one day from King's Cross to Edinburgh, done some work up there for a couple of hours and caught the sleeper back that evening.

 

[TimboM]

Given the NHS isn’t currently overwhelmed I fail to now see any good reason for running the sleeper until the lockdown is lifted

There are many other key workers other than NHS staff and several reasons for essential travel (by NHS staff, key workers or others).

 

[TimboM]

Sorry for the request here - but with a thread of 243 pages I'm sure the info is there somewhere it's trying to find it!

What is the format of the CS?

I'm presuming it's a 92 to Carstairs then ( Usually ) a split there and 2 x 73s on the Inverness and 1 x 73 on the Fort William Sections?

Usual format:

Highlander:
Class 92 + Load 16 Euston <=> Edinburgh Waverley
Split/join in Edinburgh
North of Edinburgh portions to: Inverness (2x 73/9 or 66 + 73/9 plus Load 8; 1x 73/9 + Load 5* to Aberdeen and 1x 73/9 + Load 5* to Fort William).

*Fort William "day coaches" (seats/brake and lounge) added/taken off at Waverley, hence why 16 coaches south of EDB and 18 coaches in total north of EDB). Split between Aberdeen and Fort William portions can flex depending on seasonal loadings between minimum 4 and maximum 6 coaches to each destination, i.e. 6 + 4, 5 + 5, 4 + 6).

Lowlander:
Class 92 + Load 16 Euston <=> Carstairs
Split/join at Carstairs
Class 92 + Load 8 works Glasgow portion to/from Carstairs (usually the same one that does the main run to/from London)
Class 92 + Load 8 works Edinburgh portion to/from Carstairs (usually one loco that works the empty stock out from Polmadie to Edinburgh in the evening, then works southbound portion from Edinburgh to Carstairs, stays at Carstairs overnight, then works northbound portion to Edinburgh in the morning before returning empty stock to Polmadie.)

ECS:
ECS between Wembley/Euston worked by a Class 92 (Highlander stock typically worked in/out by the Lowlander engine, Lowlander stock by the ECS shunt engine.)
ECS between Polmadie/Glasgow Central usually worked by a Class 92, but can be done by a 73/9.


Revised timetable until at least end of May due to Covid-19:

One service in each direction (in the Highlander path mainly).
Class 92 + Load 16 Euston <=> Edinburgh Waverley
Split/join in Edinburgh
Class 92 + Load 8 Glasgow <=> Edinburgh
2x Class 73/9 or 66 + 73/9 plus Load 8 Inverness <=> Edinburgh

(Aberdeen and Fort William portions suspended.)

 

[BRX]

Do we have any info on what the loading has been like in the past few weeks?

 

[Oscar46016]

Usual format:

Highlander:
Class 92 + Load 16 Euston <=> Edinburgh Waverley
Split/join in Edinburgh
North of Edinburgh portions to: Inverness (2x 73/9 or 66 + 73/9 plus Load 8; 1x 73/9 + Load 5* to Aberdeen and 1x 73/9 + Load 5* to Fort William).

*Fort William "day coaches" (seats/brake and lounge) added/taken off at Waverley, hence why 16 coaches south of EDB and 18 coaches in total north of EDB). Split between Aberdeen and Fort William portions can flex depending on seasonal loadings between minimum 4 and maximum 6 coaches to each destination, i.e. 6 + 4, 5 + 5, 4 + 6).

Lowlander:
Class 92 + Load 16 Euston <=> Carstairs
Split/join at Carstairs
Class 92 + Load 8 works Glasgow portion to/from Carstairs (usually the same one that does the main run to/from London)
Class 92 + Load 8 works Edinburgh portion to/from Carstairs (usually one loco that works the empty stock out from Polmadie to Edinburgh in the evening, then works southbound portion from Edinburgh to Carstairs, stays at Carstairs overnight, then works northbound portion to Edinburgh in the morning before returning empty stock to Polmadie.)

ECS:
ECS between Wembley/Euston worked by a Class 92 (Highlander stock typically worked in/out by the Lowlander engine, Lowlander stock by the ECS shunt engine.)
ECS between Polmadie/Glasgow Central usually worked by a Class 92, but can be done by a 73/9.


Revised timetable until at least end of May due to Covid-19:

One service in each direction (in the Highlander path mainly).
Class 92 + Load 16 Euston <=> Edinburgh Waverley
Split/join in Edinburgh
Class 92 + Load 8 Glasgow <=> Edinburgh
2x Class 73/9 or 66 + 73/9 plus Load 8 Inverness <=> Edinburgh

(Aberdeen and Fort William portions suspended.)

thank you for that

 

[Oscar46016]

Only the glasgow and edinburgh go to carstairs 92 all the way to glasgow then another one takes the edinburgh portion

The inverness aberdeen and fort william splits and joins at edinburgh waverley 92 south 73s or 66/73 north.

thank you for that

 

[47271]

Isn't the Sleeper offering a free service to Key NHS workers?

There's quite a few people in Scotland do shifts in London Hospitals. Certainly one of my old colleagues does shifts at UCH, she usually heads South on a Friday Night, does a Saturday/Sunday 12 hours shift then comes back North on the Sunday evening.

Absolutely, in fact the only regular I know of who's still travelling is a surgeon based near Inverness who does three days per week in a London hospital and then a day or so in Aberdeen. He's actually using the sleeper more at the moment because there's no plane.

I've no idea how busy the train is generally. Going by the number of passengers I see on board Scotrail services heading through Speyside on the Highland Main Line, typically two or three per train, then not very busy at all.

 

[DEAN MURPHY]

If he is travelling on it that much and doing so much for the NHS and everyone surely Caledonian Sleeper could give him free travel and accommodation??

 

[PG]

If he is travelling on it that much and doing so much for the NHS and everyone surely Caledonian Sleeper could give him free travel and accommodation??

Look back to post #7293 and you'll see that CS are, apparently, offering free travel to NHS workers.

 

[DEAN MURPHY]

That’s great news then if that’s the case

 

[Peter Sarf]

Two new coaches out and about. I think they are 15001 and 15301. They have now got into service at last.

 

[TimboM]

Two new coaches out and about. I think they are 15001 and 15301. They have now got into service at last.

Yes - were out and about all last week AFAIK.
Just 15302 and 15336 to go now by my maths.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Yes - were out and about all last week AFAIK.
Just 15302 and 15336 to go now by my maths.

Yes, you are correct. Additionally some will need 15340 to (re-)appear !.

And fingers crossed 15001 and 15301 stay in action for long enough for me to be allowed out far enough !.

 

[BRX]

As a bit of lockdown distraction... I've put together some bits I filmed on my last ever trip on the Fort William portion, just about a year ago now, before the new trains came in. At that time I thought the old stock only had weeks to go but of course it went on a bit longer than that in the end!

Anyway, it was a beautiful sunny May evening on the southbound trip; I decided just to enjoy the ride for most of it, but filmed a few bits after the sun had gone down. As I say in the description you can't really enjoy the twilight part of the journey if you can't open the windows, so this'll not be an experience that can be repeated on a service train any more.

 

[TimboM]

Yes - were out and about all last week AFAIK.
Just 15302 and 15336 to go now by my maths.

15336 reported in the consist of 1M16 (Glasgow portion) this morning. One to go...

 

[Peter Sarf]

15336 reported in the consist of 1M16 (Glasgow portion) this morning. One to go...

Yes, was going to say.

Do we know if there is a spare set at Wembley currently ?. If there is then there is a risk that what goes South in the morning is not guaranteed to go back North the following evening.

 

[TimboM]

Yes, was going to say.

Do we know if there is a spare set at Wembley currently ?. If there is then there is a risk that what goes South in the morning is not guaranteed to go back North the following evening.

Yes and *usually* the sets at Wembley are switched over each weekend.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Yes and *usually* the sets at Wembley are switched over each weekend.

Thanks. So I am potentially a bit too late !.

 

[TimboM]

Thanks. So I am potentially a bit too late !.

Possibly... but then it would only be another week and it would be back out again.

 

[Leisurefirst]

Been looking on the CS website at fares out of interest...
(Was due to be travelling in the next few weeks but not going to happening now.)
Had been looking fairly regularly for the past few months but not wanting to book just yet and now suddenly there are no seated fares ("sold out" I doubt as there had been about no bookings or one person booked for months) and the rooms are a bargain £95 for two towards Inverness though £205 coming back a few days later.
(Same if you change day... over twice as much towards London).
Have the seats been canned for the time being?

 

[Peter Sarf]

Possibly... but then it would only be another week and it would be back out again.

Good, that makes sense, thanks.

 

[Glenn1969]

Given that Highlander is running from Inverness only for at least another fortnight with the Inverness train joining up with the Glasgow Lowlander at Edinburgh I would suggest numbers must be pretty thin. Surprised they haven't cancelled ?

 

[leightonbd]

It’ (the Sleeper) is an ‘essential service’ I believe.

Incidentally, my local (Highland) paper reports Serco top man SRS as having used the sleeper to ‘break lockdown’ - a bit dubious.

Rail boss admits travelling to his Highland holiday home

The boss of the Caledonian Sleeper train service had previously denied ignoring lockdown rules when he travelled from London to Inverness

www.strathspey-herald.co.uk

The paper supposedly known as ‘the two minute silence’ because that’s how long it takes you to read it. Never thought that was fair ...

 

[TimboM]

Been looking on the CS website at fares out of interest...
(Was due to be travelling in the next few weeks but not going to happening now.)
Had been looking fairly regularly for the past few months but not wanting to book just yet and now suddenly there are no seated fares ("sold out" I doubt as there had been about no bookings or one person booked for months) and the rooms are a bargain £95 for two towards Inverness though £205 coming back a few days later.
(Same if you change day... over twice as much towards London).
Have the seats been canned for the time being?

There's revised availability and pricing in place during the current lockdown period - noting only essential travel by keyworkers should be happening. The current altered/reduced service is until 30 May, but could of course be extended.

To summarise some key points shared via CS website and social media in the past few weeks:

- Seats are not being used, just berths to facilitate social distancing
- The lounge/club cars are not in use (ditto)
- As you've noted there's a reduced starting price for Classic Berths of £75 solo and £95 double
- NHS staff travel free

Given that Highlander is running from Inverness only for at least another fortnight with the Inverness train joining up with the Glasgow Lowlander at Edinburgh I would suggest numbers must be pretty thin. Surprised they haven't cancelled ?

The sleeper is currently running under an Emergency Measures Agreement (EMA) with Transport Scotland (TS). This means TS are fully funding the service currently as part of ensuring transport/rail links remain in place for keyworkers (same with most if not all other TOCs across the UK). With domestic flights all but stopped, the Sleeper provides an alternative for those who need to make essential travel from Scotland to the south and vice versa in a comparatively safe socially distanced manner.

There's been a handful of passengers on each night, who are in the main key workers (incl NHS staff) keeping the UK operating and caring for the sick during these times. As such, the sleeper is serving its current purpose as a public service - and is funded as such. It's not a 'normal' situation where it'd be cancelled based on commercial considerations.

 

[popeter45]

are they still running withe the unused Lounge and Seat Cars or just removing them and just pulling sleeper cars?