Least popular Sleeper destinations

[Gathursty]

Which of the stations served by the gWr English Riviera and all the Caledonian Sleepers have the fewest passengers use them?

Thanks.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Lostwithiel

 

[185143]

Falkirk Grahamston

 

[A S Leib]

Do you mean 'fewest total passengers' or 'fewest Sleeper passengers'?

I've used Watford Junction for the Caledonian Sleeper three times (all post-pandemic, when the northbound Highlander stopped calling) and I don't remember seeing anybody else getting on or off there.

For Lostwithiel and Falkirk it might be no passengers at all though - I don't know.

 

[alistairlees]

Carlisle and Carstairs

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Falkirk Grahamston

I've certainly boarded a Southbound sleeper train at Falkirk Grahamston (at daft o'clock) in the past, and it's likely, IMHO, to be a busier boarding / alighting point for the Caledonian Sleeper than somewhere comparatively more remote, such as Ardlui.

 

[185143]

I've certainly boarded a Southbound sleeper train at Falkirk Grahamston (at daft o'clock) in the past, and it's likely, IMHO, to be a busier boarding / alighting point for the Caledonian Sleeper than somewhere comparatively more remote, such as Ardlui.

I boarded once and was told by the TM it was rare to pick passengers up there.

I'd have thought most Falkirk passengers would use the Lowlander. Particularly given you can't alight the Highlander heading North.

 

[Gathursty]

Do you mean 'fewest total passengers' or 'fewest Sleeper passengers'?

I've used Watford Junction for the Caledonian Sleeper three times (all post-pandemic, when the northbound Highlander stopped calling) and I don't remember seeing anybody else getting on or off there.

For Lostwithiel and Falkirk it might be no passengers at all though - I don't know.

Fewest Sleeper passengers.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Lostwithiel. It and Hayle are unnecessary stops left over from when the down sleeper acted as a stopping service from Plymouth.

 

[route101]

I reckon Carstairs.

 

[alistairlees]

I’ll have to check on Carrbridge too, but basically it’s the ‘three Cs’

 

[route101]

I overheard a chap a few weeks ago that uses the Carlisle stop after seeing football in London.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

How would the proposed Wick / Thurso service have loaded ?

 

[Murray Firth]

Do you mean 'fewest total passengers' or 'fewest Sleeper passengers'?

I've used Watford Junction for the Caledonian Sleeper three times (all post-pandemic, when the northbound Highlander stopped calling) and I don't remember seeing anybody else getting on or off there.

For Lostwithiel and Falkirk it might be no passengers at all though - I don't know.

Nothing stranger than being the only passenger waiting on a platform when a very long train pulls in. But nice, particularly the prospect of the morning.

 

[A S Leib]

How would the proposed Wick / Thurso service have loaded ?

Going off of @RailAleFan's site taking statistics from the ORR origin-destination matrix, London King's Cross was the 26th most common destination from Thurso with 34 journeys per year. Granted, there might be a lot of split ticketing at Inverness or Edinburgh / Glasgow – especially as it isn't possible to get to London by train in a day if leaving after 09:00 – but that still doesn't seem like tonnes of demand.

 

[ruaival]

Nothing stranger than being the only passenger waiting on a platform when a very long train pulls in. But nice, particularly the prospect of the morning.

Or being the only one off - at Pitlochry, northbound - so the Steward focuses on you getting an alarm call and brekkie to avoid any delay on what would otherwise be a "pass" not a "call".

 

[zero]

I got off at Lostwithiel once

 

[YorkshireBear]

When I've boarded at Liskeard, there has always been plenty. I would never have thought it was so low though.

Never boarded at intermediate locations on the Caledonian but will be boarding at Crewe in January and will be interested as to how busy the station is at 23:45!

 

[Gloster]

Never boarded at intermediate locations on the Caledonian but will be boarding at Crewe in January and will be interested as to how busy the station is at 23:45!

It’s Avanti-land, so it will probably still be full of passengers waiting for the 19.45 departure.

 

[185143]

When I've boarded at Liskeard, there has always been plenty. I would never have thought it was so low though.

Never boarded at intermediate locations on the Caledonian but will be boarding at Crewe in January and will be interested as to how busy the station is at 23:45!

Normally a few people waiting for the Sleeper. Not loads, normally around 10 or so whenever I've boarded I'd say.

 

[route101]

I imagine the highland stations on the Inverness and Fort William portions get tourists in the summer.

 

[Kite159]

I've done the lowlander to Carlisle a couple of times, both times I wasn't alone in alighting from the train (both times 2 more passengers alighted). I can't imagine many passengers alight at Carstairs.

 

[Iskra]

I think a lot is going to depend on time of year with many of the stations involved on both sleepers.

 

[route101]

I've done the lowlander to Carlisle a couple of times, both times I wasn't alone in alighting from the train (both times 2 more passengers alighted). I can't imagine many passengers alight at Carstairs.

Yes, I remember someone joining the seated coach at Carlisle.

Carstairs is one I have never seen anyone join or alight.

 

[ruaival]

When I've boarded at Liskeard, there has always been plenty. I would never have thought it was so low though.

Never boarded at intermediate locations on the Caledonian but will be boarding at Crewe in January and will be interested as to how busy the station is at 23:45!

Back in the 70s this Sleeper call also collected Motorail flats for Inverness, it was *very* quiet in the station after loading and dinner at the adjacent hotel.

 

[Topological]

When I've boarded at Liskeard, there has always been plenty. I would never have thought it was so low though.

Never boarded at intermediate locations on the Caledonian but will be boarding at Crewe in January and will be interested as to how busy the station is at 23:45!

Crewe still has service trains at that time, so will not be that quiet.

I used to use it when the last Cardiff to Manchester terminated short and it meant using the Northern to Manchester from Crewe.

Likewise, at the time the southbound sleepers go through there are already the first trains of the morning from Crewe.

Preston used to be quiet when the sleeper called. I think that was because officially the sleeper does not call, but it did sit in the platform a while.

 

[Bensonby]

Going off of @RailAleFan's site taking statistics from the ORR origin-destination matrix, London King's Cross was the 26th most common destination from Thurso with 34 journeys per year. Granted, there might be a lot of split ticketing at Inverness or Edinburgh / Glasgow – especially as it isn't possible to get to London by train in a day if leaving after 09:00 – but that still doesn't seem like tonnes of demand.

Would there have been demand from staff based at Dounreay?

 

[Deafdoggie]

Lostwithiel. It and Hayle are unnecessary stops left over from when the down sleeper acted as a stopping service from Plymouth.

I've used it to Hayle a few times and never been the only one.

 

[Parallel]

Lostwithiel. It and Hayle are unnecessary stops left over from when the down sleeper acted as a stopping service from Plymouth.

I’ve seen people getting off at Hayle before from the sleeper coaches, and I’ve done it once myself, too. I don’t think it’s going to be as rare as somewhere like Carstairs or Ardlui.

 

[Bill57p9]

Going off of @RailAleFan's site taking statistics from the ORR origin-destination matrix, London King's Cross was the 26th most common destination from Thurso with 34 journeys per year. Granted, there might be a lot of split ticketing at Inverness or Edinburgh / Glasgow – especially as it isn't possible to get to London by train in a day if leaving after 09:00 – but that still doesn't seem like tonnes of demand.

There may be wires crossed here. The Thurso/Wick idea was for a sleeper to the central belt rather than London.
In terms of travel time it would make sense, but the question would of course be level of demand.
There is already an airport at Wick which had flights to Edinburgh until March 2020 (now just Aberdeen), so it isn't as though the market for a time efficient option has not been explored.