Struner
Member
Surely you would be surprised to get your meal served that way in a hotel in the UK?
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Caledonian Sleeper
- Thread starter Essexman
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You prefer a chip tray? From an operation trading on the idea that they offer a premium experience?
Certainly, but less surprised than if it turned up in the same sort of container I get my chips in from my local pizza place
I usually do a trip to stay at the Torridon every year. A very nice hotel. With top service. I keep trying to persuade my partner we need to take the sleeper. Leave in the evening. Supper somewhere in London then a drink in the lounge car, then off to bed and wake to see the stunning scenery. And rent a car from Fort W.
But I can fly to Inverness (from London) and rent a car from there. Cost is a fraction of the train and you still see most of the scenery. And I can stop off at say the Applecross Inn and eat fantastic hearty food. Still for a lot less. And I can do an extra night at the Torridon within the budget.
I send my walking kit and luggage up beforehand. Fly hand luggage only.
This is what the sleeper is competing against. Not the premier inn , or even Jury’s. Plastic food in plastic packaging and seemingly increasingly disgruntled staff doesn’t cut it. As I said before, I do beging to wonder if Serco have cut a deal to run this for X years, then walk. At the moment, it’s ruining the brand, hammering goodwill and losing Serco a fortune. And that’s without the unreliability of the trains themselves (new or old).
But I can fly to Inverness (from London) and rent a car from there. Cost is a fraction of the train and you still see most of the scenery. And I can stop off at say the Applecross Inn and eat fantastic hearty food. Still for a lot less. And I can do an extra night at the Torridon within the budget.
I send my walking kit and luggage up beforehand. Fly hand luggage only.
This is what the sleeper is competing against. Not the premier inn , or even Jury’s. Plastic food in plastic packaging and seemingly increasingly disgruntled staff doesn’t cut it. As I said before, I do beging to wonder if Serco have cut a deal to run this for X years, then walk. At the moment, it’s ruining the brand, hammering goodwill and losing Serco a fortune. And that’s without the unreliability of the trains themselves (new or old).
Norther Monkey
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Given the current focus on catering I presume they're now getting the trains to broadly the right place, at roughly the right time.
diffident
Member
Not tonight. Appears to be all going Pete Tong at Euston at the moment.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
It does seem this is improving. Have they got another Mk5 set or two now?
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Not really their fault, the whole service has collapsed due to a power failure.
depends, they aren’t using the Mk5s everywhere are they? Those which were built in 2017 and have been at polmadie since January 2018. It is already well into Q3 2019.... the right trains aren’t running.
Rail magazine was hardly complimentary in the latest issue. It seemed that the best Serco could say was that they managed to run five days out of seven on time...... really. Barely 70%.
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Overhead line problems in the north, and a fire in the south according to reports in this thread: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/22-07-19-wcml-goes-to-hell-in-a-handcart.186731/#post-4118512
Not something any TOC can really be blamed for.
diffident
Member
No indeed, I wasn't apportioning any blame on Cal Sleeper. It will be interesting to see if the Highlander can get out of Euston before the Lowlander tonight though with all the problems ensuing.
The hot food in the seats comes in that chippy box. Macaroni out of one is an experience.
TimboM
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Slow Lines in and out of Euston are now both open and things are moving. 1S25 not left yet, but Lowlander stock still sat at Harlesden and no platform for it, so pretty sure Highlander will get away first.
BRX
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Family member wanting to travel north at the weekend, and accustomed to being able nearly always to book a seat at fairly short notice, found that the seats were fully booked on all three highlander portions on friday and sunday nights. I realise we're around peak travel time now, but wondered if there is an artificial restriction being put on seat availability thanks to the problems with the mk2s?
On the Edinburgh n/b tonight. ETS appeared to have shut down two or three times between Harlesden and Watford on separate occasions as we were at a stand - seemingly not related to the carnage at Euston earlier on.
Continuous phone ringtone like buzzing on full blast in the lounge car every few seconds that's still not fixed, and the room temperature gauge still is still being problematic by having the heating on full blast regardless what setting it's at.
And only 3 macaronis and haggis' to last the lounge car all night. All gone by Watford.
As I post this we're about 20 minutes north of Northampton and the night is not getting any quicker. No wonder the Mk5s have been delayed on the highlander. Still heaps of work to he done to iron out these issues as 2 months worth of recurrences is just taking the mic now. Teething problems are one thing, but long term problems are another. How long term is defined by Serco I have absolutely no idea. But whatever it is, this isn't good.
Continuous phone ringtone like buzzing on full blast in the lounge car every few seconds that's still not fixed, and the room temperature gauge still is still being problematic by having the heating on full blast regardless what setting it's at.
And only 3 macaronis and haggis' to last the lounge car all night. All gone by Watford.
As I post this we're about 20 minutes north of Northampton and the night is not getting any quicker. No wonder the Mk5s have been delayed on the highlander. Still heaps of work to he done to iron out these issues as 2 months worth of recurrences is just taking the mic now. Teething problems are one thing, but long term problems are another. How long term is defined by Serco I have absolutely no idea. But whatever it is, this isn't good.
TimboM
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You must've taken that screen shot just after the multiple red *T3* disappeared from the diagram - possession to repair OHLE knitting pulled down by a Pendo earlier in the day.
Here you are at Goostrey at daft o'clock with the feisty 92020 in charge: https://flic.kr/p/2gESY4h
JohnMcL7
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According to CS twitter they had to stop at Carstairs due to a problem with a guest, now running again.
GrimShady
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This was the same breakfast I had last few journeys last year. Twice IIRC, rotten both times.
Hipster Dashie
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Any more details on this? Was it someone being disruptive?
Yes, "guest" removed and then had to wait on BTP. Drunk.
Journeyman
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And just what exactly is striking meant to achieve? Gaaah.
thejuggler
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Hopefully acknowledgement and recognition from management that they are treating their staff like dirt.
Low paid workers don't give up wages lightly and striking is generally the last option.
Low paid workers don't give up wages lightly and striking is generally the last option.
Some action from management on long standing issues that are affecting staff perhaps?
As has been said,striking is a last resort,and not taken lightly by staff,the voting figures are overwhelming in favour of taking action.
PaxVobiscum
Established Member
Perhaps that delay didn’t make much difference as it turned out with the signalling issue(s) later on - The Up Highland Sleeper ended up 103 late into Euston and the Up Lowland 125 late.
Not sure why the Up Highland was 46ish late into Edinburgh though.
Idle curiosity - I wonder how long they had to wait for BTP to attend at Carstairs?
Or perhaps the polis were already there waiting when the Sleeper arrived with the time spent trying to calm things down and I should be ashamed for musing on the above.
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jagardner1984
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I think the strike seems very noble given there is no mention of wanting more money. Particularly in the context of a sleeper service - these staff (who are paid far less than a Scotrail conductor, for example) - are going to be receiving all the issues from the public very personally, intensely and immediately. These are passengers who routinely arrive late, have had their fares increased spectacularly, and regularly deal with rooms which simply don't function as advertised.
I can well believe they are stressed.
It is this sort of action that should get the transport secretary, Ryan Flaherty and the Chief Exec of Transport Scotland in front of the Transport Committee at Holyrood for a well publicised, televised mauling. Given the public expense on the contract and the Mk5 project, it's long overdue.
I can well believe they are stressed.
It is this sort of action that should get the transport secretary, Ryan Flaherty and the Chief Exec of Transport Scotland in front of the Transport Committee at Holyrood for a well publicised, televised mauling. Given the public expense on the contract and the Mk5 project, it's long overdue.
As the BBC quote the RMT:
Which given the careful wording suggests:
a) headcount isn't at establishment
b) serco estimates of staffing levels required (for the new stock) being to low
c) serco don't have the documentation on the new stock to do adequate training (CAF supplying minimal / inadequate)
d) they don't have the ability to run any training courses without cancelling trains due to staffing levels