• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Caledonian Sleeper

Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

35B

Established Member
Joined
19 Dec 2011
Messages
2,295
Well reading this has certainly dampened my excitement about using this from Inverness to London in Jan.

I even persuaded the mrs that it would be much more fun than flying... 'hotel on wheels' may even have been mentioned.

How much trouble am i gonna be in??! :rolleyes:
You should be fine. Just make sure that her expectations are set appropriately about the size of bed and that she is not expecting 5 star luxury.
 

Crepello

Member
Joined
29 Jun 2018
Messages
56
For those that know, anything much in the way of facilities at Inverness Station, in case of delays?

Don't know about evenings, but I'd the pleasure of a mornings experience very recently - superb hostess with whom I'd a great conversation, while others (from the train) continued their conversations from the previous evening, in the lounge that provides warm beverages and a selection of snacks. Great showers too.

Walk out from Inverness station, cross the street. It's right there on your left - junction of Academy St and Union St, if memory serves.
 

sheff1

Established Member
Joined
24 Dec 2009
Messages
5,484
Location
Sheffield
You get a substantial refund if key facilities such as the en suite isn't available / no hot water in a Club Room - so in practice you don't pay a large premium for something that isn't delivered.

If I book a "luxury" offering I do not expect a lack of hot water and no en suite.
It would appear some people are content with delivery below the standard promised as long as they get a substantial refund after the event - not my idea of a good deal at all.
 

USRailFan

Member
Joined
2 May 2011
Messages
341
Location
Norway
TOURIST STANDARD OPEN MARK 2F
5952/65/76/87: Longtown MoD
6137/76/77/83: Longtown MoD

RLB (RESTUARANT LOUNGE BUFFET FIRST MARK 2F)
6701: Brodies, Kilmarnock
6702/05: Wembley
6704/07: Ferme Park
6708: Crewe Gresty Lane

BUO (BRAKE UNCLASSIFIED OPEN MARK 2E)
9800: Polmadie
9801/04: Wembley
9802/05/07/10: Ferme Park

SLEP (SLEEPER WITH PANTRY MARK 3A)
10501/02/04/13/20/29/31/43/44/65/97/98/600/607/610/614: Ferme Park
10519/51/53 : Wembley
10522/26/27/42/61/605: Long Marston

SLE/@SLED (SLEEPER MARK 3A)
@10648/@50/@66/75/88/93:Ferme Park
@10680/@722: Long Marston
10683/@89/90/@99/703/@706/@718: Wembley

This is an Incomplete list, feel free to reply with updates when any changes happen.

And a lot of "graphics artists" cheered loudly...
 

mikey9

Member
Joined
19 Aug 2013
Messages
84
Cheers for that.

I'm a massive fan of travelling on sleepers, but I've never travelled on one in the UK, so im really looking forward to it.

For those that know, anything much in the way of facilities at Inverness Station, in case of delays?

If you want pleasant places to hang around. Pub on the concourse - usual licensing hours, Costa next door. Just out the door - the Highland Hotel - and the city centre and all it has to offer is at your convenience. I would suggest departure form Inverness is rarely delayed - I would think the stats back that up.
If delayed on the way North - then again - the city is immediately outside the station doors - "what services do you require (sir)"
 

Ian Wallbank

Member
Joined
29 Jun 2019
Messages
8
I will try the new Highland sleeper in the spring when the day-light is greater. I have been on the old one a few times. Hopefully, punctuality would have improved and other problems sorted. The impression I get from this forum is that things are gradually improving. To measure progress on punctuality, is there any site that measures the operator's performance over time? It would be nice to compare the old with the new and recent progress. Also, it would be nice to know the reasons for the delays. Is it the coaches, locos, track, etc,?
 

Sleeperwaking

Member
Joined
20 Oct 2018
Messages
166
To measure progress on punctuality, is there any site that measures the operator's performance over time? It would be nice to compare the old with the new and recent progress. Also, it would be nice to know the reasons for the delays. Is it the coaches, locos, track, etc,?
The ORR has started publishing detailed statistics on their website. You can filter by TOC. The delay minutes tables can be filtered by cause of delay - it probably won't differentiate between loco & coaches, but it will tell you what was attributed to rolling stock or infrastructure.

https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/
 

Hooligan

Member
Joined
10 Feb 2016
Messages
50
Solo 73 dumped in the motor-rail sidings at Inverness. Was that taken off yesterday’s Up Highlander?
Yes taken off yesterday, last nights southbound worked by 73971 on its own.
Think they’re trying to get 968 back to Craigentinny tonight so could be 3 73’s on tonight’s 1m16
 

John Bishop

Member
Joined
15 Nov 2018
Messages
584
Location
Perth
Yes taken off yesterday, last nights southbound worked by 73971 on its own.
Think they’re trying to get 968 back to Craigentinny tonight so could be 3 73’s on tonight’s 1m16

Seemed to do okay to Perth/ Edinburgh only losing about 15-20 minutes, but arrived 112L at Euston this morning.
 

JohnMcL7

Member
Joined
18 Apr 2018
Messages
863
Yes taken off yesterday, last nights southbound worked by 73971 on its own.
Think they’re trying to get 968 back to Craigentinny tonight so could be 3 73’s on tonight’s 1m16

968 was left in Inverness tonight, why was it left last night since it needs to go south at some point to be repaired. Is it simply that it's a dead weight and better to have two powered locomotives rather than one or something else? I also noticed tonight the lead 73 seemed very quiet compared to the second one on leaving Inverness.
 

TimboM

Established Member
Joined
12 Apr 2016
Messages
3,732
Yes taken off yesterday, last nights southbound worked by 73971 on its own.
Think they’re trying to get 968 back to Craigentinny tonight so could be 3 73’s on tonight’s 1m16
Seemed to do okay to Perth/ Edinburgh only losing about 15-20 minutes, but arrived 112L at Euston this morning.
It was 73967 that worked 1M16 solo. Other relatively minor (non-loco) issues contributed towards the 15-20 min delay, so it was a very respectable performance by a single 73/9 with Load 8 + full ETH, in freezing temperatures and in the middle of leaf-fall season.

No doubt there'll still be those who think 73/9s are weak, not up to it etc... :rolleyes:

968 was left in Inverness tonight, why was it left last night since it needs to go south at some point to be repaired. Is it simply that it's a dead weight and better to have two powered locomotives rather than one or something else? I also noticed tonight the lead 73 seemed very quiet compared to the second one on leaving Inverness.
Not withstanding the above, it is supposed to be 2x (working) 73/9s on the Inverness portion. 73/9 solo + 73/9 DIT + Load 8 wouldn't be feasible. I'm not sure having three 73/9s on the front with the one DIT would work either.

As for the louder second loco - this may be because that loco is providing the ETH to the stock? Or just because some locos (of the same class) are noisier than others for whatever reason.
 

flitwickbeds

Member
Joined
19 Apr 2017
Messages
525
To measure progress on punctuality, is there any site that measures the operator's performance over time? It would be nice to compare the old with the new and recent progress. Also, it would be nice to know the reasons for the delays. Is it the coaches, locos, track, etc,?
www.trainclaimer.com/stats/companies
Filter to just Caledonian Sleeper and then choose the stag variable you're interested in for the date range you need (goes back to January).

Click "Show reasons" or "Show Data" for a full breakdown

You can also compare individual trains at www.trainclaimer.com/stats/trains and individual stations at www.trainclaimer.com/stats/stations
 

JohnMcL7

Member
Joined
18 Apr 2018
Messages
863
It was 73967 that worked 1M16 solo. Other relatively minor (non-loco) issues contributed towards the 15-20 min delay, so it was a very respectable performance by a single 73/9 with Load 8 + full ETH, in freezing temperatures and in the middle of leaf-fall season.

No doubt there'll still be those who think 73/9s are weak, not up to it etc... :rolleyes:


Not withstanding the above, it is supposed to be 2x (working) 73/9s on the Inverness portion. 73/9 solo + 73/9 DIT + Load 8 wouldn't be feasible. I'm not sure having three 73/9s on the front with the one DIT would work either.

As for the louder second loco - this may be because that loco is providing the ETH to the stock? Or just because some locos (of the same class) are noisier than others for whatever reason.

Definitely props to the little 73's managing the trip on their own, it's good they have that redundancy.

I can post comparison videos with the audio, the first time I saw both 73's leaving you could hear both engines revving higher as the sleeper pulled away but last night I almost missed it leaving initially as there didn't seem to be a change in the leading engine.
 

Essexman

Established Member
Joined
15 Mar 2011
Messages
1,380
I’m on the Lowlander to Edinburgh tonight. Boarding slightly delayed due to loco failure. Replacement coming from Wembley.
 

TimboM

Established Member
Joined
12 Apr 2016
Messages
3,732
I’m on the Lowlander to Edinburgh tonight. Boarding slightly delayed due to loco failure. Replacement coming from Wembley.
92043 is your new loco - just emerging from Wembley depot on the diagrams. There's a possession on the slows so will need to do a bit of a "zig zag" to get onto the fasts, so will be a little longer than usual getting in from Wembley.
why delay boarding? Surely you can get on and go to bed?
Quite... seems a bit of an excuse. The ECS loco (92018) should be able to provide ETS until the train loco arrives. I think there is a bit of a challenge with the Mk5s that once you switch it over to the train loco everything needs setting up again on the TCMS ('computer') - but I'd think most passengers would prefer getting on then a few flickers of the lights whilst things were swapped over?
 

Essexman

Established Member
Joined
15 Mar 2011
Messages
1,380
why delay boarding? Surely you can get on and go to bed?

Don’t know. Chap said we’d be boarding in a few minutes 15 minutes ago and that they’d attached the new loco once we are on board. But a long queue of passengers are still standing in the cold.
 

Essexman

Established Member
Joined
15 Mar 2011
Messages
1,380
I’m standing by 92018 which does indeed appear to be supplying ETS so no idea why we can’t board. Passengers all queued behind barrier and staff standing by train is can’t ask them.
 

Mag_seven

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Global Moderator
Joined
1 Sep 2014
Messages
10,020
Location
here to eternity
I’m standing by 92018 which does indeed appear to be supplying ETS so no idea why we can’t board. Passengers all queued behind barrier and staff standing by train is can’t ask them.

Maybe they don't have any faith in 92043 and they may have to cancel it. ;)
 

Essexman

Established Member
Joined
15 Mar 2011
Messages
1,380
Excellent. Tucked up in bed now with copy of Rail to read and bacon roll ordered for breakfast.
 

xc170

Member
Joined
9 Feb 2008
Messages
815
I posted this question in trip reports but haven't had any response so I'll try here since it's a dedicated CS thread...

What are the loadings likley to be on either the Fort William or Inverness in January? Is one cheaper than the other?

Thinking of doing the sleeper in January and just fishing for ideas, I'll be paying for a cabin as the new seated sleeper car looks horrific compared to the previous Mk2 stock.
 

TimboM

Established Member
Joined
12 Apr 2016
Messages
3,732
I posted this question in trip reports but haven't had any response so I'll try here since it's a dedicated CS thread...

What are the loadings likley to be on either the Fort William or Inverness in January? Is one cheaper than the other?

Thinking of doing the sleeper in January and just fishing for ideas, I'll be paying for a cabin as the new seated sleeper car looks horrific compared to the previous Mk2 stock.
The website shows the current prices for each depending on the loadings at that point and how many of the lower priced berths have already been taken.
So if you know (roughly) when you want to book, the best thing to do is go on Sleeper.Scot and see what the room prices are for either of the options on the date(s) you want to travel.

I'm pretty sure the price bands are the same on each, so will really come down to the specific day you're travelling and how many berths have been booked so far by the time you book.
 

Kite159

Veteran Member
Joined
27 Jan 2014
Messages
19,219
Location
West of Andover
I was surprised on Friday's lowlander that the temperature control seems to have gotten better in the seats, the AC wasn't on "height of Spanish Summer" mode so it was easier to get sleep.
 

xc170

Member
Joined
9 Feb 2008
Messages
815
I was surprised on Friday's lowlander that the temperature control seems to have gotten better in the seats, the AC wasn't on "height of Spanish Summer" mode so it was easier to get sleep.

Are the lights dimmed in the seated coach?

I've used the Mk2 seated coach and only got a couple of hours sleep at the most, at least it was relatively dark and the seats were large and comfortable, the new seated coach doesn't look like it was actually designed with sleeping in mind...
 

Top