Caledonian Sleeper Questions

[GW43125]

I'm looking at doing a trip on the sleepers next summer, and I have a few questions.

• What's the formation and order of carriages? I know someone posted this a while ago but I can't for the life of me find it.
• Is it just one seated carriage per portion?
• How busy do the seated portions usually get?
• Trying to book the Fort William sleeper gives the same coach letter for the electric and diesel legs-has there been a change in what goes through?

Thanks.

 

[TimboM]

Some answers below.

Note you're looking during the period the stock may well be in the handover phases, so any info as to how it all works now may change. I believe the seated coach in terms of number of seats and where it gets added/taken off won't change significantly though.

I'm looking at doing a trip on the sleepers next summer, and I have a few questions.

• What's the formation and order of carriages? I know someone posted this a while ago but I can't for the life of me find it.
  See this post http://www.railforums.co.uk/showpost.php?p=3051484&postcount=4116 - look at the link in it first (i.e. http://www.railforums.co.uk/showpost.php?p=2961006&postcount=2923 ), then Scotrail84's update for the change in coaches to Aberdeen/Fort William over the summer months.
  
  
• Is it just one seated carriage per portion?
  Yes - for the Highlander there's 1x for Inverness and 1x for Aberdeen/Fort William. I believe the seated passengers for Fort William get moved at Waverley from the Aberdeen seats coach to the Fort William one, which is added (northbound) / removed (southbound) at Waverley.
  
  
• How busy do the seated portions usually get?
  Others may have info on loadings. I suspect it varies depending on time of the year, day of the week etc. Also note for summer next year the new stock and associated publicity is likely to increase loadings.
  
  
• Trying to book the Fort William sleeper gives the same coach letter for the electric and diesel legs-has there been a change in what goes through?
  As above I don't believe there has.
  

Thanks.

 

[GW43125]

Some answers below.

Note you're looking during the period the stock may well be in the handover phases, so any info as to how it all works now may change. I believe the seated coach in terms of number of seats and where it gets added/taken off won't change significantly though.

Thank you for linking me to those. I knew they were somewhere. I suppose it'd depend on the date for the loading.

Looking at seated for the Fort William portion, I am presented with two options for carriages on the electric leg: A or S. These two have different layouts, and the diesel leg is also presented with coach S- the same layout. This was the confusion.

(Admins-I note you moved this. Sorry for putting it in the wrong place!)

 

[TimboM]

Thank you for linking me to those. I knew they were somewhere. I suppose it'd depend on the date for the loading.

Looking at seated for the Fort William portion, I am presented with two options for carriages on the electric leg: A or S. These two have different layouts, and the diesel leg is also presented with coach S- the same layout. This was the confusion.

(Admins-I note you moved this. Sorry for putting it in the wrong place!)

No probs

A is the Inverness seated coach, so maybe there's an option to go in there for the electric bit instead. Coach S doesn't feature on the current coach listing - not sure if that's what the "day coach" seats coach is when it's added at Waverley (but then why an option for the electric part??)

With all the new stock changeover etc. it may be something worth ringing the CS Guest Services folk up about to get clarity on before you book (assuming they can make head or tail of it!)

As an aside, I thought the post was in the best (if not right) place to start with. Technically it should be here, but all the folk who know the answers to your Qs are much more likely to be on the other thread!

 

[GW43125]

No probs

A is the Inverness seated coach, so maybe there's an option to go in there for the electric bit instead. Coach S doesn't feature on the current coach listing - not sure if that's what the "day coach" seats coach is when it's added at Waverley (but then why an option for the electric part??)

As the only coaches for the electric leg are A and S, what I wondered is if maybe they would be changing it so that the Fort William lounge and seats run through from London, the Aberdeen requiring the change instead. (Actually I've just checked the booking page and it shows A running through to Aberdeen and H running to Inverness so ignore that-That's weird)

I'm not particularly fussed though, I can manage a 1am change at Edinburgh, I just want to have a seat, not fussed whereabouts in the train! (Though I'd prefer Aberdeen as it's closer to the loco/buffers!)

 

[Bletchleyite]

Is one of the layouts offered 2+2? The 2+1 seated dedicated coaches all have the same layout.

I think they may have stuffed it up in that case - the 2+2 all-tables coach only ever runs between FW and Edinburgh.

 

[GW43125]

Is one of the layouts offered 2+2? The 2+1 seated dedicated coaches all have the same layout.

I think they may have stuffed it up in that case - the 2+2 all-tables coach only ever runs between FW and Edinburgh.

S is showing as 2+1 throughout. I think as you say that CS may have made a bit of a cockup.