Caledonian Sleeper

[Peter Sarf]

I seem to recall there were very few, if any, other companies willing to even bid for such a (comparatively) small order of bespoke coaches.

Great quote by John Glenn, though...

Your right. Basically beggars cannot be choosers.

And Stadler had to be enticed into making UK gauge DMUs by a healthy order for long EMUs.

The “Reader View” in iOS, which strips websites of unnecessary gubbins and presents a simple view comes in very handy for annoying sites like this. Here’s the article text:

Phew - thanks. I must learn how to do this. Usually newspaper sites grind my web connection to a halt.

Thank God GWR didn't add to the order for Night Riveria stock and went for mk3 updating !!!

Better the devil you know. Which might be why SWT were willing to squeeze more life out of the 442s.

 

[Wuffle]

As someone who would like to use it when does anyone think it will be sorted out ?

 

[popeter45]

As someone who would like to use it when does anyone think it will be sorted out ?

It really depends on what can be done to solve the issues with the Mark 5s; we could see Legal action against CAF over quality issues, resulting in either financial compensation and/or commitment to fix the issues.

 

[6Z09]

The latest guff from RMT. Would their time not be better spent in rationally explaining why we've reached this stage rather than spouting 'rock solid' bile against operator and governments alike?

If I was a rightfully aggrieved CS host I would be very disappointed by this, it does nothing whatsoever to gain passenger sympathy.

Caledonian Sleeper: Staff strike begins as union slams lack of government action

Tonight marks the first of two periods of planned strike action from Caledonian Sleeper staff, leading to services being cancelled.

www.heraldscotland.com

Tonight marks the first of two periods of planned strike action from Caledonian Sleeper staff, leading to services being cancelled.

The Caledonian Sleeper is the overnight service between London and Scotland.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) said operator Serco failed to provide enough berths for rest periods for members who began the first of two 48-hour walkouts from 5.30pm today, as well as action short of a strike.

Staff will be out at a number of stations where the overnight service passes through, including Fort William, Inverness, Glasgow Central, Edinburgh and Euston.

All picket lines are to be supervised with social distancing rules observed.

RMT general secretary Mike Cash criticised the lack of government action in dealing with the dispute.

He said: “RMT members are standing rock solid in their strike action on the Caledonian Sleeper this evening but it remains a scandal that Serco appear to have deliberately provoked this dispute and have never had any intention of entering serious talks.

“Instead of working with the union on a solution to the very real issues of safety and fatigue they have declared war on their staff. That is a disgrace.

“It is also wholly unacceptable that the political leadership in Scotland, distracted by the scandal of one of their own travelling on trains while Covid positive, have not lifted a finger to help us settle this dispute.

“They should get off their backsides and haul Serco into line. Their lack of action is grossly irresponsible.

“Our members on the Caledonian Sleeper, demanding nothing more than a safe working environment, deserve better than this shocking treatment.

“We are grateful for the huge level of support that has flooded in and it’s now down to the company to get serious and negotiate a settlement.”
All hosts and team leaders have been instructed not to book on for shifts until 5.30pm on Tuesday.

The same action will take place from 5.30pm on Sunday October 11 to 5.30pm on Tuesday October 13.

Members have also been instructed not to undertake any rest day working, higher grade duties or voluntary overtime between the evening of October 6 and October 11, and from 5.31pm on October 13 until further notice.

Previously, Serco said the plans for industrial action are “extremely disappointing” and claimed to have “done everything possible to provide staff with rest areas on board”.

Serco operates the service on behalf of Transport Scotland.

A Transport Scotland spokesman said: “We fully appreciate the challenges faced by the rail industry as we continue to transition through the route map to recovery.

“While staff rosters and conditions are matters for Caledonian Sleeper and the unions concerned, we would urge all parties to continue meaningful dialogue to reach a mutually agreeable solution.

The latest guff? Bile ?
The staff were balloted, voted to take action. That's what unions do, represent their members!
Could it perhaps be the case that issues remain from the last industrial action?
Once bitten, twice shy?
Workers willing to lose earnings to make a stand deserve a bit of respect.

 

[greyman42]

The latest guff? Bile ?
The staff were balloted, voted to take action. That's what unions do, represent their members!
Could it perhaps be the case that issues remain from the last industrial action?
Once bitten, twice shy?
Workers willing to lose earnings to make a stand deserve a bit of respect.

As long as it is not their jobs that they end up loosing.

 

[Roger B]

As long as it is not their jobs that they end up loosing.

There's a long history of that in the UK!

 

[Peter Sarf]

Its now just over a year since 15340 got bent. Any news ?.

 

[Roger B]

Its now just over a year since 15340 got bent. Any news ?.

Question I've been asking. Go Peter!

 

[TimboM]

Its now just over a year since 15340 got bent. Any news ?.

Still not been in service since. Still at Polmadie.
Bear in mind it was a few weeks before it was recovered, then was sat outside Polmadie in the same spot a good few months, probably whilst the "who pays" (or whose insurance pays) debate was had.

 

[47271]

The latest guff? Bile ?
The staff were balloted, voted to take action. That's what unions do, represent their members!
Could it perhaps be the case that issues remain from the last industrial action?
Once bitten, twice shy?
Workers willing to lose earnings to make a stand deserve a bit of respect.

I agree with you, so I think you've misread my post. Amongst other things, I said:

"If I was a rightfully aggrieved CS host...", which shows the workers a lot of respect.

My point is that crews' genuine case is ill served by the RMT's fact free rants. The union needs to concentrate on rationally explaining to the public why these least militant of rail staff have been forced to strike votes.

The interior of the stock was designed by people who had no idea, and who made no reference to those who did. Then staff were expected to use it as if everything's fine. If that's what the union told us then we'd get it. If they just say the action is 'rock solid' then they're doing nothing other than winding up the reader.

 

[Peter0124]

Lowlander looks to be cancelled again from November 10th until December 4th (Though that date may be extended)

London<->Edinburgh passengers need to use the Highlander
London<->Glasgow need to use the Highlander with a change in Edinburgh onto a day-train. I have no idea if the Fort William portion is running either as it is not in the timetable:

Covid-19 Timetable | Caledonian Sleeper

www.sleeper.scot

 

[alistairlees]

Lowlander looks to be cancelled again from November 10th until December 4th (Though that date may be extended)

London<->Edinburgh passengers need to use the Highlander
London<->Glasgow need to use the Highlander with a change in Edinburgh onto a day-train. I have no idea if the Fort William portion is running either as it is not in the timetable:

Covid-19 Timetable | Caledonian Sleeper

www.sleeper.scot

Fort William, Aberdeen and Glasgow services are all cancelled during this time unfortunately.

 

[ajrm]

Fort William, Aberdeen and Glasgow services are all cancelled during this time unfortunately.

Bit of a bummer for the Aberdeen, which is only restarting tomorrow night for the first time since March!

 

[47271]

Is this the most badly informed article ever written about the sleeper?

Running on the East Coast since 1976? No, more like 1876. East Coast? No, West Coast. And the Press & Journal of all papers fails to recognise that the route south of Aberdeen has been shut since mid August.

Caledonian Sleeper services from Aberdeen and Fort William cancelled until December

Caledonian Sleeper services from Aberdeen and Fort William have been cancelled until December 6, the rail operator has announced. Routes between the two

www.pressandjournal.co.uk

Caledonian Sleeper services from Aberdeen and Fort William have been cancelled until December 6, the rail operator has announced.

Routes between the two and London Euston will not run while England endures its month-long lockdown.

A statement from Caledonian Sleeper said: “In light of new government restrictions around travel, we would like to remind all guests that they should only travel at this time if it is absolutely necessary.

“From November 10, we are operating a reduced service to support guests with essential travel needs and ask that others follow the government guidance of staying at home.

Sleeper services have been plying the East Coast main line from London to Aberdeen in different guises since 1976, but all routes were cancelled at the start of the Covid-19 lockdown along with journeys to Fort William.

While journeys to Fort William began again in July, trips to Aberdeen are yet to get back up and running.
Back in the summer, West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine MP Andrew Bowie called for the return of the service to help boost tourism in the area.


In a letter to Serco, which runs the Caledonian Sleeper, he said: “Many of the tourists who visit my constituency travel long distances and your London to Aberdeen route is a key component of the journey for a lot of these visitors.”

 

[alistairlees]

Is this the most badly informed article ever written about the sleeper?

Running on the East Coast since 1976? No, more like 1876. East Coast? No, West Coast. And the Press & Journal of all papers fails to recognise that the route south of Aberdeen has been shut since mid August.

Caledonian Sleeper services from Aberdeen and Fort William cancelled until December

Caledonian Sleeper services from Aberdeen and Fort William have been cancelled until December 6, the rail operator has announced. Routes between the two

www.pressandjournal.co.uk

Until the late 1980s sleeper services from Aberdeen to London went to kings cross, via the ECML. But I agree that this otherwise badly written, especially in light of Carmont.

 

[47271]

Until the late 1980s sleeper services from Aberdeen to London went to kings cross, via the ECML.

I know that, my point was that they certainly didn't start running on the East Coast in what appears to have been the randomly selected year of 1976!

 

[MrEd]

I know that, my point was that they certainly didn't start running on the East Coast in what appears to have been the randomly selected year of 1976!

I too simply cannot understand where 1976 came from. The standard of journalism leaves a lot to be desired these days!

 

[35B]

I too simply cannot understand where 1976 came from. The standard of journalism leaves a lot to be desired these days!

Typo? And as sub editors are a dying breed, very possibly not picked up en route to press.

 

[47271]

I've checked in David Meara's 'Anglo Scottish Sleepers' just in case it was a typo on 1876 as I speculated in the original post on this.

It might be. The North British Railway built the first sleeping car proper in 1873. So there could be an argument that some sort of recognisably through service started on the East Coast in 1876.

Or the story was written by someone who doesn't have a clue. Take your pick.

 

[BRX]

Caledonian Sleeper - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

1976 is mentioned in the Wikipedia page - a very lazy misreading of that perhaps.

 

[alistairlees]

1796 is closer to the actual start date of Anglo Scottish sleepers than 1976....

 

[al78]

Quick question about the sleeper. I know you can travel with a bicycle if you book it in advance and I have done this before, but how does it work if you want to travel to an intermediate station, or board at an intermediate station. I have had a thought nest year of cycling up the Gaick pass which, if I got the sleeper, would mean disembarking at Blair Atholl, but there is the issue of how to get myself and my bike off the train in a reasonable time given the train will not be the same length as when it left London, so I might have a problem working out which carriage I put it in. Last time I took a bicycle on the sleeper I was travelling from Inverness to London so all I had to do at Euston was ask a member of staff where my bike was because I had miscounted the distance between the bike carriage and my carriage.

 

[alistairlees]

Quick question about the sleeper. I know you can travel with a bicycle if you book it in advance and I have done this before, but how does it work if you want to travel to an intermediate station, or board at an intermediate station. I have had a thought nest year of cycling up the Gaick pass which, if I got the sleeper, would mean disembarking at Blair Atholl, but there is the issue of how to get myself and my bike off the train in a reasonable time given the train will not be the same length as when it left London, so I might have a problem working out which carriage I put it in. Last time I took a bicycle on the sleeper I was travelling from Inverness to London so all I had to do at Euston was ask a member of staff where my bike was because I had miscounted the distance between the bike carriage and my carriage.

It will be in the (only) seated carriage, which looks different from the sleepers (and from the club car) from the outside. It will either be the first or the last carriage on the train - can't remember which way round it is with the new stock right now.

 

[John Bishop]

Seated normally leads the formation on the northbound portion from Edinburgh.

 

[xotGD]

Wouldn't you need to transfer the bike from the Aberdeen to the Fort William day coach at Edinburgh?

 

[BRX]

No, Blair Atholl is on the way to Inverness so no need to move it at Edinburgh.

I would simply ask the staff on the train what I should do on arrival at Blair Atholl.

The main complication would be if you found you couldn't reserve a place. I believe they sometimes arrange parallel road transport when the capacity of the luggage compartment is exceeded. Not sure what would hapoen then.

 

[alistairlees]

No, Blair Atholl is on the way to Inverness so no need to move it at Edinburgh.

I would simply ask the staff on the train what I should do on arrival at Blair Atholl.

The main complication would be if you found you couldn't reserve a place. I believe they sometimes arrange parallel road transport when the capacity of the luggage compartment is exceeded. Not sure what would hapoen then.

No, there is no road transport any more. You can reserve a bike space when you book on sleeper.scot.

 

[al78]

Thanks for the useful info.

 

[xotGD]

No, Blair Atholl is on the way to Inverness so no need to move it at Edinburgh.

I would simply ask the staff on the train what I should do on arrival at Blair Atholl.

The main complication would be if you found you couldn't reserve a place. I believe they sometimes arrange parallel road transport when the capacity of the luggage compartment is exceeded. Not sure what would hapoen then.

Sorry, yes - I misremembered where we were trying to get to!

I guess the point is valid for a cyclist heading for the West Highlands.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Sorry, yes - I misremembered where we were trying to get to!

I guess the point is valid for a cyclist heading for the West Highlands.

And it would be very much worth being aware of that potential for separation from your bike !. So thanks for mentioning it.