Steve Harris
Member
My apologies, I thought a run round occurred in Wembley Yard.
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Caledonian Sleeper
- Thread starter Essexman
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RailUK Forums
Railcam data (and RTT) suggests that tonight's cast is:
92028 -> Northbound highland sleeper, Euston to Wembley
92006 -> Northbound lowland sleeper, Euston to Wembley
92020 -> Northbound highland sleeper, Wembley to Edinburgh
92018 -> Northbound lowland sleeper, Wembley to Glasgow
92010 -> Southbound highland sleeper, Edinburgh to Wembley
92043 -> Southbound lowland sleeper, Glasgow to Wembley
92023 -> Glasgow empty stock
92033 -> spare, Wembley
92014 -> out of service at Leicester
92038 -> out of service at Wembley
As there isn't a spare locomotive in Scotland, 92010 has taken the Edinburgh portion from Polmadie to Edinburgh and 92020 will need to be involved on one part of the lowland sleeper in the morning.
The Planner
Veteran Member
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- 15 Apr 2008
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- 16,047
High side block of Euston. It couldnt get in 15 anyway.
Class 466
Established Member
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Thanks for this.
I’m on the Glasgow portion of the Lowlander and ahead of boarding we were told it would be Front 8 at Euston for Edinburgh, Rear 8 Glasgow (which makes sense after the reversal in Wembley so you basically just drop off the rear 8 and continue to Glasgow). However it was Front 8 Glasgow, Rear 8 Edinburgh so now the Glasgow portion is on the rear arriving at Edinburgh so I expect a different loco will take us forward from there to Glasgow now
OvergroundMatt
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- 31 May 2017
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A question for regular travellers - I'm booked on tomorrow night's Highlander to Aberdeen with a friend in a classic cabin (I know it will be cosy!). How likely is it that we'd get space to eat dinner in the Club Car, given that club guests get priority?
Thanks in advance!
Thanks in advance!
Those in 'Club' are given priority, followed by 'Classic' and then 'Seated'. It totally depends on how busy the train is and how accommodating the onboard hosts are.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Didn't think seated were allowed in at all, rather they could order its wares to take away.
BRX
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Last time I used the lounge car (pre-covid) there would be several reserved tables but for any unreserved ones, it was first come first served - has that changed?
Royston Vasey
Established Member
At what point does a Caledonian Double passenger get the chance to reserve a table? When we travel in July, I expected to just need to head sharply to the Club Car and grab one, but if there are reservations taken for dinner (like on Amtrak overnight trains) that would take any stress out of it!
Thanks in advance.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
I believe Double counts as Club.
Royston Vasey
Established Member
I should think so, given the price! But I just wondered if the steward pro-actively offers reservations on boarding or whether it's just a handful of tables are kept reserved for Club/Double, who are then first come first served to those tables.
alistairlees
Established Member
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Call the Guest Service Centre and I think they may be able to reserve one for you.
Scotrail12
Member
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- 16 Nov 2014
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- 837
Was thinking of taking the Sleeper back from London soon, however are you permitted to book the Fort William one and get off when it stops at Glasgow Queen Street Low Level? It departs at a better time than the Central one where I'd be hanging out until midnight.
alistairlees
Established Member
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No. Go to Dalmuir then get a local train back.
Scotrail84
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No, theres also no guarantee it will go via Qst LL because if theres late running it nearly always diverts via the E and G to make up time.
D6130
Established Member
If that happens, how do local day coach passengers hoping to travel to the West Highlands manage to catch the train? I know there is the 05 21 from Queen Street to Oban, which stops at Dalmuir ahead of the sleeper....but that's not a lot of use to someone turning up at Queen Street to catch the sleeper at 05 48, or just before.
I recall that was possible a few years ago but I thought they removed the ability to reserve tables?
Scotrail84
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If theres no bookings then it doesn't have to stop. Compulsory reservation service. If there was a booking and details were available they'd be contacted and probably taxied to Dalmuir.
Ref the above post, it has already been mentioned on this Forum that day passengers could once again (from May 2022) travel on the Fort William and Inverness portions of the Highland Sleeper, subject to a reservation being obtained. The Q&A section of the Caledonian Sleeper website contains a statement which appears to confirm this.
“We have good news, we are running all normal daytime services and we can’t wait to have you back on board.
Day service tickets are only available to buy a maximum of 7 days before travel and require a reservation. Anyone who does not hold a reservation may not be permitted to travel.
Caledonian Sleeper does not sell tickets for these day services. However, they are available to book directly via train (sic) stations or other on-line ticket retailers.”
However, a note on the Fort William timetable page reads as follows -
“Due to Covid-19 restrictions we are not operating as a day train between Edinburgh and Fort William in both directions during the currency of this timetable. For details of alternative services visit www.scotrail.co.uk”
Apart from the fact that all Covid restrictions have been lifted in Scotland, this seems to contradict the statement above. Or does this just apply to anyone wishing to board in Edinburgh or Glasgow but not those just using the West Highland line itself? And what are these “alternative services”? The first Scotrail arrival at Fort William is not until 12.08!
There’s also no mention of day passengers on the Inverness timetable, although a morning departure time (rather than just an arrival) is shown for Aviemore and Carrbridge (but not for Kingussie).
On my only trip on the Fort William sleeper ten years ago, the morning train picked up around a dozen day passengers, half of whom were walkers from Rannoch and Corrour. Perhaps they made their decision to travel based on the previous day’s weather forecast, but of course there could have been others needing to get to Fort William on business. Any users of the Inverness portion are likely to be commuters, given the arrival time of 08.42. For all of these, the requirement to have a reservation is just an extra inconvenience and might deter some from travelling, unless they're prepared to risk being denied boarding. The seated portion of the train is surely unlikely to be full.
Am I being cynical in thinking that Caledonian Sleepers (and GWR, for that matter) just wants to get rid of day passengers, regardless of whether they have a reasonable alternative?
“We have good news, we are running all normal daytime services and we can’t wait to have you back on board.
Day service tickets are only available to buy a maximum of 7 days before travel and require a reservation. Anyone who does not hold a reservation may not be permitted to travel.
Caledonian Sleeper does not sell tickets for these day services. However, they are available to book directly via train (sic) stations or other on-line ticket retailers.”
However, a note on the Fort William timetable page reads as follows -
“Due to Covid-19 restrictions we are not operating as a day train between Edinburgh and Fort William in both directions during the currency of this timetable. For details of alternative services visit www.scotrail.co.uk”
Apart from the fact that all Covid restrictions have been lifted in Scotland, this seems to contradict the statement above. Or does this just apply to anyone wishing to board in Edinburgh or Glasgow but not those just using the West Highland line itself? And what are these “alternative services”? The first Scotrail arrival at Fort William is not until 12.08!
There’s also no mention of day passengers on the Inverness timetable, although a morning departure time (rather than just an arrival) is shown for Aviemore and Carrbridge (but not for Kingussie).
On my only trip on the Fort William sleeper ten years ago, the morning train picked up around a dozen day passengers, half of whom were walkers from Rannoch and Corrour. Perhaps they made their decision to travel based on the previous day’s weather forecast, but of course there could have been others needing to get to Fort William on business. Any users of the Inverness portion are likely to be commuters, given the arrival time of 08.42. For all of these, the requirement to have a reservation is just an extra inconvenience and might deter some from travelling, unless they're prepared to risk being denied boarding. The seated portion of the train is surely unlikely to be full.
Am I being cynical in thinking that Caledonian Sleepers (and GWR, for that matter) just wants to get rid of day passengers, regardless of whether they have a reasonable alternative?
Blindtraveler
Established Member
I made enquiries via social media this week on behalf of my my relatives who wish to use the evening fort William to Glasgow Queen Street journey offered by CS during the English half term holiday at the start of June and was told that as long as they held a valid ticket and obtained a reservation by contacting guest services centre or or visiting an appropriate booking office so any of those in the West Highlands I assume or perhaps Glasgow that they would be permitted to travel and use any on-board services that would normally be available to seated passengers
If the delay is expected to be more than 15 mins then it would be arriving at Dalmuir after the first Airdrie to Helensburgh train anyway.
As previously mentioned, you could always book to Dalmuir and jump off in QS if it goes there, being prepared to catch a local back from Dalmuir.
The Lowlander should be available for boarding from 2200 (I have certainly done this a couple of times southbound) so you shouldn't have to take in the delights of Euston until midnight. However as any regular on this thread knows, CS aren't the best for honouring that. Obviously the QS option gets you in earlier, even via Dalmuir, if that's a requirement.
The website states:
"Our trains departing from London Euston are ready to board from 2230 on the day of travel."
So any regular expecting to board at 2200 at Euston is wrong. The boarding time at Glasgow is 2200 and Edinburgh 2300 (2230 on Sundays).
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Scotrail88
Member
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- 21 Jul 2014
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- 319
Would it not be an option to allow passengers to board at Carstairs
Would provide an earlier service to both Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Unlikely to be used by many but could be useful .
Would provide an earlier service to both Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Unlikely to be used by many but could be useful .
Cheshire Scot
Established Member
If you are talking about the Highlander is does not go through Carstairs (station), it goes round the curve, and there would be nothing for it to connect with there at that time of day anyway.
I presumed that @Scotrail88 meant the lowlander when it splits. Again, I don't know that there would be much demand for it.
What time of night is the lowlander splitting? Can't imagine it's at a time anybody would want to board a train.
Cheshire Scot
Established Member
The Lowlander has a public call at Carstairs for the benefit of people who live locally. Once split - 06.14 arrival - it then directly serves both Glasgow and Edinburgh
So what @Scotrail88 is asking for is actually happening?
Cheshire Scot
Established Member
And southbound 00.40 from Carstairs.