Caledonian Sleeper

[35B]

Not that I'm encouraging it, but nobody actually verifies your name matches your booking when boarding. I had a PA book a ticket on my behalf a couple of years back and she booked it under her name. I do not look like a Joanne, even with a liberal view of gender identity.

Not necessarily true - aged 16 I went through passport control and the discrepancy between the height on my passport and my then height were commented on.

 

[MrJeeves]

Slightly off-topic, but do e.g. Avanti and Lumo tend to (try to) penalise passengers going from London to Watford Junction or Stevenage using an Interrail pass, London to Newcastle anytime single etc.?

If you've got an Interrail pass, you could just add the journey to the next scheduled stop in the app and just deactivate it after...

 

[CW2]

Anybody on the sleepers tonight should prepare themselves for a delayed journey, due to the landslip and line closure at Beattock.

 

[Class15]

ECML divert surely?

 

[henryb]

Anybody on the sleepers tonight should prepare themselves for a delayed journey, due to the landslip and line closure at Beattock.

Text message seems to suggest that the line will reopen by this evening…. Remains to be seen how likely it is - no divert though

 

[Scotrail84]

ECML divert surely?

No chance of that, ECML diverts are planned months in advance. ADHOC ECML diverts are simply not possible for various reasons.

 

[david737]

No chance of ECML divert this weekend as the Durham coast diversions are on again & even if they wanted to I'm not sure the sleeper stock is cleared for that route anyway.

 

[Scotrail84]

No chance of ECML divert this weekend as the Durham coast diversions are on again & even if they wanted to I'm not sure the sleeper stock is cleared for that route anyway.

Even if they were cleared the drivers and guards don't have route knowledge and the route isn't wired anyway.

 

[Foxcover]

Even if they were cleared the drivers and guards don't have route knowledge and the route isn't wired anyway

Could it be dragged via Kilmarnock subject to drivers, or wouldn’t that work at the northern end?

 

[Scotrail84]

Could it be dragged via Kilmarnock subject to drivers, or wouldn’t that work at the northern end?

Nope, no spare 73s to do that and 1x73 would toil to power 13/14 vehicles anyway, thats also a very time consuming route and boxes might not be 24hrs on the line via Kilmarnock. Plus guards don't sign that route anymore, they used to when it was MK2/3 vehicles. Just more shortsightedness when the MK5s were brought in.

 

[paul1609]

Nope, no spare 73s to do that and 1x73 would toil to power 13/14 vehicles anyway, thats also a very time consuming route and boxes might not be 24hrs on the line via Kilmarnock. Plus guards don't sign that route anymore, they used to when it was MK2/3 vehicles. Just more shortsightedness when the MK5s were brought in.

When did the CS last divert via Dumfries?

 

[Scotrail84]

When did the CS last divert via Dumfries?

To my knowledge it was when it was MK2/3 vehicles still operating, probably the Lamington viaduct problem before they started doing East coast runs until it was repaired, pairs of 47s IIRC. The crews haven't signed it for years now as no services can run that way with MK5s.

 

[Falcon1200]

When did the CS last divert via Dumfries?

They certainly diverted via Dumfries (and occasionally via the ECML too) during the Lamington Bridge closure during the early months of 2016. Not sure if they have since, and doubt the Mark 5 stock has ever gone that way.

 

[Tester]

If you've got an Interrail pass, you could just add the journey to the next scheduled stop in the app and just deactivate it after...

In my first class Eurail days, I've managed a meal and drink between Euston and Watford Junction

Admittedly with unusually early boarding at Euston, and unusually attentive staff!

 

[Bill57p9]

Nope, no spare 73s to do that and 1x73 would toil to power 13/14 vehicles anyway, thats also a very time consuming route and boxes might not be 24hrs on the line via Kilmarnock. Plus guards don't sign that route anymore, they used to when it was MK2/3 vehicles. Just more shortsightedness when the MK5s were brought in.

The Glasgow & South Western line is certainly open 24/7 currently as the engineering trains for the East Kilbride line works are heading that way in the wee small hours.
Academic though: as you hint at I don't believe a 73/9 could provide ETS for 2 full mk5 sets (I was surprised to see a 73/9 successfully providing ETS to 12 mk5s at Inverness when the Fort William portion was cancelled and passengers sent via Kingussie). As an aside, I never did get an answer to my techie question around the voltage of ETS on a 73/9 (92s provide ETS voltage >1kV to supply ETS >99 within the 600A cabling limit)

I just checked the Sectional Appendix: Mk5s are indeed cleared via the Glasgow & South Western. However mk5As are not permitted between Gretna Junction and Kilmarnock viaduct.

 

[TSGN Spotter]

All CS services between Glasgow, Edinburgh and London are cancelled this evening.

Friday 21st February

We are sorry to advise that tonight's northbound and southbound services between Glasgow Central, Edinburgh Waverley and London Euston have been cancelled.

This is due to a landslip on the west coast mainline being damaged and subsequently closed.

We are currently working with our industry partners to arrange ticket acceptance in the morning to get you to your destination.

In the meantime, our trains are on the platform in these stations and you are welcome to join us in your booked accommodation to stay overnight.

Travel Updates

Travel Updates | Caledonian Sleeper. View the latest travel updates, service alterations and planned engineering works for Caledonian Sleeper services.

www.sleeper.scot

 

[Scotrail84]

All CS services between Glasgow, Edinburgh and London are cancelled this evening.

Travel Updates

Travel Updates | Caledonian Sleeper. View the latest travel updates, service alterations and planned engineering works for Caledonian Sleeper services.

www.sleeper.scot

That's after them proudly claiming on twitter a few hours ago that ALL services will depart as scheduled. Amateur hour.


They're also on about ticket acceptance in the morning. If the West coast is still shut then theres only an hourly service to London via the ECML starting at 06:30 from Edinburgh due to engineering works between Newcastle and Darlington. Rugby on at Twickenham too. I predict carnage tomorrow as I highly doubt LNER will accept a load of sleeper passengers. A journey of 5-6 hours too.

x.com

x.com

 

[henryb]

Both highlanders still stuck for over 2 hours…

 

[Falcon1200]

The only non-train period on this section of the WCML is Saturday night, therefore repair work at any other time inevitably causes disruption. This raises the question of whether, if one line is open for Single Line Working (SLW), should this remain in place until Saturday night, or should repairs be made now in order to restore normal working as soon as possible? In this particular case perhaps the decision was made to clear the landslip, but if this required a blockage of both lines and then took longer than anticipated, the altered arrangements for the sleeper services are understandable.

 

[Butts]

All CS services between Glasgow, Edinburgh and London are cancelled this evening.

Travel Updates

Travel Updates | Caledonian Sleeper. View the latest travel updates, service alterations and planned engineering works for Caledonian Sleeper services.

www.sleeper.scot

Blimey that's going to cost them an arm and a leg in Delay Repay.

Wonder if there's a guy with a Briefcase on the Platform full of £100 Notes

 

[paul1609]

Blimey that's going to cost them an arm and a leg in Delay Repay.

Wonder if there's a guy with a Briefcase on the Platform full of £100 Notes

Thank goodness its all paid for by Scottish Taxpayers

 

[Butts]

Thank goodness its all paid for by Scottish Taxpayers

Yes like me

We should get a discount !!

 

[JamieL]

Do the costs of Delay Repay fall to the TOC even if the fault was with the broader railway network?

 

[Scotrail84]

Both highlanders well over 3 hours late and counting. Absolute shambles, and as predicted LNER knocked back Lowlander sleeper passengers this morning according to Twitter.

Do the costs of Delay Repay fall to the TOC even if the fault was with the broader railway network?

Yes but they will claim it back from Network Rail as it was an infrastructure issue.

 

[JamesT]

Do the costs of Delay Repay fall to the TOC even if the fault was with the broader railway network?

The TOC is responsible for paying the Delay Repay. However faults on the infrastructure will result in a payment from Network Rail to the TOC. The two are not directly connected, but the NR payments are set at a level such that the TOCs are not out of pocket overall for disruption that wasn’t their fault.

 

[DelW]

Both highlanders still stuck for over 2 hours…

Southbound just passed Nuneaton around 10am, 3 & 1/2 hours late.
Northbound appears to be running to Inverness only, around 3 hours late.

 

[Scotrail84]

Southbound just passed Nuneaton around 10am, 3 & 1/2 hours late.
Northbound appears to be running to Inverness only, around 3 hours late.

Yes, poor calls yet again by those running it.

 

[185143]

It was a Friday night too don't forget. The crews will have been stuck at the "wrong" end.

 

[Scotrail84]

It was a Friday night too don't forget. The crews will have been stuck at the "wrong" end.

Happens all too often unfortunately.

Aberdeen arrival time suddenly 'amended' as well. https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:60050/2025-02-22/detailed#allox_id=0

 

[xotGD]

So we can:

Slag them off for running the Highlander.

Slag them off for cancelling the Lowlander.

They just can't win, can they?