The new SoS has told everyone to be realistic and ask for dergogations...
Will the SOS have any say on it given the franchise is dealt with by Holyrood rather than Westminster?
Or will it have to pass both considering it crosses the border?
The new SoS has told everyone to be realistic and ask for dergogations...
SoS has final say on the PRM issues.Will the SOS have any say on it given the franchise is dealt with by Holyrood rather than Westminster?
Or will it have to pass both considering it crosses the border?
But the travelling public are the ones paying through the nose for this service- caught up in these political games between governments. Quite frankly, they shouldn’t be!
At least on the weekend of the 3rd of Nov the Inverness southbound sleeper Is diverted leaving at 1935 going via Elgin, now if the MK5s do go on late Sept then good route for 73's, if you like that sort of thing
From the Telegraph on lin (8 September 2019):
"Caledonian Sleeper passengers left without water in the bathrooms after cleaners used the wrong kind of bleach
Bathrooms on the Caledonian Sleeper were left without water after the wrong kind of bleach was used to clean them, it emerged.
All 75 carriages in the fleet, which cost £150 million, were affected when the wrong kind of chemical was used to clean en-suite toilets, basins and showers.
Water pipes were damaged by caustic fluid days before the launch, leaving many passengers without water.
The error was not believed to have been caused by train operator Serco, but by a firm acting for Spanish train manufacturer Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF).
The problem was only discovered after politicians and other special guests boarded the inaugural service from Glasgow to London in April.
It was also thought to have affected sensors which monitor water levels, leading to toilets elsewhere in the train closing down.
However, the cause was not established until later, which led to major repairs.
An industry source told Scotland on Sunday: "It was like the wrong kind of bleach being used, which reacted with the stainless steel of the pipes throughout the system.
"There has been a progressive programme to go through all the carriages, some of which were in worse condition than others.
"One set of carriages, which sat with the chemical in them for some time, was the worst affected."
The Scottish Government's Transport Scotland agency, which is in charge of Serco's 15-year franchise, said fines would be issued.
A spokesman said: "We were made aware of the issues with water systems in two units during the introduction of new vehicles, caused by errors in CAF's preparation of new trains for service.
"Affected vehicles have been through repair, with some already returned to service with no recurrence of original faults.
"Clearly, passengers should expect the highest quality facilities on Caledonian Sleeper services.
"Financial penalties apply where standards are not met."
Graham Taylor, CAF programme director for Caledonian Sleeper, said: "CAF and Serco continue to work collectively to solve problems and improve the passenger experience."
Ryan Flaherty, Serco managing director of the Caledonian Sleeper, said: "Bringing our new trains into service has been very complex and challenging.
"We have been working closely with all our partners to resolve the issues that we have faced and we are pleased with the progress that has been made."
Is this true?
From the Telegraph on lin (8 September 2019):
"Caledonian Sleeper passengers left without water in the bathrooms after cleaners used the wrong kind of bleach
Is this true?
Right now it might have quite a bit to do with BA having a meltdown?Whatever the problems and issues CS are having and the publicity they get, they still seem to be popular.
Even with the no sharing rules on standard berths on the old stock , it was usually possible to get a berth at the last minute on the lowlander except at very busy times.
Now, it is nigh on impossible to get any berth availability at last minute.
Right now it might have quite a bit to do with BA having a meltdown?
Travelling on the Highlander this week in the seated carriage.
Not been in September before.
Should I expect to boil or freeze please?
I've got a cold already so want to be prepared!
Thanks!Be prepared for anything but from two trips over the last year, I’d anticipate a comfortable journey. Mk 3s were looking a bit tired, but still commendably presentable - and the A/C was fine.
Be prepared to alternate between boiling and freezing. That's been my experience on a couple of recent occasions. The AC on the mk3s may be fine but it seems staff are sometimes unable/unwilling to keep the heating on the mk2s under control.Travelling on the Highlander this week in the seated carriage.
Not been in September before.
Should I expect to boil or freeze please?
I've got a cold already so want to be prepared!
Travelling on the Highlander this week in the seated carriage.
Not been in September before.
Should I expect to boil or freeze please?
I've got a cold already so want to be prepared!
Does anyone know anything more about the new stock being introduced on the Highlander services? It's interesting that they don't even have a prominent estimated date for introduction on their website.
Travelling on the Highlander this week in the seated carriage.
Not been in September before.
Should I expect to boil or freeze please?
I've got a cold already so want to be prepared!
As I understand it introduction of new stock onto the Highlander before staff are happy that it's functioning properly could be what gets strike days back on the agenda again. On that basis I don't think that there are set dates yet, whatever the CS website says.
I also believe that the plan is to put the stock that's been fully run in on the Lowlander onto the Highlander, and the less tried and tested coaches onto the Lowlander. So we should prepare ourselves for a bout of unreliability on both trains while all of that shakes down.
The Lowlander is performing pretty consistently now, I know that I'll have jinxed it by saying that, so I'd like to think that it shouldn't be much more than a month off...