I don’t pretend to understand the full economics of the aviation and rail industries.
I have family the other end of the sleeper route who I like to visit on a fairly regular basis (monthly or so).
I am aware of the environmental consequences of flying.
I normally have a limited timeframe to get to the other end of the country; maximise time with them and come back again. Losing roughly half a day at the start and end of my trip on a Pendolino crawling into Wigan is rather unfortunate.
The sleeper is a perfectly logical, reasonable choice for me.
What I don’t fully understand is why the current pricing / taxation system means I pay a very significant premium to not make the environmentally awful choice.
I don’t dispute the subsidy that is paid to CS. I actually think there is a real opportunity to impose a tariff on air passengers to achieve the twin aim of making the sleeper and day rail services a more cost competitive option, and to expand the sleeper provision. (More rolling stock to run full sets to each lowlander destination perhaps ? More expansive seat, “Premium Economy” options ? I would still question if with the correct political/technical will some form of reclining chair/pod/bed could not be designed to meet the correct standards. If anyone is serious about killing off domestic air travel, and particularly the rush of flights arriving Heathrow/Gatwick/City at 0730-0900, the answers to that problem can’t be provided with the current speeds of day trains. (0300 service from Waverley anyone ?) However it is achieved, night services on whatever mode of transport and of whatever flavour will need to be the solution.
Given the limited capacity of the Sleeper seats, the complaints about comfort and the relatively limited number of destinations served, Im a little surprised someone hasn’t come up with some kind of luxury overnight coach (reclining comfortable leather seats, decent legroom, refreshments, Wi-fi, sleep kit etc) with pricing well above the megabus pricing and well below the sleeper berth pricing. I think, to go over the oft repeated couchette arguments, there is a market. Few pickups through the central belt with a departure from Buchanan Bus Station/St Andrews Bus Station at 11pm into some London terminal/London hotel/gym facility with decent shower arrangements at 7am.