Caledonian Sleeper

[Techniquest]

I doubt if CSs publicity department would think a change of traction would be thought of as of great interest to most of the public. I would be surprised if most users of the Highlander even notice the locomotive has morphed overnight.

True enough. Having now seen the picture in the email, by crepe that woman looks seriously uninterested! I really don't know how they thought that would sell the big new thing coming!

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Through service to Oban perhaps ?


(or indeed Stranraer)

 

[Essexman]

Through service to Oban perhaps ?


(or indeed Stranraer)

I wondered about Oban but unless it's instead of Fort William, which I can't see them wanting to do, it would probably have to be at the expense of Aberdeen. Maybe couple of nights a week at weekends in summer.

 

[najaB]

Through service to Oban perhaps ?


(or indeed Stranraer)

Through services to Oban would be attractive, but what would be the draw for Stranraer? I don't often hear it mentioned as a tourist draw in itself.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Through services to Oban would be attractive, but what would be the draw for Stranraer? I don't often hear it mentioned as a tourist draw in itself.

Purely tongue in cheek , flippant comment ...........

 

[najaB]

Purely tongue in cheek , flippant comment ...........

Fair enough.

 

[adrock1976]

I wondered about Oban but unless it's instead of Fort William, which I can't see them wanting to do, it would probably have to be at the expense of Aberdeen. Maybe couple of nights a week at weekends in summer.

I'm not sure if the Class 73s have been cleared for the Oban arm, but I do recall that the 67s were banned from Oban.

 

[43096]

I'm not sure if the Class 73s have been cleared for the Oban arm

Computer says yes:

Sleepers to Oban

73968 (leading) and 73967 (rear) top & tail 1Y11 Edinburgh-Oban (running to Oban vice Fort William due to Engineering Ops north of Crianlarich). Pulling away from Tyndrum Lower. Saturday 27th February 2016.

flickr.com

 

[ld0595]

I'm not sure if the Class 73s have been cleared for the Oban arm, but I do recall that the 67s were banned from Oban.

They are cleared - they were used when the Sleeper was diverted to Oban in 2016 due to engineering works.

 

[Scotrail84]

Oban is a logistical nightmare. Won't happen. So I've been told.

 

[adrock1976]

Computer says yes:

Sleepers to Oban

73968 (leading) and 73967 (rear) top & tail 1Y11 Edinburgh-Oban (running to Oban vice Fort William due to Engineering Ops north of Crianlarich). Pulling away from Tyndrum Lower. Saturday 27th February 2016.

flickr.com

They are cleared - they were used when the Sleeper was diverted to Oban in 2016 due to engineering works.

Thanks both.

 

[Tim R-T-C]

Hi all, been out of touch with the railway world for a while now, but got an opportunity to try the Highlander in a couple of months. Has anyone paid the impressive prices for the upgraded sleeping berths, are they worthwhile? Has it been relatively reliable of late?

 

[alistairlees]

Hi all, been out of touch with the railway world for a while now, but got an opportunity to try the Highlander in a couple of months. Has anyone paid the impressive prices for the upgraded sleeping berths, are they worthwhile? Has it been relatively reliable of late?

Reliability has been impacted recently by the storms and flooding - just llike everyone other operator. Apart from that though it has generally been good. In two months you should be at a much lower risk of weather disruption.

 

[lachlan]

I'm thinking about booking a journey with Caledonian Sleeper. Some of the club rooms are cheaper in the upcoming weeks than those in June/July despite there being fewer still available. Are they likely to come down in price nearer the time or is CS hoping to sell the summer journeys at a higher price?

 

[alistairlees]

I'm thinking about booking a journey with Caledonian Sleeper. Some of the club rooms are cheaper in the upcoming weeks than those in June/July despite there being fewer still available. Are they likely to come down in price nearer the time or is CS hoping to sell the summer journeys at a higher price?

They are not going to reduce in price; there is plenty of demand.

 

[Bill57p9]

Introduction of 67s for the Inverness portion?

Given that GBRF have acquired 67023 & 027 with 023 in Craigentinny for crew familiarisation you might be right;
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/67023-and-027.227125/page-2

So the marketing take on this? "Exciting new locomotives"? Now that would be irony.

 

[tornado]

Is the CS covered by missed connections guarantee?

e.g. If I take a train from, say Purley (South London) - Edinburgh, with the Purley-London ticket bought separately on the day. Then the Purley train is delayed, causing me to miss the CS. Would I get any refund/free rebooking from CS?

This is assuming I follow an official national rail itineray for the journey.

 

[najaB]

Is the CS covered by missed connections guarantee?

e.g. If I take a train from, say Purley (South London) - Edinburgh, with the Purley-London ticket bought separately on the day. Then the Purley train is delayed, causing me to miss the CS. Would I get any refund/free rebooking from CS?

It seems that depends on exactly what ticket you bought for the CS portion of the journey. See the table here: https://www.sleeper.scot/refunds/

 

[Bletchleyite]

It seems that depends on exactly what ticket you bought for the CS portion of the journey. See the table here: https://www.sleeper.scot/refunds/

No, it doesn't. CS is a National Rail TOC (it is not for example analogous to Eurostar), and so the same protections apply as if the thing you were connecting with was an Advance ticket on Avanti or LNER, say.

The one thing I would be sure of is having an actual through ticket, i.e. don't plan to use contactless to cross London, as that leaves a gap. Also buy the ticket in advance, because if the delay/cancellation was known when you bought it they may not be helpful.

 

[najaB]

No, it doesn't. CS is a National Rail TOC (it is not for example analogous to Eurostar), and so the same protections apply as if the thing you were connecting with was an Advance ticket on Avanti or LNER, say.

I agree that they are a National Rail TOC, however on their refunds page they make a distinction between "First, Standard, Club, Classic, Seated or Family Fixed tickets" and "National Rail tickets".

 

[Bletchleyite]

I agree that they are a National Rail TOC, however on their refunds page they make a distinction between "First, Standard, Club, Classic, Seated or Family Fixed tickets" and "National Rail tickets".

The National Rail Conditions of Travel apply to them, and thus they can put what they like on their website, but the rules applying to them are exactly the same as every other TOC.

The page you mention starts "if you choose not to travel". The OP's question was about their rights in disruption, which are the same as any other TOC, because as a condition of their franchise CS must implement the NRCoT.

 

[najaB]

The page you mention starts "if you choose not to travel".

How many times have we seen TOCs take treat non-through ticketed itineraries as separate journeys? Even you pointed this out in your original reply (wrt to not using contactless for the cross-London journey).

They could argue that the passenger chose not to make the second journey.

 

[Bletchleyite]

How many times have we seen TOCs take treat non-through ticketed itineraries as separate journeys? Even you pointed this out in your original reply (wrt to not using contactless for the cross-London journey).

They could argue that the passenger chose not to make the second journey.

And you might get stranded at an unstaffed station late at night and have to arrange your own taxi. Sometimes TOCs fail to comply to the NRCoT and it is necessary to pursue them for that.

However, the NRCoT is very clear that a combination of tickets have the rights associated to a through ticket, and so if necessary any cost could be reclaimed via Money Claim Online.

The thing I pointed out is that a set of tickets with a gap isn't a combination of tickets for one journey, which has been discussed here before and is different.

 

[philthetube]

Is the CS covered by missed connections guarantee?

e.g. If I take a train from, say Purley (South London) - Edinburgh, with the Purley-London ticket bought separately on the day. Then the Purley train is delayed, causing me to miss the CS. Would I get any refund/free rebooking from CS?

This is assuming I follow an official national rail itineray for the journey.

I would have thought that this would be the problem of the operator from Purley, rather than CS?

 

[Deepgreen]

Used the CS to Rannoch last week. The screens at Euston told us the middle portion was for Fort William, then a further screen in the same set of four said the rear coaches were for Fort William! This was shown for the 35 or so minutes for which I waited for the boarding to start. On arrival at the platform, the FW section was in the middle, but our berths had been changed. The steward on the platform had been told nothing of the text messages that I (and all other passengers) had received from CS about delayed boarding and a problem with the catering on board, and was not happy as a result. It emerged that the catering problem was a false alarm anyway. To receive two text messages from CS while travelling up to London which began "we are very sorry to advise..." was a slight heart-stopper when aiming for the sleeper working!

Waking up the next morning we had a 66 ahead of the 73, as was the case for all the sleeper workings we saw. It seems that the expensive class 73 programme has simply ended up with ETHEL mark 2s! Traction conversion programmes in the UK seem likely to be doomed to failure. The 66s do give an impressive acceleration from stops, though.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Its not terminus related if what I have heard is correct.

Diverted to Plymouth then.

I really wouldn't be surprised if the announcement was something along the lines of "To help the railway recover in the post-Covid environment Transport Scotland and Serco have agreed to bring Caledonian Sleeper back to it's historic home alongside all other Scottish routes. This consolidation will give Caledonian Sleeper more flexibility to integrate with Scotrail services, giving our guests a wider range of travel opportunities."

Or something similar.

Or maybe they are taking over he sleeper service to Penzance.

I doubt if CSs publicity department would think a change of traction would be thought of as of great interest to most of the public. I would be surprised if most users of the Highlander even notice the locomotive has morphed overnight.

Their last coach is in service - 15340 ?. (pleez !)

Seriously I expect it is going to be something rather unimportant. Or the final end of Covid restrictions - subject to availability etc etc.

 

[paul1609]

Is the CS covered by missed connections guarantee?

e.g. If I take a train from, say Purley (South London) - Edinburgh, with the Purley-London ticket bought separately on the day. Then the Purley train is delayed, causing me to miss the CS. Would I get any refund/free rebooking from CS?

This is assuming I follow an official national rail itineray for the journey.

In practical terms I missed my Caledonian Sleeper to Garelochhead (Fort William Section) due to a passenger having a heart attack on a Thameslink train at Hassocks. The Caledonian Sleeper staff sat me in the lounge car of the Glasgow lowlander but warned me that I might have to sit up all night as the berths were full. Shortly after departing they moved me in to a no show berth and also gave me a chit to travel on ScotRail services the next morning. So I think that whatever the legalities they do try and accommodate you.

 

[tornado]

@Bletchleyite, I'm not quite sure what you mean by a journey with a gap?

In my case, the best way to travel is to take Thameslink to St Pancras, and then walk. The national rail planner advises to take exactly the same Thameslink train to London Bridge and then take a tube. I normally use contactless for a single journey.

 

[sw1ller]

Hi, quick question, I’ve booked tickets for may, but not had an email yet. Will this come closer to the date or should I be chasing it up? Thanks.

 

[Bletchleyite]

@Bletchleyite, I'm not quite sure what you mean by a journey with a gap?

It could be (and sometimes is) argued that if there is a gap in your journey, e.g. you had a ticket from your origin to Victoria, then a separate ticket from Euston to the Sleeper destination, that that is not a through journey and thus does not offer you the protection.

In my case, the best way to travel is to take Thameslink to St Pancras, and then walk. The national rail planner advises to take exactly the same Thameslink train to London Bridge and then take a tube. I normally use contactless for a single journey.

Careful - you may be better served doing what the itinerary says, because of the above. I personally do a connection that way quite often, but I can see how they could argue it wasn't a through journey.

Hi, quick question, I’ve booked tickets for may, but not had an email yet. Will this come closer to the date or should I be chasing it up? Thanks.

You should get your e-tickets pretty much immediately but certainly within an hour or two. Check your "spam" folder and if not there then yes, I'd chase up.