Caledonian Sleeper

[185143]

Agree, perhaps, but deciding not to run the train at such a late stage, after passengers had not only boarded but gone to sleep, was very poor; It would be interesting to know at exactly what time the cancellation decision was made, and how this was communicated. Presumably it was so late that the staff on board felt unable to wake passengers to tell them they weren't going anywhere !

Whenever I've been onboard, in a room at least, on the back of the breakfast cards you've been asked to indicate wether you want to be woken in the event of disruption. There's a space for notes too so you could presumably say "inform me if we won't reach London" or similar.

 

[Class 466]

What were the “developing issues on the rail network”?

The already torn down overheads at Hatch End and then OHLE at Lancaster

 

[trebor79]

Agree, perhaps, but deciding not to run the train at such a late stage, after passengers had not only boarded but gone to sleep, was very poor; It would be interesting to know at exactly what time the cancellation decision was made, and how this was communicated. Presumably it was so late that the staff on board felt unable to wake passengers to tell them they weren't going anywhere !

What would be the point in waking you at say 1am? What would you do? Try and find another way to get to London in the middle of the night, or get grunpy because you'd been pointlessly woken up?
As for the decision to cancel, obviously they thought they were going to be able to run the service. Something must have changed very late on.
In the circumstances, I can't really see that they could have done anything better.

 

[greyman42]

“In 15 years of using this train, and through many bizarre twists and turns, this has to be strangest yet. Wake up, and the train never left Glasgow. It was just sat here all night, and now we have been thrown off it at 5.30am in the wrong city,” he wrote.

I bet it's the first time he has slept through the night without being woken up.

 

[ShadowKnight]

Was it such a short notice that it couldn't be diverted down the ecml or elsewhere?

 

[greyman42]

Was it such a short notice that it couldn't be diverted down the ecml or elsewhere?

Yes.

 

[Falcon1200]

What would be the point in waking you at say 1am? What would you do? Try and find another way to get to London in the middle of the night, or get grunpy because you'd been pointlessly woken up?

1M11 is booked to depart Central at 2340, presumably CS did not wait until nearly an hour and half after that to cancel the train ? Perhaps some passengers might have decided to abandon their journey altogether and make their way home (and maybe then get to Glasgow Airport for the first flight in the morning).

 

[trebor79]

1M11 is booked to depart Central at 2340, presumably CS did not wait until nearly an hour and half after that to cancel the train ? Perhaps some passengers might have decided to abandon their journey altogether and make their way home (and maybe then get to Glasgow Airport for the first flight in the morning).

Really?
You'd want to be turfed out at midnight. Somehow get home. Book a flight get a couple of hours in bed at best then get to the airport for whatever time?
You're not going to be fit for a meeting or whatever after that anyway. You might as well slumber in ignorance and then at least have a normal day, even if it is 400 miles from where you expected to be.

 

[zwk500]

Really?
You'd want to be turfed out at midnight. Somehow get home. Book a flight get a couple of hours in bed at best then get to the airport for whatever time?
You're not going to be fit for a meeting or whatever after that anyway. You might as well slumber in ignorance and then at least have a normal day, even if it is 400 miles from where you expected to be.

Conversely, I might prefer to be told I'm not going to be in London, be able to look at the available flights/trains in the morning and re-book (or send an email to whomever I was meeting telling them I won't be making it) and then go back to sleep. I agree that being turfed off would be a poor show, but early knowledge at 2330 would have allowed many people to at least give notice for the morning.

 

[AY1975]

See report on Twitter by @jim_metcalfe of their experience last night

@CalSleeper In 15 years of using this train, and through many bizarre twists and turns, this has to be strangest yet. Wake up, and the train never left Glasgow. It was just sat here all night, and now we have been thrown off it at 5.30am in the wrong city.
Cal Sleeper tweeted that the service was on last night, let people board, and just left us sitting here all night. They let everyone get in and go to sleep, and just left us here.

I’m travelling for work. It’s hard to even know what to say…

This isn't the first time that this kind of thing has happened. I believe that on the night of the Great Storm of 15th-16th October 1987 at least some of the northbound Sleepers from Euston (of which there were more then than there are today - there were still the Manchester, Liverpool and Stranraer Sleepers, for example) ended up staying all night at Euston with passengers on board, blissfully unaware that they would wake up the next morning and find themselves still at Euston instead of at Glasgow, Fort William, Inverness or wherever. Not sure what happened with that night's southbound Sleepers, though.

See also this now closed thread on the 1987 storm from 2008: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/the-great-storm-1987.20071/

and entry #11 of this thread on UK storms from 2013: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/uk-storms.91694/#post-1603622

 

[paul1609]

I've woken up expecting to be passing through Watford Junction somewhere outside Ardlui. In fairness I knew that the first class 37 had caught fire at Crianlarich and subsequently spent too much time in the lounge and therefore missed that the rescue loco had also failed. Eventually I was flown down at ScotRail expense as my ship was sailing that evening. Northbound I've also woken up in a freight loop somewhere on the outskirts of the lake district when I should have been in Edinburgh, arrival was eventually at lunchtime.

 

[185143]

I've woken up expecting to be passing through Watford Junction somewhere outside Ardlui. In fairness I knew that the first class 37 had caught fire at Crianlarich and subsequently spent too much time in the lounge and therefore missed that the rescue loco had also failed. Eventually I was flown down at ScotRail expense as my ship was sailing that evening. Northbound I've also woken up in a freight loop somewhere on the outskirts of the lake district when I should have been in Edinburgh, arrival was eventually at lunchtime.

Granted, I've only used it (relatively) few times-I think my total Sleeper journeys is around 20.

But I've had one complete cancellation which, waiting at Crewe, I did NOT appreciate! And one 30 minute delay caused by a trespass incident near Manchester.

Only other Sleeper issue I've had was on the Night Riviera when Devon and Cornwall's finest had to turn up to remove someone who just wouldn't stop hassling people in the seats and get the message that it's 1AM and people want to at least try and sleep.

 

[Blindtraveler]

A cancelled sleeper at Crewe must be an absolute nightmare.

 

[Falcon1200]

Really?
You'd want to be turfed out at midnight.

People should be allowed to make their own choice in the matter.

 

[Flying Snail]

People should be allowed to make their own choice in the matter.

As already posted, there is a section on the breakfast order form to give preference of being let sleep or notified for disruption.

My bet, seeing as it was not mentioned, is that Mr twitter whiner did not in fact request notification.

 

[trebor79]

As already posted, there is a section on the breakfast order form to give preference of being let sleep or notified for disruption.

My bet, seeing as it was not mentioned, is that Mr twitter whiner did not in fact request notification.

Precisely. I don't see what CS could have done better on this occasion.

 

[Bill57p9]

As already posted, there is a section on the breakfast order form to give preference of being let sleep or notified for disruption.

My bet, seeing as it was not mentioned, is that Mr twitter whiner did not in fact request notification.

That is also my suspicion: CS honouring customers guests wishes.

Given the mess the WCML was already in, I would venture that the only question is when the abort decision was made. The southbound Highlander portions made it as far as Edinburgh, so I do suspect it was indeed quite late.

Leaving the cancelled trains in Euston, Glasgow and Edinburgh as overnight accommodation does appear to be CS standard operating procedure for late cancellation: something for which they should be commended. Though not so much use for anyone intending to join at Crewe, Preston or (can you imagine being stranded for the night at) Carstairs.

 

[paul1609]

Has anybody ever seen anybody get on or off in Carstairs? I've gotten on /off in Dalmuir and Garelochhead but I've never seen another customer at those stations.

 

[Falcon1200]

As already posted, there is a section on the breakfast order form to give preference of being let sleep or notified for disruption.

My bet, seeing as it was not mentioned, is that Mr twitter whiner did not in fact request notification.

Quite possibly but maybe Mr whiner customer, not being as familiar as us with the vagaries of the rail system, thought disruption meant delays en route, rather than the train not turning a wheel, at all ! I still question how and why the decision to cancel was, seemingly, made so late.

 

[185143]

That is also my suspicion: CS honouring customers guests wishes.

Given the mess the WCML was already in, I would venture that the only question is when the abort decision was made. The southbound Highlander portions made it as far as Edinburgh, so I do suspect it was indeed quite late.

Leaving the cancelled trains in Euston, Glasgow and Edinburgh as overnight accommodation does appear to be CS standard operating procedure for late cancellation: something for which they should be commended. Though not so much use for anyone intending to join at Crewe, Preston or (can you imagine being stranded for the night at) Carstairs.

Anyone at Crewe or Preston is (or at least, I was!) Accommodated on the Lowlander subject to space, though I'd hope they'd be prioritised!

When I had my cancellation mentioned above it was something like a Tuesday night in March, so the whole Highlander train was accommodated on the Lowlander. The Highlander ran past ECS though, seem to recall there was an issue with the Aberdeen seated coach.

 

[Essexman]

Has anybody ever seen anybody get on or off in Carstairs? I've gotten on /off in Dalmuir and Garelochhead but I've never seen another customer at those stations.

I tend to be asleep but once when the train was heavily delayed at Carstairs three people on their way to a business meeting got off to find a taxi. The train left soon after them so I suspect we may have got to Edinburgh first.

 

[duncanp]

A cancelled sleeper at Crewe must be an absolute nightmare.

I have been on a Southbound sleeper from Edinburgh to London which was terminated at Preston due to locomotive failure.

The onboard staff said that ticket acceptance had been arranged with Virgin Trains (it was a long time ago) and that the next train to Euston was in 15 minutes time.

I hurriedly got dressed and sprinted down the platform and just made it on to the train, which arrived in London at 08:30, which was 90 minutes after the sleeper would have arrived if it had been on time.

They even let me use my (first class) ticket for a complimentary bacon sandwich and cup of tea from the buffet car.

So all in all it was a relatively minor inconvenience.

I have also been on a Northbound sleeper that was heavily delayed, not reaching Edinburgh until about 10:30am.

 

[D1537]

Has anybody ever seen anybody get on or off in Carstairs? I've gotten on /off in Dalmuir and Garelochhead but I've never seen another customer at those stations.

I've done it in the modern era, though I had a car waiting outside driven by my wife (long story involving a wedding).

 

[VideozVideoz]

Has anybody ever seen anybody get on or off in Carstairs? I've gotten on /off in Dalmuir and Garelochhead but I've never seen another customer at those stations.

Yes, June 2018 I remember seeing at least 2 ppl board at carstairs on the SB sleeper

 

[Statto]

I have been on a Southbound sleeper from Edinburgh to London which was terminated at Preston due to locomotive failure.

The onboard staff said that ticket acceptance had been arranged with Virgin Trains (it was a long time ago) and that the next train to Euston was in 15 minutes time.

I hurriedly got dressed and sprinted down the platform and just made it on to the train, which arrived in London at 08:30, which was 90 minutes after the sleeper would have arrived if it had been on time.

They even let me use my (first class) ticket for a complimentary bacon sandwich and cup of tea from the buffet car.

So all in all it was a relatively minor inconvenience.

I have also been on a Northbound sleeper that was heavily delayed, not reaching Edinburgh until about 10:30am.

I remember a couple of years ago the southbound Highlander having to terminate at Acton Bridge because the train had a break failure (think it was breaks not releasing properly or something), not a station you'd terminate such a service lightly, unless you have to, given the rural nature of the station, but passengers didn't have long to wait for the connecting southbound LNWR service (still may have been London Midland)

 

[6Z09]

A wee bit of interest this morning, the Fort William portion being hauled by a solo 73!
A "keep your fingers crossed" moment?

 

[Blindtraveler]

Never mind fingers, try crossing everything.

 

[6Z09]

Never mind fingers, try crossing everything.

On time arrival!! Well very nearly 0958.

 

[InOban]

The schedule is based around a single 73.

 

[6Z09]

The schedule is based around a single 73.

Very seldom it has been a single Loco in recent months.