Caledonian Sleeper

[Falcon1200]

Yes there's not much to write home about between Aberdeen and Inverness.

Scenically no, but there is some railway interest; The double track reinstatement north of Aberdeen, new stations at Kintore, Forres (with a realignment) and, under construction, Inverness Airport.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Scenically no, but there is some railway interest; The double track reinstatement north of Aberdeen, new stations at Kintore, Forres (with a realignment) and, under construction, Inverness Airport.

Inverness Airport !. That'll be competition for the sleeper then ?.

 

[Caleb2010]

Inverness Airport !. That'll be competition for the sleeper then

Doubt it, it isn’t now and there’s a fairly regular bus service to and from the airport which gets you a lot closer than the station site!!

 

[Bald Rick]

Inverness Airport !. That'll be competition for the sleeper then ?.

Inverness station is competition for the sleeper. The airport station won’t make a jot of difference.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Inverness station is competition for the sleeper. The airport station won’t make a jot of difference.

My misunderstanding. An airport STATION under construction !. There was me thinking - oh Inverness does not yet have an airport .

 

[RGM654]

I recently had my first sleeper journey for a few years, from Edinburgh. I was disappointed, but not surprised, that boarding wasn't allowed until well after the advertised time, even though the stock was at the platform. That is exactly how I remember it from some years ago. The operator has changed in the meantime but the misleading advertising has not. The system made the mistake of emailing me asking for feedback, so they got it; asking them why they tell lies.

Edit: I forgot to mention that the chap on the barrier at Waverley confirmed that delayed boarding is usual.

 

[paul1609]

My misunderstanding. An airport STATION under construction !. There was me thinking - oh Inverness does not yet have an airport .

Its another Scottish wrong side of the runway for the terminal building airport station more to do with the housing development there.

 

[6Z09]

I recently had my first sleeper journey for a few years, from Edinburgh. I was disappointed, but not surprised, that boarding wasn't allowed until well after the advertised time, even though the stock was at the platform. That is exactly how I remember it from some years ago. The operator has changed in the meantime but the misleading advertising has not. The system made the mistake of emailing me asking for feedback, so they got it; asking them why they tell lies.

Edit: I forgot to mention that the chap on the barrier at Waverley confirmed that delayed boarding is usual.

Late boarding is a long standing issue at Waverley, although the stock is there, the Run round of the Locomotive and train prep means it's usually 2300 .
Further annoyances for customers is the poor availability of the passenger lounge, more often shut than open.
Especially in the winter, people perhaps with children, hanging about the platform for an hour kills the excitement of the journey.
The only way to get things changed is to be continually giving negative feedback.
It's long been talked about, but little action to remedy the situation.

 

[GordonT]

I recently had my first sleeper journey for a few years, from Edinburgh. I was disappointed, but not surprised, that boarding wasn't allowed until well after the advertised time, even though the stock was at the platform. That is exactly how I remember it from some years ago. The operator has changed in the meantime but the misleading advertising has not. The system made the mistake of emailing me asking for feedback, so they got it; asking them why they tell lies.

Edit: I forgot to mention that the chap on the barrier at Waverley confirmed that delayed boarding is usual.

All the more unacceptable given the higher spec advertising which has evolved under the current operator. To coin an expression familiar in Edinburgh "fur coat and nae knickers".

 

[6Z09]

All the more unacceptable given the higher spec advertising which has evolved under the current operator. To coin an expression familiar in Edinburgh "fur coat and nae knickers".

Recent advertising has been toned down from the unachievable Hotel on wheels, to much more realistic, factual statements.
Certainly over the past six months or so.

 

[GordonT]

Recent advertising has been toned down from the unachievable Hotel on wheels, to much more realistic, factual statements.
Certainly over the past six months or so.

Or in the example cited by the OP fictitious statements.

 

[paul1609]

Or in the example cited by the OP fictitious statements.

According to the Caledonian Sleeper timetables the Edinburgh berths are available to board from 23.00 except on Sunday. That seems far too late for me for a dedicated train. Id have thought 21.00 ish at the latest.

 

[6Z09]

According to the Caledonian Sleeper timetables the Edinburgh berths are available to board from 23.00 except on Sunday. That seems far too late for me for a dedicated train. Id have thought 21.00 ish at the latest.

Doesn't arrive in Edinburgh until 2200 currently! Would need paths, rosters etc all changed considerably, not at all impossible though, just need someone to have the " push" required to see it through.

 

[Bald Rick]

My misunderstanding. An airport STATION under construction !. There was me thinking - oh Inverness does not yet have an airport .

Oh!

For info, more than 10 times as many people fly London - Inverness than use the sleeper.

 

[Sleepy]

According to the Caledonian Sleeper timetables the Edinburgh berths are available to board from 23.00 except on Sunday. That seems far too late for me for a dedicated train. Id have thought 21.00 ish at the latest.

Very poor especially if lounge unavailable too, if Penzance can have one open in the evenings surely it's possible in city like Edinburgh ??

 

[Bill57p9]

Very poor especially if lounge unavailable too, if Penzance can have one open in the evenings surely it's possible in city like Edinburgh ??

At Penzance though the lounge and sleeper are run by the same operator whereas the Edinburgh lounge is operated by LNER who probably have limited incentive to "go the extra mile" in an evening. Yes there will be a contract and some sort of SLA but it depends on the detail.

 

[GordonT]

At Penzance though the lounge and sleeper are run by the same operator whereas the Edinburgh lounge is operated by LNER who probably have limited incentive to "go the extra mile" in an evening. Yes there will be a contract and some sort of SLA but it depends on the detail.

Was it former BR chairman Sir Peter Parker who observed that there was a tendency for the railway to fall flat on its interfaces? And that was before fragmentation.

 

[Sleepy]

At Penzance though the lounge and sleeper are run by the same operator whereas the Edinburgh lounge is operated by LNER who probably have limited incentive to "go the extra mile" in an evening. Yes there will be a contract and some sort of SLA but it depends on the detail.

Agreed. However I'm sure LNER would keep it open longer if Cal paid them if they can't /won't board the train earlier.

 

[JModulo]

Agreed. However I'm sure LNER would keep it open longer if Cal paid them if they can't /wont board the train earlier.

At one point, the lounge was ran/kept open by a member of staff provided by CS. Not sure if thats still the case.

 

[6Z09]

At one point, the lounge was ran/kept open by a member of staff provided by CS. Not sure if thats still the case.

Still the case.

 

[railfan99]

Allegedly (see other thread), there's a UK rail strike on Saturday 1 October 2022.

Is the 'CS' ex Euston late on Friday night, 30 September likely to operate, or will it be cancelled?

 

[31160]

Allegedly (see other thread), there's a UK rail strike on Saturday 1 October 2022.

Is the 'CS' ex Euston late on Friday night, 30 September likely to operate, or will it be cancelled?

As far as I know its a ASLEF strike and they aren't in dispute with CS so all should be fine

 

[JonathanH]

As far as I know its a ASLEF strike and they aren't in dispute with CS so all should be fine

If it were only an ASLEF strike, that may well be true, but the RMT are reported to be on strike as well.

 

[yorkie]

Allegedly (see other thread), there's a UK rail strike on Saturday 1 October 2022.

Is the 'CS' ex Euston late on Friday night, 30 September likely to operate, or will it be cancelled?

Someone asked on Twitter on Friday and the response was:

from what I can see online it is train drivers from other operators so this should not affect the running of our services it is only really if the network operator is involved that this would affect the running of our services. Josh

We have to wait for official confirmation before we can act on anything, from what I can see online though this currently only involves train drivers from other operators so this should not affect the running of our services if this remains the same. Josh

 

[DaventryRabbit]

Apologies if in wrong thread but...
Have booked on the Edinburgh Portion of the Lowland Sleeper for a date in November but since then my travel plan has had to change
I know that Carstairs is a offical set down and I assume the Edinburgh Portion (at the rear as it arrives) is fully platformed and all the doors unlocked?
Can someone confirm that this is the case so I can alight, even though I have a ticket to EDB?

 

[yorkie]

Apologies if in wrong thread but...
Have booked on the Edinburgh Portion of the Lowland Sleeper for a date in November but since then my travel plan has had to change
I know that Carstairs is a offical set down and I assume the Edinburgh Portion (at the rear as it arrives) is fully platformed and all the doors unlocked?
Can someone confirm that this is the case so I can alight, even though I have a ticket to EDB?

According to some posts made in May 2019 the full 16 coaches don't fit; I am sure someone can advise regarding which part of the train won't be plat formed, but you should simply be able to walk through, I would have thought?

Well, Carstairs and Watford Junction definitely can't

...Carstairs...

The highlighted stations can't take 16 vehicles. (Only platform 6 at crew as well.)

 

[6Z09]

The Edinburgh portion is definitely on the platform at Carstairs, it's the very front Glasgow coaches that are off the platform on the north end.
You will be able to alight at Carstairs if you make it know to the Train Manager.

 

[alistairlees]

Apologies if in wrong thread but...
Have booked on the Edinburgh Portion of the Lowland Sleeper for a date in November but since then my travel plan has had to change
I know that Carstairs is a offical set down and I assume the Edinburgh Portion (at the rear as it arrives) is fully platformed and all the doors unlocked?
Can someone confirm that this is the case so I can alight, even though I have a ticket to EDB?

The Edinburgh portion will be fully platformed, with the majority of the Glasgow portion off the platforms. I don't know if all the doors are unlocked but all you need to do is to call the Guest Service Centre to ask for notes about alighting at Carstairs to be added to your reservation. Alternatively they could amend your resrvation or refund and reissue (to Carstairs only) your ticket.

 

[railfan99]

Someone asked on Twitter on Friday and the response was:

Huge thanks! Strikes of any kind are a nightmare when on holidays, especially long distance ones when these days when the vast majority prebook accommodation. I didn't 30 years ago, but have long since changed my modus operandi due to FOMO, as I twice found to my detriment in Lille, Norway and Basel, Switzerland. The former meant a night in the waiting room.

 

[DaventryRabbit]

The Edinburgh portion is definitely on the platform at Carstairs, it's the very front Glasgow coaches that are off the platform on the north end.
You will be able to alight at Carstairs if you make it know to the Train Manager.

That's Great Thanks!

The Edinburgh portion will be fully platformed, with the majority of the Glasgow portion off the platforms. I don't know if all the doors are unlocked but all you need to do is to call the Guest Service Centre to ask for notes about alighting at Carstairs to be added to your reservation. Alternatively they could amend your resrvation or refund and reissue (to Carstairs only) your ticket.

Thank You I shall endeavour to do this!