SOS - Save Our Sleeper

[ChristopherJ]

A campaign has been launched to save the First Great Western 'Night Riviera' Sleeper Service which is under threat of withdrawal by the Dft.

Please take a look at http://www.saveoursleeper.com/ and help save the Sleeper!

I am supporting the Sleeper by taking a trip on it to Penzance within the next few weeks.

Last night around 21:00 I felt like going out for a while and I ended up going to Paddington and seeing the Sleeper.

http://chrisjolly.sphosting.com/47840_Paddington.JPG - British Rail Blue Class 47840 'North Star' at the London end of the Sleeper having bought it ECS from Old Oak Common Depot. (a bit blurry, as it was dark and there was nothing stable to act as a tripod around me to rest the camera on for a better Photo!)

http://chrisjolly.sphosting.com/57604_Paddington.JPG - First Great Western Class 57604 'Pendennis Castle' on the head of the Sleeper.

 

[Galvanize]

If the sleeper was withdrawn, there would have to be an early morning serivice from Paddington to penzance. Even that won't get to Penzance until about 13:00

 

[yorkie]

Perhaps we should arrange a forum meet? I'll be up for it.

If we can fit in the GNER Newquay HST as well that'd be even better.

 

[Mojo]

However much it would be lovely to retain a service like this, in this day and age, we have to be hard-headed.
Unline lines such as the Island Line, and what happenned on many BR Lines before Beeching, for the sleeper we have 99.9% accuracy on fares because you have to buy a ticket before boarding, and there is no scope for error.
If a development analysis took place, showing how much the service costs, plus the advantage to the economy of South-west England, we would all be better informed.

 

[yorkie]

However much it would be lovely to retain a service like this, in this day and age, we have to be hard-headed.
Unline lines such as the Island Line, and what happenned on many BR Lines before Beeching, for the sleeper we have 99.9% accuracy on fares because you have to buy a ticket before boarding, and there is no scope for error.

Who told you that? That's not true.

Walk-up fares are usable on the sleeper, there is no need to book in advance.

The only thing they can be sure of is how many berths are used. They could check the seats manually but there's nothing to stop someone buying a Saver and getting on the sleeper, and unless someone makes a note of it that person's journey will go unrecorded as being on the sleeper (they could have got almost any train).

 

[clagmonster]

I believe that subject to availability you can get a berth on the night. I've definately seen it done on the Inverness but not on the Penzance. however, their is probably a record of it even then.

 

[yorkie]

I believe that subject to availability you can get a berth on the night. I've definately seen it done on the Inverness but not on the Penzance. however, their is probably a record of it even then.

Yes but if someone goes seated there is not necessarily a record of it.

 

[Mojo]

Who told you that? That's not true.

Erm yes it is, what you said has no relation to what I said.
Everyone must have a ticket, which are avaliable prior to departure, tickets can be checked on the train. On lines like Island Line, there is no time to check and sell tickets between many unstaffed stations, and some stations which BR wanted to close before Beeching had no fares avaliable to them.

 

[yorkie]

Who told you that? That's not true.

Erm yes it is, what you said has no relation to what I said.
Everyone must have a ticket, which are avaliable prior to departure, tickets can be checked on the train. On lines like Island Line, there is no time to check and sell tickets between many unstaffed stations, and some stations which BR wanted to close before Beeching had no fares avaliable to them.

Just because a ticket is checked does not mean a note is made of what service it's used on, which is my point.

 

[Mojo]

Yes it does, because every ticket to and from a station purchaced is recorded in the Station Usage Figures, publihed by the SRA.
Sleeper supliments are also recorded and can work out how much people (roughly ) have paid

 

[yorkie]

Yes it does, because every ticket to and from a station purchaced is recorded in the Station Usage Figures, publihed by the SRA.
Sleeper supliments are also recorded and can work out how much people (roughly ) have paid

If I get a Saver ticket from Reading to Taunton and use it on the sleeper, all that gets recorded is that someone travelled from Reading to Taunton on a Saver ticket, the train caught is not recorded.