Caledonian Sleeper

[Gerald Fiennes]

Something that a C6X could have addressed (apart from the corrosion)?

 

[Bletchleyite]

The Mk5s should secure the service for years to come, while refurbed Mk3s (much as GWR have done a very good job of this) probably only 10 years.

 

[mralexn]

Perhaps the marketing could be amended to relate to the service provided so far?

Historically I would have thought the most applicable marketing campaign might have been the 'mystery tours' which I seem to remember from way back in the 1970's?

These would have featured surprise
*destinations - possibly not Dalmuir in middle of night though?
*traction - often a multiplicity of bash haulage favourites
*timings - often anybody's guess when one would arrive
*stock - which was only just fit for service (ie better than MK5's)

In addition, perhaps all passengers could each be given their very own individual "Bingo" style card that they can complete throughout the journey. This could include things such as the following :-

*Air con too cold
*Air con too hot
*lights not working
*lights on full at inappropriate time
*No lounge car service
*No working toilets
*Randomly stopping for 60+ minutes in the middle of nowhere without any information
*Alarm sounding for no real reason
*Cabin door not opening / locking
*No hot water in shower
*No water in sink
*Wrong room allocated
*No breakfast available
*Later boarding than normal
*Being kicked out of the first class lounge and having to wait on the platform

The winner could perhaps get dropped at the nearest station when they call "Bingo". Even if it is Dalmiur at 4am

The whole thing could be branded as "Caledonian Bingo - Because the whole thing's a gamble of a nighttime"

 

[TrainBoy98]

Mralexn, im guessing you're not being serious However this might actually be a good idea, if every cabin had a feedback card, they could work out a lot easier what the customers think and what should be their priorities to change/fix

 

[Iskra]

It's all gone a bit wrong.

But, what are they doing to rectify this behind the scenes? It clearly can't go on like this with the school holidays nearly upon us.

Does the forum think they will get it sorted out soon?

 

[mralexn]

Mralexn, im guessing you're not being serious However this might actually be a good idea, if every cabin had a feedback card, they could work out a lot easier what the customers think and what should be their priorities to change/fix

With the way that it's going i'm sure someone would be calling out "Bingo" every night!

I like the idea of feedback cards though, even how you rated things on a 1 - 5 basis.

 

[marks87]

In amongst all the doom and gloom, is it worth highlighting that (Fort William cancellation notwithstanding) everything seemed to be fine last night?

Highlander left on-time and arrived and 5 minutes early into Inverness and 3 early into Aberdeen; Lowlander left only 3 minutes late, arriving on-time in both Glasgow and Edinburgh (with both portions also leaving Carstairs early, so no problems with splitting either).

 

[diffident]

In amongst all the doom and gloom, is it worth highlighting that (Fort William cancellation notwithstanding) everything seemed to be fine last night?

Highlander left on-time and arrived and 5 minutes early into Inverness and 3 early into Aberdeen; Lowlander left only 3 minutes late, arriving on-time in both Glasgow and Edinburgh (with both portions also leaving Carstairs early, so no problems with splitting either).

It's really a sad state of affairs, and deeply troubling, when we are discussing when the service has actually run to time nor not!! Jesting aside - Caledonian Sleeper could do with a long stretch of operation without issue to try and salvage some credibility and thus reputation. I'm not holding out a great deal of expectation on that front, mind!

 

[Chrism20]

It's all gone a bit wrong.

But, what are they doing to rectify this behind the scenes? It clearly can't go on like this with the school holidays nearly upon us.

Does the forum think they will get it sorted out soon?

I can’t answer what they are actually doing but I do think the vast majority of the issues will be sorted out sooner rather than later, I reckon by the end of the year the new stock will be running on both routes and reliability will be much improved.

They have done the right thing postponing the highlander, I’d have probably not have put a date on it though. It’s easier to disappoint people with an older train than no train at all, although they really need to sort the lounge issues ASAP.

Here in Scotland the school holidays have now started, my Glasgow southbound on Friday night was to be full of families heading south to go forward on Eurostar and there was a big group going forward to Southampton to meet a boat.

Given the issues with my train on Friday night I’d say the immediate thing that’s needed is a hot spare half set sitting ready at Wembley and Polmadie. And by hot spare I mean cabins cleaned, beds made and ready to roll. From reading the news article last week I thought this was what they were aiming to do but it clearly wasn’t the case on Friday night.

 

[Highlandspring]

the Royal Scotsman or whatever it's called gave up on that model and now put the rich tourists up in a hotel each might during their tour says that even with almost unlimited resources

Off topic but... what? Where on earth did you get that from?

 

[Robertj21a]

Mralexn, im guessing you're not being serious However this might actually be a good idea, if every cabin had a feedback card, they could work out a lot easier what the customers think and what should be their priorities to change/fix

You mean there isn't a feedback system in use already ?

Jees...

 

[johnr57]

Something that a C6X could have addressed (apart from the corrosion)?

What is, was or might be C6X please

 

[Bletchleyite]

You mean there isn't a feedback system in use already ?

Jees...

I don't think you need a feedback system to work out that the situation is unacceptable and in what ways it is unacceptable.

 

[Robertj21a]

I don't think you need a feedback system to work out that the situation is unacceptable and in what ways it is unacceptable.

I think there should be a feedback system for any new, major, development. What may be obvious to you and I may not be the same issues when viewed through the eyes of women, children, foreigners etc.
You can never have enough feedback.

 

[hwl]

I think there should be a feedback system for any new, major, development. What may be obvious to you and I may not be the same issues when viewed through the eyes of women, children, foreigners etc.
You can never have enough feedback.

Unless you have no budget to pay the staff needed to collate the feedback!

 

[hwl]

I don't think you need a feedback system to work out that the situation is unacceptable and in what ways it is unacceptable.

They might get more faults reported earlier which is key getting stuff rectified.

 

[PG]

I’d say the immediate thing that’s needed is a hot spare half set sitting ready at Wembley and Polmadie. And by hot spare I mean cabins cleaned, beds made and ready to roll. From reading the news article last week I thought this was what they were aiming to do but it clearly wasn’t the case on Friday night.

This... plus availability of a loco to shift a hot spare set if the in-service set sits down in the platforms or shortly after departure.

Surely with the Highlander introduction now delayed CS have enough Mk5s to form 2 hot spares for the Lowlander??

 

[Highlandspring]

Surely with the Highlander introduction now delayed CS have enough Mk5s to form 2 hot spares for the Lowlander??

How many of the Mk5 coaches have been fully commissioned and accepted into traffic though? Nothing is ever as simple as it looks from the outside.

 

[PG]

How many of the Mk5 coaches have been fully commissioned and accepted into traffic though? Nothing is ever as simple as it looks from the outside.

I'm not doubting that it isn't simple but suggesting that right now as soon as they possibly can the priority should be to have 2 half-set hot spares available ready to roll.

Unless they can at least reliably provide a train to convey passengers each night then the custom will vote with their feet... reputation is hard won and easily lost.

 

[Chrism20]

How many of the Mk5 coaches have been fully commissioned and accepted into traffic though? Nothing is ever as simple as it looks from the outside.

Well considering that as recently as last Tuesday the plan was still to introduce them on the highlander this week so I’d like to think they have all been commissioned by now.

Given that the reasons given for the highlander delay was to improve reliability on the lowlander rather than the trains aren’t ready.

 

[aar0]

The fact that the Royal Scotsman or whatever it's called gave up on that model and now put the rich tourists up in a hotel each might during their tour says that even with almost unlimited resources, it just isn't possible to match the expectations conjoured up by such marketing.

The Royal Scotman's marketing makes it very clear you sleep on the train, most of the website is devoted to detailing the rooms and layout.

 

[TrainBoy98]

You mean there isn't a feedback system in use already ?

Jees...

I'm assuming people can tell staff, or there's a feedback option online, but a lot of people won't take the time to give feedback online, and the staff can't be expected to remember everything and report it all back. Something physical on the train itself might make it easier.

 

[Steve Harris]

What is, was or might be C6X please

In a nutshell, Overhaul.

If you want more info, read post 2 of https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/train-refurbishment-costs-timelines-etc.148880/

 

[PG]

659 late - is this a record for a passenger train?

11 hrs late. Is that the latest train ever reported on real-time trains?

I was 450 late, on an inbound eurostar, before. That was bad enough at the time. Can't imagine being 659 late!

I'd say it probably is a record... the closest I've seen on real-time trains is 485 late back in October 2013 for the 1100 KGX - EDB. IIRC the knitting came down north of PBO and then the thunderbird broke down shortly after crossing the border.

 

[Highlandspring]

I'd say it probably is a record...

If you go back decades you'll find that there was a lot of significant late running in the 1940s/50s/60s. It was very much routine for Anglo-Scottish expresses to run many hours late; there's a famous photo taken in the 1958 of the arrivals board at Glasgow Central showing subsequent incoming trains from the West Coast running 10 hours late...

 

[Indigo Soup]

If you go back decades you'll find that there was a lot of significant late running in the 1940s/50s/60s. It was very much routine for Anglo-Scottish expresses to run many hours late; there's a famous photo taken in the 1958 of the arrivals board at Glasgow Central showing subsequent incoming trains from the West Coast running 10 hours late...

Slightly off topic - but that board is very interesting, because as well as showing how late the service is (today's boards give estimated times to the minute, of course - the technology wouldn't allow that then) it also shows where it's got to. Being told that the Euston train is 10 hours late, but it's made it to Carstairs, is very different from 10 hours late and hasn't got to Watford yet.

 

[theironroad]

Slightly off topic - but that board is very interesting, because as well as showing how late the service is (today's boards give estimated times to the minute, of course - the technology wouldn't allow that then) it also shows where it's got to. Being told that the Euston train is 10 hours late, but it's made it to Carstairs, is very different from 10 hours late and hasn't got to Watford yet.

Forerunner of real time trains lol

I'd agree the 'at' column would have been useful,

 

[Bletchleyite]

The ATOS systems now include this information where the TOCs have turned it on.

 

[jumble]

It's all gone a bit wrong.

But, what are they doing to rectify this behind the scenes? It clearly can't go on like this with the school holidays nearly upon us.

Does the forum think they will get it sorted out soon?

I have to say i find it extraordinary looking at the tripadvisor reports that if the lounge car has no power then it is closed to people sitting down in broad daylight.
I cannot think of anything that would annoy me more.

( Says he who has been on the Talyllyn on all night running crammed into a tiny compartment with lots of strangers in the complete darkness with a Cocker Spaniel in tow)
Why we cannot be treated as adults instead of babies is anyone's guess.

 

[800002]

Why we cannot be treated as adults instead of babies is anyone's guess.

Because adults Sue when things happen to them. Babies do not.