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| Franchise(s) | Forms part of the First ScotRail franchise (17th October 2004 - 2011) |
|---|---|
| Main route(s) | London-Scotland |
| Other route(s) | None |
| Fleet | 75 coaches (Mk 2 and Mk 3) |
| Stations called at | 46 |
| Parent company | First ScotRail |
| Other | |
| Website | www.firstgroup.com/scotrail/content/caledoniansleeper/ |
The Caledonian Sleeper is a sleeper train service operated by First ScotRail and one of only two remaining sleeper services running on the railways of Great Britain – the other being the Night Riviera.
It connects London Euston station and five Scottish termini – Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Fort William, Glasgow and Inverness – six times a week (departures are daily except for Saturday nights) and also serves a number of intermediate stations. The service to Fort William is colloquially known as The Deerstalker.
The service uses Mark 2 and Mark 3 coaching stock, hauled by a variety of different locomotive classes, diesel or electric - depending on the route.
Caledonian is an adjective relating to Scotland or the Scottish Highlands and derives from Caledonia, the Latin name for northern Britain.
Route
Two services leave daily (except Saturday nights) from London Euston northbound. The Highland Caledonian Sleeper services leave London as one train in the early evening (between 2000 to 2115) for Inverness, Aberdeen and Fort William. Later on (around 2300 - 0000) the Lowland Caledonian Sleeper services leave for Edinburgh and Glasgow, also as one train.
After leaving London, The Highland Sleeper calls at Crewe and Preston for further boarding. (It is customary for the service to arrive very early and wait at the stations to depart.) At Edinburgh (where no alighting is possible) it splits into three separate trains, which continue separately to Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William. The services call at intermediate stations en route to their final destinations. Travel between station between Edinburgh Waverley and the ultimate destinations is possible in seated accommodation subject to availability.
The Lowland Sleeper leaves London, and calls at Watford Junction to pick up passengers. The service stops to allow passengers to alight at Carlisle and Carstairs. At Carstairs it separates into two separate services, one bound for Edinburgh and the other for Glasgow, also calling at Motherwell.
From London, the train to each city consists of up to 6 Mark 3 sleeping cars, a lounge car and seated car which are both converted Mark 2F coaches. These are usually hauled by a Class 90 locomotive. After they divide at either Carstairs Junction or Edinburgh Waverley, each service will consist of a number of sleeping cars, a seating car and one lounge car. Until June 2006, a Class 37 locomotive hauled the Fort William train which is now hauled by a Class 67 locomotive, as are the portions to Aberdeen and Inverness. The locomotives are hired from EWS. In 2006, First ScotRail and EWS came to an agreement that a dedicated set of locomotives would be used for the Caledonian Sleeper, and these would be painted in First ScotRail livery, with a small EWS logo at the cab.
Heading south, the Highland Sleeper trains depart from Fort William, Inverness and Aberdeen, calling at intermediate stations southwards. They merge into one train at Edinburgh Waverley before continuing their journey via Preston and Crewe (both alighting only) to London Euston. The Lowland Sleeper services depart from Glasgow (calling at Motherwell) and Edinburgh and merge at Carstairs. The merged service makes a further stop at Carlisle to pick up passengers, and arrives at Watford Junction and London Euston the following morning.
Timetables
The Sleeper does not run on Saturday nights.
Current timetable
The Caledonian Sleeper timetable, up until and including 18 May 2007, is as follows:
| LOWLAND SLEEPER SOUTHBOUND |
Mondays - Thursdays |
Fridays | Sundays (from 1st April) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRACTION | Class 90 | |||||
| HEADCODE | 1C11 | 1M11 | 1C11 | 1M11 | 1C11 | 1M11 |
| Boarding from: | ||||||
| Edinburgh Waverley (departure time) | ||||||
| Glasgow Central (departure time) | ||||||
| Motherwell (pick-up only) | ||||||
| Carstairs (arrival time) (pick-up only) | ||||||
MERGE |
MERGE |
MERGE | ||||
| HEADCODE | 1M11 | 1M11 | 1M11 | |||
| Carstairs (departure time) | ||||||
| Carlisle (pick-up only) | ||||||
| Watford Junction (set-down only) | ||||||
| London Euston (arrival time) | ||||||
| Train vacated by: | ||||||
| LOWLAND SLEEPER NORTHBOUND |
Mondays - Thursdays |
Fridays | Sundays (from 1st April) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRACTION | Class 90 | |||||
| HEADCODE | 1S26 | 1S26 | 1S26 | |||
| Boarding from: | ||||||
| London Euston (departure time) | ||||||
| Watford Junction (pick-up only) | ||||||
| Carlisle (set-down only) | ||||||
| Carstairs (arrival time) (set-down only) | ||||||
SPLITS |
SPLITS |
SPLITS | ||||
| HEADCODE | 1B26 | 1S26 | 1B26 | 1S26 | 1B26 | 1S26 |
| Carstairs (departure time) | ||||||
| Motherwell (set-down only) | ||||||
| Glasgow Central (arrival time) | ||||||
| Edinburgh Waverley (arrival time) | 0629 (from 17th March 2007) |
|||||
| Train vacated by: | ||||||
On the southbound Highland Sleeper, all stops other than Preston, Crewe and London Euston are pick-up only. These three stops are set-down only.
| HIGHLAND SLEEPER SOUTHBOUND |
Mondays - Thursdays |
Fridays | Sundays (from 1st April) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRACTION | Class 67 | ||||||||
| HEADCODE | 1B01 | 1M16 | 1B16 | 1B01 | 1M16 | 1B16 | 1B01 | 1M16 | 1B16 |
| Boarding from: | |||||||||
| Fort William (departure time) | |||||||||
| Spean Bridge | |||||||||
| Roy Bridge (by request only) | |||||||||
| Tulloch | |||||||||
| Corrour (by request only) | |||||||||
| Rannoch | |||||||||
| Bridge of Orchy | |||||||||
| Upper Tyndrum | |||||||||
| Crianlarich | |||||||||
| Ardlui (by request only) | |||||||||
| Arrochar and Tarbet | |||||||||
| Garelochhead | |||||||||
| Helensburgh Upper | |||||||||
| Dalmuir | |||||||||
| Westerton | |||||||||
| Inverness (departure time) | |||||||||
| Aviemore | |||||||||
| Kingussie | |||||||||
| Newtonmore | |||||||||
| Dalwhinnie | |||||||||
| Blair_Atholl | |||||||||
| Pitlochry | |||||||||
| Dunkeld_and_Birnam | |||||||||
| Perth | |||||||||
| Gleneagles | |||||||||
| Dunblane | |||||||||
| Stirling | |||||||||
| Falkirk_Grahamston | |||||||||
| Aberdeen (departure time) | |||||||||
| Stonehaven | |||||||||
| Montrose | |||||||||
| Arbroath | |||||||||
| Carnoustie | |||||||||
| Dundee | |||||||||
| Leuchars | |||||||||
| Kirkcaldy | |||||||||
| Inverkeithing | |||||||||
| Edinburgh Waverley (arrival time) (no boarding or alighting possible) |
|||||||||
MERGE |
MERGE |
MERGE | |||||||
| TRACTION | Class 90 | ||||||||
| HEADCODE | 1M16 | 1M16 | 1M16 | ||||||
| Edinburgh Waverley (departure time) | |||||||||
| Preston (set-down only) | |||||||||
| Crewe (set-down only) | |||||||||
| London Euston (arrival time) | |||||||||
| Train vacated by: | |||||||||
On the northbound Highland Sleeper, all stops other than Preston, Crewe and London Euston are set-down only. These three stops are pick-up only.
| HIGHLAND SLEEPER NORTHBOUND |
Mondays - Thursdays |
Fridays | Sundays (from 1st April) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRACTION | Class 90 | ||||||||
| HEADCODE | 1S25 | 1S25 | 1S25 | ||||||
| Boarding from: | |||||||||
| London Euston (departure time) | |||||||||
| Watford Junction (pick-up only) | |||||||||
| Crewe (pick-up only) | |||||||||
| Preston (pick-up only) | |||||||||
| Edinburgh Waverley (arrival time) (no boarding/alighting possible) |
|||||||||
SPLITS |
SPLITS |
SPLITS | |||||||
| TRACTION | Class 67 | ||||||||
| HEADCODE | 1A25 | 1S25 | 1Y11 | 1A25 | 1S25 | 1Y11 | 1A25 | 1S25 | 1Y11 |
| Edinburgh Waverley (departure time) | |||||||||
| Inverkeithing | |||||||||
| Kirkcaldy | |||||||||
| Leuchars | |||||||||
| Dundee | |||||||||
| Carnoustie | |||||||||
| Arbroath | |||||||||
| Montrose | |||||||||
| Stonehaven | |||||||||
| Aberdeen (arrival time) | |||||||||
| Stirling | |||||||||
| Dunblane | |||||||||
| Gleneagles | |||||||||
| Perth | |||||||||
| Dunkeld_and_Birnam | |||||||||
| Pitlochry | |||||||||
| Blair_Atholl | |||||||||
| Dalwhinnie | |||||||||
| Newtonmore | |||||||||
| Kingussie | |||||||||
| Aviemore | |||||||||
| Inverness (arrival time) | |||||||||
| Westerton | |||||||||
| Dalmuir | |||||||||
| Helensburgh Upper | |||||||||
| Garelochhead | |||||||||
| Arrochar and Tarbet | |||||||||
| Ardlui (by request only) | |||||||||
| Crianlarich | |||||||||
| Upper Tyndrum | |||||||||
| Bridge of Orchy | |||||||||
| Rannoch | |||||||||
| Corrour (by request only) | |||||||||
| Tulloch | |||||||||
| Roy Bridge (by request only) | |||||||||
| Spean Bridge | |||||||||
| Fort William (arrival time) | |||||||||
| Train vacated by: | |||||||||
Amended Timetable
On Sundays until March 25 2007, an amended timetable may be operation (depending on the duration of repair work), as a result of a derailment at Grayrigg, Cumbria.
| AMENDED LOWLAND SLEEPER SOUTHBOUND |
Monday 5th March - Thursday 8th March |
Friday 9th March | Sundays (until 25th March) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRACTION | Class 90 | |||||
| HEADCODE | 1M11 | 1M11 | 1M11 | |||
| Boarding from: | ||||||
| Glasgow Central (departure time) | ||||||
| Motherwell (pick-up only) | ||||||
| Carstairs (pick-up only) | ||||||
| Edinburgh Waverley (arrival time) | ||||||
MERGE |
MERGE |
MERGE | ||||
| Edinburgh Waverley (departure time) | ||||||
| London Euston (arrival time) | ||||||
| Train vacated by: | ||||||
| AMENDED LOWLAND SLEEPER NORTHBOUND |
Monday 5th March - Thursday 8th March |
Friday 9th March | Sundays (until 25th March) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRACTION | Class 90 | |||||
| HEADCODE | 1S26 | 1S26 | 1S26 | |||
| Boarding from: | 2200 | 2200 | 2200 | |||
| London Euston (departure time) | ||||||
| Edinburgh Waverley (arrival time) | ||||||
SPLITS |
SPLITS |
SPLITS | ||||
| Edinburgh Waverley (departure time) | ||||||
| Carstairs (set-down only) | ||||||
| Motherwell (set-down only) | ||||||
| Glasgow Central (arrival time) | ||||||
| Train vacated by: | ||||||
%: The Glasgow Sleeper for the night of Friday 9th March terminates at Motherwell. A connecting train will be provided for travel to Glasgow Central.
On the southbound Highland Sleeper, all stops other than London Euston are pick-up only.
| AMENDED HIGHLAND SLEEPER SOUTHBOUND |
Monday 5th March - Thursday 8th March |
Friday 9th March | Sundays (until 25th March) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRACTION | Class 67 | ||||||||
| HEADCODE | 1B01 | 1M16 | 1B16 | 1B01 | 1M16 | 1B16 | 1B01 | 1M16 | 1B16 |
| Boarding from: | |||||||||
| Fort William (departure time) | |||||||||
| Spean Bridge | |||||||||
| Roy Bridge (by request only) | |||||||||
| Tulloch | |||||||||
| Corrour (by request only) | |||||||||
| Rannoch | |||||||||
| Bridge of Orchy | |||||||||
| Upper Tyndrum | |||||||||
| Crianlarich | |||||||||
| Ardlui (by request only) | |||||||||
| Arrochar and Tarbet | |||||||||
| Garelochhead | |||||||||
| Helensburgh Upper | |||||||||
| Dalmuir | |||||||||
| Westerton | |||||||||
| Inverness (departure time) | |||||||||
| Aviemore | |||||||||
| Kingussie | |||||||||
| Newtonmore | |||||||||
| Dalwhinnie | |||||||||
| Blair_Atholl | |||||||||
| Pitlochry | |||||||||
| Dunkeld_and_Birnam | |||||||||
| Perth | |||||||||
| Gleneagles | |||||||||
| Dunblane | |||||||||
| Stirling | |||||||||
| Falkirk_Grahamston | |||||||||
| Aberdeen (departure time) | |||||||||
| Stonehaven | |||||||||
| Montrose | |||||||||
| Arbroath | |||||||||
| Carnoustie | |||||||||
| Dundee | |||||||||
| Leuchars | |||||||||
| Kirkcaldy | |||||||||
| Inverkeithing | |||||||||
| Edinburgh Waverley (arrival time) (no boarding or alighting possible) |
|||||||||
MERGE |
MERGE |
MERGE | |||||||
| TRACTION | Class 90 | ||||||||
| HEADCODE | 1M16 | 1M16 | 1M16 | ||||||
| Edinburgh Waverley (departure time) | |||||||||
| London Euston (arrival time) | |||||||||
| Train vacated by: | |||||||||
@: On Monday 5th March the Aberdeen Sleeper starts from Dundee. A replacement bus will operate from Aberdeen calling at all advertised stations as far as Dundee.
On the northbound Highland Sleeper, all stops other than London Euston are set-down only.
| HIGHLAND SLEEPER NORTHBOUND |
Monday 5th March - Thursday 8th March |
Friday 9th March | Sundays (until 25th March) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRACTION | Class 90 | ||||||||
| HEADCODE | 1S25 | 1S25 | 1S25 | ||||||
| Boarding from: | |||||||||
| London Euston (departure time) | |||||||||
| Edinburgh Waverley (arrival time) (no boarding or alighting possible) |
|||||||||
SPLITS |
SPLITS |
SPLITS | |||||||
| TRACTION | Class 67 | ||||||||
| HEADCODE | 1A25 | 1S25 | 1Y11 | 1A25 | 1S25 | 1Y11 | 1A25 | 1S25 | 1Y11 |
| Edinburgh Waverley (departure time) | |||||||||
| Inverkeithing | |||||||||
| Kirkcaldy | |||||||||
| Leuchars | |||||||||
| Dundee | |||||||||
| Carnoustie | |||||||||
| Arbroath | |||||||||
| Montrose | |||||||||
| Stonehaven | |||||||||
| Aberdeen (arrival time) | |||||||||
| Stirling | |||||||||
| Dunblane | |||||||||
| Gleneagles | |||||||||
| Perth | |||||||||
| Dunkeld_and_Birnam | |||||||||
| Pitlochry | |||||||||
| Blair_Atholl | |||||||||
| Dalwhinnie | |||||||||
| Newtonmore | |||||||||
| Kingussie | |||||||||
| Aviemore | |||||||||
| Inverness (arrival time) | |||||||||
| Westerton | |||||||||
| Dalmuir | |||||||||
| Helensburgh Upper | |||||||||
| Garelochhead | |||||||||
| Arrochar and Tarbet | |||||||||
| Ardlui (by request only) | |||||||||
| Crianlarich | |||||||||
| Upper Tyndrum | |||||||||
| Bridge of Orchy | |||||||||
| Rannoch | |||||||||
| Corrour (by request only) | |||||||||
| Tulloch | |||||||||
| Roy Bridge (by request only) | |||||||||
| Spean Bridge | |||||||||
| Fort William (arrival time) | |||||||||
| Train vacated by: | |||||||||
Amenities
Three classes of travel are available on the Caledonian Sleeper. These are First Class, Standard Class and Seated Sleeper.
First Class and Standard Class both entitle the holder to an air conditioned cabin, with wash basin, shaver point and hand towel.
Berths are usually available prior to departure at the originating station and for a short while after arrival at the terminus.
First Class
First Class is the most expensive, but most ameniable class offered. This class of ticket entitles the holder to a private cabin consisting of a single bed, voucher to spend in the lounge car, morning tea, coffee and breakfast and a Zone 1 and 2 London Underground travel pass. Room service is also available in First Class, and First Class ticketholders are entitled to use the Virgin Trains lounge at Euston to take a shower upon their arrival in London.
Standard Class
Standard Class is a less costly ticket, even less so if booked more than seven days in advance, and offers a shared room consisting of a bunk bed and wash basin. Included in the price is early morning tea, coffee and a morning snack before alighting. As these cabins are designed for two people, single travellers are warned that they may have to share with a fellow passenger of the same sex.
Seated Sleeper
The cheapest of the classes offered by the Caledonian Sleeper. This ticket entitles the user to an airline-style reclining seat in an air conditioned carriage, shared with up to 31 people, roughly what you would expect from a daytime First Class service. Amenities include tables, a reading light and footrests.
Lounge Car
Holders of First Class and Standard Class tickets are entitled to use the lounge car; however it is restricted to First Class ticket holders at busier times. There is a buffet car service available for all ticket holders, to take snacks away to your seat or berth. The lounge car provides meals, snacks and alcoholic or soft drinks.
The lounge car permitted smoking until October 9, 2005, being the last place where it was legal to smoke on the British railway network, but it is now banned. It is highly unusual amongst British trains in having chairs which are not secured to the floor.
Luggage
Luggage is generally conveyed on all sleeper services, with large areas available for storing luggage. Bicycles are conveyed on all sleeper services subject to availability, with a necessary booking.
Pets
Dogs are allowed on sleeper services, with a conveyance fee. Dogs are only allowed in single-berth cabins or where the ticket holder has exclusive use of a twin-berth cabin.
Showers
There are no showers available on the Caledonian Sleeper. However, there are showers available at Inverness, Edinburgh Waverley, and Glasgow Central for an extra charge. Only First Class ticket holders are entitled to use the shower facilities at London Euston.
Booking
Booking the Caledonian Sleeper services can be tricky, because there is often no differentiation between these and seated services on the National Rail booking system. First Scotrail offers an online booking service which specifically shows its sleeper services, from the syndicated National Rail database.
Ticket prices vary depending on the demand expected for the train, and time of booking. Standard Class and Seated Class both offer cheaper 'Apex' fares, if booked in advance of the date of travel and subject to availability. First Class does not offer an 'Apex' ticket, but special fares are available for travelling on weekends. Railcard discounts apply at the network standard rate of 33% in Seated Class, and at a lower rate on tickets with berths. This discrepancy is due to railcard discount being available on the travel portion of the ticket, but not redeemable against the berth. Discount rates are typically not available with the cheaper 'Apex' tickets.
Cheap tickets, termed "Bargain Berths", may be booked in advance and are allocated in very limited numbers to each service. They are available from as little as £19 and are available in Standard Class. The process of booking Bargain Berths is entirely web-based and no physical tickets are issued. It is necessary to print off the booking confirmation e-ticket as confirmation.
See also
References
-
"Operating enhancements for First Scotrail Sleeper to be delivered by EWS and Axiom Rail" (Press release). EWS Railway. 2006-05-26. Retrieved 2007-02-18.
EWS will introduce modern and reliable class 67 locomotives for operation of Sleeper services between Edinburgh and Fort William on the West Highland Line... A striking new livery has been designed to complement the newly refurbished sleeping and lounge compartments.
{{cite press release}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - "Station Facilities: London Euston (EUS)". Stations & Destinations. National Rail Enquiries. Retrieved 2007-02-18.
