Caledonian Sleeper

Caledonian Sleeper

Overview
Franchise(s):	Part of ScotRail (National Express) (31 March 1997 – 16 October 2004) Part of First ScotRail (17 October 2004 – 30 March 2015) Standalone Franchise Operated by Serco (31 March 2015 – present)
Main route(s):	London Euston—Aberdeen/Edinburgh Waverley/Fort William/Glasgow Central/Inverness
Other route(s):	None
Fleet size:	75 carriages (22 × Mark 2, 53 × Mark 3) 75 Mark 5 carriages under construction by CAF due for delivery in 2018
Stations called at:	46
Parent company:	Serco
Website:	www.sleeper.scot

Caledonian Sleeper route, shown in pink (interactive map)

Caledonian Sleeper is the collective name for overnight sleeper train services between London and Scotland, in the United Kingdom. Trains run nightly (except Saturday night) with two departures from London and split to serve five final destination routes within Scotland.

The earlier departure serves Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness. The later departure serves Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central. All routes have several intermediate stops. As of 2015 the services are part of the Caledonian Sleeper franchise operated by the train operating company Serco Caledonian Sleepers Limited (SCSL).

Operator

Since the privatisation of British Rail the Caledonian Sleeper has been part of the ScotRail franchise. The Scottish Caledonian Sleeper Service was named in the Top 40 priority investments on page 37 of the Budget 2013 Red Book.^[1]

In 2012 the Scottish Government announced that as part of the reletting of this franchise from April 2015 it would be split, with the sleeper a separate franchise to run for 15 years. It was stated that a total of £100 million would be invested in new and additional rolling stock.^[2] In June 2013, Transport Scotland announced Arriva, FirstGroup and Serco had been shortlisted to bid for the new franchise.^[3] In May 2014, the franchise was awarded to Serco with a commitment to replace the Mark 2 and Mark 3 coaching stock by 2018.^[4] On 31 March 2015, Serco Caledonian Sleepers Limited,^[5] a subsidiary of Serco, took over the operation of the Caledonian Sleeper as an independent franchise split from the ScotRail franchise formerly operated by FirstGroup.

The Caledonian Sleepers headquarters and customer call centre is located within Inverness Railway Station. Each terminus station has lounges and ticketing/customer service desks.

Route

Two trains depart London Euston on six nights per week, Sunday to Friday, heading north on the West Coast Main Line. The trains normally operate at a maximum speed of 80 miles per hour (130 km/h), but are authorised to travel at 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) where line speeds permit if the train has been delayed by more than 20 minutes.

Highland Sleeper – Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness

Departs London Euston at 21:15 (20:57 Sunday), calling at Watford Junction, Crewe and Preston to pick up passengers only, and arrives at Edinburgh Waverley approximately six-and-a-half hours after leaving London. The electric Class 92 (sometimes Class 90) locomotive is uncoupled and replaced by a Class 67 diesel locomotive for each of the three portions, to Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William, calling at intermediate stations.

The front two sleeping coaches are for Fort William, being combined at Edinburgh with a further two 'day' coaches to make a four-vehicle formation. The middle portion of either six or seven coaches is for Aberdeen, and the rear portion of either seven or eight coaches is for Inverness. Both the Aberdeen and Inverness portions usually convey one 'day' coach and one 'lounge car' each, with the rest being sleeping cars, all working through to/from London.

Heading south, the Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness portions join at Edinburgh to form one train calling at Preston, Crewe and London Euston (alighting only).

As of September 2014, the Fort William Sleeper no longer serves Westerton, instead serving Glasgow Queen Street Low Level, alighting only southbound/boarding only northbound.^[6]

Lowland Sleeper – Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central

Departs London Euston at 23:50 (23:27 Sunday), calling at Watford Junction to pick up only. Passengers can alight at Carlisle and at Carstairs (on the Glasgow section only), where the train divides, the rear portion continuing to Edinburgh, the front portion to Glasgow Central additionally calling at Motherwell.

Southbound the portions from Glasgow (calling at Motherwell) and Edinburgh join at Carstairs (where passengers can board the Glasgow section), then call at Carlisle to pick up only, setting down at Watford Junction and London Euston the following morning.

The Sunday services are sometimes diverted via the East Coast Main Line when the West Coast Main Line is closed for engineering work. Services diverted via the East Coast Main Line still depart from London Euston but join the North London Line at a junction north of Wembley to access the East Coast Main Line.

Rolling Stock

Caledonian Sleeper operate the following stock which is leased from The AC Locomotive Group, GBRf, DB Cargo UK and Freightliner.

Current

Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Numbers	Nos.	Usage	Built	Hired From
			mph	km/h
67		Diesel Locomotive	125	201	2	67004, 67010	Edinburgh - Inverness/Aberdeen/Fort William	1999-2000	DB Cargo UK
73/9		Electro-diesel locomotive	90	145	3	73966–73968	Edinburgh - Inverness/Aberdeen/Fort William	1962, 1965-1967 (Rebuilt 2014-2016)	GB Railfreight
86		Electric Locomotive	110	177	1	86101	Empty Coaching Stock (London - Wembley)	1965-1966	Electric Traction
			100	161	1	86401
87			110	177	1	87002	London - Edinburgh / Glasgow Sleeper Portions. Empty Coaching Stock (London - Wembley) Rescue Locomotive	1973-1975	Electric Traction
90			110	177	-	Varying Locos from both Freightliner and DBS Fleets.	London - Glasgow/Edinburgh	1987–1990	Freightliner And DB Cargo UK
92			87	140	6	92014, 92018, 92023, 92033, 92038, 92044	London - Glasgow/Edinburgh	1993-1996	GB Railfreight
Mark 2		Lounge car Seated Sleeper	100	160	22		Full Network	1969-1974	N/A
Mark 3		Sleeping car	125	200	53		Full Network	1975-1988	N/A

Future

Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Number	Nos.	Usage	Built	Hired From	Operated From
			mph	km/h
73/9		Electro-diesel locomotive	90	145	6	73969-73971	Edinburgh - Inverness/Aberdeen/Fort William	1962, 1965-1967 (Rebuilt 2014-2015)	GB Railfreight	2016
Mark 5		Carriage			75		Full Network	2016-2018	N/A	2018

Formation

Caledonian Sleeper destinations
Legend Inverness Carrbridge (northbound only) Aviemore Kingussie Newtonmore Dalwhinnie Blair Atholl Pitlochry Dunkeld & Birnam Perth Gleneagles Dunblane 718 Stirling 684 Falkirk Grahamston (southbound only) 853 Aberdeen 827 Stonehaven 788 Montrose 766 Arbroath Carnoustie 738 Dundee 725 Leuchars 685 Kirkcaldy Inverkeithing Forth Bridge Fort William Spean Bridge Roy Bridge Tulloch Corrour Rannoch Bridge of Orchy Upper Tyndrum Crianlarich Ardlui Arrochar & Tarbet Garelochhead Helensburgh Upper Dumbarton Central Dalmuir Glasgow Queen Street 643 Edinburgh Waverley (split/join) Anglo-Scottish border 336 Preston 254 Crewe  28 Watford Junction (northbound only) 0km London Euston
Legend 646 Glasgow Central 625 Motherwell 646 Edinburgh Waverley 600 Carstairs (split/join)     Anglo-Scottish border 481 Carlisle 28 Watford Junction 0km London Euston

Class 92 used for haulage in Caledonian Sleeper livery at Euston

Seating in the lounge car

The train consists of Mark 3 sleeping cars and Mark 2F lounge car and Mark 2E seated cars, all air conditioned. They are hauled by GB Railfreight Class 92 locomotives south of Edinburgh and Glasgow, and DB Cargo UK Class 67 north of Edinburgh. The portions for all destinations except Fort William have up to six sleepers, a lounge car and seated accommodation.

The Fort William portion consists of two sleeping cars (one set up for First Class, the other for Standard), with the lounge car and seated car north of Edinburgh only. This is because the longest permitted length train for the platforms at Euston is 16 carriages. Passengers in the Fort William portion can use the Aberdeen or Inverness lounge cars south of Edinburgh.

Previously, in 2006 First ScotRail and English Welsh & Scottish came to an agreement that a dedicated fleet of Class 90s would be used, and these were painted in First ScotRail livery, with a small EWS logo at the cab.^[7] Until June 2006 a Class 37 diesel locomotive hauled the Fort William portion; until 2001 Class 47 diesel locomotives hauled the Aberdeen and Inverness portions. The traction is now being provided by a class British Rail Class 67.

The current stand-alone Serco franchise uses traction provided by GB Railfreight. The fleet consists of four dedicated Class 92 electric locomotives that operate the electrified sections of the route, with a fleet of six Class 73/9 electro-diesel locomotives to operate the non-electrified sections of the route to Fort William, Inverness and Aberdeen from October 2015. Until then Class 67 locomotives continue to be used.^[8] For London area empty stock moves, Class 86 locos 86101 and 86401, and Class 87 no. 87002 are used.^[9] 87002 has also been used as a back-up loco when others fail on the main passenger service.^[10]

Tickets

Three types of travel are available: First Class sleeper, Standard Class sleeper, and seated. There is often no differentiation between Caledonian Sleeper services and seated services on the National Rail booking system. Caledonian Sleeper offers a booking service which specifically shows its sleeper services, from the syndicated National Rail database. National Rail tickets are valid in seated parts of the train. Advance reservations are compulsory.

References

1. "Budget 2013" (PDF). HM Treasury. 20 March 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
2. "Scottish rail services plan outlined by government". BBC News. 21 June 2012. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
3. Caledonian sleeper train service bidders named BBC News 28 June 2013
4. Serco wins franchise for Caledonian sleeper train service BBC News 28 May 2014
5. Companies House extract company no SC477821 Serco Caledonian Sleepers Limited
6. GB NRT December 2015-May 2016, Tables 227 (Network Rail)
7. "Operating enhancements for First ScotRail Sleeper to be delivered by DB Schenker and Axiom Rail" (Press release). DB Schenker Rail (UK). 26 May 2006. Retrieved 18 February 2007.
8. Railway Herald issue 444
9. "The Sleepers are stirring" Rail issue 756 3 September 2014 page 70
10. https://www.flickr.com/photos/82559428@N05/16948607157

External links

Media related to Caledonian Sleeper at Wikimedia Commons

• Serco Caledonian Sleeper
• Detailed Caledonian Sleeper Description, Timetable and Fare Information