Many of you will have read our recent piece on the issues affecting the new Caledonian Sleeper carriages.
At that time these revolved around the onboard product:
However no sooner after it appeared came a report that the problems had become more serious.
One northbound overnight service had failed near Crewe in the wee hours.
It meant that passengers, whose tickets might have cost hundreds of pounds, had to be transferred to Edinburgh and Glasgow by daytime train (if lucky) or by bus.
So now it was a technical issue with the new CAF (the Spanish manufacturer) trains.
It meant that in the days that followed, numerous trains both north- and south-bound between London, Edinburgh and Glasgow, have had to be cancelled.
On June 20, The Scotsman’s Alastair Dalton tweeted that there had been “eight days of cancellations” so far.
On at least one occasion the cancellation was at short notice which meant that, unless customers checked their email or the Caledonian Sleeper Twitter, they were unaware until they reached the station in the late evening.
On another occasion some customers complained they weren’t even told.
Although Caledonian does inform those travellers who have booked directly, it may not be able to do so if they have booked through a third-party.
And the cancellations have continued.
The Independent reports the overnight Glasgow/Edinburgh overnight train [both sections are joined at Carstairs] failed in the northwest early on Saturday morning. This time it involved an issue with “door interlocks.”
There were at least two further cancellations on Sunday and Monday nights.
Quoted by The Independent, MD of train operator Serco Ryan Flaherty said, “We can confirm that services will return to normal from tonight [Tuesday].”
“We hope shortly to take ownership of an additional unit [trainset] which will allow us to take carriages in and out of service as required.”
However readers who have booked accommodation on the Caledonian Sleeper for London, Edinburgh and Glasgow and return (the only routes which currently have the CAF trainsets) are recommended to check for updates.
Update: Highlander services with the new CAF trains, which were supposed to start next month, have been postponed until at least September.
They operate between London Euston and Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William.
Highlander services will continue but, as at present, they will use the 40-year old BR rolling stock.
Travellers who have not been notified by Caledonian Sleeper must contact the company for information about alternative arrangements.
Meanwhile The Scotsman reports that the Scottish government will now fine train operator Serco because of this Highland route delay.
It’s quoted as saying: “This latest delay is quite unacceptable.”
