Night Riviera - merged posts, ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[LiskeardRich]

Got my dates muddled. It was the week before, 26th August. Seen going through Bristol Parkway just before 12:30. It was, however, definitely 57303.

57301 & 57310 I believe did that working from photos on Flickr of the working.

[LiskeardRich]

57303 Failed on the down this morning at St Austell.
Came back to life and passed Redruth viaduct as I was leaving for work at just after 0900.

[TaplowGreen]

Saw the sleeper leaving Paddington this morning heading back to the depot with Tintagel/Totnes Castle either end, and an interesting multicoloured selection of carriages in between...............as my old Gran would have said, "blue and green should ne'er be seen!" 

[PhilWakely]

Saw the sleeper leaving Paddington this morning heading back to the depot with Tintagel/Totnes Castle either end, and an interesting multicoloured selection of carriages in between...............as my old Gran would have said, "blue and green should ne'er be seen!" 

I was on the Down sleeper last evening, seated in coach A. The coach was in smart green GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) livery externally, but grotty original FGW^▸ (First Great Western) blue inside.

[Adelante_CCT]

I noticed yesterday a 57 was bought up from Laira to Old Oak early evening and the ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) from Old Oak into Pad was delayed by an hour, I'm assuming they were having trouble with one of the 57s again

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O29915/2015/09/29/advanced

[PhilWakely]

I noticed yesterday a 57 was bought up from Laira to Old Oak early evening and the ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) from Old Oak into Pad was delayed by an hour, I'm assuming they were having trouble with one of the 57s again

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O29915/2015/09/29/advanced

The GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) liveried 57602 Restormel Castle brought last night's ECS into Paddington and (I think!!) 57604 Pendennis Castle took the Down sleeper forward.

[a-driver]

A few pictures featuring mock-ups of the refurbished Night Riviera Sleeper set from the Cornwall Expo 2015 event held on the 29th & 30th September at Newquay Airport.  Hopefully the mock-up shown isn't going to be the exact seating layout, seems an odd place to position a sofa.... you'll see what I mean!

http://www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk/headlines---latest-reports-and-photographs/cornwall-expo-2015-a-special-report-by-mick-house

[Thatcham Crossing]

Quite a logistical effort I'd say to get that coach into a hangar at NQY^▸ (Newquay (Station)).

[TaplowGreen]

There was a DRS^▸ (Direct Rail Services Ltd) loco ("Pride of Carlisle" I think?) nearby as well as Tintagel Castle just detached this morning when I went past on my way into Paddington, Restormel Castle was attached to a multicoloured set of coaches (only one in the new livery unless my eyes deceived me in the early morning sun!)

[bobm]

I understand there are plans to provide sleeper lounges at Penzance and Truro for people waiting for the evening up service and to provide a welcome for those getting off the down service in the morning.  Whether these will double up as first class lounges during the day I don't know.

[Chris from Nailsea]

I seem to remember that there may possibly have been some reference to that proposal in one of the slides flashed up on the screens during Ben Rule's presentation at the TravelWatch SouthWest meeting in Taunton last Saturday. 

The trouble was, there were so many slides, shown in quick succession, and containing so much textual detail, that it was impossible to take it all in - while still listening to the speaker. 

I'll obtain copies of the slides used, and report back here in due course. 

[TaplowGreen]

I understand there are plans to provide sleeper lounges at Penzance and Truro for people waiting for the evening up service and to provide a welcome for those getting off the down service in the morning.  Whether these will double up as first class lounges during the day I don't know.

Might be an idea to do something at Plymouth too for those who are (metaphorically) chucked off the down sleeper at around 0515?

A lounge with breakfast, WiFi etc would be ideal as there's very little happening in Plymouth at that time of the morning and the ungodly hour is a considerable disincentive for Plymouth passengers to use it.

What's really needed is a business orientated service leaving Paddington at around 0530, getting into Plymouth before 0900 to allow for a full day's business, the current first arrival is far too late.

Am I right in thinking they used to detach a sleeper coach at Plymouth which allowed passengers to sleep on for a while, and/or there's an easement which allows them to travel forward into Cornwall and back slightly later at no extra charge?

[bobm]

Am I right in thinking they used to detach a sleeper coach at Plymouth which allowed passengers to sleep on for a while, and/or there's an easement which allows them to travel forward into Cornwall and back slightly later at no extra charge?

There was indeed a sleeper coach available from around 10.30pm on the up journey and until around 7am on the down.   There was also an easement, but there are conflicting views whether it remains.  ATOC^» (Association of Train Operating Companies See - here) has two versions of the list of easements on its website.

[grahame]

What's really needed is a business orientated service leaving Paddington at around 0530, getting into Plymouth before 0900 to allow for a full day's business, the current first arrival is far too late.

Until quite recently, this first Plymouth train of the day via the Berks and Hants was the 09:06 off Paddington - the 07:06 was introduced as a Paignton service with a change at Newton Abbott, and recently that was diverted to Plymouth.   On Saturday, Ben Rule announced  that there's to be an earlier service too (06:37, I think) starting quite soon, at around 06:37 from Paddington

Whilst I hope for these not to be "all halts" services, with that early departure from London the business case is made by the huge pickups of passengers at places like Westbury as they head west.

[TaplowGreen]

What's really needed is a business orientated service leaving Paddington at around 0530, getting into Plymouth before 0900 to allow for a full day's business, the current first arrival is far too late.

Until quite recently, this first Plymouth train of the day via the Berks and Hants was the 09:06 off Paddington - the 07:06 was introduced as a Paignton service with a change at Newton Abbott, and recently that was diverted to Plymouth.   On Saturday, Ben Rule announced  that there's to be an earlier service too (06:37, I think) starting quite soon, at around 06:37 from Paddington

Whilst I hope for these not to be "all halts" services, with that early departure from London the business case is made by the huge pickups of passengers at places like Westbury as they head west.

Thanks Grahame, a step in the right direction.

As it stands, the sleeper gets to Plymouth too early (0515-ish) to be practical, and the first "normal" train of the day arrives at 1033, I guess if the 0637 you allude to materialises then we could be looking at something around 0945 (providing it doesn't stop everywhere), but I still think it needs to be an hour earlier - OK I am biased because I am a Janner, however for the biggest and most important city in the South West to be inaccessible by train (currently) until 1033 renders it a weak option for business, especially since Plymouth Airport closed (....don't get me started on that one!)