Night Riviera - merged posts, ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[thetrout]

Just out of interest. How would sending pax to Plymouth help things assuming that the Sleeper will make an appearance anyway?

Or would the sleeper run fast to PLY^» (Plymouth - next trains)?

That being said at least there would be the option for the very early AM HST^▸ (High Speed Train) service to London. Super Off Peak tickets on a Peak Time Train though...!

[Southern Stag]

The train to Plymouth is warm and dry, and there are waiting rooms and refreshments provided at Plymouth. Most the stations in Cornwall are unstaffed at this time of night and have limited shelter, much nicer for passengers to be waiting at Plymouth. The decision was taken in the end to run the sleeper non-stop to Plymouth as well to regain some time.

[Super Guard]

Service was 33late at Reading and On-time at Paddington.

[eightf48544]

Service was 33late at Reading and On-time at Paddington.

 Made up 33 minutes on a 36 mile journey  what was it doing 200 mph?

That's not just padding that's verging on the obese.

[ChrisB]

It's the sleeper....prob does little more than 30mph...

[Super Guard]

It's booked 57 minutes Reading-Paddington.

Top speed is 95mph, extended time allows for problems such as those experienced and also allows for engineering, platform 1 to become available etc.

[Southern Stag]

It's also only timed for 75mph so it doesn't have to be ran at full speed the whole way, a comfortable journey being preferable when people are sleeping. If the sleeper left Penzance at 2145 and ran at top speed through to London it would get there between 3.30am and 4am, which isn't exactly a sociable hour, there's no need to arrive that early.

[JayMac]

It had been a fair old while since I'd travelled on First Great Western's Night Riviera, but I put that right with a trip up from Cornwall last Thursday.

Pretty much a spur of the moment decision which was decided upon after I was looking for something to do with with my Freedom of Severn & Solent Rover. Having checked the route of the up Sleeper for that evening, I found I could bookend my Rover with walk-up tickets for a reasonably price. There was an Off Peak Day Return from Tiverton to Redruth (that was as far south west as I could get from Bristol after making the decision to go) and a Super Off Peak Return from Trowbridge to London Paddington. That second ticket, in combination with the Rover, gave me full flexibility of routes after Taunton should there have been any last minute changes. As it turned out we took the route as booked. To Exeter then Taunton-Bristol-Bathampton Junction-(Trowbridge)-Hawkeridge Junction-Reading-Paddington.

The service was on time departing from Redruth, where there were at least half a dozen boarding for the beds with a handful more heading to the seated coaches. Not having paid for a berth I headed straight for the buffet to enquire about availability. "Plenty of room" was the answer, so I paid my ^50 berth supplement and the Lounge Car Stewardess radioed through to one of the Sleeper Stewards to let him know I was on the way through.

Shown to my berth, details taken and wake-up call and breakfast order placed. There was a choice of bacon baguette or Cornflakes/Muesli. I went for the Cornflakes. I was somewhat disappointed to learn that the breakfast beverage option was a hot drink or orange juice. I couldn't have both. No morning paper either. Never mind, I knew I'd have access to the 1st Class Lounge at Paddington in the morning where I could help myself to copious amounts of coffee if needed. The steward also talked me through the various button functions in the berth as well as the Volo TV, although I'm already familiar with these from previous trips. Also disappointing to note that there is no longer a complimentary toiletries pack. You just get a towel and a small bar of soap. 'Comfort Packs' are now sold as an optional extra from the buffet for ^5, although these appear to be more useful for seated sleeper passengers. I suspect the reason for cutting back on the toiletries is because nearly everyone will travel with their own. As was I. And in my washbag I still had a set of unused earplugs from a trip on the Highland Sleeper some 4 years ago. They were to come in handy.

After dumping my bag, coat and other bits and bobs I headed to the Lounge Car for a late night bite and a drink. Here again there is evidence of cost cutting. Just three choices of cold sandwich or a bacon baguette as the sole hot option. That's it for food excepting crisps and choccy bars. The kitchen is sufficiently well equipped to offer more than this and I would like to see some plated microwave meal options. If ScotRail can serve up haggis, neeps and tatties from their older Mk2^▸ (Mark 2 coach) kitchens, surely FGW^▸ (First Great Western) can manage something along the lines of a microwave curry or pasta dish. I was rather hoping to have something hot, but I'm pretty bored of the ubiquitous bacon baguette so I instead went for the chicken salad sandwich. Oh, and a half bottle Chilean Merlot as a sleeping aid!

I stayed in the Lounge Car until around St Germans, chatting with a fellow sleeper passenger before retiring to my berth. I mentioned earlier that the earplugs I had in my washbag were to come in handy. I'd been allocated a berth over a bogie and this particular bogie had a wheel flat. The noise wasn't unbearable but it did take me a fair while to get off to sleep. I did consider asking if I could be moved but I didn't really want the hassle of packing all my stuff up again. Before nodding off I watched some TV and had a beer. I think I fell asleep around Totnes at 0030 and I awoke to my phone alarm 10 minutes before the Steward knocked on my door with breakfast at 0600. I hadn't even woken when we arrived at Paddington. I'd managed to sleep through despite the noise and slight vibration from the wheel flat. Perhaps they were soporific. The wine and beer probably helped as well. Still, I was a bit bleary eyed - it was sleep, but not a good night's sleep.

After breakfast (of sorts) I had a strip wash, dressed and alighted. I went to the 1st Class Lounge to continue breakfast. There was a great selection of pastries, fresh fruit, cereals, hot and cold drinks and newspapers. The coffee was what I really wanted and the three cups went down well.

Despite the minor niggles - most of which appear to be a result of cost-cutting - I'd still use the service again. Two of the most evocative ways to travel by train are on a Sleeper and in a full service restaurant car. First Great Western are the only UK^▸ (United Kingdom) train company that give you the chance to do both. If you can find a reason to use the Sleeper or the Pullman, then do.

My top tips for the Sleeper. Try to get a berth in the centre of the carriage away from the bogies. Make sure you pack your washbag. Have a meal before boarding.

In the next post are a selection of photos from my trip.

[JayMac]

Crossing into Cornwall on my way down to pick up The Night Riviera


Looking back at Devon


The Night Riviera arriving at Redruth, hauled by 57605 Totnes Castle


The Lounge Car for Sleeper berth passengers only


Supper!


Washbasin (window with blackout blind behind)


Plenty of 'Do's and Do Not's'. Time for those shaver sockets to be replaced with standard plug sockets


Clean and comfortable bed


Temperature and light controls. Call button for the steward and to the side a headphone socket for the Volo TV


Tucked up in bed with a beer, and Doctor Who on the telly. Perfect!


Room service breakfast. Poor show


57603 Tintagel Castle backed onto the Up Sleeper at Paddington ready to haul the empty set to Old Oak Common


1st Class Lounge, Paddington. Excellent bean to cup coffee!

[BerkshireBugsy]

Thanks for posting BNM -  have often wondered what the sleeper was like and now I know!

Thanks again for the insite

[bobm]

First time I have seen the sleeper compartments since they introduced duvets.  Given that the berth is hard up against the wall so the ability to wedge it is limited, does the duvet stay on as you turn over in the night or are you in danger of waking up with a cold back?

[JayMac]

I had no issue with the duvet. No cold back as I kept a t-shirt on. I did however awake to find that the mattress sheet had become untucked. Despite one leg being on the plastic covered mattress it didn't wake me.

[BerkshireBugsy]

Out of curiosity if the service is running to time does anyone  know what time the service passes through Thatcham ? If the wind is in the right direction I often hear a service pass through about 430 am

[swrural]

Brill, BNM.  A few thoughts.

Why can't the steward serve you coffee for an extra few quid if they are so tight with the extras?  Simple surely?

My own (and Mrs SWR^» (South Western Railway - about)'s) problem with night trains is that they dump you at the destination at an unearthly hour.  Mrs SWR calls 0700 'the crack of dawn', even in July.  The other is indeed the need for earplugs.  The 'backpackers on the wayside station platform telling jokes to great mirth at 0300' syndrome is an old friend when we travelled abroad.

If the night train followed what Mr Collett in 1930 would have regarded as a fast freight time with a 47xx (I am contributing to its GWS resurrection), an arrival at 0730 would be much more pleasant.  Indeed if the train were sidetracked into a remote loop, all the better???

[JayMac]

Out of curiosity if the service is running to time does anyone  know what time the service passes through Thatcham ? If the wind is in the right direction I often hear a service pass through about 430 am

At the moment the up Sleeper is travelling via Bristol and Swindon. Last week it was travelling via Bristol and Trowbridge. Via Bristol and Swindon appears to be the case for weeks to come as well. When it does travel via the Berks & Hants it tends to pass Thatcham (if on time) around 0330. It's booked to set down at Reading at 0400 on weekdays.

Overnight engineering regularly affects the Night Riviera. It has many route options and very generous timings.