Night Riviera - merged posts, ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[grahame]

The 1 minute delay reported to the sleeper is probably a side effect from some internal change being flagged up - it reminds me of the changes we used to see on the Westbury - Southampton 11:11 train on days that it was provided by a 153.  153s could not be routed through platform 3 at Salisbury after some works had been done on the platform, and the signalman was alerted by changing the class 2 train into a class 9 train.  Something similar with last night's sleeper??

[Sleepy]

I've been looking at berth availability this month and I'm pleased to report services from Paddington have occupany levels of around 97% This certainly seems to justify GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s long term plan of extra Sleeping car every night once Scottish Sleepers have finished using mark 3 stock. This doesn't take into account any "no shows" on the night but having observed people in Lounge turning up and asking about berths they are often re-used anyway.

[Umberleigh]

Well fate has landed me in Redruth until next summer, and I commute down to Penzance on Tuesday and Wednesday each week on the Sleeper. The seats aren’t bad, and they have extra privacy from ‘ears’ on the headrests (sorry, don’t know the term for these?!).

But passenger numbers in the seated coaches do not justify the removal of 2 + 1, especially as a higher density 2 + 1 could have been fitted akin to Voyager first class. Ah well, too late now and just glad that the service is both popular and being invested in

[LiskeardRich]

Well fate has landed me in Redruth until next summer, and I commute down to Penzance

Sorry to hear that! 

[Umberleigh]

It’s wonderful to see the investment in the Sleeper service and associated station facilities (if not the actual motive power).

However, the reclining First Class seats and 2 +1 layout in the seated coaches will be sorely missed and are a retrograde step. It always felt a bit special coming back late from London in these coaches, now it just feels like a commuter train after dark.

I have been told that the seated coaches are designed for the Cornish leg of the Down sleeper - i.e: early commuters travelling relatively short distances.

The wonderful; Sleeper staff (they all are!) have been telling us Cornish commuters that we will no longer be able to join the Down Sleeper in the mornings, as it will become ‘set-down only’. Instead we will get an unreliable Cross Country service at 07.20.

[bradbrka]

It’s wonderful to see the investment in the Sleeper service and associated station facilities (if not the actual motive power).

However, the reclining First Class seats and 2 +1 layout in the seated coaches will be sorely missed and are a retrograde step. It always felt a bit special coming back late from London in these coaches, now it just feels like a commuter train after dark.

I have been told that the seated coaches are designed for the Cornish leg of the Down sleeper - i.e: early commuters travelling relatively short distances.

The wonderful; Sleeper staff (they all are!) have been telling us Cornish commuters that we will no longer be able to join the Down Sleeper in the mornings, as it will become ‘set-down only’. Instead we will get an unreliable Cross Country service at 07.20.

They could use the new 0600 service from Plymouth that arrives at Penzance at 0800.

[LiskeardRich]

It’s wonderful to see the investment in the Sleeper service and associated station facilities (if not the actual motive power).

However, the reclining First Class seats and 2 +1 layout in the seated coaches will be sorely missed and are a retrograde step. It always felt a bit special coming back late from London in these coaches, now it just feels like a commuter train after dark.

I have been told that the seated coaches are designed for the Cornish leg of the Down sleeper - i.e: early commuters travelling relatively short distances.

The wonderful; Sleeper staff (they all are!) have been telling us Cornish commuters that we will no longer be able to join the Down Sleeper in the mornings, as it will become ‘set-down only’. Instead we will get an unreliable Cross Country service at 07.20.

There’s a new early service on December timetable change

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C45061/2019/12/18/advanced

[Umberleigh]

Ah, that’s nice of GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) to swap the nice refurbished, smooth, warm, comfortable Mk 3 I travel on for some slow, ratty, draughty old DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) with the usual condensation running down the insides of the windows and fast food litter kicking around the uncarpeted floor.

Made all the better, I should add, by knowing that the Sleeper will drop off passengers at Redruth but refuse to let me on.

[IndustryInsider]

Of course an opposing point of view might be that it’s nice of GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) to think about its customers by keeping those travelling down on the sleeper in seated accommodation from having their peace and quiet disturbed by a load of noisy commuters loudly tapping on their keyboards and rustling their Metros.

[grahame]

There’s a new early service on December timetable change

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C45061/2019/12/18/advanced

There seem to be an awful lot of westbound trains heading west from Truro ... at Penwithers Junction ...

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced/PNWTHRJ/2019/12/18/0702

07:02 - Falmouth Docks (from Truro)
07:12 - Penzance (this one's the sleeper from London)
07:14 - Penzance (from Plymouth)
07:37 - Penzance (from Plymouth)
07:45 - Falmouth Docks (from Truro)
07:57 - Penzance (from Plymouth)

[JayMac]

Ah, that’s nice of GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) to swap the nice refurbished, smooth, warm, comfortable Mk 3 I travel on for some slow, ratty, draughty old DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) with the usual condensation running down the insides of the windows and fast food litter kicking around the uncarpeted floor.

Made all the better, I should add, by knowing that the Sleeper will drop off passengers at Redruth but refuse to let me on.

Is it definitely a DMU? Could it be a shortened HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units))?

[LiskeardRich]

Ah, that’s nice of GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) to swap the nice refurbished, smooth, warm, comfortable Mk 3 I travel on for some slow, ratty, draughty old DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) with the usual condensation running down the insides of the windows and fast food litter kicking around the uncarpeted floor.

Made all the better, I should add, by knowing that the Sleeper will drop off passengers at Redruth but refuse to let me on.

I believe it’s a 2+4 hst

[phile]

Ah, that’s nice of GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) to swap the nice refurbished, smooth, warm, comfortable Mk 3 I travel on for some slow, ratty, draughty old DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) with the usual condensation running down the insides of the windows and fast food litter kicking around the uncarpeted floor.

Made all the better, I should add, by knowing that the Sleeper will drop off passengers at Redruth but refuse to let me on.

Is it definitely a DMU? Could it be a shortened HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units))?

Looks like a shortened HST

[The Tall Controller]

So the 'nice refurbished, smooth, warm, comfortable Mk 3s' have been replaced by nice refurbished, smooth, warm, comfortable Mk 3s that will probably run more reliably!

[bobm]

The up sleeper failed near Ivybridge last night and had to be rescued by the Rail Head Treatment train.  Carriages were taken back to Plymouth and passengers moved to an IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)).  Arrival in London was just over two hours late.