In the United Kingdom, there are a few overnight train sleeper services that still run on the rail network, connecting London to destinations far and wide.
- Caledonian Sleeper, serving the Lowland destinations (London Euston to Glasgow Central or Edinburgh Waverley)
- Caledonian Sleeper, serving the Highland destinations (London Euston to Fort William, Inverness, and Aberdeen)
- Great Western Railway’s Night Rivera, serving the South West (London Paddington to Penzance)
Today, we’ll look at the services operated by Caledonian Sleeper. Currently, these services are being operated with Mark 3 rolling sleeper stock that are in need of replacement as part of the companies franchise commitments.
A prototype of the new carriages has been revealed with what they’ll look inside.
The carriage during the day… – Image, Caledonian Sleeper
… and at night – Image, Caledonian Sleeper
The new train carriages will feature double room accommodation (which will be a new feature in the UK). In addition, rooms with en-suite toilets and showers will feature too).
Creature comforts such as WiFi, charging facilities, and reclining seats are also being designed into the new
Caledonian Sleeper also want to make it more of a hotel style affair, with key-card entry and accessibility features.
In addition, the lounge car will be updated – with more seating options (as opposed to the fixed seating normally seen on trains) and social spaces.
All the work is give the accommodation a piece of contemporary Scotland.
The new carriages are being built by CAF in Spain. The carriages are due to enter service in 2018.
And it will need to offer quality as well as value. Competition between London and Scotland is intense. Here’s some of the options:
- Air – There is fierce competition between the London Airports to Scotland, with British Airways, EasyJet, Ryanair and FlyBe operating services
- Rail – As well as the Caledonian Sleeper nighttime service, daytime services are operated by Virgin Trains (via the West Coast) and Virgin Trains East Coast between London and Scotland.
- Bus – National Express and MegaBus operate services from London to Scotland.
None the less, this looks to be a major step up for those who don’t want to take the plane when going to Scotland, but wanting to let the train take the strain.
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