Problems with the Night Riviera sleeper - December 2014 onwards

[whole diary]

[TaplowGreen]

Sounds like a pretty miserable experience all round...………….

28/11/18 21:45 Penzance to London Paddington due 05:01 will be terminated at Reading High Level Jn.
It will no longer call at St Erth, Camborne, Redruth, St Austell, Par, Bodmin Parkway, Liskeard, Totnes, Newton Abbot and London Paddington.
It has been previously delayed and is now 147 minutes late from Taunton.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Additional Information

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) apologies for the delay and alteration to this evenings Night Riveria sleeper service from Penzance to London Paddington.

The service will be subject to a late start from Penzance and will be terminated at Reading.

Ticket acceptance has been agreed with Cross Country on their 22:10 Penzance to Plymouth service for any customers who wish to travel to Plymouth to make use of the lounge facilities at the station and await the sleeper service.

On arrival at Reading, customers are advised to board the next available service towards London Paddington to complete their journey.

[Timmer]

The 57s have got to be replaced but ooooooooz gonna pay for it?

[Adelante_CCT]

I know it didn't but this made me smile - A nice walk down the hill

Paddington due 05:01 will be terminated at Reading High Level Jn

[PhilWakely]

I know it didn't but this made me smile - A nice walk down the hill

Paddington due 05:01 will be terminated at Reading High Level Jn

Not a good night for either Sleeper service. Replacement loco had to be sent down to Penzance from Reading so the Up left almost 3 hours late; missed most stops in Cornwall, Totqnes and Newton Abbot before terminating at Reading with further problems - whilst the Down started at Reading for similar reasons

[bobm]

Agreed - not a good night - but at least it ran.

[bobm]

The down sleeper now being delayed due to a fallen tree between Par and St Austell.

Reports of other fallen trees on the mainline in Cornwall too.

[grahame]

With all these starts and finishes at Reading - something to do with the lack of a 2nd main line locomotive at Reading.  No longer the option of using a class 08 to get the empty train into / out of Paddington?

[Adelante_CCT]

They used it this morning to drag it in from Reading. I'm guessing they wouldn't want it dragged all the way from Paddington at 15mph, a lot of disruption.

[JayMac]

The down sleeper now being delayed due to a fallen tree between Par and St Austell.

1C99 after its disagreement with a tree:


Picture credit: co-tr-paul RailUK Forums

That'll buff out.

[bobm]

Tonight's down starts at Reading again and the up terminates at Reading but both due to be away on time.

[TaplowGreen]

…...alternatively you could sleep at home and fly from Newquay to Gatwick or from Exeter to London City in the morning in just over an hour.

[LiskeardRich]

With all these starts and finishes at Reading - something to do with the lack of a 2nd main line locomotive at Reading.  No longer the option of using a class 08 to get the empty train into / out of Paddington?

The loco scheduled to drag to and fro Paddington was the one sent light engined to Penzance, leaving nothing to do the Paddington dead pull.

[grahame]

Tonight's down starts at Reading again and the up terminates at Reading but both due to be away on time.

I really wouldn't fancy having to get out on 03:59 at Reading to get on another train on to London ... and would hope to be able to get to sleep before 00:45 in the other direction.

[metalrail]

Tonight's down starts at Reading again and the up terminates at Reading but both due to be away on time.

I really wouldn't fancy having to get out on 03:59 at Reading to get on another train on to London ... and would hope to be able to get to sleep before 00:45 in the other direction.

Same here...  does kind of defeat the object of a 'sleeper'

[broadgage]

Very poor indeed.
The whole point of a sleeper, is being able to sleep for the whole journey, or for whichever portion of the journey that one desires.
Being able to board the sleeper in good time, and take refreshment  or go straight to bed should be part of it.
A connecting service requiring a change at Reading is really not on. Barely acceptable under exceptional or emergency conditions, but not as a regular feature as is occurring.

A cynic like me might suspect that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are trying to get rid of the sleeper. They cant just remove it, as sleeper provision is a franchise requirement.
If however enough passengers can be deterred by the need to change trains at Reading and loose a couple of hours sleep, then revenue might drop enough to be able to remove the service in future.