Night Riviera sleeper service - Cornwall to London

[whole diary]

[anthony215]

The only grey liveried  locomotives I know of are either that DCR class 56 or the chiltern class 67's

[devon_metro]

Presumably an ex Virgin 57/3

[EBrown]

I'm told it's booked as 57603.

[LiskeardRich]

I've had it confirmed as 57603 to me

[Cornish Traveller]

  Now only 1 berth left for booking Friday night - get in there quick for last minute weekend trip to Cornwall folks !! (or you will be in seating coaches instead)

[Mookiemoo]

Now only 1 berth left for booking Friday night - get in there quick for last minute weekend trip to Cornwall folks !! (or you will be in seating coaches instead)

3rd August was sold out two months ago so its no surprise!

[broadgage]

Is the sleeper often sold out ?
If so perhaps an extra sleeper coach could be provided ?
That would presumably bring in more revenue at little extra cost.
I would presume that the locomotive could easily keep to time with the extra load in view of the modest average speed at which the sleeper runs.

[The Tall Controller]

I went up to London on a Tuesday night and it was sold out. It must run full each night to make a profit but its positive news given the instability of the service a few years back.

[Super Guard]

Is the sleeper often sold out ?
If so perhaps an extra sleeper coach could be provided ?
That would presumably bring in more revenue at little extra cost.
I would presume that the locomotive could easily keep to time with the extra load in view of the modest average speed at which the sleeper runs.

Most of the time, occasionally there are lightly loaded nights (generally Tues/Wed nights)...

Sunday Up & Friday Down Services have 5 sleeper coaches, all other nights run with 4.

A Sleeper Attendant is required for each 2 sleeper coaches, so on the nights with 5 coaches, an extra member of staff is rostered.

With 5 sleeper coaches running round only once a week in each direction, I imagine this allows maintenance as and when required on the other coaches.

I think the stock is too tight to run 5 in each direction every night, given I was told they had maintenance tearing their hair out when it was proposed to strengthen to 4 a night.

[The SprinterMeister]

Is the sleeper often sold out ?
If so perhaps an extra sleeper coach could be provided ?
That would presumably bring in more revenue at little extra cost.
I would presume that the locomotive could easily keep to time with the extra load in view of the modest average speed at which the sleeper runs.

Don't know about the down train from Exeter onwards but 1A40 is quite smartly timed between Penzance and Plymouth. You'd struggle with load 9 and platforming the train becomes more critical as well.

[bobm]

Interestingly last night's Highland Caledonian sleeper's Inverness portion was officially sold out but the whole of coach L was unused. I assume it may have been a positioning move to get the coach "up north".

[The Tall Controller]

I had a chat with two of my FirstGroup colleagues and both didn't know this. Does the sleeper have SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening)? If not then 9 coach sleepers would be pretty hard to manage. 

[Southern Stag]

SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) is fitted and used at Hayle and Lostwithiel, probably a couple more stations when running as load 8 or on the rare occasion it runs as load 9.

[laird]

I've also seen it used Penzance bound at Reading to allow a pre-boarding ticket check.
A good idea unfortunately I'd placed myself on the platform ready to board the sleeper and go straight to my berth thus I had to walk back to the guard but once he was sure I had a ticket the SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) was released and I was then able to walk along the platform to join at the rearmost door thus saving a trip along the narrow corridor with my bag.

[bobm]

I have seen that done at Reading too. I always assumed it was to enforce the pick up only rule at Reading.