Night Riviera Sleeper train - between Paddington and Penzance

[whole diary]

[grahame]

A hell of a time to reach PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) though….no thanks

Ah - but das thumbtwiddlin at Reading which the sleeper already does could be extended, surely, with no change to Paddington arrival time.

[bobm]

In these current times of us not being able to trust what we are told - is the engineering work convenient excuse to save running the sleeper on quieter nights?

The London-bound train passes Dawlish at 10 minutes past midnight
Would a 30 minute earlier departure from Penzance - 20:45 rather than 21:15 and 22:45 rather than 23:15 from Plymouth really make a difference to people?  That would mean it was NOT the last train of the day through Dawlish. Personal sleeper over the years would have welcomed not having to wait around until some late hour.

The Penzance-bound train passes Dawlish at 10 minutes to five in the morning
Would an arrive at Plymouth at 06:30, and Penzance at 08:45, ruin the service? That would put it past Dawlish about an hour later, well after the local service has started.

Even if the last and first local trains are buses, how bad would an 8 p.m. sleeper from Penzance, 10 p.m. from Plymouth, and an 07:30 arrival into Plymouth, 09:30 into Penzance be?

Just to note the sleeper only leaves at 21:15 on a Sunday - it is 21:45 the rest of the time.   Leaving an hour earlier but aiming for a same time arrival in London might have an effect on staff hours.

[broadgage]

This looks like another attempt at closure by stealth, or if closure cant be achieved at least an attempt to obtain a larger subsidy to keep the service running.

It seems that the sleeper COULD run during the engineering work with relatively minor alterations to the timings, but why bother ? Simpler to just cancel and hope that passengers fly or drive instead, don't worry about the climate emergency that is now last years news.

has the survey been done yet to show that most passengers don't use the sleeper, and that those do would find a not sleeper preferable.

[ChrisB]

No it doesn’t!

[Jamsdad]

I really find this partial suspension illogical, and as a regular sleeper user very very annoying. It would not be a big deal to run a bit earlier, I doubt that may  Cornish sleeper passengers would object to a slightly earlier departure,  or indeed for the down service a slightly later arrival.

[IndustryInsider]

As Bobm said, it might well be to do with staffing hours.  I believe they are stretched to near maximum already for the sleeper crews.

[grahame]

As Bobm said, it might well be to do with staffing hours.  I believe they are stretched to near maximum already for the sleeper crews.

At the risk of making a very unpopular suggestion - on these middle-of-the-week days, could the sleeper start from / end at Reading, with passengers able to join early / leave late there rather like as at Paddington, and connect into/outof London on a train to suit there journey.  It's not like having to change in the middle of the night.

[IndustryInsider]

As Bobm said, it might well be to do with staffing hours.  I believe they are stretched to near maximum already for the sleeper crews.

At the risk of making a very unpopular suggestion - on these middle-of-the-week days, could the sleeper start from / end at Reading, with passengers able to join early / leave late there rather like as at Paddington, and connect into/outof London on a train to suit there journey.  It's not like having to change in the middle of the night.

The staffing hours might be extended even further if you did that, depending on where the crews were based.

[grahame]

The staffing hours might be extended even further if you did that, depending on where the crews were based.

On reflection, yes, I guess so.  I was thinking of the train hours, but of course the crews aren't necessarily based in the Reading Traincare Depot

[TaplowGreen]

A move to a later arrival in Plymouth Westbound would make it a far more attractive proposition to those visiting the largest & most strategically significant City in the South West.

Just now its arrival is far too early.

[Jamsdad]

That make a lot of sense, Plymouth lost out when they stopped detaching one of the sleeper coaches there to allow for a civilised getting up time.The problem would then be maintaining he connection with the Scillonian at Penzance.

[grahame]

That make a lot of sense, Plymouth lost out when they stopped detaching one of the sleeper coaches there to allow for a civilised getting up time.The problem would then be maintaining he connection with the Scillonian at Penzance.

Interesting - how much traffic comes off the sleeper to the Scillies (and vice versa?)   I do know that the small islands off Mallaig bring a surprising number of connecting passengers to and from the train, and suspect there could be a similarity.

[Jamsdad]

I cant give the exact numbers but anecdotaly its the main way for Scillies residents to go up to London .

[grahame]

I cant give the exact numbers but anecdotaly its the main way for Scillies residents to go up to London .

A population of 2,280 ... if each travels to London and back once a year ... I make that between 8 and 10 passengers on each sleeper journey, and a small by steady and significant traffic.   But how many trips does the average Scicillonian make to London each year?   

Having said which, that's a lot more population that those who are on the small islands off Mallaig - Canna 6; Eigg 87; Muck 38; Rum 22. Add Inverie and perhaps other scattered hamlets on Knoydart that have no road access - 70?  And we end up silly off sleeper topic!

[TJ]

This link provides fuller information

https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/gwr-sleeper-service-set-to-be-impacted-for-eight-weeks-while-work-to-protect-vital-rail-link-to-south-west-continues-2