The Serco Caledonian Sleeper has launched their new £150m fleet of Mk5 coaching stock.
The new carriages made their inaugural revenue earning trip on Sunday 28th April 2019, on the Lowlander Sleeper route from London to Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Their introduction on to the Highlander route between London, Aberdeen, Inverness, and Fort William will follow in the coming weeks.
The fleet, partly funded by the UK Central Government alongside capital grants from Scottish Ministers, is designed to accommodate the ‘modern-day traveller'. Offering a large variety of accommodation; ranging from comfy seats for the budget traveller, to rooms with double beds and en-suites (a first for the Caledonian Sleeper).
Accommodation includes:
- Completely new redesigned comfort seats with a personal locker, reading light and charging point,
- Classic Rooms (solo or shared use with an option of interconnecting rooms, toiletries included),
- Club Rooms (solo or shared use with en-suite, station lounge access, breakfast, luxury toiletries included),
- Caledonian Double (double bed with en-suite, station lounge access, breakfast, luxury toiletries included),
- Accessible Rooms (double or twin, toiletries included and directly adjacent to the accessible toilet).
Prices range from £45 for Comfort Seats, to £400 for a shared Caledonian Double:*
| Single | Shared | |
| Comfort Seat | £45 | N/A |
| Classic Room | £140 | £170 |
| Club Room | £205 | £250 |
| Caledonian Double | £335 | £400 |
*Prices correct at time of writing.
All Accessible Rooms are priced at the same level as Classic Rooms. Caledonian has worked alongside The Shaw Trust. to ensure the best possible experience for guests with access needs, including placing accessible toilets adjacent to accessible rooms. Also, Guest Lounges at Dundee, Fort William, Leuchars, Perth, Stirling and Inverness all offer accessible shower facilities.
Other new features on board include a hotel-style key card entry system, charging panels and WiFi throughout the train.
Dream Big
In addition to introducing its new fleet of carriages, Caledonian Sleeper has also launched a new marketing campaign which will inspire potential guests to ‘Dream Big'. Debuting across digital, social and outdoor advertising platforms, it is designed to encourage a new audience to discover Caledonian Sleeper and the world of possibilities it unlocks.
https://youtu.be/xFTp4c1sfq4
To book a trip on the new Caledonian Sleeper, visit www.sleeper.scot.
What did the officials say?
Ryan Flaherty, Serco's Managing Director for Caledonian Sleeper, said:
“Our new trains have been years in the making and to see them make their debut is a huge moment for everyone involved in making this dream a reality.
“The overriding ambition has been to deliver on our vision of a Caledonian Sleeper service fit for today's traveller, one that combines the modern facilities people expect with that feeling of nostalgia that comes from long-distance railway travel. We want guests to have a magical journey with us, whether they are travelling for business or for pleasure.”
Rupert Soames, Chief Executive of Serco, said:
“This is a proud and exciting moment for everyone who has been involved in bringing these new trains into service. It has been an incredibly complex project and this is the culmination of a huge effort and investment by all parties. We are very grateful to everyone who has contributed and we can now look forward to the new service and all that it offers to travellers between Scotland and London.”
Michael Matheson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, said:
“The Scottish Government is proud to have played its part in the launch of this new Caledonian Sleeper service. In subsidy over the 15 years of this Franchise, in support for this fleet of new trains, and in funding for stations and passenger lounges – this is clear evidence of our genuine commitment to both rail and tourism in Scotland.
“The scale of change is remarkable, and a credit to everyone who has worked on this project. I know those involved have been driven by an ethos of transforming the passenger experience and putting guests first. This is demonstrated by the on-board staff, the real stars of this service.
“Caledonian Sleeper shows the best of railways, and the best of Scotland. It's time for this franchise to shine, and to be a real source of pride for the people of Scotland.”
Rt Hon David Mundell MP, Secretary of State for Scotland, said:
“It is fantastic to see the launch of the new Caledonian Sleeper service. The UK Government has invested £50 million in the new fleet, improving vital connectivity between Scotland and England, and improving the service for the thousands of passengers. I was pleased to travel on their debut journey and look forward to using this service for years to come.”
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Wonderful news. The New Caledonian Sleeper Mk5 carriages do look very nice both outside and inside. Including the shoe polishing machine that is been included. But overall brilliant news.
A classic case of we are introducing major improvements to our customers and in the process are going to rip you off with steep price increases. Sleeper travel use to be just about affordable but with the Lowland service departing just before midnight and arriving at your final destination just after 7am does the additional cost make it justifiable, I think not so don’t be surprised to find in the very near future either prices will fall or more likely the service will disappear as it won’t be profitable for Serco.