Caledonian sleeper among ‘world’s best’ rail trips
The Fort William service, which is known colloquially as The Deerstalker, has been placed in the same group of great train rides as The Shanghai Maglev, the Tren Crucero through the heart of Ecuador, the Sunset Limited between Los Angeles and New Orleans, the Trans Alpine Express in New Zealand’s stunning South Island and the Danube Express between Budapest and Istanbul.
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Hide AdTop travel guide Travel said the Caledonian Sleeper was one of the world’s “most unforgettable train adventures.”
“There are only two sleeper services left in the UK, one of them wending its way slowly from London to Penzance. This 13-hour route is the more stunning.....hurtling through the night and hitting Edinburgh in the early hours so you can peek at a city waking up,” it says.
“From here it’s non-stop on the sensational photo opps: misty Loch Lomond cradled by mountains; the wildly beautiful expanse of wind-blown Rannoch Moor. At old Victorian station platforms, lonely tearooms survey the tracks. Beyond, velvety green hills are washed with weak sun. Go in spring, when the light and flowers lend the surroundings extra special beauty - and be prepared for a tight squeeze, as the cabins aren’t very spacious.”
The guide recommended that passengers watch out for Rannoch Station - gateway to the wild moor, which is “so remote that rail is pretty much the only way to get there.”
The guide reads: “Your nose will be superglued to the window as you take in the faded purple heathland and the chiffon-like silhouettes of foggy hills beyond,”
Before adding:”If you opt for a bargain first class ticket, you’ll get your own cabin and wake to breakfast delivered by your own onboard steward, so there’s no need to fear stale teacakes and over-brewed tea.”
The total Caledonian Sleeper service connects London Euston nightly - except Saturday - with Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Fort William, Glasgow and Inverness, and intermediate stations.
But it was the route to Fort William that won over Travel’s train buffs.
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Hide AdSerco are to take overthe franchise from Aberdeen-based First Group.
The company already offers luxury sleeper services in Australia. The new 15-year franchise will start in April 2015.
Serco will be responsible for operating all aspects of the Caledonian Sleeper including marketing, sales, passenger services, station facilities and fleet maintenance.
More than £100m will be invested in building 72 state of the art carriages, which will make up four new trains, at a cost of £100m by the summer of 2018.
It will be part-funded by a £60m grant from the Scottish government.
The rolling stock will be built by CAF, which also built Edinburgh’s new trams.
Serco is promising improvements including en-suite berths, “pod flatbeds” and a brasserie-style club car.
And a partnership with luxury hospitality firm Inverlochy Castle Management International and Michelin-starred chef Albert Roux will introduce what is described as “hotel-style service and an improved all-round travelling experience”.
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Hide AdAnnouncing the new contract earlier this year, Scottish Transport Minister Keith Brown said the aim was to “transform this iconic rail service”.
He added: “The contract secures the future of the Caledonian Sleeper, ensuring it delivers a service fit for the 21st century and that it provides - as it has done for over 100 years - a unique, valued and high profile overnight service between Scotland and London.”
Around 270,000 journeys were made on the sleeper service in the last full year.
But Rail workers union the RMT has said it is “deeply concerned” that the contract had been given to Serco.
Acting General Secretary Mike Cash said: “This is a company with a truly shocking track record in the delivery of public services. Quite frankly, with their appalling list of failures in the UK and globally, they should never have even been considered as contenders for the Scottish sleeper service. The logical option of public ownership was not even looked at. Serco is a company that has a reputation for promising the earth and delivering quite the opposite as they seek to maximise profits and sweat their assets for every single penny piece.”
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