The first carriages of the new £100 million fleet of Caledonian Sleeper trains have arrived in the UK and are set to be entered into service later this year.
From October, the overnight rail service will feature 75 new carriages, the first five of which have arrived near Glasgow for testing. These carriages will be fitted out following the tests, while more carriages will arrive fully fitted at a later date.
The introduction of the new trains is one of a range of improvements and investments being made in Caledonian Sleeper since it was acquired by Serco from the Scottish government in 2015. Serco says the service has seen a 21 per cent increase in journeys since the take-over.
The new trains will initially debut on the ‘Lowlander’ route between London and Glasgow/Edinburgh, with tickets available from February. According to Caledonian Sleeper, they will be the first new sleeper cars introduced in the UK for more than 35 years. They will feature Comfort seats at entry level, twin and single Classic rooms, twin or single Club rooms with en-suites, and double Suites with en-suites (pictured above). All room levels will be available in a fully accessible version for guests with limited mobility.
Caledonian Sleeper says other new features will include a hotel-style key card entry system, more accessible rooms, charging panels and wifi throughout the train. Guests who book a cabin will be guaranteed single occupancy unless they specify a choice to share with a partner.
Peter Strachan, chairman of Serco Caledonian Sleeper, said: “We believe the new Caledonian Sleeper trains will truly set a new standard in overnight travel and we have worked closely with Transport Scotland on their development since taking over the franchise in 2015.”
newtrains.sleeper.scot