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Strike on Caledonian Sleeper train 22-24 Dec

There will be a 48 hour strike on the Caledonian Sleeper overnight train service which links Glasgow and Edinburgh, and towns north, to London and other cities in England.

The strike starts at 1830 (6:30pm) on the 22nd of December and will run for 48 hours.

Over 91% voted in favour of the industrial action.
The union has claimed the operator Serco has failed to fix a raft of issues with the rolling stock.

They are taking the action for the health and safety of their passengers, and themselves. They are not striking for any money issue.

The union have recorded more than 200 defects on trains including:

●Disconnected smoke detectors, inoperable toilets and faulty lighting and heating systems.

●Air conditioning problems throughout the summer.

●No hot water in some coaches for hand washing.

●Pungent smell from toilets and an issue with batteries under some coaches giving off a strong smell.

●Loss of power in coaches during journeys which means staff have to find alternative accommodation during the night for irate passengers.

●Serious problem with a number of wheel defects which has led to some services being completely cancelled and passengers being bussed from Scotland to London.

During the strike passengers will likely use daytime trains instead.

Posted by
9550 posts

Goodness, that list of problems, shortcomings, and defects certainly renders the idea of the Caledonian sleeper train decidedly unromantic! I hope their action will bring some attention to the needed updates/repairs.

Posted by
5326 posts

There is a competitor running road coaches with beds in them.

If the sleeper equipment is so clapped out maybe it has had its day, like many other night services across Europe.