Caledonian Sleeper begins main line Mk 5 testing
MAIN line testing of Caledonian Sleeper Mk 5 stock began on April 9.
GB Railfreight supplied 73968, one of six ‘73/9s’ dedicated to CS, to haul four of the 21 coaches on a return trip from Polmadie to Mossend Yard. A second trip was cancelled due to a compressor fault on the locomotive.
The following day, 73971 hauled the four coaches to Arrochar & Tarbet on the West Highland Line. CS told RAIL that testing has gone well so far.
Over the next two months the stock will be tested on other routes, heading south to Lancaster and Carnforth and running at speeds of up to 110mph.
Those tests will involve a Class 90 hauling the stock - a Mk 3 Sleeper coach owned by Porterbrook will be fitted with a Dellner coupling (as per the new coaches), to enable the ‘90’ to haul the test trips.
Eventually, they must run across all routes on which the coaches will be used, as well as diversionary routes such as the East Coast Main Line and the Joint Line via Spalding.
The coaches used on the test were Seated Cars (SC) 15001/002 and Standard Sleeper Cars (SLC) 15301/302.
“Taking some of the new carriages out on the network for testing marks an exciting phase in our development programme,” said CS New Trains Director Magnus Conn.
“The purpose is to monitor the interaction between vehicle and track, and to check ride comfort in a variety of suspension states and speeds. As testing progresses onto the West Coast Main Line later this month, we will be conducting a variety of tests including running at up to 110mph.”
Spanish manufacturer CAF is building 75 carriages for CS in a £100 million deal, with 21 in Scotland. The latest to arrive are SC 15005, Sleeper car for Persons with Reduced Mobility Technical Specification for Interoperability (ACC) 15203 and Standard SLC 15304/311, which were shipped
to Teesport and then moved by rail to Polmadie for testing and commissioning.
Those in the UK are 15001-003/ 005, Club Car (CC) 15101/103, ACC 15201-203, SLC 15301313/315. Still to be delivered are 15004/006-012, 15102/104-110, 15204-214, 15314/316-340.
Mk 5s are due to enter traffic in October between London Euston and Edinburgh Waverley/Glasgow Central. CS plans to introduce the new coaches on routes to the Scottish Highlands next year. They will operate in four rakes of 16 coaches with 11 spare vehicles. Maintenance will be carried out by Alstom at Polmadie.
Caledonian Sleeper’s new coaches will replace the existing Mk 2s and Mk 3s that it currently operates. The former is owned by the operator, while the latter fleet is leased from Porterbrook.
Although there are plans to return them to their owners, CS is investigating running trains to Wick/Thurso, which are likely to require the older coaches.
Brush Traction Loughborough is modifying GBRf Class 92s to operate with the Mk 5s by fitting Dellner couplings and changes to the power supplies. The first to be modified and in traffic is 92038, while 92023 has had the couplings fitted but requires modifications to its power supply.
Currently at Brush are 92014/ 028/033, while 92006/010/018/ 032/043/044 will also be treated. All six Class 73/9s have been fitted with Dellners.