Caledonian Mk5s
Introduction of CAF Mk 5 Sleepers delayed to May 2019, with Caledonian Sleeper saying more tests are needed.
THE planned introduction of Caledonian Sleeper’s CAF Mk 5s has been delayed from this month until next spring.
The Spanish-built stock had been due to enter service on October 28 on the London Euston-Edinburgh/ Glasgow Central ‘Lowlander’ route. However, CS Managing Director Ryan Flaherty said on October 1 that would not happen.
He said: “With five different accommodation types, as well as on-board catering, dining and shower facilities, this is the most complex introduction of new rolling stock ever undertaken in the UK, and we are determined to get it right.”
The operator claims the stock will be in traffic on both its routes by the end of May 2019.
It is still planned that the Central Belt service will be introduced first, quickly followed by the trains to Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness.
There are currently 40 Mk 5s in the UK undergoing testing and commissioning, while they are also receiving modifications at Brodie’s in Kilmarnock. A further 35 are to be delivered from northern Spain, and these will arrive between the end of October and the end of January.
“This is the first introduction of new Sleeper rolling stock in the UK for over 35 years,” the operator said in a statement. “The process of testing and gaining the necessary regulatory and operating approvals is time-consuming and complex, and there is still work to be done before the new carriages can be brought into service.”
Passengers booked on the first planned use of Mk 5s on October 28 have been offered a full refund.
TransPennine Express also has Mk 5s on order from CAF, with six sets in the UK as this issue of RAIL went to press. The operator confirmed to RAIL on October 2 that it was still intending to introduce its stock this year.