£1.6 million Sleeper lounge opens at Perth Railway Station

A new space for rail travellers has opened in Perth.

A derelict building at the train station has been transformed into a £1.6 million guest lounge for people travelling on the Caledonian Sleeper overnight service to and from London.

The property includes a kitchen for on-board food to be prepared and wet rooms where customers can take a shower after journeys.

An auditorium, conference rooms and office space have also been created for Sleeper staff training and there are plans to open these to community groups.

The centrepiece of the lounge is a mock-up of Caledonian Sleeper’s new carriages, which are due to be introduced next May.

Ryan Flaherty, managing director at Caledonian Sleeper, said: “We’re very excited to be unveiling our new training facility and guest lounge in Perth.

“Our people are at the heart of everything we do and these new facilities will allow us to grow our people, helping them to learn new skills and improve our already excellent hospitality offering.

“The lounge is a major milestone, as we are committed to ensuring guests have the best possible experience in all aspects of their journey.

“That’s why this investment is so important, as it will allow our guests to relax in comfort ahead of boarding or to refresh themselves once they step off the train in the morning.”

The facilities, behind platform seven, are only available for people travelling on the Caledonian Sleeper. It is one of five Sleeper lounges to open this year in a major programme, helped by the Scottish Stations Investment Fund. A new lounge was recently opened in Stirling, following Dundee, Fort William and Leuchars.

The Perth refurbishment was part-funded by the Railway Heritage Trust.