Row as Caledonian Sleeper trains now oldest in the UK
Commuters paying through the nose for ‘decrepit’ trains, says think tank
THE Caledonian Sleeper service to London is operated by the oldest trains in the UK with the overall age of railway rolling stock now the oldest in at least 15 years.
According to Office of Rail and Road (ORR) statistics, across the UK rolling stock is now 21 years old on average which is higher than at any point in publicly available records.
But trains on the overnight Caledonian Sleeper service between London and Scotland are 41 years old on average.
Serco, which took over the Sleeper franchise in April 2015, has pledged to introduce new trains in 2018.
However, a think tank claimed passengers are “paying through the nose for decrepit trains”.
Merseyrail has the second-oldest fleet at 37 years, followed by TfL Rail (36) and Great Western Railway (33).
Virgin Trains East Coast, which runs from Inverness and Aberdeen to London, is well above the UK average at 30 years old.
Scotland’s biggest operator, ScotRail, is slightly younger than the UK average at 20 years.
A Serco spokesman said: “This will be the culmination of a raft of improvements and investments that we have already brought to the service including a new Guest Service Centre in Inverness as well as new uniforms, toiletries and food and beverage offer, all supplied by Scottish companies.
“We demonstrated a prototype of the new trains earlier in the year. The designs include a number of improvements based on discussion with stakeholders and model testing, including the introduction of double beds which will enhance the Caledonian Sleeper’s reputation for being one of the world’s most enchanting rail journeys.”
A ScotRail Alliance spokesman said: “We are going through the biggest change and improvement in our railway infrastructure since the Victorian era. Our £475 million train improvement programme means new faster, longer, greener trains, upgrades to our existing fleet and delivery of exciting upgrades like better wi-fi and at-seat power points.
“This is an extraordinary programme of works and will give Scotland a railway of which we can be truly proud.”
TransPennine Express, which runs from northern England to Scotland, runs the newest trains at just nine years old on average.
But Ed Cox, director of the think tank IPPR North, said: “It is little wonder that Britain lags behind other developed nations when commuters pay through the nose for decrepit trains.”
Lianna Etkind, public transport campaigner at the Campaign for Better Transport, said the current age of trains “exemplifies the lack of public and passenger involvement” in the network.
A spokeswoman for Virgin Trains East Coast said: “This is an exciting time for our customers.
“After taking over the east coast route last year, we have nearly completed a £20m overhaul of our entire train fleet, replacing old carpets, upholstery and toilets.
“From 2018 we’ll start introducing a state-of-the-art fleet of 65 Azuma trains which will revolutionise journeys and usher in a new era of style and luxury for intercity passengers.”
‘‘ Our £475m train improvement programme means new faster, longer, greener trains, upgrades to our existing fleet and delivery of exciting upgrades