New book chronicles travelling in pyjamas
FOR more than 100 years there have been sleeper trains running to a variety of destinations around the British Isles. The longest running services are those between England and Scotland, which started in 1873.
The Scottish sleeper services, now branded as the Caledonian Sleeper and currently operated by Serco, are due to have 75 new MK 5 carriages introduced to service in October 2018 that will create a new level of hotel-style service, running from London Euston up to Inverness and Aberdeen, and along the West Highland Line to Fort William.
A new book entitled Anglo-Scottish Sleepers, by David Meara, ‘tells the fascinating story of these icons of Britain’s railways, offering a history of the service, including the motorail operation, as well as stories and anecdotes from those who use the sleepers – passengers, attendants, drivers and operational staff. Meara truly captures the essence of what is still one of the most civilised ways of travelling long distances in this country.’
In the final chapter, Meara quotes the Scots author and broadcaster Ludovic Kennedy, who summed up the romance of the Anglo-Scottish sleepers in A Book of Railway Journeys: ‘My own affection for them began as a small boy when travelling to the Scottish Highlands for summer holidays before the war.
‘Then, as now, the delight lay in the unaccustomed break with routine – the bustle of the terminus, porters jostling for the bags; stocking up with literature and chocolate at the platform stall; then, settled in, the long, sweet wait for the whistle and the slow inching forward to the north. Dinner and a fitful sleep, and in the morning a bedside window on another world; deer on the hillside, wind in the heather, the heart of Scotland at my feet.’
A Serco spokesperson said: ‘The introduction of new trains will be the culmination of a wide range of improvements and investment in Caledonian Sleeper since Serco took over the franchise on behalf of the Scottish Government in April 2015. These have had a dramatic impact on the service and, after years of decline in patronage, the number of customer journeys has increased by 21 per cent.’
A host of new features has been included on the new trains, such as a hotel-style key card entry system, more accessible rooms, bespoke ‘comfort seats’ designed for long journeys, upgraded panels for phone and gadget charging, and wifi throughout the train.