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First of new £100m Caledonian Sleeper carriages arrive in UK

Caledonian Sleeper has received the first carriages of its new £100m fleet, which arrived in the UK this week.

The fleet consists of 75 new carriages to be introduced in phases from October, with five of them arriving for testing on the outskirts of Glasgow ready to be fitted-out internally at a later date.

Carriages have been delivered through the Channel Tunnel, travelling from the Velim test centre in the Czech Republic where they have been undergoing mandatory trials.

Caledonian Sleeper says these will be the first new sleeper trains introduced in the UK for 35 years. They are being constructed by CAF in Spain at a cost of over £100m, partly funded by a £60m capital grant from the Scottish Government.

Responding to the new arrivals, Scottish transport minister Humza Yousaf commented: “The Caledonian Sleeper is an iconic rail service, recognised in Scotland and across the world.

“The introduction of new rolling stock, with features new to UK railways, can only enhance its reputation. The arrival of the first trains to Scotland for testing is a major milestone and one that brings us closer to their introduction from October of this year.”

The first of the fleet will debut on the ‘lowlander’ route between London and Glasgow/Edinburgh, with tickets available next month.

Peter Strachan, chairman of Serco Caledonian Sleeper, said: “We believe the new Caledonian Sleeper trains will truly set a new standard in overnight travel and we have worked closely with Transport Scotland on their development since taking over the franchise in 2015.

“The Sleeper is known throughout the UK as a great way to travel and it is our intention to improve on every aspect of that journey, while offering great value of money for our guests. It is particularly exciting to welcome the first carriages to Scotland, as it highlights just how close we are to the debut of the new trains on our Lowlander route this October.”

Strachan spoke to RTM about the new fleet in October 2017, explaining the new features that it would bring to British long-distance journeys.

Early images of the fleet were released in August last year.

Images: Caledonian Sleeper

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