CAF MK5 Sleeper
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Mark 5 carriages built by Spanish firm CAF, for use on Caledonian Sleeper services between London to Scotland, entering service in 2019.
MkV sleeper carriage 15308 in the Sidings at Fort William connected to the ETH shore supply. 29th September 2022. Photo by Dysgraphyk
- The 75 carriages in the fleet are of four different types:
Numbers | Type | . | Accommodation | ETH |
15001-15011 | Seated Car (with Brake) | 31 seats | 31 reclining seats. 1 wheelchair space. 1 PRM toilet | 9.5 |
15101-15110 | Club Car (Catering) | ~ | Buffet seating for 28, plus wheelchair space. Galley with kitchen | 14.9 |
15201-15214 | Accessible (Sleeper) Car | 6 rooms | 2 Twin, 2 Double en-suite, 1 Acc Twin, 1 Acc Double. 2 PRM toilets | 12.9 |
15301-15340 | Sleeper Car | 10 rooms | 4 Twin, 6 Twin en-suite. 1 toilet | 18.2 |
- Twin rooms have upper and lower bunk beds. Double rooms have wide double-beds. En-suite rooms have shower and toilet.
- The ETH ratings of the various carriages is that shown on the carriage end data panels.
- The carriages have 12 digit UIC European Vehicle Numbers such as a 967000153189 with prefix and check digit suffix in smaller white numerals, but with the running number in black.
- For maintenance purposes the stock is allocated to Polmadie depot in Glasgow.
- Mk5 sleeper stock have Dellner semi-automatic couplings and can only couple to specially fitted Class 73 and Class 92 locomotives.
- The carriages are each 22.20m long over couplings
Delivery
- The first five coaches began testing at Velim in the Czech Republic in August 2017.
- They were then sent to the UK through the Channel Tunnel, arriving at Polmadie Depot behind 37884 and barrier wagons as train 6Q10 on 16th January 2018. <YouTube - 6Q10 passing Motherwell>.
- Further deliveries from Spain arrived by ship at Tees Dock, and from 9th February 2018 to 16th July 2019 were hauled by Freightliner class 66s (with modified HHA wagons as barriers) via Carlisle to Polmadie as train 6X06 or 6X05 or 6S05.
- The carriages we delivered in unbranded Midnight teal colours, with numbers on paper in the door windows. The full livery would be applied from November 2018 onwards.
- The Mk5 coaches needed various modifications before entering service, and visited Brodie Engineering at Kilmarnock from June 2018 onwards, being hauled by a class 73 from Polmadie. <Flickr>
- Partial Caledonian Sleeper branding applied to a set of 8 coaches released from Kilmarnock on 17/09/18
- Flickr (Ross McK) - Photo of orignal MK5 gangway connection
- Flickr (Ross McK) - Photo of altered MK5 gangway connection
- The last of the 75 coaches to enter passenger service was 15302 on 19th May 2020.
Testing
- A first Test run from Polmadie to Mossend and back ran with 73971 on Monday 09/04/18
- The following day, Tuesday 10/04/18, Test runs from Polmadie to Arrochar commenced with 73971.
- From 24/04/18, overnight test runs from Polmadie to Carlisle & Lancaster commenced, initially with class 90 loco 90048 and modified Mk3 coaches as barriers. <Flickr>
- On 15/06/18, 92038 & 73966 ran to Mossend and back.
- On 22/06/18, 92038 & 73966 were used for a train splitting exercise at Carstairs <YouTube>
- On Sunday 18th November 2018, 73968 ran to Perth and back as 5Z20/5Z21 with an 8 coach Mk5 set, with four in full Caledonian Sleeper livery. <Flickr>
- On the Evening of Friday 8th March 2019 73970 hauled six Mk5 coaches from Polmadie to Fort William, returning the following day as 5Z12.
- On Sunday 9th June 2019, 73966+73969 hauled a set of 8 MK5s as 3Z73 1301 Polmadie Car M.D. - Inverness (via Shotts, Edinburgh, Kirkcaldy & Perth).
- The train ran between Inverness & Perth on the Monday & Tuesday.
- It returned south to Polmadie on Tuesday 18th June as 5Z73.
- On 23rd June 2019, the same locos 73966+73969 again hauled a set of 8 MK5s from Polmadie to Inverness as 5Z25.
- On 26th June 2019, 73966+73969 hauled a Mk5 set as 5Z73 1154 from Inverness via Perth to Aberdeen.
- Trial runs to London Euston ran from 21st January 2019.
In Passenger Service
- The first public use of the new CAF built MK5 Sleeper stock was on the night of 28th April 2019. The 92043 hauled the 1M11 departure from Glasgow Central. 73970 had brought the empty stock from Polmadie, and remained attached to 1M11 as far as Edinburgh. (The trains were diverted via the ECML) <Flickr>
- The Thursday 10th October 2019 was the first time the new Mk5 stock was used on Aberdeen & Inverness sleeper services. (Fort William portion not running)
- The morning of Monday 13th October 2019 saw the first 3-way split of MK5 stock at Edinburgh, with a portion working through to Fort William hauled by 73971 on 1Y11 hauling five coaches.
See Also
Internal Links
External Links
- Caledonian Sleeper website - Accommodation
- Wikipedia: CAF MK5 Sleeper stock
- The Man in Seat 61 - Description and images of Caledonian Sleeper accommodation
- Rail Engineer Magazine - CAF Mark 5 coaches