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 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


  • 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>


  • class 92 loco 92038 with Mk5 stock on a Polmadie - Carstairs test run on 11/07/2018. <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.


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)



See Also

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