Wikipedia

Night Riviera

TheNight Rivierais asleeper trainoperated byGreat Western Railway(GWR). It is one of only two sleeper services on the railway in the United Kingdom (the other being the Caledonian Sleeperservices between London and Scotland). TheNight Rivieraruns six nights a week (Sunday–Friday) betweenLondon PaddingtonandPenzancewith one train in each direction.

Night Riviera
57603 in Great Western Railway livery with the Night Riviera at Paddington
57603inGreat Western Railwaylivery with theNight RivieraatPaddington
Overview
Service typeOvernight passenger train
First service11 July 1983
Current operator(s)Great Western Railway
Former operator(s)InterCity (British Rail)
Route
TerminiLondon Paddington
Penzance
Distance travelled305 miles (491 km)
Average journey time7 hours 30 minutes
Service frequency6 x weekly
Train number(s)1C50 (westbound)
1A50 (eastbound)
Line(s) used
Technical
Rolling stock
Route map

Background

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The firstsleeping cartrain on theGreat Western Railwaywas introduced at the end of 1877 fromLondon PaddingtontoPlymouth.This had7 ft(2,134 mm)broad gaugecarriages with two dormitories, one with seven gentlemen's berths and the other with four ladies' berths. These were replaced in 1881 by new carriages with six individual compartments.[1]

An additional service was soon added from London toPenzancewhich eventually became known as theNight Riviera.In 1920, the two trains left London at 22:00 for Penzance and midnight for Plymouth;[2]by 1947, they had been brought forward to 21:50 and 23:50.[3]UnderBritish Railsleeping cars were limited to just the Penzance service[4]although sleeping cars were detached at Plymouth from the Penzance service until 2006.

Incidents

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On 22 December 1945 at 00:45, the sleeper service from Paddington collided with the back of the 23.00 train from Paddington nearSonning.The engine of the sleeper service was derailed and it and four parcel vans on the rear of the 23.00 service were badly damaged.[5]

Taunton sleeping car fire– on 5 July 1978, the up train left Penzance at 21:30. ApproachingTauntonearly the next morning, the emergency brake was activated and it came to a stand short of the station with one of the carriages on fire. This had been caused by dirty linen that had been placed near a heater, which had been a standard and safe practice before the recent change from steam to electric heating. Twelve people died and thirteen were injured.[6][7]

Relaunch in 1983

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Great Western Trains livery, which continued to be used byFirst Great Westernuntil 2008

On 11 July 1983 the Penzance sleeper was relaunched as theNight Riviera,designed to complement the long-established daytimeCornish Riviera.[8]NewMark 3 air-conditioned sleeping carswere introduced with many safety features that had been lacking in theMark 1 sleeping carthat had caught fire at Taunton.[9]These were the first on the route with controlled emission toilets, so discharge facilities were provided atPlymouth LairaandPenzance Long Rockdepots where the carriages were serviced, although for a while the carriages were taken from Paddington toWillesden Depotfor discharging asOld Oak Commonwas not initially equipped.[10]A new pricing scheme was also introduced. Instead of paying a sleeping berth supplement on top of the fare for the journey, all-inclusive fares were introduced that were set at competitive rates. The seating carriages that formed part of the train were mainlyMark 2carriages.[9]The train by now was again leaving London at midnight, shown in the timetables as 23:59.[11]

On 23 November 1983, theNight Rivieraderailed on approach to London Paddington with locomotive50041sliding for 100 metres on its side. There were no casualties.[12]

Privatisationsaw the service become part of theGreat Western Trainsfranchise in February 1996 and the rolling stock was repainted into its green and white livery. Between 29 May 1995 and 26 September 1998 the service was diverted toLondon Waterlooto provide connection withEurostarservices.[13][14][15][16]In December 1998 Great Western Trains was rebranded First Great Western.[17]

When theGreater Western franchisewas up for reletting in 2005, consideration was given to withdrawing the service.[18]The service was retained, but from December 2006 the carriage detached atPlymouthwas withdrawn as it typically only carried four passengers.[19]

The stop atBristol Temple Meadswas also withdrawn, introducing the flexibility to divert the service during overnight engineering works.[20]The Class 47s were replaced in 2004 by fourClass 57s.[21][22][23]

In 2006 formerVirgin West CoastMark 3 carriagesreplaced theMark 2 carriages.[24]They were refurbished byRailcare, Wolvertonin 2008 when they were fitted with reclining seats in the first class and repainted in First Great Western's then blue livery.[25][26][27][28]

In June 2012, with the Greater Western franchise scheduled for renewal the following year, theSecretary of State for Transportconfirmed the service would continue to be subsidised.[29]

During the course of 2017 and 2018 the entire train was refurbished. This included new standard class seats in the seated coach, and a wheelchair space and toilet. There was a refurbished buffet counter and lounge car. All the sleeper carriages were refurbished, and featured keycard locks, allowing passengers to unlock their own cabins for the first time, new lighting, and a wardrobe, along with underbed storage. There was also a disabled accessible berth and toilet added.[30]

Current operations

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Route

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Night Riviera route map
Legend
 London Paddington
Reading
pick up only westbound, set down only eastbound
 Taunton
no service on Sundays
 Exeter St Davids
Newton Abbot
Totnes
eastbound only
 Plymouth
Liskeard
Bodmin Parkway
Lostwithiel
westbound only
 Par
St Austell
Truro
Redruth
Camborne
Hayle
westbound only
 St Erth
Penzance
The sleeper arrives into Paddington bright and early in the morning

The westbound service operates withheadcode1C50, the return 1A50.

FromLondon Paddington,the train stops first atReading(to pick up only) then a long run without stops toTaunton.This allows it to use different routes between Reading and Taunton depending on engineering work or other blockades each night:

In exceptional circumstances it can be diverted betweenCastle CaryandExeter St DavidsviaYeovil Pen Mill,Yeovil JunctionandHoniton,not calling at Taunton and reversing at Exeter.

After Taunton it continues toExeter St Davids,Newton AbbotandPlymouth,crossing intoCornwalland calling atLiskeardthen most stations down theCornish Main LinetoPenzance.

The service from Penzance to London is similar but also calls atTotnes(and omitsLostwithielandHaylewhich are served by the train from London to Penzance) and sets down only at Reading.[31]

Sleeper berth passengers have the use of the First Class Lounge waiting facilities at Paddington that are usually reserved forFirst Classpassengers only.[32]There are sleeper lounges for passengers at Truro and Penzance.

Rolling stock

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Bunk bed
Bar in carriage
The accessible berth introduced in 2018

The train is usually hauled by one of four dedicatedClass 57locomotives. These arerebuiltand re-enginedClass 47sdelivered in 2004.

There are two identical rakes of coaches, one operating each way each night. The seated coaches are usually at the Penzance end of the train. Passengers can board the train from 22:40 at Paddington, or remain on board at Paddington in the morning after arrival until 06:45. The train usually arrives and departs from Platform 1 at Paddington.

It usually consists of seven air-conditionedMark 3carriages,[25]but is eight from Paddington on a Friday night, and from Penzance on a Sunday night. Coaches A and B are seated coaches, C is the Buffet/Lounge Car and the rest aresleeping cars.There are wheelchair spaces in coaches B and D. The sleeping cars are generally made up as six single compartments, and six double in each coach. However this can be altered if demand dictates. Passengers pay standard fares with a supplementary charge for a sleeping berth (a single berth is more expensive per person than twin bunk berths).[32]Alternatively, they can purchase a berth inclusive fare. The coaches have not often been used on any other services. However, on summer Saturdays from 2015 until 2018 the seating coaches from aNight Rivieraset operated a daytime service fromSt ErthtoExeter St Davidsand back toPenzance.[33][34]Additionally, aNight Rivieraset operated a service toOxfordin February 2010.[35]

After the closure ofOld Oak Common TMDin December 2017,Penzance TMDbecame the home depot for maintenance of the rolling stock. At the London end, the stock is serviced atReading TMD.A second Class 57 is attached to the rear of the London-bound train atReadingwhich then hauls the empty stock back to the depot, the reverse being done with the train from London.[36]

In January 2022, FirstGroup called for tenders forelectro-diesel locomotivesto replace the Class 57s.[37]

Class Image Type Top speed Number
mph km/h
Class 57/6 Diesel locomotive 95 152 4
Mark 3
Passenger coach 110 177 8
Mark 3 Sleeper Sleeping car 110 177 10

See also

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References

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  1. ^MacDermot, E T (1931).History of the Great Western Railway.Vol. 2 (1863-1921) (1 ed.). London:Great Western Railway.
  2. ^Time Tables.London: Great Western Railway. 4 October 1920.
  3. ^Time Tables.London: Great Western Railway. 6 October 1947.
  4. ^Western Region Timetable.London: British Railways. 14 June 1965.
  5. ^"West-bound Train in midnight crash. Hundreds of Holiday Makers escape injury".Gloucester Citizen.England. 22 December 1945.Retrieved23 May2017– via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^"Sleeping car blaze".Railway Magazine.No. 929. September 1978. p. 459.
  7. ^Vaughan, Adrian (2003) [2000].Tracks to Disaster.Hersham: Ian Allan Publishing.ISBN0-7110-2985-7.
  8. ^"30 years of the Night Riviera".Rail.No. 728. 7 August 2013. p. 21.
  9. ^ab"Night Riviera cuts sleeper travel costs".Modern Railways.No. 420. Ian Allan Publishing. 1983. p. 454.ISSN0026-8356.
  10. ^Abbott, James (1983). "Controlled emission toilets".Modern Railways.No. 421. Ian Allan Publishing. p. 554.ISSN0026-8356.
  11. ^British Rail Passenger Timetable.London: British Railways. 29 September 1986.
  12. ^"Rude awakening".Rail Enthusiast.January 1984. p. 6.
  13. ^"Rail Chronology: Sheepcote Lane Curve, London: its passenger services".Retrieved6 June2011.
  14. ^"Confirmation of GW sleepers to Waterloo".The Railway Magazine.No. 1129. May 1995. p. 7.
  15. ^"Great Western to axe Eurostar Connection".Rail.No. 334. 1 July 1998. p. 17.
  16. ^"Great Western sleeping car trains return to Paddington".The Railway Magazine.No. 1170. October 1998. p. 15.
  17. ^"It's First Great Western".Rail Magazine.No. 346. 16 December 1998. p. 7.
  18. ^"Night Riviera under threat but Scottish sleepers are safe".The Railway Magazine.No. 1252. August 2005. p. 7.
  19. ^"FGW Ditches Plymouth '08 Turn".Rail Express.No. 121. June 2006. p. 32.
  20. ^Perren, Brian. "First Group's ten-year plans for the Western".Modern Railways.No. 697. Ian Allan Publishing. pp. 61–66.ISSN0026-8356.
  21. ^"First Great Western confirms order for at least three ETH Class 57/6s".Railway Express.No. 84. May 2003. p. 5.
  22. ^"FGW to hire three 57s for Thunderbird duties".The Railway Magazine.No. 1227. July 2003. p. 71.
  23. ^"57602 is first of four Class 57s to be delivered to FGW from Brush".Rail Magazine.No. 475. 26 November 2003. p. 69.
  24. ^"Mk3s enter traffic on Cornish sleeper".Rail.No. 539. 10 May 2006. p. 11.
  25. ^abMarsden, Colin (2008). "Night Riviera refurbished".Modern Railways.Vol. 65, no. 719. Ian Allan Publishing. p. 70.ISSN0026-8356.
  26. ^"Campaigners applaud FGW sleeper relaunch".Rail Magazine.No. 595. 2 July 2008. p. 16.
  27. ^"FGW replaces Mark 2s with Mark 3s on Sleeper".Today's Railways UK.No. 55. July 2006. p. 61.
  28. ^"FGW sleeper gets Mk 3s for Mk 2s".The Railway Magazine.No. 1263. July 2006. p. 69.
  29. ^Demianyk, Graeme (9 June 2012). "Sleeper train to capital is saved; Night service secure for next 15 years".Western Morning News.Northcliffe Newspapers Group Limited. p. 1.FactivaWMN0000020120610e8690002m.(Online version was:"Sleeper train from Penzance to capital is saved".Western Morning News.9 June 2012.Retrieved9 June2012.)
  30. ^"New Night Riviera Sleeper Trains".Great Western Railway.Archived fromthe originalon 2 February 2018.Retrieved1 February2018.
  31. ^"Night Riviera Sleeper".Great Western Railway.Retrieved4 November2019.
  32. ^ab"Night Riviera Sleeper Service".First Great Western. Archived fromthe originalon 29 August 2009.Retrieved16 October2009.
  33. ^"New loco-hauled turn on FGW".Today's Railways UK.No. 151. July 2014. p. 64.
  34. ^"57605 hauls last GWR summer loco-hauled".Today's Railways UK.No. 203. November 2018. p. 66.
  35. ^"FGW sleeper stock works to Oxford".The Railway Magazine.No. 1308. April 2010. p. 74.
  36. ^"Night Riviera servicing moves to Reading".Railways Illustrated.No. 179. January 2018. p. 12.
  37. ^FirstGroup issues tender for bi-mode locomotivesInternational Railway Journal24 January 2022
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