MK 5s TO ENTER SERVICE IN OCTOBER
Moving Wheels
THE FIRST Mk 5 sleeper vehicles built by CAF for Caledonian Sleeper arrived in the UK on 15 January 2018. CS says the first of the new carriages will enter service in October on the ‘Lowlander’ route between London and Edinburgh/Glasgow.
The five vehicles, which are still to be fitted out internally, had been undergoing testing at Velím in the Czech Republic, and arrived in the UK via the Channel Tunnel before moving by rail to Polmadie depot in Glasgow. These are the only vehicles from the fleet due to arrive in the UK by rail, with the remainder expected to be moved via ship directly from CAF’s Beasain factory in Spain.
CS has ordered 75 Mk 5 vehicles from CAF for the overnight service, comprising four 16-car rakes and 11 spare vehicles. Testing in the UK is due to follow, comprising both static and locomotive interface testing and dynamic testing.
The new vehicles include a range of accommodation options, offering comfort seats, classic rooms (twin or single), club rooms (twin or single with en-suite) and suites (double beds with en-suite). Other new features will include a hotel-style key card entry system, charging panels and Wi-Fi. Solo travellers wi…
