Caledonian Sleeper services cancelled ahead of strike

The operator has said it is ready to hold further talks

All Caledonian Sleeper services on Sunday and Monday have been cancelled after a union confirmed that strike action would go ahead.

The RMT said its members were under "intolerable" pressure and accused operator Serco of blocking progress.

The union has instructed staff not to book on shift from noon on Sunday until 11:59 on Tuesday.

A statement on the Caledonian Sleeper website said it remained in discussions in the hope of avoiding the strike.

The company also said it was trying to arrange alternative transportation with other train operators, and would process refunds for all affected customers.

The union said Serco had failed to deliver on "promises" to address stress caused by working conditions.

Poor staffing levels and insufficient training have also previously been blamed for the situation.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "The union is angry and frustrated that promises made to us to address the serious concerns of the Caledonian Sleeper staff have not been honoured.

"The failure of Serco to come up with any serious progress in key talks yesterday leaves us with no choice but to go ahead with our industrial action exactly as planned."

He added: "The union remains available for genuine and serious talks but the ball is now firmly in Serco's court."

Caledonian Sleeper: A bumpy start for the 'hotels on wheels'

The en-suite double rooms are a "first" for the Sleeper

At its launch in June the revamped Caledonian Sleeper service was described as a "hotel on wheels".

The £150m fleet consists of 75 carriages with en-suite double rooms.

But the service has been beset by a string of problems.

• In June, a technical problem - believed to be the application of emergency brakes - saw passengers stuck at Stafford and forced to complete their journey by bus.

• Damage caused to wheels in that incident led to several days of cancellations and delays.

• Two weeks later, a rescue train was sent to collect passengers stranded in the Highlands after a service from Fort William broke down.

• In August, a Caledonian Sleeper train overshot Edinburgh Waverley station, only coming to a halt after emergency brakes were applied.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch is investigating the Waverley incident, which is believed to have been caused by a brake pipe valve being left closed when the carriages were split from a Glasgow-bound service at Carstairs.