The first sleeping car train on the Great Western Railway was introduced at the end of 1877 from London Paddington to Plymouth.

Approaching Taunton early 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.

[9] These were the first on the route with controlled emission toilets, so discharge facilities were provided at Plymouth Laira and Penzance Long Rock depots where the carriages were serviced, although for a while the carriages were taken from Paddington to Willesden Depot for discharging as Old Oak Common was not initially equipped.

[11] On 23 November 1983, the Night Riviera derailed on approach to London Paddington with locomotive 50041 sliding for 100 metres on its side.

[12] Privatisation saw the service become part of the Great Western Trains franchise in February 1996 and the rolling stock was repainted into its green and white livery.

[18] The service was retained, but from December 2006 the carriage detached at Plymouth was withdrawn as it typically only carried four passengers.

[19] The stop at Bristol Temple Meads was also withdrawn, introducing the flexibility to divert the service during overnight engineering works.

[24] They were refurbished by Railcare, Wolverton in 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, the Secretary of State for Transport confirmed the service would continue to be subsidised.

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.

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 between Castle Cary and Exeter St Davids via Yeovil Pen Mill, Yeovil Junction and Honiton, not calling at Taunton and reversing at Exeter.

After Taunton it continues to Exeter St Davids, Newton Abbot and Plymouth, crossing into Cornwall and calling at Liskeard then most stations down the Cornish Main Line to Penzance.