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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion
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on: December 19, 2024, 15:54:51
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You clearly haven't read it.
I have. Don't presume to tell me what I have and haven't done. But do please help me out if I've missed something in the business plan about DfT» control of hiring of staff. I've attached the document to aid you. I can also attache previous franchise agreements and service level commitments if you'd like. I've read those from start to finish too. I continue to await PROOF that the DfT are, and have in the past, been dictating to GWR▸ whether they can or can't hire sufficient staff to meet their obligations to provide the timetabled service. These agreements and contracts generally get looked at by highly paid lawyers, only a muppet would agree to a business requirement that requires 50,000 hours annually of train crew (or whatever the figure is) and then agree to a staffing level that only covers about three quarters of the requirement. You shouldn't work on assumption that because staff would work 60 hour weeks 100 years ago, then they will still so in mid 2020s when pay is higher and work-life balance expectation is completely different. Although GWR management don't seem to get this as I have seen the history argument (it used to be ok) used recently. |
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion
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on: December 15, 2024, 07:41:02
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One of the things you often tend to notice about those inside the rail industry, or it's devotees, is that they (sometimes in a bizarrely self satisfied way) are very fond of telling you how things can't/won't work, rather than suggesting how they could be made to work or looking for a solution - perhaps there is hope and this mindset will die away as the old guard retire along with terms and conditions that don't reflect the modern era.
This is part of the cultural challenge to which I referred and that fresh minds/ideas are needed - you need to a build a service around what your customer needs, not just about what suits the workforce.
Other businesses and industries have learned this and evolved, or shrivelled to insignificance, or died.............I wonder which fate ultimately awaits the railway?
One thing that is for sure - it doesn't have 20 years to decide it.
The mindset comes from decades of very little government support. We all know what needs to change. We also know that future governments won’t support investing in the railway network. So we just resign ourselves to the fact things will continue to decline. Of course in a normal business where demand varies during the week (or seasonally), you don't advise customers to go away, you do everything in your power, and innovate, to bring in as much revenue as possible (which you don't sign a contract to give away), and then use the extra revenue to invest. Resigning to an expectation of decline, is just the modern let's give up (rather than let's make sure still have a job in buzzing business in 2-3 decades) approach, rather sad. COVID ended about 3 years ago, really 1000+ days should have been long enough to move to a new normal, rather than being stuck in a covid era state muddling on. Especially as it appears might be 2026 or later before anything really improves. |
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Journey by Journey / Portsmouth to Cardiff / Re: Westbury - engineering works from 24th December 2024 for 30 days
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on: December 10, 2024, 18:59:06
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GWR▸ have published info for 1st & 2nd Feb
Track renewal work will affect trains between Westbury and Bath Spa, Chippenham, Frome or Warminster.
Replacement buses are planned via Westbury between:
Bath Spa and Frome
Bath Spa and Warminster
Chippenham and Frome
So basically going to reopen Westbury for 8 days (24-31 Jan) then close it again. Wonder why didn't just add 2 days to the long closure rather than interrupting the restored service 9 days later.
Then following three Sundays, 9, 16, 23 February
Line via Frome is closed
Replacement buses are planned between Westbury and Frome/Castle Cary, between Castle Cary and Taunton, plus between Pewsey and Swindon.
Trains between London and the south west will use an alternative route between Reading and Taunton via Bristol Temple Meads.
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Journey by Journey / Shorter journeys in South and West Wales / 756 Stadler Flirt tri-modes in service
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on: November 17, 2024, 22:49:22
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TfW have issued a Press release that the 756s enter service from 18 Nov They will enter passenger service first on the Merthyr and Aberdare lines, followed by the Treherbert line. In a phased introduction, they will replace TfW’s older trains, with fourteen set to be in service by Spring next year (2025). hese trains will be introduced over the coming months onto the Merthyr, Aberdare and Treherbert lines, replacing older trains, with 14 units in total in service by Spring 2025. These trains will run along these lines until late 2025 when they will begin to move over to the Rhymney and Vale of Glamorgan lines as the brand-new Tram-Trains enter passenger service. From then, the 756s will travel from Coryton and Caerphilly to Penarth, and from Rhymney to Barry Island and Bridgend. https://news.tfw.wales/news/first-electric-trains-to-be-introduced-to-south-wales-metro |
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion
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on: November 12, 2024, 10:57:13
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Quote from yesterday's (11 Nov) Parliamentary debate (relates to GWR▸ staffing Rebecca Smith (South West Devon) (Con) - View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts It has recently been brought to my attention that in Great Western Railway, which serves my constituency in Devon, drivers do not have contracts that ensure a seven-day-a-week service—the contracts do not include Sundays, so trains are regularly cancelled. In fact, four trains were cancelled yesterday, so one lady had been forced to catch the first train today instead. What plans does the Secretary of State have to equalise driver contracts under Great British Railways, to ensure that routes such as Paddington to Devon are fully staffed seven days a week, so that she can fulfil her promise to passengers? Louise Haigh Portrait Louise Haigh - View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts The hon. Lady is absolutely right, and unfortunately that is the picture across too much of our railways. The workforce terms and conditions are simply not fit for purpose. Part of our inheritance is that we do not have a workforce that can deliver a modern and efficient railway. We are working with Great Western Railway to address that egregious issue, and we will come back to the House shortly to set out our progress. Later in the debate... Wera Hobhouse (Bath) (LD) - View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts GWR, which serves my Bath constituency, has been performing in the most disappointing way, to say the least. Especially on Sundays, cancellations and delays are the new norm. Engineering works are among the problems, but the train driver shortage is the biggest problem. What exactly will resolving what the Secretary of State calls the rest day working issue mean for my constituents? When does she expect them to see tangible change? Louise Haigh Portrait Louise Haigh - View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts The problem across the entire railway is that we do not have sufficient drivers or staff, so too many parts of the railways are reliant on rest day working agreements. We should not have to rely on people volunteering to come on shift in order to run a Sunday service, but unfortunately that is the case at Great Western Railway. We will not be harmonising contracts or terms and conditions at Great British Railways, as we have established, but we need to get drivers and conductors on modern terms and conditions that reflect the railway that we need. We are attempting to address the specific issue at Great Western Railway; as I say, we will come back to the House soon with an update on progress. https://parallelparliament.co.uk/debate/2024-11-11/commons/commons-chamber/rail-performance |
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion
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on: November 09, 2024, 14:36:00
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So, GWR▸ are actively putting pressure on the DfT» to allow them to hire more crews?
Any evidence of this from Hopwood & a response from Haigh?
Any evidence of any other solutions being sought by GWR? Even if only temporary?
GWR don’t need to put pressure on the DfT. GWR operate under the terms of a contract stipulated by the DfT. If the DfT are unhappy with what’s being provided it is down to the DfT to find and fund a solution. In a way, GWR don't operate the contract stipulated by DfT because there is a published DfT Business requirements specifying first and last trains and frequency for each route, associated with the contract, and that is not being met. Possibly the contract daftly (DfT-ly ?) makes it cheaper to not operate minimum, and accept any penalty, than trying to deliver it. |
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Journey by Journey / North Downs Line / Re: Advert - take the train to Gatwick. ALL the way from home to Gatwick!!
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on: November 09, 2024, 14:23:29
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Cancellations to services between Gatwick Airport and Reading
Due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time between Gatwick Airport and Reading trains have to run at reduced speed on all lines.
Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled. Disruption is expected until 19:00 08/11.
Customer Advice
Apologies to customers, some of our trains have broken down and we don't have enough trains in our GWR▸ fleet to operate a full service on the North Downs Line. Therefore some trains will be cancelled.
We obviously see the text in italic a fair bit, but I think that's the first time I've seen the part in bold. I reckon we could just use the bit in bold from now on as the part in italic is trotted out so much as to be implausible. Someone will have to explain to me why more trains needing repairs, means all trains have to run at reduced speed on all lines. Are they all suddenly not certified for normal speed, it is not like they are substituting with a slower train. I also don't like reference to all lines, is that all England, all UK▸ , or simply a badly worded that route only. Surely if it is due to we have flattened some wheels why not say so, or explain why they can't swap in some good ones (have insufficient spares) and although it happens every year, explain why never bought extra wheel lathe (having sufficient serviceable trains in not a priority), or whatever the reason is. |
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