Great Western Coffee Shop

does anyone know why the morning peak service on the North Downs line completely fell over this morning? I gave up on Farnborough North in the end and went to Guildford via Farnborough Main and Woking.

There were reports of signalling problems affecting SWT around about Ash - could have been affecting all routes.

Paul

The delay log for the 0934 ex Redhill has the following entry:
 06:00 - 2V46 : 0531 Gatwick Airport - Rea ding Platforms is at a stand at Redhill, the driver was unab le to draw power, she isolated one of the engines and can no w draw power ok, the driver was asked to get the train into the sidings at Redhill, but the driver is refusing as the he ater is not working . FGW aware, it is a southern driver on loan to them. Unit Number:- 166214. 5V50 is now going to att ach to 2V46

All a bit teddies out the pram!

If this is the case, it's absolutely scandalous!! It was a mild morning this morning, (12c when I left the house at 07:00) refusing to move the unit due to "no heater" is utterly unbelievable. It's not like the driver was being asked to do a whole turn without heating.

I hope FGW management are as mad as I am about this!!!

It was freezing this morning down here, we had quite a thick frost overnight!

I'm sure most people would be pretty cheesed off if they had to work in an office that was 12'c.

There is apparently a minimum temperature for working, unless you are employed as an outside worker that covers the UK, and from memory I was told it is around 16'C or 17'C

It's not that the driver was being asked to work in cold conditions for the whole shift, just a shunt into the sidings, would be longer in the cold waiting on a platform waiting for a train to relieve or walking around a depot to start your shift.

Not knowing the driver in question, I can't speculate, but I think 99% of drivers would be happy to do a simple shunt to get the train out of the way with a defective cab heater.  There are a small minority (the 1% above) that will deliberately use any excuse to cause as much misery as possible - I've seen some quite pathetic stunts pulled over the years.

Taking a train into service with a heater not working on a cold day is a different matter though.

i agree with you entirely IndustryInsider. It really is pathetic. If the driver has a gripe with management, take it up via the normal channels, don't take it out on the customers.

Well my service to Newbury never left Reading. overheard the fitter- one engine had no oil and no leak- so no oil was put in their at some point  ;)

Mind you, known services to run on one engine before.