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Journey by Journey / London to South Wales / Re: Awaiting train crew
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on: February 28, 2019, 20:34:00
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There's really no need for train crew changes mid-route on a line that is only 3 hours long – if they were done at Paddington and Swansea instead, no-one would even notice them. Sounds very much like the crew booking on place is in the wrong location.
That is fine as a principle but you need to ensure all Swansea crews end their shift in Swansea and Paddington crews end in London. If you can't then splitting a journey between two crews may be a way of achieving it. Or alternatively, end up with crews from Swansea working trains to and from Cheltenham/Gloucester/Hereford and being taxied to/from Swansea for their shifts. |
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Journey by Journey / London to South Wales / Re: Awaiting train crew
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on: February 28, 2019, 20:30:53
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Interesting to note the original surprise, as often wondered if there is just a general lack of appreciation of the logistical side to running a railway that has shifts over a 24 hour period. I'd suspect most who travel on trains operate 37-40 hour weeks so might not encounter the phenomenon that is shift work, so don't have anyone doing their job before they enter the office, nor taking over from them when their "shift" ends.
All the time i worked in more office based environments, be it local government or private company, we never talked about the shift we worked!
Welcome to the forum! I suspect you're right - but perhaps being more specific than you need. People travel by train because they need to get from Wargrave to Slough, or Melksham to Swindon or Highbridge to Bristol at a certain time of day, and back at a certain other time. They become experts in where the train stops at the platform, which of their fellow passengers on overcrowded trains have bad breath, and every jolt of the track (have you noticed that sudden lunge just to the north of Lacock and are you ready for that sudden swing left a couple of minutes later?). However, thing outside their normal journey and daily life - for many people - just are immaterial. What time did the driver have to get up to get this train ready for me? Is there enough fuel in the train's tank and where is it topped up? Why is there a gap of 130 minutes after this train? Who arranges crew changes and how long is the incoming crew allowed in their journey to that point to ensure they're not late? Does the buffet trolley ever run out of Brandy? Professor of what, Sir? Of life or of some particular subject?? The professor moniker was given to me when I went to university a few decades ago as a mature student. Its stuck as a nom de plume. Back to the crew question, i do remember once being asked by people "but why are you running empty trains the other direction. The queues of people are on this platform!" |
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Journey by Journey / London to South Wales / Re: GWR boss out of touch with its problems, says Labour MP
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on: February 28, 2019, 20:27:13
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Count the number of times the head of Scots Rail has come out and publicly apologised for the issues that they are facing under the same circumstances. Then compare that to the number of times Mr Hopwood has done the same thing.
I fully appreciate the circumstances that GWR▸ are under from the engineering difficulties faced by NR» and the strategic decisions made by the DFT▸ . However, GWR's responsibility lies in its communications of the issues and mitigation of the issues. In those areas over the last few years, I believe it has been found wanting.
So all the investment GWR has put in to its stakeholder relationships, including regular meetings, or offers of meetings with MPs▸ , and local authorities, not to mention the public communications - especially around the planned disruption is evidence of being found wanting? I appreciate that the bar was set pretty low before, but these activities are expected as part of BAU, it isn't "investment" it's just normal operational expenditure. Customer Service, which includes a large part of communication, is still pretty appalling, and the "Boss" seems hopelessly out of touch with this and his customers expectations, unless you/he feel that taking weeks/months to close down pretty straightforward correspondence is acceptable? (a scenario that has now been going on for well over 18 months) Don't know about your particular experience, but in my experience GWR do invest, more than some other train operating companies, quite a bit in communications including offers to meet, regularly with MPs, such as Mr Doughty. Throughout a long career in various bits of the transport industry, public, private, bus, rail, i've had the pleasure of sitting in many a meeting with MPs, and councillors and the level of understanding, and perhaps importantly willingness to understand is truly frightening. Mr Doughty has form in not wanting to accept a contrary point of view. He, and many conservative MPs are set a low bar when it com |
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Journey by Journey / London to South Wales / Re: Awaiting train crew
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on: February 27, 2019, 23:24:18
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Hi All
On the 17.56 from Cardiff to London, been waiting at Bristol Parkway for train crew. This is a new one on me.
Bassett
It does happen. There are traincrew changes scheduled here and if the relief crew are delayed by late running of their previous job, that's it Interesting to note the original surprise, as often wondered if there is just a general lack of appreciation of the logistical side to running a railway that has shifts over a 24 hour period. I'd suspect most who travel on trains operate 37-40 hour weeks so might not encounter the phenomenon that is shift work, so don't have anyone doing their job before they enter the office, nor taking over from them when their "shift" ends. All the time i worked in more office based environments, be it local government or private company, we never talked about the shift we worked! |
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Journey by Journey / London to South Wales / Re: GWR boss out of touch with its problems, says Labour MP
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on: February 27, 2019, 23:17:55
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Count the number of times the head of Scots Rail has come out and publicly apologised for the issues that they are facing under the same circumstances. Then compare that to the number of times Mr Hopwood has done the same thing.
I fully appreciate the circumstances that GWR▸ are under from the engineering difficulties faced by NR» and the strategic decisions made by the DFT▸ . However, GWR's responsibility lies in its communications of the issues and mitigation of the issues. In those areas over the last few years, I believe it has been found wanting.
So all the investment GWR has put in to its stakeholder relationships, including regular meetings, or offers of meetings with MPs▸ , and local authorities, not to mention the public communications - especially around the planned disruption is evidence of being found wanting? in my experience many MPs, and others have unknowingly some level of unconsious bias regarding the railway. They have theories and views that no amount of information will sway them from. Perhaps it goes with the territory of being an MP, general reluctance safe for a few notable exceptions, to accept a contrary view to the position you stand by |
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