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sprinterguard
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« Reply #240 on: August 01, 2014, 19:24:12 » |
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FGW▸ have their faults... as operational staff I may not always agree with the way things are done, decisions made, things said etc and this can be disillusioning.
I however do think FGW do a decent job with the cards they are given. I really don't think much would change if we were run by DB» , Stagecoach etc.
I really have no issues with them from an employee POV. Pay is great, my local management are decent, holiday is good.
SDS' view is not representative of the majority of the FGW workforce.
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All opinions are my own.
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a-driver
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« Reply #241 on: August 01, 2014, 19:51:33 » |
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FGW▸ have their faults... as operational staff I may not always agree with the way things are done, decisions made, things said etc and this can be disillusioning.
I however do think FGW do a decent job with the cards they are given. I really don't think much would change if we were run by DB» , Stagecoach etc.
I really have no issues with them from an employee POV. Pay is great, my local management are decent, holiday is good.
SDS' view is not representative of the majority of the FGW workforce.
I totally agree with you. Are line managers are superb and approachable which is something I'm not use to! The other TOC▸ 's I've worked for managers would never be seen in the messroom, it was always a case of them vs us. I think FGW do a decent job with very limited resources in terms of rolling stock, and despite nearing the end of the franchise they've still gone out and secured extra trains when they could have sat back and spent nothing. Even if First lose the franchise, I doubt very much whether you would notice anything different apart from a change of colour on the trains and a new uniform, in fact I would put money on there being a deterioration in some aspects of the service. |
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Electric train
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« Reply #242 on: August 01, 2014, 20:49:55 » |
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I'm feeling somewhat perplexed by the railway employees here who keep telling us all how utterly dreadful it is working on the railway (which I accept it probably isn't always great on several levels) yet for some reason you stay put...?!? I just don't get why anyone would keep at it if it's really that dreadful...apart from if certain incentives are far superior to those potentially gained elsewhere?
My employer is just like any other employer these days ......... no worse not better. I am really enjoying my current job more than any other in my 40 years, I am "Building A Better Railway" getting rid of old and obsolescent equipment improving reliability and even building new lines and stations; we will get there, it will just take us a bit of time. There is only so much time we can have access to the train set to do stuff and only so much money to do it with. Railway staff often look back at the days of BR▸ and think they were great days, well I took my rose tinted specs' off years ago, pay was poor, hours were long. |
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Starship just experienced what we call a rapid unscheduled disassembly, or a RUD, during ascent,”
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Silver
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« Reply #243 on: August 04, 2014, 13:00:31 » |
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FGW▸ have slipped nosedived in the support/back up of their staff. Its all "customer first" and "kiss the backside of the customer" and "Sod the employee they are but a number". I feel that we customers are treated badly by FGW so goodness knows what it must feel like to be one of their employees. My own perception of FGW is along the lines of "kiss the backside of the once-yearly Glastonbury traveller and sod everyone else including annual season ticket holders, particularly the poor Cardiff/Newport people who see their train service cut by 50% while the Festival is on". Thank You to all FGW staff who have posted here and yes I'm guilty of sometimes letting off steam especially to the operators of the @FGW Twitter account but I'm always polite and I thank them. I'd be very interested to know what response staff get from the MD regarding last Friday's problems because I'm not aware of any word to customers regarding last week's events. Agreed, and to add the Henley/Wargrave/Shiplake season ticket holders are equally ignored during Henley Regatta. |
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stuving
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« Reply #244 on: August 06, 2014, 23:19:28 » |
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You may think that FGW▸ were improvising during these two major disruptions. But if you look on their Customer Charter page it says this: Passenger information during disruption
Feedback from customers consistently tells us that the flow of information about train services that are experiencing disruption is a priority for them and is an area we need to focus on more strongly.
As a result, First Great Western have produced an Delivery Statement that sets out high-level commitment about the provision of information to customers during disruption. It outlines our commitment to delivery good quality information to customers
Click here to view the Approved Code of Practise
The link is to the First Great Western Passenger Information Delivery Plan. This is not really written as a public document, and is stuffed full on unexplained abbreviations, starting with PIDD (passenger information during disruption). It refers to a number of other documents, mostly internal ones, and to the ATOC» code of practice on PIDD. The FGW plan is very much a management procedure, which serves mainly to show how many actors are involved and how much management time has been spent on it. But it's not exactly rich in practical detail. The ATOC code is a long list of things that should happen, a lot of them rather obvious. Was the actual PIDD delivered any better as a result of these documents than it would have been if they were all improvising? I suspect some of you may doubt it. |
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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #245 on: August 06, 2014, 23:30:59 » |
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Hmm ...  There are some shocking typos in that document - starting on the first page, where it is claimed it's been approved by "Patrick Holgate, NR» Route Managing Director - Western". So much for "our commitment to delivery good quality information to customers".  |
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William Huskisson MP▸ was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830. Many more have died in the same way since then. Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.
"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner." Discuss.
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TaplowGreen
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« Reply #246 on: August 07, 2014, 15:22:06 » |
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You may think that FGW▸ were improvising during these two major disruptions. But if you look on their Customer Charter page it says this: Passenger information during disruption
Feedback from customers consistently tells us that the flow of information about train services that are experiencing disruption is a priority for them and is an area we need to focus on more strongly.
As a result, First Great Western have produced an Delivery Statement that sets out high-level commitment about the provision of information to customers during disruption. It outlines our commitment to delivery good quality information to customers
Click here to view the Approved Code of Practise
The link is to the First Great Western Passenger Information Delivery Plan. This is not really written as a public document, and is stuffed full on unexplained abbreviations, starting with PIDD (passenger information during disruption). It refers to a number of other documents, mostly internal ones, and to the ATOC» code of practice on PIDD. The FGW plan is very much a management procedure, which serves mainly to show how many actors are involved and how much management time has been spent on it. But it's not exactly rich in practical detail. The ATOC code is a long list of things that should happen, a lot of them rather obvious. Was the actual PIDD delivered any better as a result of these documents than it would have been if they were all improvising? I suspect some of you may doubt it. Having a plan is one thing and serves to ensure that a box is ticked, but it means nothing unless it actually happens. |
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TaplowGreen
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« Reply #248 on: August 08, 2014, 06:35:59 » |
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It isn't just about having information on screens in these circumstances or even fleets of replacement coaches, it's more about having enough people on the ground who are capable of dealing with difficult situations and often high volumes of frustrated customers to offer help,ensure a safe environment and provide advice on alternative means of travel - FGW▸ failed dismally in both respects on the 25th July, however it was encouraging to hear that they were more proactive after the suicide at Ealing last Friday.......let's hope we don't get three in a row.
I would certainly be interested in reading FGW's review of events on the 25th, what lessons they learned and how they will do things differently going forward to provide a decent level of customer service when things go wrong...........after the amount of problems we've had recently they've certainly had plenty of opportunity to practice.
The fact that "all TOCs▸ struggle with severe disruption" is more an indictment of them than a mitigating factor - it certainly isn't a reason for FGW not to improve.
Everyone knows that occasionally everything will fall over - that's not an excuse to shrug shoulders and say "tough luck" - it's how and if FGW (and others) rise to the challenge and respond to these occasional crises and do their best for their customers that marks them out.
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« Last Edit: August 08, 2014, 08:52:52 by TaplowGreen »
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mjones
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« Reply #250 on: August 15, 2014, 16:24:03 » |
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Oh dear...
"A signalling problem at Ealing Broadway is causing delays of up to 25 minutes between London Paddington and Slough. There is no firm estimate yet of how long disruption will last but it is likely to continue until at least 17:00"
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SDS
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« Reply #251 on: August 15, 2014, 17:10:11 » |
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Update at 16:48 - S&T▸ are at the Transmitter end and have reported no Voltage present. Techs are making their way to the location to check the power supplies. All services are now going on the Up Relief line while techs investigate.
Update at 16:10 - Trains are now being talked past SN222 signal only.
Update at 15:55 - Techs on site.
Network Rail report Track Circuit PMJ has failed showing occupied whilst clear and PML has blipped twice on the Up Main line approaching Ealing Broadway Trains are being Talked past SN222 and SN212 signals or diverting onto the Up Relief line where possible. 1A83 10:00 Paddington to Penzance examined from affected line, nothing seen.
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I do not work for FGW▸ and posts should not be assumed and do not imply they are statements, unless explicitly stated that they are, from any TOC▸ including First Great Western.
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bobm
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« Reply #252 on: August 15, 2014, 19:32:15 » |
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Second item on BBC» Look East tonight was a lengthy apology from Greater Anglia regarding the punctuality problems they have had. They blame, in no particular order, signalling and track problems, an increase in the number of people struck by trains and rolling stock issues. |
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trainer
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« Reply #253 on: August 15, 2014, 22:56:57 » |
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On the 11th August, bored with Points West's obsession with, and lead story about, the non-news of a Commonwealth Games competitor (3 weeks after the event), I idly flicked through the other local BBC» programmes in search of something interesting. And behold! A feisty roasting of a senior NR» man on Look East about the over-running of engineering work that morning in the East of England. Now that's a story and great spectator sport!
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thetrout
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« Reply #254 on: August 15, 2014, 23:05:39 » |
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Track Circuit Failure between Swindon and Didcot Parkway tonight. Seems just a small section in the Up direction affected. Now picking up speed having been doing stop start stop start for a while. Also our HST▸ to Paddington seems to have only 1 or 2 working toilets in First AND Standard Class put together. Train in question is 1A35 with Power Car 43088 on the front  |
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