First Great Western - industrial action in 2015 - merged topic

[whole diary]

[bobm]

Confirmation of more talks between FGW^▸ (First Great Western) and the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) in GetReading

First Great Western have said they plan to continue discussions with the RMT Union in the coming days to try and avert a train strike later this month.

The union confirmed FGW workers will stage a three-day walkout over the bank holiday weekend between August 29 and 31.

The strike is due to an ongoing dispute over job security on the new Hitachi inter-city trains.

James Davis, spokesman for FGW, said they have meetings scheduled with the RMT this week.

He added : "These brand new trains will deliver more seats, faster journey times and more frequent journeys for our passengers. Our plans mean more train managers on board our trains, not less.

"The key issues remains, that we want the driver to close the doors - which is fundamental to our ability to run the faster, more frequent services customers should expect from a 21st century railway.

"This method has been used safely across the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) rail industry for decades."

Should the strike go ahead, it could seriously affect those travelling to this year's Reading Festival in Richfield Avenue.

Reading East MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) Rob Wilson has urged the union to reconsider its decision to strike, calling it 'ill-conceived.'

He said: "I am disappointed that once again the RMT have decided to strike and cause disruption and chaos for local people.

"That they will also disrupt the thousands of people who are attending the Reading Festival, which only adds to the problems this ill-conceived strike will bring.

"I would urge the RMT to reconsider this strike and in the meantime I would urge Reading Borough Council to join me in condemning the strike which will cause chaos on a weekend when Reading is at its busiest."

Councillor Tony Page, Reading^s lead councillor for transport, said: "I condemn pathetic political posturing by local MPs whose time would be better spent on urging both sides to negotiate a solution that avoids disruption for all rail users."

The RMT Union has already held a 48-hour walkout regarding the dispute.

[Timmer]

I take it from reading the above that Reading council is a Labour run council?

[Chris from Nailsea]

Yes, it is: see http://beta.reading.gov.uk/localresults 

[grahame]

Told to me by a train manager, and posted here with permission (and after careful thought!).

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) dropped their plan on us with absolutely no consultation. Train managers were told "you wont be doing the doors - the drivers will".  But they have no agreement with the drivers union for this to happen. The drivers are as angry as everyone else about the whole situation.

Then we asked questions like "if we aren't doing the doors what are we going to be doing?" The answer was "we don't know".  Someone asked to see the new job role profile ... the answer was "we haven't written it yet."

No one wants to take action but we feel we are fobbed off with rubbish. Something has to be done to get some serious answers to the future of our various roles.

I understand from the media and contacts that there are various talks underway.   So these issues may be being addressed, and furthermore I would be surprised to see an immediate response here in public.  However, posting it does help inform passengers, and rail industry members ... and that informing is SO necessary in addressing issues.

[ChrisB]

Then we asked questions like "if we aren't doing the doors what are we going to be doing?" The answer was "we don't know".  Someone asked to see the new job role profile ... the answer was "we haven't written it yet."

Fools.
Of course, if they could, I suspect DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) would be the option of choice. But they know there's a cat-in-hell's-chance, but they haven't thought it through to the conclusion yet. Oh dear, oh dear.

Why don't they simply negotiate to work the way XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) does....that seems to work, and I suspect everyone's happy. Despatchers will still be needed, if only at peak/busy times. And Train Manager despatched at quiet stations and/or tmes

Admin Note: Edited to fix quotes - bobm

[The Tall Controller]

The problem I have with the XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) Voyager method of dispatch (and hence the guard being in control of these new trains) is that although the guard is present on the platform, once they get into the train and close their local door, there is no-one on board observing the platform. As voyagers and SETs^▸ (Super Express Train (now IET)) have no window for the guard to lean out of, all they can see is the area of platform immediately in front of them. Should the train need to be stopped in an emergency, the platform staff have to go down to the door or wait for it come past. If the guard is at the front of the train (a common occurrence in XC) you may as well wave it goodbye.

I would much rather have a driver with CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) visual of the whole train available than a guard who can only see outside their door.

I believe that there should be a happy medium between these 2 viewpoints. Perhaps a guard on the platform with the driver observing the train as it pulls out?

[ChrisB]

Once the doors are closed, where's the danger that the train would need to be stopped? And why hasn't this yet been flagged up as likely with the Voyagers?

[bobm]

Someone moving too close to the train as they wave off people as it departs or someone attempting to board are two things which spring immediately to mind. 

[ChrisB]

People will soon realise that the latter is impossible once the stock is not slam door. You rarely if ever see this happen where there's no slam-door stock...

[IndustryInsider]

People will soon realise that the latter is impossible once the stock is not slam door. You rarely if ever see this happen where there's no slam-door stock...

I see it happen quite often on Turbos at places like Ealing where passengers should be used to them by now.

[ChrisB]

Where they're DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) already - and the lack of accidents does actually tend toward FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s ....

[JayMac]

People will soon realise that the latter is impossible once the stock is not slam door. You rarely if ever see this happen where there's no slam-door stock...

Didn't mean to like that post.

I saw someone at Bristol TM^‡(resolve) today run up to a Voyager and repeatedly jab the door button after doors were locked. She got shouted at.

[ChrisB]

not by the train crew - either of them. And that wouldn't change.

[IndustryInsider]

Where they're DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) already - and the lack of accidents does actually tend toward FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s ....

I was merely replying to your 'rarely if ever' comment, which is wrong. 

Fortunately, very few people who try to board trains as they are leaving end up being injured of killed, but the Platform Train Interface, as it is now known, is the biggest risk area to injury or death that passengers face.  The RSSB^▸ (Rail Safety and Standards Board) are keen to develop safety in this respect following on from an incident where a passenger was killed as a DOO train left the platform with the platform staff having no method of alerting the driver and stopping the train.

On-board CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) that is available to the driver until the last vehicle has left the platform is one way that could happen, though there are possible distractions such as observing the line ahead which could even make that system unsafe.  It is, however, a safer way of dispatching trains than having a TM^‡(resolve), XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) or FGW 180 style who has very limited vision from the door they are stood at, when compared with being able to look out of the train as now happens on the HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s.

[ChrisB]

Indeed, if money were no object, we'd be installing platform doors a la Jubilee line, that would close a split second before the train doors, at least trapping anyone on the platform, e=rather than in the doors of a moving train....