Traincrew Shortages

[whole diary]

[phile]

Notice that Looe Branch is bustitution today and also Falmouth and Newquay Branches affected by shortage of train crews.    I have found that this has often happened on Sundays on the Cornish Branches.

[bobm]

It hasn't been a good weekend for the Looe Branch.  Yesterday much of the service was lost due to problems with the token instruments at Liskeard and Coombe Junction.

[JayMac]

It's not just Cornwall.

Across the network there are cancellations, alterations, ticket office closures, lack of dispatch staff...

All due to staff shortages.

This is what comes of trying to run a service with the goodwill of staff when that goodwill is not forthcoming.

[LiskeardRich]

If I am not mistaken there is a "ban" on working RDOs at the moment as part of the dispute that caused the strike a couple of weeks ago. Seems to have the biggest impact on Sunday's.

The Looe line was running this evening or at least a 150 was in the bay platform at liskeard about 1910.

[TRAINMAN57]

If I am not mistaken there is a "ban" on working RDOs at the moment as part of the dispute that caused the strike a couple of weeks ago. Seems to have the biggest impact on Sunday's.

The Looe line was running this evening or at least a 150 was in the bay platform at liskeard about 1910.

       If it was in the bay platform, i would imagine it will be there overnight as it requires a guard too change the points, too bring it of the branch.

[bobm]

I didn't think there was any formal withdrawal of labour of the moment.  

Sunday working relies on staff willing to work overtime, but they don't have to.  At the moment with the hope of decent weather (!) and school holidays many staff have probably decided they have things they wish to do and so have opted not to take overtime on offer.

A lot of the shortages today were down to a lack of drivers many of whom belong to ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about) who are not officially in dispute at present.

Meanwhile have a thought for one train manager who did decide to work today and was physically assaulted on an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) from Paddington tonight.

[ChrisB]

You're both right - there is a recommendation of not working overtime I thought. So not a withdrawal of labour as such

[phile]

Similar again today (Saturday) in Cornwall with mass cancellations on Falmouth, Newquay and Looe Branches.

[TaplowGreen]

Do rail staff have an option on not working Saturdays as well as Sundays?

[Electric train]

Do rail staff have an option on not working Saturdays as well as Sundays?

As far a Saturdays are concerned it all depends where the rest day falls in the week, the roster may have worked out will all the leave this time of year with a rest day roster for a Saturday.  Rest day working is overtime which of course is voluntary add to this any train crew that is off sick

[TaplowGreen]

............and this is another reason why the public have such a negative view of the railways, ensuring enough staff are available to run a service is hardly a difficult concept for any Business, meanwhile thousands of people are inconvenienced.

[ellendune]

............and this is another reason why the public have such a negative view of the railways, ensuring enough staff are available to run a service is hardly a difficult concept for any Business, meanwhile thousands of people are inconvenienced.

It is if there is a shortage of staff with the right skills as there are in many industries in this countries. Some people seem to think that there are huge numbers of people of any skill just waiting for a job.  That may be true of some skills, but not many. Politicians for example who think nothing of promising to employ an extra 5,000 when there aren't enough to fill the vacancies that already exist. Ditto nurses.

Network Rail cannot find enough skilled Engineers (not the only ones actually).

I understand that if you can find the right people to train it still takes a while and then they might just go and work for another company.   

[bobm]

Similar again today (Saturday) in Cornwall with mass cancellations on Falmouth, Newquay and Looe Branches.

The Looe services were re-instated at the expense of one of the trains running on the Falmouth Branch once it was realised it is Looe Carnival this evening and replacement road coaches probably wouldn't be the best idea.

[Electric train]

............and this is another reason why the public have such a negative view of the railways, ensuring enough staff are available to run a service is hardly a difficult concept for any Business, meanwhile thousands of people are inconvenienced.

........... and there are a lot people who don't want to work in public services especially railways because of the shift work with its 6 day roster which includes being rostered over weekends, there are quite frankly jobs with the same level of pay with more social hours

The traveling public certainly don't want to pay for lots of train crew sitting on hot standby just in case a college goes sick and the TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) will work to the lean and mean keep the over heads down and the just in time model because they have to fund the bubbly at the share holders meeting they are after all a for dividend company and the first rule the board has to work to is make a profit.

[ellendune]

........... and there are a lot people who don't want to work in public services especially railways because of the shift work with its 6 day roster which includes being rostered over weekends, there are quite frankly jobs with the same level of pay with more social hours

So when there are shortages of skills people tend to go for the jobs with the most social hours...