Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[phile]

Bith the last two Oxford/Banbury shuttles this evening have been cancelled! That's 25% of services today.
Oh, we list the first one today to a failed train too.
So that's actually 37.5% gone today

I'll happily help you draft a letter to Mr Hopwood. 

Could throw in services on the Cardiff to Portsmouth Hbr/Brighton on Sundays as well for good measure

[ChrisB]

I'll get a better response by going to the relevant Director

[Worcester_Passenger]

06:42 Hereford - Paddington cancelled between Hereford and Worcester Shrub Hill this morning.

Fortunately I'd arrived at Foregate St in sufficient time to catch the preceding London Midland train round to Shrub Hill.

According to realtimetrains,

This service was cancelled between Hereford and Worcester Shrub Hill due to an issue with the train crew (TG).

According to journeycheck,

This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.

Which should I believe?

[ChrisB]

Was there fog in your area? That might have delayed the crews taxi up to HFD^» (Hereford - next trains), meaning they went to WOS^» (Worcester Shrub Hill - next trains)?

Does Realtimetrains show an ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) move from HFD at usual time, or did the stock go direct to WOS?

[phile]

Apart from the Hereford/Worcesters mentioned above, things seem to be much improved this morning with no cancellations due to train crew shortages.

[Worcester_Passenger]

According to realtimetrains, the 06:42 from Hereford is formed by an empty stock movement from St Philip's Marsh at 04:30, arrive Hereford 06:29. This didn't operate "due to an issue with the train crew".

Judging from the shuffling of stock that I could see at Shrub Hill, the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) that normally sleeps there so as to form the 07:08 departure to Paddington via Cheltenham (and its crew) were used for the 07:32 departure to Paddington via Oxford. The HST was in reverse formation, which is what I'd expect if it was supposed to operate via Gloucester.

The 07:08 via Cheltenham is being shown in realtimetrains as having been cancelled between Shrub Hill and Cheltenham, but operating normally beyond. There's an empty stock movement from St Philip's Marsh (depart 05:10) associated with this.

[BBM]

On Thursday evening of last week I was up in London for a show. The most convenient train for me back to Twyford would have been the 2318 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)-OXF^» (Oxford - next trains) semi-fast but I checked RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) and discovered it was being regularly cancelled "due to an issue with the train crew". Instead I drove and parked in Westfield and used the Tube from there. I've just taken a look at RTT and so far that train's been cancelled every night this week.

[IndustryInsider]

Yes, the 23:18 is often sacrificed as the driver and train work empty from Oxford at around 9pm, so a driver and carriages can be used for other duties for over three and a half hours with the cancellation of just that one train.  Also, there's the 23:30 fast to Reading which Reading passengers can use.  I think, at that time of night, stops on that 23:30 should be inserted at Slough, Maidenhead and Twyford given the generous running times at that time of night, but I've not observed that to be the case.

[phile]

Just one for today so far o the LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley) - Maidenhead this evening

[NickB]

On Thursday evening of last week I was up in London for a show. The most convenient train for me back to Twyford would have been the 2318 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)-OXF^» (Oxford - next trains) semi-fast but I checked RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) and discovered it was being regularly cancelled "due to an issue with the train crew". Instead I drove and parked in Westfield and used the Tube from there. I've just taken a look at RTT and so far that train's been cancelled every night this week.

The 23.18 is quite a vital post-pub train, and is regularly very busy. All I can say is that GwR had better get this mess sorted by the time that Christmas party season starts or they will be needing some extra BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) at Paddington to deal with very frustrated and lively passengers.
Ps. 17.36 to Oxford, rammed in its normal 5 carriage form, is a pleasant 2 carriage squash-fest today - and left passengers on the platform.

[Sixty3Closure]

The 17.36 is meant to be a 8 car HST^▸ (High Speed Train). Replacing it with a 5 car turbo would be just about manageable as that's what it use to be. Some people standing but generally folks could get on. The 2 cars though is just a joke and becoming all to frequent.

[Adelante_CCT]

No, the 17:36 is diagrammed as a turbo (and has been since 4th September) therefore I'm assuming 5 car as NickB said

[Worcester_Passenger]

18:22 Paddington - Hereford cancelled this evening between Shrub Hill and Hereford "due to a shortage of train crew"

[Sixty3Closure]

No, the 17:36 is diagrammed as a turbo (and has been since 4th September) therefore I'm assuming 5 car as NickB said

Pretty sure its been a HST^▸ (High Speed Train) last couple of times I've caught it although I've generally been taking advantage of the 17.18 stopping at Twyford again. If it is going to be a 5 car turbo again (in theory) that's a bit of a disappointment.

[NickB]

The 17.36 certianly used to be an 8 car HST^▸ (High Speed Train) and needed to be as such. It toyed with being an adelante when an HST was removed for a few weeeks last summer. The 5 car turbo is poor and the 2 car is criminal.

This simply shifts more passengers for maidenhead to the next direct service which is the  perennially overcrowded 18.18 which is a turbo itself and is the worst train of the schedule.