Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[Jason]

And also on the Basingstoke <-> Reading shuttle
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C20702/2017/09/29
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C20703/2017/09/29

[NickB]

Are any forum members close enough to gwr to understand if they recognise this as a problem??   Obviously there is no use asking customer services about this as I won't get a reply until crossrail goes live, but it would be reassuring to know that this at least registers as a problem and someone is working on it...

[Timmer]

I notice London - Worcester/Hereford services aren't stopping at Foregate St to due a shortage of station staff. Is this because of a requirement for HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) to be dispatched by someone on the platform owing to the curve?

[Timmer]

I notice London - Worcester/Hereford services aren't stopping at Foregate St to due a shortage of station staff. Is this because of a requirement for HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) to be dispatched by someone on the platform owing to the curve?

Got my answer 
http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/15567228.Delays_at_Worcester_rail_station_due_to_staff_sickness/

Yes owing to the curvature of the platforms

[grahame]

Are any forum members close enough to gwr to understand if they recognise this as a problem??   Obviously there is no use asking customer services about this as I won't get a reply until crossrail goes live, but it would be reassuring to know that this at least registers as a problem and someone is working on it...

The operational team that's trying to schedule the rotas is only too aware there's a problem.   It's recognised as a problem as you get further from the operation team, but the problem becomes muted as you move steps away from the actual team trying to squeeze five cups of tea out of 4 teabags.    Because crew training is a convenient reason (and probably with much more than a grain of truth in it) and next year's training program is 33% down on this year's, the strategists away from the front line may be tempted to see it as a temporary problem, especially when they look at new crew being trained to add to the rotas next year.

[TaplowGreen]

Are any forum members close enough to gwr to understand if they recognise this as a problem??   Obviously there is no use asking customer services about this as I won't get a reply until crossrail goes live, but it would be reassuring to know that this at least registers as a problem and someone is working on it...

The operational team that's trying to schedule the rotas is only too aware there's a problem.   It's recognised as a problem as you get further from the operation team, but the problem becomes muted as you move steps away from the actual team trying to squeeze five cups of tea out of 4 teabags.    Because crew training is a convenient reason (and probably with much more than a grain of truth in it) and next year's training program is 33% down on this year's, the strategists away from the front line may be tempted to see it as a temporary problem, especially when they look at new crew being trained to add to the rotas next year.

.........strategists? Are you suggesting GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) have some? 😉

[plymothian]

Exeter conductors are being trained to work HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) as conductors (not the pocket rockets).

[TaplowGreen]

A number of tomorrow mornings services to/from Paddington already being cancelled/curtailed.

[Chris from Nailsea]

I shall therefore brace myself for the likely need to further expand the heading of this particular topic to include October ... 

[a-driver]

Crew shortages. What did they expect to happen?  TfL^» (Transport for London - about) are recruiting all new drivers rather than take them from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway).
Once CrossRail starts and takes over services from GWR there is a good chance that the current GWR will close. As a result drivers are leaving and who can blame them. They aren’t going to sit and wait to be made redundant.
The whole situation has been handled very poorly considering not that many years ago GWR heavily recruited drivers in the area with the expectation of them being transferred over to CrossRail

Why would the "present GWR close" ? Surely GWR will still be running all the non  Crossrail routes and will still need large numbers of drivers to so do.
First group might lose the franchise of course, but that is a separate issue, and the new operator would have to take on the drivers.

There are two depots at Paddington.  HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) & LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley).  It is thought that Paddington LTV will only be a small depot, significantly smaller than it is now and there has been rumours it will relocate to West Ealing where the 387's are stabled.  Drivers who are LTV to the core are leaving the company or transferring over to HSS so it shows what a bleak future they believe the depot has.  The Bedwyn & fast Oxford services will be operated with IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.)'s, if this goes to HSS it will leave Paddington LTV with just the Greenford's.  The rest of the work can be covered by other depots.  Oxford is also massively overstaffed and with an HSS driver depot opened at Worcester their workload is decreasing. 
The problem they've been faced with is the drivers who have left/transferred or are shortly to leave include the driving instructors.
TfL are proposing a train every 5 minutes West of Paddington plus they have proposed an enhanced peak service which will see TfL take the 5 GWR services operating in both peaks on the relief lines.

Taking them from GWR would presumably mean TUPEing them on existing T&Cs?

Going out & recruiting them directly means they can be offered the contract TfL/Crossrail want them to have. Who can blame TfL?

Good point.  I hadn't considered that. 

[hassaanhc]

Not too many alternative options for shift workers with these two cancelled.......a long, long wait for some.

28/09/17 02:24 Reading to London Paddington due 03:18 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train drivers.

28/09/17 03:34 London Paddington to Reading due 04:30 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train drivers.

I've just been looking at RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) for overnight last night, Down stoppers from PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) at 22:57, 23:49, 01:34, then 05:17 & 06:12 were all cancelled due to "an issue with the train crew". After the 01:34 there's nothing for another 2 hours so presumably taxis were provided?

The 0134 was replaced by buses. I took the following screenshot that evening:

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thank you for your first post, and that screenshot, hassaanhc - and may I offer you a very warm welcome to the Coffee Shop forum. 

[grahame]

The 0134 was replaced by buses. I took the following screenshot that evening:

Welcome indeed to the forum.

It's ironic that a shortage of one train driver that night lead to a requirement for at least two bus drivers, and perhaps one more than that if the incoming service was also replaced by a bus that would still be some way off Paddington when the return service left.

[insider]

An emergency agreement between GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) and LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley) drivers for some flexibility to their conditions has been reached. With immediate effect drivers can agree to do different turns if it suits them. If a driver has the route and traction knowledge ( such as an instructor or assessor) they can now work any turn even if not training another driver. This was previously being done which was a breach of conditions. A driver who does overtime will get a taxi home if the new end time means they can not get home by train. A one off payment is being made to all LTV drivers for the above.

From next week additional flex to.those drivers who.opt in and agree. The drivers turn can be extended by 1 hour (start or end) for any reason. This was previously not allowed. And a spare, rest day work or someone on overtime was needed. This mainly affects very early and late trains due to engineering and the retaining of services or ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) moves to depots.

These arrangements are a short term fix and valid.until end of the year only.
Harmonization talks are ongoing for a long term fix

[Timmer]

I wonder if some sort of agreement has been reached with West train crew as well? Very few services affected by train crew shortages today. A huge improvement on last week