Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[grahame]

I thought we had noted that already (maybe in another thread?)

We may have done, Chris ... such is the volume of stuff happening and the busyness of the forum that things end up getting repeated.   Chris from Nailsea does an excellent lead job of joining threads up so they form a building reference later (we really appreciate that Chris), but it's the nature of breaking news that the same data may fly in from several angles at once.

I'm a tutor (in IT) in my day job. And one of the tips I learned, from a cynic, was to repeat myself.  "Tell they what you're going to tell them.  Tell them.  Tell them what you've told them. And they may remember it".   Now I don't hold fully with that, though there's an element of truth; there is certainly a need for a pulling together of individual threads into a total picture ("summarising and adding context").    And  I do wonder how anyone can see the full flow of posts here and elsewhere and take it all in ... so a moderate repetition of key items does (IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion)) more good than harm.

I thought we had noted that already (maybe in another thread?)

Repeating and highlighting certainly helps bring home key information - thank you for the highlight  

[Adelante_CCT]

I was unaware it had been, the last thing I recall being mentioned was that it was due to be signed off between Xmas and NY, so good to see if it officially has been

[stuving]

I was unaware it had been, the last thing I recall being mentioned was that it was due to be signed off between Xmas and NY, so good to see if it officially has been

I think that's right. The sign-off only happened last Friday morning, so it can hardly have been reported before that. Given how important this was, that is certainly taking it right down to the wire - or perhaps (like all well-behaved pantographs) up to the wire.

[IndustryInsider]

Yes, definitely signed off.

The main issue for the new year and new timetable is the 387 service extending to Didcot, and the few 12-car formations that will be operating.

Most drivers will not have driven an electric 8-car train west of Maidenhead, so they will be cautiously finding their feet when it comes to stop car markers and braking points.

12-car trains will provide a big capacity boost, but at stations like Slough, Maidenhead, and Twyford they will be stopping at platforms with the doors opening on as few as 7 cars, which will no doubt take a while for customers to get used to, and needs publicising extensively.  At Reading the rear four will be locked out of use, so again there's a performance risk of delays whilst that takes place.

I forsee those issues causing a few delays to begin with, but I think the crew shortage problem will be significantly eased.

[Timmer]

Been a much much better day today, the best for a long time 

Things looked to have been going smoothly with the diverts to and from Marylebone. I think GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) have been wise to just operate an hourly service along with the hourly services between Bristol and Reading (to change for services to Waterloo)

[IndustryInsider]

Yes, everyone who works today is on ‘double time and a quarter’ meaning there were enough volunteers to counter those who had taken the option to not work.  Same deal for New Years Eve as well.

The run up to Christmas was very poor, but the big getaway period itself has largely been very successful - largely due to it being spread out more.

[Timmer]

Sadly the same cannot be said for XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) services with the already reduced timetable due to strike action being further reduced due to traincrew issues. Looking at RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) you have trains due to run cancelled operating only as empty coaching stock to their destinations.

[phile]

Been a much much better day today, the best for a long time 

Things looked to have been going smoothly with the diverts to and from Marylebone. I think GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) have been wise to just operate an hourly service along with the hourly services between Bristol and Reading (to change for services to Waterloo)

GWR - Nil   Northern - 73

[Timmer]

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - Nil   Northern - 73

Perhaps Northern weren’t offering something as generous as GWR were for working today?

[stuving]

The run up to Christmas was very poor, but the big getaway period itself has largely been very successful - largely due to it being spread out more.

While this year's calendar has been relatively favourable for railway planners, it has been quite the opposite for SNCF^▸ (Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais - French National Railways). They have been getting flak for crowded trains and stations, and for "overbooking". Part of their excuse is that this year's school holidays start on the 23rd, which is as late is ever happens and it's been ages since the last one (actually 2006) so everyone has forgotten what to expect.

That is probably true, and the press comment is largely synthetic outrage. For a start all TGVs^▸ (Train a Grande Vitesse) and some Intercités are reservation only, and while there may have been the odd glitch that led to people being unable to take their reserved seats that wasn't the big problem. It's the other Intercités where reservations are optional, and TERs that don't have reservations at all, that were so full it left barely enough elbow room for sending angry tweets.

I still haven't found out where SNCF tell you which Intercités require reservations, but I'm sure they must do somewhere. These are longer distance trains, of the traditional cross-country kind, and not very fast. I didn't realise until now that there are also long-distance TERs, which are even slower - so neither "express" nor "régional". For example, Paris Bercy-Lyon takes 3 hours to Dijon and 5 to Lyon.

SNCF didn't help their case when one of their staff tweeters used the word overbook and said they do it for the same reasons recently given here - people like the turn-up-and-go flexibility. Later they corrected that to point out these were trains with no bookings or admitting passengers without. Note that their unreserved tickets now valid for a week from the date you ask for - so the charge of "selling too many tickets" is less apt than it is here.

The complaint with most force was from people who did reserve but couldn't travel as the train was already full and in some cases left early for safety reasons. The SNCF answer was that they can't reasonably call the police to clear a train - but that is an admission that they don't attempt to regulate boarding on those trains (not so very many) nor enforce reservations.

Of course the journalistic comment didn't bother to understand any of that. And I do expect some here will be envious of that level of crowding.   

[TaplowGreen]

Sadly the same cannot be said for XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) services with the already reduced timetable due to strike action being further reduced due to traincrew issues. Looking at RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) you have trains due to run cancelled operating only as empty coaching stock to their destinations.

Irrespective of the leverage it gives, you have to question the morals and human decency of those prepared to strike in these circumstances on Christmas Eve knowing the misery it will cause to thousands of people.

Great to hear that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) services have held up so well today.

[ellendune]

Irrespective of the leverage it gives, you have to question the morals and human decency of those prepared to strike in these circumstances on Christmas Eve knowing the misery it will cause to thousands of people.

Great to hear that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) services have held up so well today.

I think this is more than a little of an overreaction TG.

I would have thought that this year - with Christmas Eve being a Sunday and with the rush starting on Friday - this was more a symbolic strike at one of the least disruptive days. After all NR^» (Network Rail - home page) have already started Christmas shutdowns. 

I don't know if XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) staff are contracted to do Sundays or whether it is voluntary...

[Timmer]

I would have thought that this year - with Christmas Eve being a Sunday and with the rush starting on Friday - this was more a symbolic strike at one of the least disruptive days. After all NR^» (Network Rail - home page) have already started Christmas shutdowns. 

Well the next XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) strike day certainly won’t be a ‘symbolic’ one...it's on the 27th.

[ChrisB]

....and the 31st....

[Timmer]

....and the 31st....

Yup, along with all the other dates in January across various TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company). I guess that’s one thing we can be thankful for that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are one of the few TOCs not involved in an industrial dispute.