Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[old original]

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...

..and XC were also on strike on the 23rd..

[IndustryInsider]

I’ll be undertaking a long distance car journey Boxing Day afternoon, and will report back on the state of the motorways.  Perhaps any other forum members undertaking a similar journey could do the same?  A comparison with a typical Sunday on the motorways, with an allowance for the fact they’ll be slightly busier anyway because the train isn’t an option, will give a very good indication as to likely demand.

So, to report back as promised.  An early to mid-afternoon journey on Boxing Day taking in sections of the M1 and M40 as well as several major A roads, and I was surprised just how busy it was out there!  I would estimate, based on previous experience, around 70-80% as busy as a typical Sunday afternoon, which is probably the best day to use for comparisons.  Noticeably less HGV traffic as you would expect, but certainly no shortage of cars, and proof in my mind that, from a national public service perspective, more trains are needed on Boxing Day.  I'll be interested to hear other travellers experiences.

Obviously that's not an in-depth study, but I don't think anyone can seriously claim that if an extensive train service operated on Boxing Day nobody would use it, but there might be the potential for overcrowding if you didn't operate trains at a sufficient frequency, or ban walk-on fares.  Both are potential options (as is doing nothing!), but I think I favour the gradual introduction of routes, so you can stop the system being swamped by reducing the number of possible journeys being available, but once you've proven you can cope with the numbers (and you can entice sufficient staff in) you can introduce more routes as necessary.

So, for example, start off with Paddington to Oxford/Bristol/Westbury and Reading to Gatwick.  Then the following year extend to Bristol and Cardiff, then if all is going well Exeter, Swansea, Worcester and Gloucester the year after that, then finally Weston-Super-Mare, Plymouth and perhaps Cardiff-Portsmouth and there you have it.  From nothing, to most of the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) routes within 5 years.   

[ChrisB]

The M40 was pretty busy at 0700 this morning. We get to hear the swish of teaffic noise from the decking outside our house once a certain level is reached! That would mistly be football traffic.

Complaints from fans early on 5Live breakfast from those about to drive/catch a (free, put on by their club) coach that they had to go early as they couldn't have a drink until they got there, so had to travel early. I don't have much sympathy for fan drinking frankly

[TaplowGreen]

I’ll be undertaking a long distance car journey Boxing Day afternoon, and will report back on the state of the motorways.  Perhaps any other forum members undertaking a similar journey could do the same?  A comparison with a typical Sunday on the motorways, with an allowance for the fact they’ll be slightly busier anyway because the train isn’t an option, will give a very good indication as to likely demand.

So, to report back as promised.  An early to mid-afternoon journey on Boxing Day taking in sections of the M1 and M40 as well as several major A roads, and I was surprised just how busy it was out there!  I would estimate, based on previous experience, around 70-80% as busy as a typical Sunday afternoon, which is probably the best day to use for comparisons.  Noticeably less HGV traffic as you would expect, but certainly no shortage of cars, and proof in my mind that, from a national public service perspective, more trains are needed on Boxing Day.  I'll be interested to hear other travellers experiences.

Obviously that's not an in-depth study, but I don't think anyone can seriously claim that if an extensive train service operated on Boxing Day nobody would use it, but there might be the potential for overcrowding if you didn't operate trains at a sufficient frequency, or ban walk-on fares.  Both are potential options (as is doing nothing!), but I think I favour the gradual introduction of routes, so you can stop the system being swamped by reducing the number of possible journeys being available, but once you've proven you can cope with the numbers (and you can entice sufficient staff in) you can introduce more routes as necessary.

So, for example, start off with Paddington to Oxford/Bristol/Westbury and Reading to Gatwick.  Then the following year extend to Bristol and Cardiff, then if all is going well Exeter, Swansea, Worcester and Gloucester the year after that, then finally Weston-Super-Mare, Plymouth and perhaps Cardiff-Portsmouth and there you have it.  From nothing, to most of the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) routes within 5 years.   

Clear run up the A38/M5/M4 from Plymouth, just over 3 hours door to door, time to drop off luggage/gifts in Taplow and then on to MK^▸ (Milton Keynes) Dons to watch Argyle win 1-0, great journey, great result! 

Can't imagine being able to match that itinerary by train at the best of times!!! (......but would be good to have the option).

[TaplowGreen]

Cancellations to services between Swindon and Cheltenham Spa


Due to a shortage of train drivers between Swindon and Cheltenham Spa fewer trains are able to run.
Train services running through these stations may be cancelled. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.


Transwilts being hit quite hard too.

[TaplowGreen]

A quick look at the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) website reveals approximately 40 cancellations, most of which are LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley) services and have appeared in the last hour, all due to shortage of train crew throughout peak time tonight and beyond. Possibly the worst I've seen......combined with the number of short formations this morning what a farcical start to the "Brave new World" of reliability and capacity we've all been promised.

[Timmer]

And on the same day the fares went up.

[broadgage]

Yes, a very poor start to the year.
I would have some sympathy with GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) if some exceptional circumstance had caused a sudden and unexpected staff shortage, but cant consider January the second to be in any way exceptional.

Never mind it will all be all right when the new trains come into service  

[Sixty3Closure]

Would it be right to assume that these cancellations (or rather the crew shortage) have been known about all day? Most businesses would know what resources they have on the day (and even before) so why not make this information available earlier? Give people the chance to plan their day? Work from home/elsewhere if they can?

[broadgage]

To be generous to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), this MIGHT be a case of late shift drivers not turning up due to last minute sickness. Or of earlier shift drivers declining to work overtime.

Whatever the detail, it is the job of the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) to recruit and retain enough staff to run the advertised service in all but truly exceptional conditions. GWR have failed miserably in this respect, for some months.

[ChrisB]

Sorry, you can't expect companies to cover for industrial action (fake sickness is an RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) trick right now, so I include that) - how many companies have staff around to cover for unplanned or planned action, for example.

I'm not saying it is this, but if it was.

II has also posted elsewhere as to a reason staff shortages might be prevalent this week, but I can't find it. It can take many months to train a driver, and considerable cost. I agree rosters should all be covered, but unless you want higher fares, they aren't going to have drivers sat around just in case. That last happened over 30 years ago.

[a-driver]

To be generous to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), this MIGHT be a case of late shift drivers not turning up due to last minute sickness. Or of earlier shift drivers declining to work overtime.

Whatever the detail, it is the job of the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) to recruit and retain enough staff to run the advertised service in all but truly exceptional conditions. GWR have failed miserably in this respect, for some months.

GWR have recruited drivers in there hundreds, I would estimate in the region of 500 drivers in the past three or four years and that doesn’t include the recruiting of already qualified drivers but as quickly as they pass out new drivers others are leaving the company.

[IndustryInsider]

I'm not saying it is this, but if it was.

Well it obviously isn't, so I'm not sure quite why you are saying it, even if you aren't.  

[IndustryInsider]

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) have recruited drivers in there hundreds, I would estimate in the region of 500 drivers in the past two or three years and that doesn’t include the recruiting of already qualified drivers but as quickly as they pass out new drivers others are leaving the company.

Quite a significant number of which do not live locally, or have moved themselves down here into rented accommodation leaving family at whatever distant town 'home' may be.  Unsurprisingly at the first opportunity they get a job with a TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) close to wherever home is.  Is it really beyond the wit of GWR to find people who are local? (cue League of Gentlemen impressions!).

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

If the current shortage is due to a higher than expected turnover I would expect HR^▸ (Human Resources) to know the reason why and to address it.  Ditto if absence due to sickness is higher than expected.  Incidentally, I don’t buy this fake sickness suggestion.

Others have reported that RD and overtime payments have been reduced.  This is not the best strategy if you know you’re short (or going to be short) of Drivers and need to rely on RD and overtime working to keep the service going.  Drivers are a TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)’s most important resource and they need to be managed (in the broadest sense) effectively.

But then in my day there were experienced Employee Relations people.