This thread, and many others on this forum, are a sad indictment of just how shit GWR▸ has become as a train operator.
All the factors affecting rolling stock cascades, maintenance, training, staffing levels, infrastructure improvements, haven't just crept up on GWR unannounced. They've been known about for years. GWR have failed spectacularly to plan effectively.
That is a failure of the senior management and directors at GWR and FirstGroup. Someone should be kicking their butts. The problem is the only potential butt kickers are the DfT» . For ideological reasons the current incumbents there won't do anything for fear of upsetting FirstGroup and scaring them away from rail franchising.
To say that GWR are totally responsible for current situation is totally incorrect.
The promised electrification work has been delayed and deferred...... responsible party, the DfT and
NR» .
The cascade of units away from the franchise was agreed by the DfT in the new franchise for Northern. GWR were not even consulted by the DfT, the first they knew was in the franchise spec for Northern .
Extensions were granted to the lease of the
HST▸ 's for as long as possible but ultimately work to the sets for ScotRail had been signed.
Staff who were working for Wabtec on the short HST sets for the West Country were poached by Hitachi which contributed to deadlines being missed
Staff working at GWR depots left because the company couldn't give assurances on their future employment. Then the plans changed and it is now too late.
The request from GWR for additional units to cover was declined. Chiltern were approached. There are no other units available to lease.
The levels of staffing is specified by the DfT. The level of staffing has been met. The DfT/
TFL▸ paid for GWR to recruit and train a specified number of drivers. This was also met.
Just some of the reasons why the DfT can't kick the butt of GWR. Nothing to do with scaring them off. The DfT simply know who's at fault.
GWR threw money at us, and I think they still are, for drivers to become more flexible in regards to working new trains and training.
You can't train drivers on the new trains if you firstly haven't got the infrastructure to run the new trains. You also can't train drivers if the manufacturer of the trains haven't handed them over to the train operator.
There's in the region of 300 drivers, probably more than that, working on the Thames Valley routes alone. You can't train all them overnight. The whole electrification project has been completely mishandled by the DfT and NR and GWR have been left to pick up the pieces.