Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[phile]

The Twitter team are just left to do their best to answer questions but the answers are actually in the "back office".
Re the DFT^▸ (Department for Transport), what can be expected if civil servants with little railway experience are making important rail decisions and micro-managing.   I understand that the hierarchy of TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) are not allowed to put any blame to the DFT thus allowing the TOCs  to take all the flak when anything goes wrong while the real perpetrators are allowed to hide away in the background and not willing to accept any criticism.

[simonw]

Whilst I except that that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) is not fully to blame for the current poor show, I am sure that if every passenger whose train was cancelled at short notice, or whose train was running late, received either  100% or 50% refund of the walk on fare, then GWR and DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) would sort out this issue.

Whilst many cancellations are not a big issue for many, compensation should be given just to encourage GWR|DfT to do better. However, if you where to miss the 0624 Bristol Parkway to Penzance train, you then have a 3 hour hole in your day. This has happened this week, Monday and Thursday.
 

[TaplowGreen]

Whilst I except that that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) is not fully to blame for the current poor show, I am sure that if every passenger whose train was cancelled at short notice, or whose train was running late, received either  100% or 50% refund of the walk on fare, then GWR and DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) would sort out this issue.

Whilst many cancellations are not a big issue for many, compensation should be given just to encourage GWR|DfT to do better. However, if you where to miss the 0624 Bristol Parkway to Penzance train, you then have a 3 hour hole in your day. This has happened this week, Monday and Thursday.
 

I'll tell you the best way to focus a few minds and encourage a swift improvement - link senior management pay rises/bonuses to customer satisfaction ratings - you'd soon see a bit more urgency if that happened.

[a-driver]

Whilst I except that that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) is not fully to blame for the current poor show, I am sure that if every passenger whose train was cancelled at short notice, or whose train was running late, received either  100% or 50% refund of the walk on fare, then GWR and DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) would sort out this issue.

Whilst many cancellations are not a big issue for many, compensation should be given just to encourage GWR|DfT to do better. However, if you where to miss the 0624 Bristol Parkway to Penzance train, you then have a 3 hour hole in your day. This has happened this week, Monday and Thursday.
 

I'll tell you the best way to focus a few minds and encourage a swift improvement - link senior management pay rises/bonuses to customer satisfaction ratings - you'd soon see a bit more urgency if that happened.

No you wouldn't..... because if I knew management pay rises/bonses were linked to customer satisfaction ratings I would ensure my satisfaction was always deeply negative!

[ellendune]

A study of the effect of bonuses found that most people on incentive bonus schemes were incentivised by doing a good job, not by money. 

Looking at some recent City scandals where some others are motivated by money, it appears it motivates them to do things that are not in the long term interests of the company, sometimes not even in the short term interests, and possibly in some cases to fiddle to books to make it look like they achieved their targets. 

Many years ago I received extremely poor service when trying to buy a car, which I am convinced was due to the salesman (he was a man) either having such a low basic salary that he needed the bonus or was too incentivised by it that he wanted to sell me what would give him a bonus not what I wanted. Had his colleague not intervened I would have walked out at the point of sale. 

It seems to me that bonuses are at best a waste of money and at worst an incentive to fiddle the books. 

[TaplowGreen]

A study of the effect of bonuses found that most people on incentive bonus schemes were incentivised by doing a good job, not by money. 

Looking at some recent City scandals where some others are motivated by money, it appears it motivates them to do things that are not in the long term interests of the company, sometimes not even in the short term interests, and possibly in some cases to fiddle to books to make it look like they achieved their targets. 

Many years ago I received extremely poor service when trying to buy a car, which I am convinced was due to the salesman (he was a man) either having such a low basic salary that he needed the bonus or was too incentivised by it that he wanted to sell me what would give him a bonus not what I wanted. Had his colleague not intervened I would have walked out at the point of sale. 

It seems to me that bonuses are at best a waste of money and at worst an incentive to fiddle the books. 

That's why I said link their bonuses to customer satisfaction rather than profitability or revenue generation.

A high % of satisfied customers is generally a good indication that people are doing a good job.

The "City scandals" you refer to aren't remotely comparable in this context.

If you feel however (based on inside knowledge?) that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) senior managers are the sort of people who would be incentivised to fiddle the books in order to maximise their bonuses, that raises a whole new issue around their integrity, upon which I wouldn't care to speculate.

[Worcester_Passenger]

Given that there are 25 cancellations on JourneyCheck as of 06:30 this morning, something needs to be done:

06:30 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 08:14
07:10 Newport South Wales to London Paddington due 09:00
07:31 Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington due 09:39
08:30 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 10:14
09:10 Newport South Wales to London Paddington due 11:01
09:30 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 11:15
10:30 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 12:14
10:45 London Paddington to Newport South Wales due 12:30
11:30 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 13:14
12:00 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 13:40
13:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 14:39
13:04 Newport South Wales to London Paddington due 15:07
14:00 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 15:41
14:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 15:41
15:30 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 17:14
15:45 London Paddington to Newport South Wales due 17:30
16:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 17:38
16:30 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 18:14
17:45 London Paddington to Newport South Wales due 19:30
18:07 Newport South Wales to London Paddington due 20:07
18:30 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 20:14
18:45 London Paddington to Newport South Wales due 20:30
19:59 Newport South Wales to London Paddington due 22:07
20:45 London Paddington to Newport South Wales due 22:44
21:09 Newport South Wales to London Paddington due 23:13

[TaplowGreen]

Up to 31 cancellations now.......but don't worry, the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) website is advising;

There is generally a good service on the GWR network.

So no need to worry! 

[grahame]

Up to 31 cancellations now.......but don't worry, the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) website is advising;

There is generally a good service on the GWR network.

So no need to worry! 

With the intent of being controversial ... 31 cancellations out of over 1500 scheduled GWR services is around 2% - 1 in 50.  Which whilst it is around 4 times more than the 99.5% to run that's supposed to happen, but 49 out of 50 are running.   I do note at least one point where two successive services from Paddington via Swindon are lost, but I am not seeing massive gaps without any trains at all. Whether the surviving trains will cope with the crowds ...

[Timmer]

There can be no defence for GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) having to cancel so many IC^▸ (Inter City) services today particularly to/from South Wales where the service is just hourly coupled with those travelling from Swansea and Cardiff having to get a bus to Newport owing to engineering work.

Bristol-Paddington outside the morning and evening ‘weekend peak’ can cope with a number of cancellations but once again the passenger is inconvenienced by the failure of the railway to run the timetabled service.

[BBM]

The 10:28 service from Reading to Bristol TM^‡(resolve) (the 10:00 from PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)) is shown on the departure boards as ‘reported full and standing’ with only 7 coaches.

[Timmer]

The 10:28 service from Reading to Bristol TM^‡(resolve) (the 10:00 from PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)) is shown on the departure boards as ‘reported full and standing’ with only 7 coaches.

Not surprised. When I said Bristol-Paddington can cope in my above post, I later thought but it would mean the services that do run will be full and standing with passengers possibly being left behind. Two trains into one doesn’t always go. Feel for the staff on board and at stations who have to deal with stressed and angry passengers owing to failings of those above them, whoever that is GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) or Dft who is at fault for this sham of a franchise.

[didcotdean]

1A12 Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington left Swindon full and standing. I see only the front 5 are in use on this one.

Many of the cancelled IC^▸ (Inter City) services are those that call at Didcot, so there are extra stops on the other already full trains.

[phile]

1A12 Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington left Swindon full and standing. I see only the front 5 are in use on this one.

Many of the cancelled IC^▸ (Inter City) services are those that call at Didcot, so there are extra stops on the other already full trains.

That's another aggravating situation in addition to the cancellations and 2 trains of people squeezing into one. due to no crew member to staff the rear 5 carriages

[ellendune]

There can be no defence for GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) having to cancel so many IC^▸ (Inter City) services today particularly to/from South Wales where the service is just hourly coupled with those travelling from Swansea and Cardiff having to get a bus to Newport owing to engineering work.

Bristol-Paddington outside the morning and evening ‘weekend peak’ can cope with a number of cancellations but once again the passenger is inconvenienced by the failure of the railway to run the timetabled service.

Yes there is it is as a-driver says further up this thread http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=18719.msg231525#msg231525