Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[TaplowGreen]

Today's cancellation collection so far due to lack of drivers.

(I note that we'd lost a couple of weeks worth of contributions on this thread since the server meltdown!)

08:43 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 11:29
10:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 11:39
11:22 London Paddington to Great Malvern due 14:03
11:45 London Paddington to Swansea due 14:43
12:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 13:41
12:22 London Paddington to Moreton-In-Marsh due 14:00
12:30 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 14:14
13:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 14:39
13:29 Swansea to London Paddington due 16:31
14:30 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 16:14
14:35 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 17:26
14:45 London Paddington to Swansea due 17:43
14:50 Moreton-In-Marsh to London Paddington due 16:29
15:00 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 16:38
15:29 Swansea to London Paddington due 18:30
16:45 London Paddington to Swansea due 19:43
17:22 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street due 19:44
17:45 London Paddington to Carmarthen due 21:48
18:00 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 19:37
18:03 London Paddington to Penzance due 23:22
18:15 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa due 20:22
18:29 Swansea to London Paddington due 21:28
19:15 London Paddington to Swansea due 22:20
20:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 21:44
20:04 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington due 22:29

[rower40]

(I note that we'd lost a couple of weeks worth of contributions on this thread since the server meltdown!)

Maybe the server needs to have some drivers re-installed...

[grahame]

(I note that we'd lost a couple of weeks worth of contributions on this thread since the server meltdown!)

(I note that we'd lost a couple of weeks worth of contributions on this thread since the server meltdown!)

Maybe the server needs to have some drivers re-installed...

?

To my knowledge, we should only have lost data lunchtime on Good Friday (13:26 on 30th March) to the end of 2nd April - that's Easter Monday.     Please let me know what else has been lost outside that timeframe; I still have the database backup from lunch time on Good Friday that I restored from and can take a further look.

[grahame]

From Easter Sunday (1st April), posted by TaplowGreen and just forwarded to me by another member who's watching the thread and notifications.   I'm advised no notifications so no contribution to the thread from 18th March until 31st March (data incomplete for that day),  so the gap is most likely explained by the lack of contributions rather than anything being lost.   It would have been very odd indeed for us to have been able to restore everything *except* this thread, and even odder had notifies failed, so I'm pretty satisfied with my dates and limitations of loss.

All cancelled. Happy Easter from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)....

08:27 Bath Spa to London Paddington due 10:13
08:57 London Paddington to Plymouth due 12:29
09:03 London Paddington to Cardiff Central due 11:32
10:03 London Paddington to Cardiff Central due 12:26
11:03 London Paddington to Cardiff Central due 13:25
11:55 Cardiff Central to London Paddington due 14:16
12:55 Cardiff Central to London Paddington due 15:15
13:40 Bath Spa to London Paddington due 15:20
13:48 Cardiff Central to London Paddington due 16:14
14:03 London Paddington to Cardiff Central due 16:40
14:40 Bath Spa to London Paddington due 16:21
15:03 London Paddington to Cardiff Central due 17:32
15:24 Swansea to London Paddington due 18:50
16:03 London Paddington to Cardiff Central due 18:33
16:29 London Paddington to Bath Spa due 18:14
17:03 London Paddington to Cardiff Central due 19:32
17:20 Cardiff Central to London Paddington due 19:50
17:29 London Paddington to Bath Spa due 19:14
18:20 Cardiff Central to London Paddington due 20:50
18:40 Bath Spa to London Paddington due 20:21
19:20 Cardiff Central to London Paddington due 21:43
19:30 London Paddington to Bath Spa due 21:14
19:40 Bath Spa to London Paddington due 21:20
21:03 London Paddington to Bristol Parkway due 22:45
21:30 Bath Spa to Swindon due 21:57
22:05 London Paddington to Bristol Parkway due 23:47
22:23 Swindon to Bath Spa due 22:53
22:33 London Paddington to Bristol Parkway due 00:17

[TaplowGreen]

Must be my mistake, apologies! 

[phile]

There are quite a few of those that are scheduled to run which look like being cosy due to several 5 vice 10s because, allegedly, of faults.

[Timmer]

Concerned for the ‘evening peak’ out of Paddington this evening particularly to South Wales and the South West with the last train to Penzance the 18.03 canned. Frustrating when all the cancellations appear together at the same time and at the wrong time, if there’s ever a right time of course.

[broadgage]

Cancelling the 18-03 is very poor indeed.

It is indeed the last through service to the far west, except on a Friday when the 19-03 runs to Penzance.

[broadgage]

I thought that the train crew situation was meant to be improving "in the new year" ?
This year is not of course over yet, but we are over one quarter through the year without significant improvement.

"In the new year" is generally understood to mean reasonably early in the new year.

[TaplowGreen]

I thought that the train crew situation was meant to be improving "in the new year" ?
This year is not of course over yet, but we are over one quarter through the year without significant improvement.

"In the new year" is generally understood to mean reasonably early in the new year.

Ah but which year  (if any) was specified? 🤔

[grahame]

I thought that the train crew situation was meant to be improving "in the new year" ?
This year is not of course over yet, but we are over one quarter through the year without significant improvement.

"In the new year" is generally understood to mean reasonably early in the new year.

Ah but which year  (if any) was specified? 🤔

"In the new year" probably came from one of my posts / based on my enquiries.   If so, related to services operated by regional trains to, from or through the Westbury hub.  And there has been a massive improvement in crew availability on those services.  Still not perfect, and we've had other issues, some new ones ....

[IndustryInsider]

I would be surprised at the rate we’re going if driver shortages are resolved in any meaningful way before Autumn.  We are (slowly and inefficiently) getting through the backlog, but I foresee any improvement in the percentage of drivers fully trained being nullified by the increase in drivers on leave over summer.  In fact I would put money on it getting worse before it gets better.

Now we have 769s thrown into the mix that will mean even more training.

[broadgage]

I thought that the 769s are the ex class 319s that have been rendered bi-mode by fitting diesel engines, are these to utilised in the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) area ?
I thought that they were destined for the North.

[IndustryInsider]

I thought that the 769s are the ex class 319s that have been rendered bi-mode by fitting diesel engines, are these to utilised in the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) area ?
I thought that they were destined for the North.

19 are coming to GWR IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly) - mostly destined for the Reading to Gatwick Line, but also some of the branches.

[grahame]

I thought that the 769s are the ex class 319s that have been rendered bi-mode by fitting diesel engines, are these to utilised in the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) area ?
I thought that they were destined for the North.

There are a total of around 80 class 319 units and conversion could go well beyond a couple of dozen.  As third rail capable units, they have a thumping great 750v bus bar along the train, and the supply of electric to that bar from a diesel engine running under one or two of the lighter coaches in the set is logical and relatively straightforward, I am told.