Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[broadgage]

And the headline message on the website?

"There is generally a good service on the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) network."

I have long since given up regarding the front page of the GWR website as being a useful source of information, at best it should be considered as an advertisement, and at worst as propaganda, not a news source.

[phile]

Interesting to see the 1145 Pad-Swansea is being diverted between Swindon and Bristol Parkway to call at Chippenham and Bath Spa This is due to a shortage of train drivers. Overcrowding due to earlier Bristol services being cancelled?

Only got as far as Bristol Parkway.   Broke.

[TonyK]

Interesting to see the 1145 Pad-Swansea is being diverted between Swindon and Bristol Parkway to call at Chippenham and Bath Spa This is due to a shortage of train drivers. Overcrowding due to earlier Bristol services being cancelled?

Only got as far as Bristol Parkway.   Broke.

It can now therefore be moved to the other column, "More trains than usual needing repairs at the same time".

[Timmer]

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) bracing everyone for a rough day ahead. On the plus side, if you hold an Advance ticket you can use it on any train. Good that common sense has prevailed on that one and one less thing the staff who are working today have to deal with when checking tickets.

Cancellations to services on all routes
Due to a shortage of train crew:
Train services running across the whole Great Western Railway network may be cancelled or revised. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.
Customer Advice
South Western Railway are conveying passengers between London Waterloo and Exeter St Davids in both directions until further notice.
Additional Information
Due to severe shortages of train crew today, disruption and cancellations to High Speed, Long Distance services can be expected on all routes.

Ticket restrictions have been lifted on all routes. Customers with 'advance' tickets may use them on any GWR train today; however reservations cannot be honoured on services other than your booked train. Please note other operators have NOT lifted advance ticket restrictions; and if your journey involves other operators you will have to travel on your booked train with that operator.

If you are delayed by more than 1 hour; you may be eligible for delay compensation. Please visit the GWR website for further details on how to claim.

[TaplowGreen]

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) bracing everyone for a rough day ahead. On the plus side, if you hold an Advance ticket you can use it on any train. Good that common sense has prevailed on that one and one less thing the staff who are working today have to deal with when checking tickets.

Cancellations to services on all routes
Due to a shortage of train crew:
Train services running across the whole Great Western Railway network may be cancelled or revised. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.
Customer Advice
South Western Railway are conveying passengers between London Waterloo and Exeter St Davids in both directions until further notice.
Additional Information
Due to severe shortages of train crew today, disruption and cancellations to High Speed, Long Distance services can be expected on all routes.

Ticket restrictions have been lifted on all routes. Customers with 'advance' tickets may use them on any GWR train today; however reservations cannot be honoured on services other than your booked train. Please note other operators have NOT lifted advance ticket restrictions; and if your journey involves other operators you will have to travel on your booked train with that operator.

If you are delayed by more than 1 hour; you may be eligible for delay compensation. Please visit the GWR website for further details on how to claim.

..............there's a plus side? 

[TaplowGreen]

The detail (so far) - this is the first time I've noticed the far South West services being so badly affected - the 0840,1011 and 1100 services from Plymouth are the first three direct of the day - given how colossally overcrowded services from Devon and Cornwall always are on Sundays, travelling on the later services which will have to pick up all these abandoned customers simply does not bear thinking about.


07:45 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 09:39
08:30 London Paddington to Port Talbot Parkway due 11:30
08:34 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa due 10:44
08:40 Plymouth to London Paddington due 12:22
08:44 London Paddington to Oxford due 10:00
10:05 London Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare due 12:31
10:11 Plymouth to London Paddington due 14:00
10:34 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa due 12:44
10:37 London Paddington to Port Talbot Parkway due 13:31
10:53 Oxford to London Paddington due 12:06
11:00 Plymouth to London Paddington due 14:28
11:18 Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington due 13:27
12:43 Swansea to Carmarthen due 13:30
13:20 Weston-Super-Mare to London Paddington due 15:57
14:04 Port Talbot Parkway to London Paddington due 17:07
14:11 Carmarthen to Swansea due 14:56
14:37 London Paddington to Port Talbot Parkway due 17:31
15:05 Swansea to Carmarthen due 15:51
16:05 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 17:55
16:07 Carmarthen to Swansea due 16:51
16:37 London Paddington to Port Talbot Parkway due 19:35
17:55 Swansea to Carmarthen due 18:40
18:09 Port Talbot Parkway to London Paddington due 21:07
19:05 Carmarthen to Swansea due 19:49

[Adelante_CCT]

Additional advice has been posted

CrossCountry are conveying passengers between Plymouth and Bristol Parkway in both directions until further notice.

Customers with tickets dated Sunday 22nd April 2018 may use them on GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) services ONLY on Monday 23rd April 2018.

[Adelante_CCT]

If you are delayed by more than 1 hour; you may be eligible for delay compensation. Please visit the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) website for further details on how to claim.

I really do hope this runs into the many thousands of pounds, surely better to use said money on staff to provide an actual service.




Oh and one for Taplow Green and others, if you click on the 'Train Running' button which takes you to the JourneyCheck page, then at the top click 'Customer Service', it kind of says it all really

[Adelante_CCT]

the 0840,1011 and 1100 services from Plymouth are the first three direct of the day -

Not to worry, the 11:00 has been re-instated!

11:00 Plymouth to London Paddington due 14:28 will be reinstated.

Horray!

It will be terminated at Exeter St Davids.
It will no longer call at Tiverton Parkway, Taunton, Reading and London Paddington.
This is due to a shortage of train drivers.

Ah!

[Timmer]

the 0840,1011 and 1100 services from Plymouth are the first three direct of the day -

Not to worry, the 11:00 has been re-instated!

11:00 Plymouth to London Paddington due 14:28 will be reinstated.

Horray!

It will be terminated at Exeter St Davids.
It will no longer call at Tiverton Parkway, Taunton, Reading and London Paddington.
This is due to a shortage of train drivers.

Ah!

Oh well, at least it gives the chance to change at Exeter for services to Waterloo.

[plymothian]

Co-ordinated action ("Barbecue Sunday") by Plymouth depot today with no guards and only 2 drivers willing to work.

[Adelante_CCT]

And for the trains that are running:

Cancellations to services between London Paddington and Slough

Due to a person being hit by a train between London Paddington and Slough all lines are blocked.
Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled, delayed by up to 90 minutes or revised. Disruption is expected until 12:00 22/04.

[a-driver]

And for the trains that are running:

Cancellations to services between London Paddington and Slough

Due to a person being hit by a train between London Paddington and Slough all lines are blocked.
Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled, delayed by up to 90 minutes or revised. Disruption is expected until 12:00 22/04.

Person was clipped by a HEx service. Lines will reopen very quickly.

[TaplowGreen]

Co-ordinated action ("Barbecue Sunday") by Plymouth depot today with no guards and only 2 drivers willing to work.

If that's the case then I am ashamed of my fellow Janners - hope they choke on their sausages!

[TaplowGreen]

Latest cancellation picture - situation deteriorating - there are also dozens of "updates" which are effectively cancellations for large parts of services but too many to list here.

07:45 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 09:39
08:30 London Paddington to Port Talbot Parkway due 11:30
08:34 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa due 10:44
08:40 Plymouth to London Paddington due 12:22
08:44 London Paddington to Oxford due 10:00
10:05 London Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare due 12:31
10:34 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa due 12:44
10:37 London Paddington to Port Talbot Parkway due 13:31
10:53 Oxford to London Paddington due 12:06
11:18 Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington due 13:27
12:30 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 14:22
12:34 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa due 14:45
12:43 Swansea to Carmarthen due 13:30
13:20 Weston-Super-Mare to London Paddington due 15:57
13:46 Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington due 15:59
14:00 London Paddington to Plymouth due 17:29
14:04 Port Talbot Parkway to London Paddington due 17:07
14:11 Carmarthen to Swansea due 14:56
14:37 London Paddington to Port Talbot Parkway due 17:31
15:05 Swansea to Carmarthen due 15:51
15:05 London Paddington to Taunton due 17:59
15:46 Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington due 17:57
16:05 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 17:55
16:07 Carmarthen to Swansea due 16:51
16:34 London Paddington to Hereford due 20:10
16:37 London Paddington to Port Talbot Parkway due 19:35
17:55 Swansea to Carmarthen due 18:40
18:09 Port Talbot Parkway to London Paddington due 21:07
18:30 Hereford to London Paddington due 22:14
18:39 Westbury to Swindon due 19:22
19:00 London Paddington to Plymouth due 22:29
19:05 Carmarthen to Swansea due 19:49
19:43 Severn Beach to Bristol Temple Meads due 20:21
19:53 Swindon to Westbury due 20:36
20:15 Liskeard to Looe due 20:44
20:42 London Paddington to Oxford due 22:00
20:50 Looe to Liskeard due 21:18
22:35 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 00:29
22:50 Oxford to London Paddington due 23:58