Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

It is an all-signing, all-dancing system linking crew, stock and timetables that does improve the information flow and is described fairly well in the link Stuving put up.  It is only as good as the core data it's fed with though, so if there was a mess up at the rostering stage that is just the sort of error that can creep in when widescale changes are made, such as for the new timetable.  I don't know if the post on WNXX^▸ (Stored Unserviceable, Mainline Locos HQ All Classes) is accurate or not, but will report back if I hear anything. 

[SandTEngineer]

Thanks for the replies, II and Stuving.  I did a quick 'Google' before posting but the only thing that came up was a model of car......

[TaplowGreen]

Cancellations so far due to crew shortage - more being added (it would seem) every few minutes) - a number of foreshortenings listed too, mostly affecting those seeking to travel beyond Swansea - good luck to anyone unfortunate enough to be travelling by rail today;

08:34 Exeter St Davids to London Paddington due 11:15
09:52 Swansea to London Paddington due 12:45
10:22 Swansea to London Paddington due 13:12
11:22 Swansea to London Paddington due 14:14
12:33 London Paddington to Swansea due 15:27
12:50 Cardiff Central to London Paddington due 14:43
13:17 London Paddington to Cardiff Central due 15:12
13:25 Weston-Super-Mare to London Paddington due 15:36
13:40 Cardiff Central to London Paddington due 15:42
14:17 London Paddington to Cardiff Central due 16:12
14:49 Cardiff Central to London Paddington due 16:46
15:17 London Paddington to Cardiff Central due 17:10
15:29 London Paddington to Taunton due 18:04
15:30 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 17:09
15:49 Cardiff Central to London Paddington due 17:44
16:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 17:37
16:17 London Paddington to Swansea due 19:05
16:30 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 18:08
16:49 Cardiff Central to London Paddington due 18:44
17:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 18:37
17:17 London Paddington to Cardiff Central due 19:12
17:29 London Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare due 19:38
17:30 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 19:06
17:49 Cardiff Central to London Paddington due 19:42
18:17 London Paddington to Swansea due 21:05
18:22 Swansea to London Paddington due 21:14
18:30 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 20:09
18:58 Taunton to London Paddington due 21:47
19:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 20:37
19:17 London Paddington to Swansea due 22:08
19:21 Carmarthen to London Paddington due 23:29
19:29 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 21:04
19:30 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 21:05
20:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 21:34
20:30 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 22:10
21:05 Weston-Super-Mare to London Paddington due 23:15
21:26 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 23:01
22:00 London Paddington to Swansea due 00:51
22:05 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 23:39
22:37 London Paddington to Bristol Parkway due 00:11
23:33 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 01:31

[stuving]

While the report I found last night talks about Integrale (or its use in GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)) being new within the last year, its date (which I missed out) was 2017. Integrale itself goes back even further, though it looks as if its use was rather narrower for stock allocation and has grown.

It is one of a whole soup-bowl of acronyms for what Network Rail have called Railway Code Systems (there's a catalogue of them). Some of those are obviously industry-wide, for example if NR^» (Network Rail - home page) runs them and everyone else joins in. For others, such as Integrale, it's less clear - for example this is NR's catalogue entry from 2015:

Overview: INTEGRALE combines data about the train service and its actual running with diagram and resource information and their associated rolling stock allocations and crew rosters. It is used as a real-time decision support tool within the controls to ensure the right resources are in the right place at the right time. Data is interfaced (from a wide range of industry and local systems) and can also be manually input. It enables users to have access to other businesses data (security permitting) to allow industry collaboration during times of disruption.

Of course the way software uses networking these days makes such a distinction hard to draw anyway, though if you're head of IT and security at one TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) it might interest you.

As an aside, this thread on railforums included several posts at the end from user JN114 - who works at GWR and describes the shuffling of information about train formations, part-manual and part-automatic, between acronyms to reach station displays.

[bobm]

It is an all-signing, all-dancing system linking crew, stock and timetables

Many a slip...  not enough staff signing on today... 

[Sixty3Closure]

I've given up trying to travel to Carmarthen at the Weekend. Too unreliable, too crowded and too many long waits. I suspect its a common feeling

I did travel down Thursday evening on the direct train. Apart from having to travel into London as it no longer stops at Reading all went well. It was a 5+5 (splitting at Swansea) and so far as I could tell pretty empty. I'm use to being one of a few hardy souls at the end of line but under the previous timetable it was busy until Bristol. Hard to know if Christmas affected things although apparently it was (one of many) busiest travel days of the year according to the papers.

And I had my ticket checked for the first time in about a year.

[Incider]

While the report I found last night talks about Integrale (or its use in GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)) being new within the last year, its date (which I missed out) was 2017. Integrale itself goes back even further, though it looks as if its use was rather narrower for stock allocation and has grown.

It is one of a whole soup-bowl of acronyms for what Network Rail have called Railway Code Systems (there's a catalogue of them). Some of those are obviously industry-wide, for example if NR^» (Network Rail - home page) runs them and everyone else joins in. For others, such as Integrale, it's less clear - for example this is NR's catalogue entry from 2015:

Overview: INTEGRALE combines data about the train service and its actual running with diagram and resource information and their associated rolling stock allocations and crew rosters. It is used as a real-time decision support tool within the controls to ensure the right resources are in the right place at the right time. Data is interfaced (from a wide range of industry and local systems) and can also be manually input. It enables users to have access to other businesses data (security permitting) to allow industry collaboration during times of disruption.

Of course the way software uses networking these days makes such a distinction hard to draw anyway, though if you're head of IT and security at one TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) it might interest you.

As an aside, this thread on railforums included several posts at the end from user JN114 - who works at GWR and describes the shuffling of information about train formations, part-manual and part-automatic, between acronyms to reach station displays.

It replaced a system called GENIUS which many would like to go back to......

[stuving]

It replaced a system called GENIUS which many would like to go back to......

Doesn't GENIUS still exist, though? AIUI^▸ (as I understand it) that is still used as a general on-line data viewer away from head office, but is no longer used (or "to be used") for stock allocation.

[Incider]

It replaced a system called GENIUS which many would like to go back to......

Doesn't GENIUS still exist, though? AIUI^▸ (as I understand it) that is still used as a general on-line data viewer away from head office, but is no longer used (or "to be used") for stock allocation.

GENIUS does still exist and some TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)’s still use it as far as I am aware, but GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) only use the mobile version which staff can view on their phones (I can only assume that links to integrale, as it gives rosters, stock movements and crew diagrams).

[Timmer]

As well as cancellations on the Transwilts, other West local services are also being affected by traincrew shortages.

Of particular note is a number of Cardiff-Portsmouth services terminating/starting at Westbury as well as cancellations on Devon/Cornwall branches.

With the SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) strike continuing, those travelling south of Westbury this afternoon/evening are going to find a somewhat limited service at times.

IC^▸ (Inter City) and Thames Valley services appear to running normally.

[Timmer]

Welcome back to 55 cancellations and 15 services running short (as of 8am) mainly local services in Cornwall with all branch lines seeing quite a few cancellations. A few IC^▸ (Inter City) services affected. All good on the Transwilts so far.

[old original]

That's just #$%&ed up a planned day out!  Back on the buses
Shambles

[Timmer]

It’s just got worse on one line:

Alterations to services between Truro and Falmouth Docks
Due to a shortage of train crew between Truro and Falmouth Docks:
Train services running to and from these stations will be suspended. Disruption is expected until 15:00 27/12.

Now up to 70 cancellations, sigh, with services between Southampton and Portsmouth joining the list. This wouldn’t usually be a problem but the strike affecting SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) services means services are much reduced on this line.

[TaplowGreen]

Welcome back to 55 cancellations and 15 services running short (as of 8am) mainly local services in Cornwall with all branch lines seeing quite a few cancellations. A few IC^▸ (Inter City) services affected. All good on the Transwilts so far.

70 cancellations now, Cornish branches decimated, Truro - Falmouth suspended.

How is this allowed to happen day after day? Is anyone taking responsibility for it? The last few weeks would suggest otherwise.

Christmas is always a pretty dismal time for customers with extreme overcrowding but at least in recent years the advertised service has (largely) run with a few additionals, this year GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) just seem to have given up.

Where are all the crew? (if the answer is "On holiday", then management need a boot to the backside for failing to manage their workforce to meet the needs of the business)

[old original]

This won't help but I hope it's not too serious for those involved...

Cancellations to services between Penzance and Truro

Due to a person being hit by a train between Penzance and Truro all lines are blocked.