Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

The majority of other businesses aren’t micromanaged by Government!

First Group HO^▸ (Model Railway, 3.5mm to 1 foot scale) clearly know who’s responsible for the current situation.

This thread is SEVEN years old! The problems pre-date the management contract signed in June 2022. You can't place all blame with the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about). FirstGroup went into franchise and management contract negotiations with their eyes open. Let's no forget they also handed the keys back in 2012 and saved themselves over £800 million pounds. And were then happy to take on the franchise again and receive nearly £200 million in subsidy.

The Greater Western franchise has been a basket case for well over a decade. The buck stops with the MD.

[a-driver]

The majority of other businesses aren’t micromanaged by Government!

First Group HO^▸ (Model Railway, 3.5mm to 1 foot scale) clearly know who’s responsible for the current situation.

This thread is SEVEN years old! The problems pre-date the management contract signed in June 2022. You can't place all blame with the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about). FirstGroup went into franchise and management contract negotiations with their eyes open. Let's no forget they also handed the keys back in 2012 and saved themselves over £800 million pounds. And were then happy to take on the franchise again and receive nearly £200 million in subsidy.

The Greater Western franchise has been a basket case for well over a decade. The buck stops with the MD.

If you knew anything about the rail industry you’d know it’s been micromanaged from Day 1 of being privatised.
You can give it all they handed the keys back in 2012 but the DfT signed a contract that allowed them to do so. First Group is first and foremost a business.  They’ve signed a contract containing terms and conditions stipulated by the DfT. The DfT have taken no action so it can only be assumed that First are meeting its contract obligations.

All the blame lies squarely with the DfT, and that’s the case not just for GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) but every other franchised (or management contract) operation. 

[JayMac]

So you're saying the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) were responsible for hiring and training prior to thr direct contract in 2022?

News to me.

[a-driver]

So you're saying the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) were responsible for hiring and training prior to thr direct contract in a 2022?

News to me.

In a roundabout way, yes. Staffing levels are set by the DfT. GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are currently overstaffed at a number of depots. In the last 5 or more years, GWR have recruited and trained more drivers than they’ve ever done.  The DfT can, and have previously, put on a block on recruitment.  Recruitment needs approval.
There’s only so many trainees you can have in the system at any one time.

[Timmer]

For those in the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Points West region, and possibly others served by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), there will be a news item covering the current Sunday service issues in this evening’s program 17/12. Will be available on iPlayer for 24 hours following broadcast.

[Timmer]

For those in the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Points West region, and possibly others served by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), there will be a news item covering the current Sunday service issues in this evening’s program 17/12. Will be available on iPlayer for 24 hours following broadcast.

The main takeaway from this was the government have told GWR to pay up to ensure services run this Sunday 22nd and the following Sunday 29th. So some good news for passengers travelling over Christmas if enough train crew can be persuaded to earn some extra cash.

[IndustryInsider]

For those in the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Points West region, and possibly others served by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), there will be a news item covering the current Sunday service issues in this evening’s program 17/12. Will be available on iPlayer for 24 hours following broadcast.

The main takeaway from this was the government have told GWR to pay up to ensure services run this Sunday 22nd and the following Sunday 29th. So some good news for passengers travelling over Christmas if enough train crew can be persuaded to earn some extra cash.

Yes...except for the fact that GWR won't be 'paying up' anything as the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) will be the ones that do that.  Basically, double time for the two Sundays in question instead of the (for drivers) time-and-a-quarter that you get for normal Sundays and the time-and-a-half you get for working an additional shift on any other day.

Of course with so little notice, some folk who may have been interested for this Sunday will doubtless have made other plans by now.  We'll see if it's enough to make a big difference.

The word 'rudderless' springs to mind!

[JayMac]

The word 'rudderless' springs to mind!

Mark Hopwood certainly doesn't seem to have a firm grip of the tiller.

[ChrisB]

Because it's the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) that has their hand on the tiller & Mark's hands are tied behind his back.

How many times does this need to be said?

[JayMac]

How many times does it need saying that the staffing issues predate the direct award in 2022? As I previously said this thread goes back SEVEN years. There are a good few other topics of a similar nature that predate even this thread.

When there was goodwill FGW^▸ (First Great Western)/GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) were happy to take the cheaper option of paying overtime rather than hire and train staff. An additional cost that would've dented First Group profits during the good times after they saved themselves from the £800 million backend on the previous franchise agreement. One they happily signed and went into with their eyes open.

The last two years of DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) control are a smokescreen being used to hide all the disfunction and mismanagement of the Greater Western franchise over the last decade and more.

The sooner First Group have the trainset taken from them the better.

[a-driver]

How many times does it need saying that the staffing issues predate the direct award in 2022?

How many times do we need to say it. The operation has been micromanaged by the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) from the first day it went into private hands.

When there was goodwill FGW^▸ (First Great Western)/GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) were happy to take the cheaper option of paying overtime rather than hire and train staff. An additional cost that would've dented First Group profits during the good times after they saved themselves from the £800 million backend on the previous franchise agreement. One they happily signed and went into with their eyes open.

The DfT sets the staffing levels. A move to get Sundays into the working week would have required approval from the DfT. Again, you can’t hire more staff without the DfT approval.

The DfT set the terms of the franchise/contract, not First. First are highly unlikely to turn something down that’s beneficial to them.

The last two years of DfT control are a smokescreen being used to hide all the disfunction and mismanagement of the Greater Western franchise over the last decade and more.

It’s always been DfT controlled. Every single franchise was and is still DfT controlled. Nothing has really changed with the operations that have moved back into public ownership.

The sooner First Group have the trainset taken from them the better.

Because that’ll sort everything.

[Oxonhutch]

First Group HO^▸ (Model Railway, 3.5mm to 1 foot scale)...

First Group HO (Model railway, 3.5mm to 1 foot scale)

[TaplowGreen]

Getting more like Ryanair every day.....

https://telegraph.co.uk/gift/c4bd5daab5f316e9

[Timmer]

Getting more like Ryanair every day.....

https://telegraph.co.uk/gift/c4bd5daab5f316e9

Easy there TG  Won’t have a bad word said about Ryanair. Never had a problem with them. Does what it says on the tin, no nonsense.

Anyway, back to the topic of luggage on trains. I don’t see what the problem is. Plenty of space in the guards van…oh wait.

[TaplowGreen]

Getting more like Ryanair every day.....

https://telegraph.co.uk/gift/c4bd5daab5f316e9

Easy there TG  Won’t have a bad word said about Ryanair. Never had a problem with them. Does what it says on the tin, no nonsense.

Anyway, back to the topic of luggage on trains. I don’t see what the problem is. Plenty of space in the guards van…oh wait.

True. Ryanair is much better value, their Boss is highly visible.....and their crews work on Sundays!  (.......runs away & hides behind the sofa)