IETs into passenger service from 16 Oct 2017 and subsequent performance issues

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

Sitting at Pad on the 1800 to Bristol, diesel engine rumbling merrily away!

Yes, I noted that one was as well.  The other dozen or so (including one ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) move to North Pole) that I saw today were all running on OHLE as they arrived and departed from Paddington.

[Oxonhutch]

Everyone in the rear half of the 1645 Paddington-Swansea was moved forward yesterday when the 'Under Guard' (Ticket Manager?) failed to show. Departed 9 late and cosy.

[Timmer]

Such a waste carting around five empty carriages which is happening all too often.

[TaplowGreen]

Everyone in the rear half of the 1645 Paddington-Swansea was moved forward yesterday when the 'Under Guard' (Ticket Manager?) failed to show. Departed 9 late and cosy.

"Under Guard"........is that a euphemism for a jockstrap?

[Surrey 455]

Is the reason why quite a number of IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) scheduled services are running 5 rather than 10 with one set locked out of use?

Unable to crew the rear unit.

Is this due to crew shortages? If so, any idea why?

Surely GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) knew how many crew would be needed?

GWR know crew are needed for all the cancelled trains that are listed in the traincrew shortage thread. Over to GWR

The turbos never needed a guard or other member of staff in the rear train when they were joined together. Why do the IET's need it?

[JayMac]

Because RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers).

[IndustryInsider]

Turbos mostly run under DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) conditions.  Turbos on non-DOO routes where some of the platforms are long enough, i.e. the Cotswold Line, cannot run in multiple with both sets unlocked.

[WelshBluebird]

Turbos mostly run under DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) conditions.  Turbos on non-DOO routes where some of the platforms are long enough, i.e. the Cotswold Line, cannot run in multiple with both sets unlocked.

What about the non gangwayed 150's?

[IndustryInsider]

Not so sure on the West fleet - perhaps someone can elaborate?

From my own personal standpoint I think every section of a non-gangway train should have a competent person on board each section to be able to help the driver and/or train manager if situations like Lewisham arise.  Be they a guard, a ticket examiner, or trolley staff as long as they have had basic emergency training.  That would include DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) trains.  I can't see it being enforced any time soon, Chiltern for example operate trains of up to four non-gangway sets both DOO and with a Guard.

[TonyK]

Turbos mostly run under DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) conditions.  Turbos on non-DOO routes where some of the platforms are long enough, i.e. the Cotswold Line, cannot run in multiple with both sets unlocked.

What about the non gangwayed 150's?

I had the experience a couple of years back of being on a non-gangwayed 150 from Bristol to Bath. I was in the front carriage and wanted to buy a ticket, as I had started at Stapleton Road, had no chance on that train of buying a ticket, and wanted to get away from Bath Spa ASAP. Nobody available between the two locked doors. I waited until Keynsham - a lot of passengers got on, but still no crew, so at Oldfield Park, I hopped off and got into the next carriage. There were three staff there, all of whom started the old "I thought Jim was doing the front" - "No, I'm here, I thought Betty was up there" - "No, I'm here..."routine, finishing with a sotto voce "Oh sh*t!". I got my ticket, and also the impression that this should not have happened, and would have been viewed most seriously had anyone official seen it.

But nobody was harmed.

[JayMac]

The inaugural passenger service runs for the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Class 802/0 (five car sets) are scheduled to be on July 16th 2018. Diagrams as follows:

1A72 0553 Plymouth to London Paddington
1D20 0950 London Paddington to Oxford
1P26 1201 Oxford to London Paddington
1C89 1633 London Paddington to Exeter St Davids
1A98 1955 Exeter St Davids to London Paddington

1C04 0730 London Paddington to Penzance
1A93 1400 Penzance to London Paddington
1C96 2003 London Paddington to Plymouth

Each of those 2 diagrams will be worked as 2x five car sets.

Usual caveats for this information. Not yet confirmed by GWR.

[TonyK]

The inaugural passenger service runs for the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Class 802/0 (five car sets) are scheduled to be on July 16th 2018. Diagrams as follows:

1A72 0553 Plymouth to London Paddington
1D20 0950 London Paddington to Oxford
1P26 1201 Oxford to London Paddington
1C89 1633 London Paddington to Exeter St Davids
1A98 1955 Exeter St Davids to London Paddington

1C04 0730 London Paddington to Penzance
1A93 1400 Penzance to London Paddington
1C96 2003 London Paddington to Plymouth

Each of those 2 diagrams will be worked as 2x five car sets.

Usual caveats for this information. Not yet confirmed by GWR.

Crikey! They're not easing them in slowly, are they!

[martyjon]

Played skittles Tuesday night and my pair for the night had requested to be first on as he was off to London after he'd played.

Whilst playing he told me of his wife's and his trip to London last weekend for a family event.

Arrived at Bristol Parkway for their booked train and found it was front 5 carriages only and of course their booked seats were in the rear 5 carriages so passengers surged along the platform as the train came in and it was a slow process alighting and boarding and he said to his wife, "in here", and they both got into first class as there was clearly few, if any, seats available in standard class. No ticket check to Swindon.

At Swindon an elderly couple of which the male was visually impaired got on with Customer Assistance and he clearly heard the assisting GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) staff member say to the elderly lady that if there was any problem to show their printed itinerary to the ticket inspector.

By Didcot still no ticket check and there about a dozen people came into the carriage and sat down and he said, "looked as if they were intent on an evening out in town", which turned out to be Reading which was again reached without a ticket check.

Leaving Reading he heard a voice, "All tickets please", so he got his wallet out, extracted the tickets and seat reservations from it and place them on the table. The ticket examiner picked up the tickets and remarked that they were standard class and this is first class. "Yes," he said, " and those reservations are for seats in a carriage back there", whilst he waved a hand above his head pointing to the rear of the train. "Oh, that doesn't give you the right to occupy first class seats in its place", said the ticket inspector. He said, "as the ticket inspector was saying this he opened his wallet, extracted a business card and handed it to the ticket inspector with the words well you get your supervisor to write to me at my business address to explain why not". The ticket inspector insisted that he would have to excess fare them but he could complain and if his complaint was valid the excess fare would be refunded. He said. "pointing to the business card in the ticket examiners hand I told him that he had my business card and for his superiors to write to me and include an invoice for the excess fare if they wish and concluded with the words matter adjourned". The ticket examiner carried on to the remaining passengers. As they were getting off the train at Paddington as his wife walked in front of him towing her Easyjet compliant cabin baggage case he noticed her case had run over a piece of card on the floor of the carriage and he stooped to pick it up and it was his business card. I laughed knowing that his business card reads, name and qualifications, Barrister, and the chambers address from which he conducts his professional services.

Their Sunday return was less eventful, their booked train was cancelled and they got on an earlier service on which they found two seats together.

He concluded that the weekends London visit was the third this year that he had made which would result in a full refund and he'd had a few more where one journey or other has been disrupted resulting in a complaint. 

[broadgage]

I am not convinced that the new trains being shorter* gives an automatic entitlement to use first class with a standard class ticket. Nor does the failure of GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) to honour reservations give such an entitlement, even for barristers.

The train manager might of course permit this at their discretion, but it is not an entitlement.

*I refer here to the length of train available for passenger use, the fact that another 5 vehicles are attached but not available for use is not relevant from the passengers point of view.

[Sixty3Closure]

It's a pity that the usual consumer protection doesn't apply to train tickets. I think I'd be quite frustrated if I've reserved a seat on a busy train for not only my reservation to have disappeared but the train to be half length. Probably wouldn't go sit in First Class though but then I'm still relatively fit and healthy.

It does tie in with the other post though about how some standard reservations were in first class carriages because of rolling stock changes but people were charged an upgrade. I think in that case I would have agreed with the Barrister.