Planned Industrial Action

[whole diary]

[PhilWakely]

Planned industrial action by the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers)

We have been notified by the RMT union that it intends to hold six 24-hour strikes and one 48-hour strike on the South Western Railway network (not including Island Line).

RMT strike action is planned on the following dates:

    0001 Hours and 2359 Hours on Thursday 26 July 2018
    0001 Hours and 2359 Hours on Saturday 28 July 2018
    0001 Hours and 2359 Hours on Tuesday 31 July 2018
    0001 Hours and 2359 Hours on Saturday 4 August 2018
    0001 Hours and 2359 Hours on Saturday 11 August 2018
    0001 Hours and 2359 Hours on Saturday 18 August 2018
    0001 Hours on Friday 31 August 2018 and 2359 Hours on Saturday 1 September 2018


We will do everything we can to minimise the effect of these strikes.

More information on train services during these strikes will appear on our website in due course.

[bradshaw]

Greater Anglia have just settled with the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers), 19 July 2018

https://www.rmt.org.uk/news/rmt-secures-important-guard19718/
From another Forum the basics are:
Conductors to remain safety critical
Drivers to operate doors depending on individual station safety analysis
Conductors to be trained and competent on door operation
Conductors to remain guaranteed on board all routes except Cambridge to Stansted and Liverpool Street to Ipswich where a train will run until a conductor can be provided.

Attention now focuses on SWR^» (South Western Railway - about)

[bradshaw]

Thursday proposed timetable issued on link

https://www.southwesternrailway.com/plan-my-journey/rmt-industrial-action

West of England services are two hourly to Yeovil Jct outside the peak, with fast bus to Exeter
BUT
• Crewkerne, Feniton, Whimple, Cranbrook and Pinhoe will not be served AT ALL. Local buses may be available but your SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) ticket will not be valid on these services.  Please use Traveline to plan your journey.

[JayMac]

Seems odd that Crewkerne won't be served by repaclement buses.

The fastest route by road from Yeovil Junction to Axminster passes through Crewkerne. A diversion to the station would add no more than 10 minutes to the journey. If that's not acceptable then stopping in Crewkerne town centre is surely an option.

[Fourbee]

Looking at the timetables for Thursday, in general, they seem to be pared down more than for previous strikes. I don't have the previous timetables to compare them to though so cannot be sure.

[bobm]

Worth noting, unlike previous strike days, SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) tickets marked "via Honiton" will not be accepted by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) between Paddington and Exeter St Davids.  No doubt due to the current over-crowding and engineering work affecting GWR West of England services.

[Timmer]

Worth noting, unlike previous strike days, SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) tickets marked "via Honiton" will not be accepted by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) between Paddington and Exeter St Davids.  No doubt due to the current over-crowding and engineering work affecting GWR West of England services.

Has to be this way unfortunately.

[bradshaw]

The service arrives at Yeovil Jct at xx.38 and leaves again at x1.28. If crew times allowed then surely a trip to Crewkerne might be considered.

[JayMac]

Can services be turned back at Crewkerne? I know it's single track, but once in section can a train turn back or does it have to leave the section in the same direction as it entered?

The section ends at Chard Junction. Now if only there was a station there...

[bobm]

There was a problem with turning services at Melksham on the single line as it confused the axle counters.

[bradshaw]

Yes, during previous track occupations services have terminated and started from Crewkerne. Since the recontrol, there are up and down section signals at the station.

A station at Chard would impact on times with the single line, as well as abstract income from the adjacent stations. It strikes me that it could be looked at as part of the Devon Metro service in the future.

[JayMac]

So, it looks like anyone wishing to head west from Crewkerne has to do the following. Either:

Take South West Coaches to Yeovil Bus Station, then another SWC service to Yeovil Junction. Both at their own expense. Board the replacement bus service at Yeovil Junction for Exeter St Davids via Axminster. An RRB^▸ (Rail Replacement Bus) that passes through Crewkerne town centre! Want to do that at the earliest possible start from Crewkerne? 0809 bus to Yeovil Bus Station. Arrive 0844. 0900 bus to Yeovil Junction. Arrive 0905. Wait 43 minutes. 0948 RRB to Exeter St Davids. Arrive 1138.

Or,

Take South West Coaches to Chard, then First Bus to Axminster. Again at your own expense. Want to do that at the earliest possible start from Crewkerne Station? 0730 bus to Chard. Arrive 0834. Wait 80 minutes. 0954 bus to Axminster. Arrive 1025. RRB from Axminster at 1033. Arrive Exeter St Davids 1138. Miss that 8 minute connection at Axminster and you have a two hour wait for the next RRB.

So, whichever way you go you are looking at at least 3.5 hours to get from Crewkerne to Exeter St Davids. A journey that usually takes 55 minutes by train.

And why? Because SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) have decided that the RRBs shouldn't serve Crewkerne, despite the quickest way from Yeovil Junction to Axminster being along the A30, which goes through the centre of Crewkerne. A diversion to Crewkerne Station would add no more than 10 minutes to the overall journey time. There's a 42 minute gap between the RRBs arriving at Exeter St Davids and then departing back to Yeovil Junction. Add the Crewkerne station stop and you still have 32 minutes to play with for traffic delays and breaks. The gap between buses arriving at Yeovil Junction and returning to Exeter St Davids is 93 minutes. So it appears that adding a Crewkerne Station stop doesn't require additional vehicles to maintain the two hourly service.

Poor show. Of course the ultimate blame, as far as I'm concerned, lies with a certain throwback union.

I shall at least be able to photograph the strike day 'train' services. The RRBs will pass right by my flat in Chard! Just have to guesstimate the 'passing' times...

[bradshaw]

Or they might just head off to Axminster at the Cricket St Thomas turning and go via the B3167 and the Junction?

[JayMac]

Or they might just head off to Axminster at the Cricket St Thomas turning and go via the B3167 and the Junction?

They may indeed. Meaning only that I don't get to do any 'spotting'. Taking that route still means passing through Crewkerne.

[bradshaw]

True, so perhaps pressure could be put on them to stop in Crewkerne town centre, rather than the station, in future.