2019 - TransWilts cancellation and amendments log

[whole diary]

[grahame]

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Wiltshire on the TransWilts reliability this evening - around 18:10

[Celestial]

I think you were remarkably kind in your comments about GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway).  I was wondering why you didn't say the number of cancellations in the last few days, but I suppose that would have scared off even more passengers.  I think you could have made more about the line being singled out when other lines with a more frequent service have been left untouched.

[bobm]

It’s always hard to know how many facts to include particularly on radio.  Unlike television you can’t put a slide up for people to take in.  With just sound you get one chance to absorb the detail. 

I think tonight got the message across without going into the finest detail which would only interest a small minority of the audience.  A minority who already know how bad things are!

[grahame]

I think you were remarkably kind in your comments about GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway).  I was wondering why you didn't say the number of cancellations in the last few days, but I suppose that would have scared off even more passengers.  I think you could have made more about the line being singled out when other lines with a more frequent service have been left untouched.

Thank you;  the situation has gotten beyond the stage of just sitting and accepting "these things happen".  The (radio) message is "this is not right and it needs to be sorted.  It is significantly disrupting journeys at the moment."  

Behind the immediate public profile, from Melksham and from the Community Rail Partnership, the "critical" in the "critical friend" approach the groups take has been far stronger.   We are not looking for platitudes, we are looking for real action - not for impractical perfection, but just for cancellations and delays that have an effect on a par with the rest of the GWR area.    

We can ask, cajole, persuade, put a case, suggest, help.  But we have no power to demand or enforce. Going deeper with the "critical" in public would reduce our abilities to persuade, to influence, to help - even though it might feel good (and it would have felt good for a few minutes) to let off steam.

[grahame]

Here we go again

14:10 Frome to Swindon due 15:07
14:10 Frome to Swindon due 15:07 will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Trowbridge, Melksham, Chippenham and Swindon.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Additional Information
Road transport will be arranged to run in place of this service between Westbury and Chippenham.

15:19 Swindon to Westbury due 16:00
15:19 Swindon to Westbury due 16:00 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Additional Information
Road transport will be arranged to run in place of this service between Chippenham and Westbury.

It was pointed out to me last night that TfL^» (Transport for London - about) have lots of train crews in training and refresh but not doing much else as they wait for the completion of CrossRail.  And the question was asked "could not some of them be seconded to Westbury ...". 

[martyjon]

Here we go again

14:10 Frome to Swindon due 15:07
14:10 Frome to Swindon due 15:07 will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Trowbridge, Melksham, Chippenham and Swindon.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Additional Information
Road transport will be arranged to run in place of this service between Westbury and Chippenham.

15:19 Swindon to Westbury due 16:00
15:19 Swindon to Westbury due 16:00 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Additional Information
Road transport will be arranged to run in place of this service between Chippenham and Westbury.

It was pointed out to me last night that TfL^» (Transport for London - about) have lots of train crews in training and refresh but not doing much else as they wait for the completion of CrossRail.  And the question was asked "could not some of them be seconded to Westbury ...". 

Route and Traction knowledge.

[grahame]

Route and Traction knowledge.

Correct.   But if they're sitting in London being less than productive, aren't they some of the way there already with all the other aspects of the job?

[martyjon]

Whilst I must be sympathetic to users of the Transwilts line, I must ask the question, "Is this a backlash of the policy of banning parents from taking school aged children out of school to go on the annual family holiday in term time." ? ? ? ?

[TaplowGreen]

Whilst I must be sympathetic to users of the Transwilts line, I must ask the question, "Is this a backlash of the policy of banning parents from taking school aged children out of school to go on the annual family holiday in term time." ? ? ? ?

Eh? 

[grahame]

Whilst I must be sympathetic to users of the Transwilts line, I must ask the question, "Is this a backlash of the policy of banning parents from taking school aged children out of school to go on the annual family holiday in term time." ? ? ? ?

I would be very surprised if a significant number of GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s drivers and train managers had habitually taken their children out of school during term to go on a a family holiday, and have now changed that habit to the extent that they're taking annual holidays while the schools are out, and doing so above and beyond the needs of their employer.

A prudent employer with a mission critical operational role / contract should ensure that he adjusts the level and mix of his team to take account of such social change, which I suspect is a very minor element when compared to staff sickness, general holiday requests, training, working hour agreements and rules, and staff quitting.  And a prudent employer with a mission critical contract should routinely making robust plans that will allow him to maintain his contract even if all of those elements swing 'against' him at the same time.  I am not convinced that GWR have these robust plans as we seem to have limped from one crisis to the next with training, Sundays, sickness ... 

[martyjon]

Whilst I must be sympathetic to users of the Transwilts line, I must ask the question, "Is this a backlash of the policy of banning parents from taking school aged children out of school to go on the annual family holiday in term time." ? ? ? ?

I would be very surprised if a significant number of GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s drivers and train managers had habitually taken their children out of school during term to go on a a family holiday, and have now changed that habit to the extent that they're taking annual holidays while the schools are out, and doing so above and beyond the needs of their employer.

A prudent employer with a mission critical operational role / contract should ensure that he adjusts the level and mix of his team to take account of such social change, which I suspect is a very minor element when compared to staff sickness, general holiday requests, training, working hour agreements and rules, and staff quitting.  And a prudent employer with a mission critical contract should routinely making robust plans that will allow him to maintain his contract even if all of those elements swing 'against' him at the same time.  I am not convinced that GWR have these robust plans as we seem to have limped from one crisis to the next with training, Sundays, sickness ... 

I know one young GWR driver who habitually took his main holiday at end of September / beginning of October, planning his marriage and honeymoon for same time and continued to do so after offspring arrived but now eldest is at primary school cannot do so.

[grahame]

Received overnight from Paul Johnson and Sophie Martin at TransWilts. 

Statement on TransWilts Services 21st August 2019

During July and August TransWilts services have suffered an unacceptable level of cancellations. We have made strong representations to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) regarding solving the underlying causes of the service problems and in the short term providing suitable mitigating action.
The primary cause of cancellations has been driver availability which is always more difficult in holiday periods when levels of leave are higher. This summer the situation has been exacerbated by sickness and a shortage of trained drivers created by the training programmes for the major December timetable introduction.
Resulting cancellations have affected weekend services and the evening commuter service. We do not realistically expect the situation to begin to get better until September. In the meantime GWR are now committing to providing a replacement bus service between Westbury and Chippenham when there are cancellations. The service will be included in the customer service information shown on GWR departure screens and on line information. For example, replacement bus services by Arleen Coaches were provided on 21st August with timings below



Paul Johnson said “Whilst accepting a replacement bus service is not the same as a train, this replacement bus service is provided to ensure that our passengers can have confidence in being able to travel and get home even if the train is cancelled.”
GWR have stated that “ We are committed to the route, to the CRP^▸ (Community Rail Partnership), to developing Melksham Station and to getting back to the growth we know the line can sustain. [Whilst] the next few weeks will not be easy…having a clear alternative in the bus service will help and as driver availability eases we should get back to the improved reliable service that we all want for our customers.”

"Graham I am sure your MRUG^» (Melksham Rail User Group - site) users will want to know the situation, it will be useful to keep a common approach. I hope the bus service operates as planned, let me know if it doesn't.".   So  - please let me know of any bus issues or pass them on to Paul or Sophie directly.  It would be a help to copy me / comment here if you go direct, so we have common knowledge.

[grahame]

I know one young GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) driver who habitually took his main holiday at end of September / beginning of October, planning his marriage and honeymoon for same time and continued to do so after offspring arrived but now eldest is at primary school cannot do so.

I suspect we're looking at more than one driver ... but then ONE driver is all we need. Now massive disuprtion 5 days out of the last six ... at 750 journeys per day, that's one driver short effecting 3,750 journeys. 

[grahame]

As a picture paints a thousand words ...

Trains operating in blue and cancelled / bustituted in orange

How it SHOULD look (just a teeny tiny bit of orange at the top)


How it DOES look

[grahame]

Facebook link to Press release on TransWilts site now added