Railway union workers industrial and strike action - 2022

[whole diary]

[Timmer]

Not got off to a good start for anyone travelling to or from Plymouth today with all services starting and terminating at Exeter due to no contingency signallers.

[RichardB]

Not got off to a good start for anyone travelling to or from Plymouth today with all services starting and terminating at Exeter due to no contingency signallers.

This was expected.  There was an e-mail to stakeholders from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) yesterday. 

[PhilWakely]

Mick Lynch - "We have no problem with genuine modernisation and adapting the way the modern railways work".

OK Mick.

The rail industry actively encourages online ticket purchase and  as far back as 2017 40% of customers were stating that they purchased their tickets always or most frequently online rather than at a ticket counter - this figure is only going to go one way.

.........but insisting that ticket offices are maintained at their current level on pain of National strike action is having "no problem with genuine modernisation".

You would be surprised at the number of customers at ticket offices wanting to change their online or TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) purchases because they purchased the wrong ticket or the ticket they wanted was not offered to them.

[bobm]

Not got off to a good start for anyone travelling to or from Plymouth today with all services starting and terminating at Exeter due to no contingency signallers.

This was expected.  There was an e-mail to stakeholders from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) yesterday. 

I wonder why they are turning them at Exeter and not running at least some to Newton Abbot or even Totnes. 

[stuving]

It's an ill wind ... Q: What can you do on a strike day more easily than a normal one? A: drag an IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) with a seized axle from Reading to North Pole very slowly. Very, very, very, slowly.

8Z20 was planned (presumably for overnight, but with no strike) to take 6 hours 20 minutes for what is only 35 miles. That did allow for a stop in every loop, and at Maidenhead. That's the only one it's so far reached, and its stop there was less than allowed (presumably to check the wheel skates were surviving).

It was due to pass Slough after 121 minutes, but was 101 minutes down by then! Fortunately it doesn't matter too much today: even the Elizabeth Line trains can swap to the Main line in some places. I see it's now sneaked into the siding at Langley for its next little rest.

[ChrisB]

Not got off to a good start for anyone travelling to or from Plymouth today with all services starting and terminating at Exeter due to no contingency signallers.

This was expected.  There was an e-mail to stakeholders from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) yesterday. 

How far west does the Exeter box cover? That may answer your query

I wonder why they are turning them at Exeter and not running at least some to Newton Abbot or even Totnes. 

[bobm]

How far west does the Exeter box cover? That may answer your query

Exeter's first signal on the Up is the entrance to Totnes loop and the last on the Down the first after the loop at the station.

[IndustryInsider]

It's an ill wind ... Q: What can you do on a strike day more easily than a normal one? A: drag an IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) with a seized axle from Reading to North Pole very slowly. Very, very, very, slowly.

At 5mph I expect.  As you say, such moves are normally carried out in the dead of night, but the 'dead of day' today is nearly as good!

[ChrisB]

How far west does the Exeter box cover? That may answer your query

Exeter's first signal on the Up is the entrance to Totnes loop and the last on the Down the first after the loop at the station.

How many work stations in Exeter box? Maybe that they can’t cover every one ir can inly cover just the one for EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains) and north thereof?

[ChrisB]

And now ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about) have announced another for Saturday 13 August. Detail in the appropriate thread.

[stuving]

It's an ill wind ... Q: What can you do on a strike day more easily than a normal one? A: drag an IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) with a seized axle from Reading to North Pole very slowly. Very, very, very, slowly.

At 5mph I expect.  As you say, such moves are normally carried out in the dead of night, but the 'dead of day' today is nearly as good!

In average speed, well under 5 mph! It just got in, having taken over 9 hours.

The planned path involved crossing to Line 3 at Ladbroke Grove, then to Line 1 to enter Royal Oak Sidings to reverse. In the end it reversed in Line 3, saving nearly an hour. I'm guessing there was a loco each end, rather than running round and un/coupling in Line 3, even today.

It's notable how much of the journey can be done in loops and sidings, even if it skipped the "No 1 Loop" at Hanwell/West Ealing (Plassers).

[grahame]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-62325842

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has sacked his junior shadow transport minister who joined striking rail workers on a picket line.

Ilford South MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) Sam Tarry attended the protest at London's Euston station despite Sir Keir saying his frontbench MPs should stay away.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Tarry said "any Labour MP" would have "absolute solidarity with striking workers".

Labour said he had been fired for making unauthorised media appearances.

[IndustryInsider]

It's notable how much of the journey can be done in loops and sidings, even if it skipped the "No 1 Loop" at Hanwell/West Ealing (Plassers).

Yeah, the only really long gap is between Reading and Maidenhead.  There used to be a goods loop at Ruscombe, east of Twyford, but it was taken out in the mid-2000s as it was too short to be of much use (though it would have been potentially of use today).

[Electric train]

Not got off to a good start for anyone travelling to or from Plymouth today with all services starting and terminating at Exeter due to no contingency signallers.

This was expected.  There was an e-mail to stakeholders from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) yesterday. 

I wonder why they are turning them at Exeter and not running at least some to Newton Abbot or even Totnes. 

I suspect it will come down to the number of contingent signallers that have been signed off for the area and any signallers that turned up for work.   Contingent signallers and Electrical Control Room Operators still have to be signed off as competent for the area, this means them taking time out of their normal duties to undertake training and assessments.  I don't know what the requirement for contingent signallers is but the contingent Electrical Control Room Operator is 2 or 3 days every six months.

[Timmer]

Pleased to see Castle Cary, Westbury and Pewsey stops being added to some of the fast SW services as the semi fasts aren't running today which had left these three stations with a couple of trains in each direction to and from London today.