Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2017

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

I don't think anyone would argue that it's been a terrible summer with a huge number of significant delays.  New signalling has been woefully unreliable, and whilst most of the problems have not been directly down to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), their response to the problems has been questionable at best - driver shortages and removal of key operational staff have worsened an already bad situation.

[IndustryInsider]

At least it's not just our railway falling foul of technology problems...

http://www.citymetric.com/transport/how-did-single-computer-failure-take-out-whole-melbourne-rail-network-3185

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

I don't think anyone would argue that it's been a terrible summer with a huge number of significant delays.  New signalling has been woefully unreliable, and whilst most of the problems have not been directly down to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), their response to the problems has been questionable at best - driver shortages and removal of key operational staff have worsened an already bad situation.

I went for the 0915 off Pangbourne (0835 from Oxford) for an optician appointment in Reading.  It didn’t show up of course – Pangbourne went for 75 minutes with no trains to Reading.  Is it really that difficult to turn trains round at Didcot to maintain something like a normal service towards Reading – probably not, but as II says (and as I said in another topic) GWR have removed the key staff who could perhaps have fixed this type of thing.

So lost optician’s appointment and had to rearrange for this afternoon.  And this is after I got caught at Padd on Wednesday evening and had to come back via Marylebone and XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) from Oxford.  Third time lucky this afternoon?

[a-driver]

I don't think anyone would argue that it's been a terrible summer with a huge number of significant delays.  New signalling has been woefully unreliable, and whilst most of the problems have not been directly down to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), their response to the problems has been questionable at best - driver shortages and removal of key operational staff have worsened an already bad situation.

Driver shortages?  Is this in reference to Sunday's or general. We are significantly overstaffed where I am to the point we don't require rest working to cover our jobs.
I think where we are short is in control, or that's the impression I've got over the past few meltdowns and that's based on a few things

[IndustryInsider]

Driver shortages?  Is this in reference to Sunday's or general. We are significantly overstaffed where I am to the point we don't require rest working to cover our jobs.
I think where we are short is in control, or that's the impression I've got over the past few meltdowns and that's based on a few things

Sunday's in particular, but also Saturday's and more than you might regard as usual weekday services have recently been cancelled on some of the LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley) routes with driver shortages the reason cited.  I think establishment at the HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) depots is pretty healthy, but not so elsewhere given the amount of 387 training that's taking place.

[a-driver]

Driver shortages?  Is this in reference to Sunday's or general. We are significantly overstaffed where I am to the point we don't require rest working to cover our jobs.
I think where we are short is in control, or that's the impression I've got over the past few meltdowns and that's based on a few things

Sunday's in particular, but also Saturday's and more than you might regard as usual weekday services have recently been cancelled on some of the LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley) routes with driver shortages the reason cited.  I think establishment at the HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) depots is pretty healthy, but not so elsewhere given the amount of 387 training that's taking place.

I thought at least one of our LTV depots will be significantly overstaffed, can't remember the number exactly, but I'm sure it was in excess of 40 drivers once training was completed. I know a lot have put in too transfer to HSS as we know our future is bleak once CrossRail takes over.

[TaplowGreen]

Let's be frank, the last few weeks have seen a rapid deterioration, performance wise as well as a PR^▸ (Public Relations) and Customer service disaster..........even leaving aside Weds/Thurs last week (still can't believe it took a week to decide they should be Void days but I'm inclined to believe Birdie's theory)...............

1) Huge amounts of short formations (apparently due to "more trains than usual needing repairs", when asked what the % was compared to the normal rate of trains needing repairs the response was "we don't have that information"),

2) Cancellations due to "staff shortages" now regularly affecting weekday services.
3) Tickets offices closed (when asked why, response is "we don't have that specific information")
4) Non operational TVMs^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) ("thanks for reporting this" - but several days later they are still not working)
5) The laughable advice to use the FGW^▸ (First Great Western).com email address for compensation, complaints and general enquiries, knowing replies will take weeks.
6) Twitter melting down faster than a chocolate signal when disruption kicks in.
7) The lack of sufficient staff/useful information available at Paddington and elsewhere during times of severe disruption
8 A total and utter lack of contingency planning - basically its "go to another station/use another TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)" or you're pretty much on your own mate.
9) Non operational aircon on the hottest days of the year - probably a cost saving exercise if the truth was to be told.

.............and all this alongside the now familiar weekend cancellations for all the familiar reasons.

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)/NR^» (Network Rail - home page) need to work hard to arrest the image of a Business in decline despite billions of £ of investment............"Building a Greater West" is now seen as a bit of a joke, and the attitude to customer service is frankly appalling.

Let's hope Hopwood et al have a Master plan for swift improvement..............one more "Manana Manana" type response and I will probably find him and insert a GWR whistle somewhere painful.........

[didcotdean]

I'll give another example of the creeping rottenness that seems to be pervading at the moment; there are only two lifts from the main entrance at Reading (ie platform 7) to the transfer deck. One of these has been out of order for some time leading to long queues or people taking inappropriate items up the escalators. Last week when in the working lift with a member of GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) staff assisting someone in a wheelchair I asked him if he knew when the other was going to be repaired. 'No' he replied (fair enough) but he continued 'we never do anything quickly or on time on the railway'. Maybe he thought he was making lighthearted banter, but it kind of sums up the summer on GWR.

[If anyone knows if the lift is back in service please, post since it was a few days ago.]

[broadgage]

I suspect a lot of the present decline in standards is what might be called "new train syndrome". It seems that they have become fixated by the idea that all will be wonderful when the trains come into use.

Completely ignoring the fact that new trains wont cure most of the present ills including
Lack of staff, both train crew and other grades at stations.
Fixing TVMs^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) in a timely fashion
Mending broken lifts at Reading and elsewhere promptly
Inability to provide information beyond "don't travel with us"
Taking weeks to respond to emails, and so on.

As is well known I am somewhat critical of the new trains, but I refer here NOT to the design of said trains, but the fact that everyone seems to believe that the new trains will in some magical way sweep away unrelated shortcomings and failures.

[TaplowGreen]

Slightly off topic I know but very much in context................68 short formations already listed today due to "more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time".

This has seemed to be the case for several weeks now, can anyone "in the know" explain it? (GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Twitter is useless on the subject) - why are so many repairs necessary at the same time? Has there been a "Demolition Derby" at the depot?

(.......or could the shortages perhaps at least in part be due to a rather premature "cascade"?) 

[Electric train]

Slightly off topic I know but very much in context................68 short formations already listed today due to "more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time".

This has seemed to be the case for several weeks now, can anyone "in the know" explain it? (GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Twitter is useless on the subject) - why are so many repairs necessary at the same time? Has there been a "Demolition Derby" at the depot?

(.......or could the shortages perhaps at least in part be due to a rather premature "cascade"?) 

Not sure the cascade is premature might be the GWEP^▸ (Great Western Electrification Program) and traction unit cascade have not lined up as envisaged; I also believe some of the GWR Mk3 for the 5 car HST^▸ (High Speed Train) West Country trains have been sent for refurb (plug-in external doors retention toilets etc)

At least in the Thames Valley we are getting new trains and not the planned 319 or 365 cast off, a little pain in the short term and then you can look forward the church pew hard seats in the 387 or the generous standing space in the 345's

[a-driver]

Slightly off topic I know but very much in context................68 short formations already listed today due to "more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time".

This has seemed to be the case for several weeks now, can anyone "in the know" explain it? (GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Twitter is useless on the subject) - why are so many repairs necessary at the same time? Has there been a "Demolition Derby" at the depot?

(.......or could the shortages perhaps at least in part be due to a rather premature "cascade"?) 

Been reduced now as some units have come good. The 68 short forms makes it sound worse than it actually is. Generally speaking, they are short by about 3 to 5 units at the start of service across the company.
Why?  Don't exactly know but having units that are going through major exams and modifications doesn't help.

[bobm]

I was told at the Community Rail conference in Barnstaple last month that due to the decision to keep some of the rolling stock longer than originally planned, there was a backlog of maintenance to catch up on.  This had originally been cancelled as it was thought the units would be going. 

It also isn't helped by the fact the West fleet, in particular, is even more tightly diagrammed in the summer to try to cater for seasonal demand.

[grahame]

I was told at the Community Rail conference in Barnstaple last month that due to the decision to keep some of the rolling stock longer than originally planned, there was a backlog of maintenance to catch up on.  This had originally been cancelled as it was thought the units would be going. 

It also isn't helped by the fact the West fleet, in particular, is even more tightly diagrammed in the summer to try to cater for seasonal demand.

Agree with that.  To add

With the Severn Beach service now being run with Turbos cascades from the Thames Valley, we might have expected to see an easing up of short formations and cancellations due to lack of available rolling stock on "The West" fleet, but informally looking at feeds that has not [yet] happened.

The "spot hire" unit that's borrowed each day from SWT^▸ (South West Trains) / Salisbury is still being hired - saw it in Bristol on Thursday (so that's not a 2 car we have lost yet), but it's been strongly suggested that the new franchise that takes over from Stagecoach wants it back a.s.a.p.

Although more of the older fleet *is* being retained the West for longer (in some cases for much longer) I don't believe that means that the whole of the fleet is being retained.  So there are some units going.   And in the Thames Valley, I think some of our members may have noticed HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) running on Oxford services becoming turbos.   That's the HSTs starting to go to be prepared for new homes.


Our feed map - and journey check - sometimes make things look far worse that they are. 

A reduction from (say) 2 carriages to 1 on the Liskeard to Looe service prior to the schools breaking up - on a  wet Wednesday - isn't going to leave anyone standing, but it may flag up as 24 short formations.   

A cancellation showing up (AGAIN) of the 11:11 Westbury to Southampton in no worry what so ever when there's an addition train also shown at 11:11 from Westbury to Southampton.   Just that the stock type has changed, and the train has to be flagged up to the signallers not to use platform 3 at Salisbury.  This train conveys up to 50 people from Westbury, and the replacement (a 153 - one carriage) is sufficient - typical journeys Plymouth to Southampton.  Where it is a problem is where the uninitiated see a cancellation report and are put off using the replacement

My heart sinks when I see a line on our map showing issues Swindon to Westbury - but at times the improved flow of information leads only to the perception of an increased problem.  2 or 3 minutes late - good to be informed, but no huge panic. 2 coaches down to one on the extra lunchtime time - no problem; that's not where the two coaches were needed in the first place.

I may suggest to a fellow moderator to split some of these posts off -  I fear I'm getting off topic in my explanations, but editing / splitting off myself would be like being judge and jury ...

[paul7575]

The "spot hire" unit that's borrowed each day from SWT^▸ (South West Trains) / Salisbury is still being hired - saw it in Bristol on Thursday (so that's not a 2 car we have lost yet), but it's been strongly suggested that the new franchise that takes over from Stagecoach wants it back a.s.a.p.

However, there were only two possibilities mentioned in the SW franchise ITT^▸ (Invitation to Tender).   One was to carry on as is, and the other was to permanently transfer to it GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) by returning it via the ROSCO^» (Rolling Stock Owning Company - about).   "Getting it back' was not shown as an option, and the 'SW' current fleet tables include it in the total with a footnote that 2 units will not be available to the new franchisee (there's another one permanently with EMT^» (East Midlands Trains - about)).

The unit sub-lease to GW^▸ (Great Western) has an explicit end date of March 2020.

Paul