"You just can't get the staff these days ..."

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From FGW^▸ (First Great Western) live updates:

Service incidents

09:35 London Paddington to Hereford due 12:55
This train has been delayed and is now 45 minutes late from Moreton-In-Marsh. This train will be terminated at Worcester Shrub Hill. It will no longer call at: Worcester Foregate Street, Malvern Link, Great Malvern, Colwall, Ledbury and Hereford. This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable.
Last Updated: 09/05/2010 11:45

11:00 Penzance to London Paddington due 16:29
This train has been revised. This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable.
The following catering alteration will apply: No catering service available between Penzance and Plymouth.
Last Updated: 09/05/2010 09:40

12:57 London Paddington to Penzance due 18:31
This train has been revised. This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable.
The following catering alteration will apply: No catering service available between Plymouth and Penzance.
Last Updated: 09/05/2010 11:14

13:28 Hereford to London Paddington due 16:59
This train will be started from Worcester Foregate Street. It will no longer call at: Hereford, Ledbury, Colwall, Great Malvern and Malvern Link. This is due to train crew having been unavailable earlier.
Last Updated: 09/05/2010 11:58

[brompton rail]

At least on FGW^▸ (First Great Western) it is mainly the catering staff that "miss" the train, on CrossCountry it is the driver who is "missing" which makes the passengers journey impossible rather than the passenger just going hungry. Mind you there were only a small number of XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) services cancelled this Saturday compared with at least 23 last Saturday.

[smithy]

At least on FGW^▸ (First Great Western) it is mainly the catering staff that "miss" the train, on CrossCountry it is the driver who is "missing" which makes the passengers journey impossible rather than the passenger just going hungry. Mind you there were only a small number of XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) services cancelled this Saturday compared with at least 23 last Saturday.

crew may not just "miss" the train it could have been staff sickness or poor rostering it does not have to be a train crew error as you indicated in your post

[JayMac]

Can't see anything in brompton rail's post that indicates train crew error. The use of quotation marks around "miss" and "missed" suggest a bit of dry humour to me.

[thetrout]

Reminds me of being sat on a Southern Service at Brighton going to Newhaven... Driver refused to drive the train until he'd finished his coffee... some 10 minutes later

[brompton rail]

Thanks bignosemac, I was indeed attempting to bring a smile!

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) do seem to regularly post problems with on train catering though mostly it seems to be a trolley replacing an advertised Buffet Car. It must be said too that FGW give the passenger notice of the alterations to the service, not something that all TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) do. For example I have never seen East Coast's service alterations mention catering changes, nor have I seen XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) mention catering, though XC do sometimes mention a reduction or an increase in the number of carriages on particular services. This is something FGW do regularly.
I promise, no more jokes.

[John R]

Shouldn't have trolleys replacing buffet cars on HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) any more, as the refurb and conversion program is, I believe, now finished.

[readytostart]

XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) drivers seem to have come to an agreement with the company now with regard to several matters that had led to a refusal to work on their rest days so you should see a marked improvement on the end of the line services, PLY^» (Plymouth - next trains)-PNZ, EDB-ADB/GLC^▸ (Glasgow Central) and SOU-BMH. Might make the TMs^‡(resolve) job a little easier not having to appease the baying crowds.

[Nemesis]

Often, it is not the 'fault' of train-crew at all.  If a crew is booked to travel to a certain point via a connecting service and that service is delayed, there is an inevitable knock on.  FGW^▸ (First Great Western) will sometimes use taxis for crew delayed in this manner, but even that is not always an effective solution...or so I have heard.

[JayMac]

....or so I have heard.

Wot no guard or driver? Was it catering staff you overheard this time? 

[Henry]

 I think regular user's of these services, especailly between Penzance and Plymouth at weekends, are used to no
 buffet facilities on a regular basis.
 I do not know if their are staff retention issues, surprising for Devon/Cornwall considering the lack of employment opportunities.  Manpower agency I believe were supplying some customer host staff.

 Personally I would have thought that a reliable, catering service would have supplied a decent revenue stream for
 a business. Moreso when you consider the investment on the buffet cars.
 Perhaps if FGW^▸ (First Great Western) 'franchised' it out to a 'proffesional catering company' then perhaps it would be more reliable.

[devon_metro]

And far more expensive!

[Tim]

 Personally I would have thought that a reliable, catering service would have supplied a decent revenue stream for
 a business. Moreso when you consider the investment on the buffet cars.
 Perhaps if FGW^▸ (First Great Western) 'franchised' it out to a 'proffesional catering company' then perhaps it would be more reliable.

I would have thought that someone could make a decent profit out of train catering if FGW can't.  Although profitability all depends on what "rent" is charged for the space used by the buffet.  I am sure that in the days of BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)), the transpennine express trolleys were run by a private contractor ("catering partners"??).  

The other option for on train catering on lightly used lines which I have never seen in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) but which works well in Norway (on NSB class 93 for example) on lightly used but long distance routes is to provide vending machines for hot and cold drinks, crisps and snacks.  They ought to take up no more space than the "trolley store"

[caliwag]

FTP^▸ (File Transfer Protocol) catering provided by Rail Gourmet now. Very impressive actually, and improving with porridge? and hot meal boxes in first. The 185 are damn reliable, and pretty comfortable. They are noisy from the outside but are a comfortable ride and not as noisy as vomitors IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion)...and no I have no connection with the builders or First...just praise where praise due. We could do with an expanded fleet of 185s nationally...perhaps 2025!

Oh and sorry I have not overheard any juicy tidbits in the North...apologies to Nemisis

[brompton rail]

The only catering on Northern Rail's services is provided on the Settle / Carlisle line where (I believe) volunteers from the Settle - Carlisle Line supporters (wo)man a trolley on many services between those 2 stations. Very pleasant service of drinks and snacks etc.