Great Western Coffee Shop

The 0830 fro Penzance has been cancelled between Penzance and Plymoith today and yesterday. The following FGW service covered its Par stops.

Was originally reported as the 7:30 today but the crew were changed to work the 7:30 instead of the 8:30.
There were quite a few other Cross Country trains in the west cancelled due to staff shortage.

Oh dear, they should be stripped of the franchise and chased away with pitch forks.

Trelawny's men, vacman?   ;) :D ;D

Get um boys! ARRRRRRRR!

08:30 Penzance-Edinburgh cancelled again today, satrting from Plymouth 3 days in a row. Will get on to Cross Country as this isn't right.

You took the words out of my mouth  ;D

Correction: "Oooo ARRRRRRRRR"

Cue Jim ;)

It may not be right - but isn't this a situation such as long term staff illness? There could be any reason - one of the staff could have cancer (ok ok, last case scenario but it's possible).

I posted the item to show that FGW were doing something right by covering the stops, not to bash CrossCountry. I can save that for another day!

Your saying they only have three crew who sign Penzance, which isn't true, which means they could get cover.
Had one today I haven't seen down our way before.

You are totally missing what my point is Conner.

They will probably have a limited number of staff in a link who sign Penzance - and all of those may have jobs at the time in question. Besides, in order for the 0830 to run don't the crew have to go down on that 06xx to Penzance? If that doesn't run (remember, booking on time can be 15 to 30 mins, not enough time to call someone else to come in at very short notice) then obviously the 0830 can't run.

No, I don't think so. I beleive crew for 8:30 and 9:30 are taxied or come on the night train execpt Mondays when they come on that one.
I think crew and train from the 06:30 form the 09:30 to Manchester otherwise it is 3 mins to get off the train and on another.
The 06:30 has also run today.
I think the 08:30 ran ECS as it was not coupled to the 09:30.

Fair enough - but my point still stands about a 15-30 minute booking on time. You can't magic traincrew from nowhere!!

Yeh, you are right there.

FGW also bailed SWT out the sh1t two or three times last week by stopping at Ivybridge vice the canned Waterloo service which was canned three times in 4 days!

Remove SWT! Pillage Farmer Palmers house! etc etc etc

:)

Ooops pressed post too soon.

It just goes to show the absurdity of the current way of running the railways. In BR days the spare link man at Penzance shed would have taken the train. But now the drivers all work for different TOCs and so aren't even trained to drive each others trains so even if there was a spare  FGW driver they probably couldn't drive a XC voyager.

Further more the "bean counters" have decreed that spare links are not economic. It's cheaper to pay the cancellation fee. 

Last Saturday 7th June the Cornish Riviera [0848 PNZ] ran empty stock from PNZ to Truro as 'no conductor'. It waited at Truro for 10 -15 minutes before leaving on time at 0929. On my way down to Penzance I expected to see lots of grumpy people on the platforms but everywhere was eerily deserted. Very strange for a summer Saturday morning.

The down train a 150/153 was very busy with hordes getting off at St.Erth for St.Ives. An extra slow calling on approach to the platform at PNZ as it was already occupied by a spare 153.