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All across the Great Western territory / The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom / Re: Network Rail is failing.
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on: December 08, 2023, 22:33:54
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Personal opinion. Network Rail are failing left, right and centre. It's time for Andrew Haines to start by, at the very least, making public apologies. We only really highlight problems on GWR▸ , and to a lesser extent SWR» , lines on this forum, but there have been far too many instances of infrastructure failures in this part of the world in recent weeks. The weather can't be blamed for all of them. Looking wider there has major disruption in all parts of the country recently where the cause has been infrastructure related. Under no circumstances should people should be stranded on trains for four hours plus, on a mainline in a densely populated part of the country. Tonight's fiasco wasn't on a rural branch line miles from anywhere. I fully understand the self-evacuations that took place. I would've done the same. Mealy mouthed apologies in the media from a nameless 'Network Rail spokesperson' just isn't good enough. It's time Andrew Haines was in front of a Select Committee explaining himself. Preferably before there's an infrastructure failing that costs lives. I believe the situation currently really is that serious. Also, if it's budgetry constraints that are part of the cause of these failings then whoever is this week's SoS for Transport needs to be hauled before Committee too. The network is falling apart. And I'm bloody angry about it.  What is happening on the Western and Wales Region specifically in the Thames Valley area recently is not wholly representative of the rest of Network Rail. Andrew Haines if he were to appear before a select committee he would say give the Rail Industry GBR▸ . By the way he does has regular meetings with the Rail Minister, I suspect he and the Regional Managing Director were on conference calls with the Minster last night. The decision to evacuate passengers is not one taken lightly, track level is a very hazardous environment, track ballast is not easy to walk on, there are cables, catch pits and much more which is a challenge to experienced track workers. There has to be a plan of where do you take people to exit the railway and then you need to assist them to a safe place. Where people left to long, yes. Could water, food have been provided probably The fact that the public address on the Elizabeth Line train stopped working fairly quickly needs to be looked at. There are no "Thunder Birds" for class 387 and 345 trains unlike class 800 which have engines so can self rescue. Should there be a "Thunder Bird" based at Old Oak Common, Northpole or Reading On another forum it's stated that GWRs class 57 was requested as a rescue loco as it has a universal coupling available, however as the ASLEF» bruvvers are taking industrial action this request wasn't met. I think its wrong to blame ASLEF that no class 57 was working. They advised GWR of the strike. Its the maintenance, and lack of toilets, Guards, all financial cost cutting effects which should be blamed. The railway is an investment, like roads, not a subsidy and it generates economic activity wherever it goes. The real fault lays at the hands of the DfT» and Government in general |
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All across the Great Western territory / The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom / Re: HS2 - Government proposals, alternative routes and general discussion
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on: October 13, 2023, 22:46:54
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Wrecking ball – Selling off the land, removing the safeguarding of the route and Reducing the scope of Euston scope of Euston effectively prevents any future government from completing HS2▸ without incurring massive additional costs (above the cost of completing HS2 to Manchester as currently scoped). These
The current Government I fee will go for a "fire sale" before the General Election. They will put it on the land on the market below its true value and not recoup the full costs of the original purchase, land clearance etc, but will market as good deal for the tax payers / voters; the cynic in me think they have already lined up their mates ahead of the PM speech at the Tory conference. The motivation as you said is to kill off or at least attempt to kill off HS2 to the North, also to use the sell off money as a spending carrot. Or just as likely to be sold off to donors to a particular political party perhaps? |
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Rail unions strike action 2022/2023/2024
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on: July 18, 2023, 20:19:05
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The sad fact of that offer is that if they stopped at this:
The proposal comprises a two-year pay offer which provides for a 4% increase in year one (including retrospective pay) and a further increase of 4% in year two
This would have been settled a long time ago. The changes to the terms and conditions aren’t, in my opinion, going to make any significant cost savings.
Significant cost savings can only be achieved by altering the structure of the franchising system, and that will never happen because that would be accepting privatisation has failed.
The same with RMT▸ too. Its the conditions being ripped up that matter |
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Rail unions strike action 2022/2023/2024
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on: June 12, 2022, 00:40:31
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What happens to union members who were due to start work at say 20-00 on the evening before a strike day.
Are they expected to turn up as usual and walk out at midnight ?
Or not to turn up at all.
Likewise, what about those due to start work at say 22-00 on a strike day ? Delay starting work until midnight ?
Or to take the extreme case, what about a worker booked for an 8 hour shift, of which 7.5 hours fall into the 24 hour strike period, and 30 minutes into the following or preceeding non strike day.
They are still expected to work their shift |
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Rail unions strike action 2022/2023/2024
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on: June 12, 2022, 00:38:14
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It may start moving the conversation in areas that railway unions and those working in it would find uncomfortable. For example this letter from independent pensions expert John Ralfe in The Times today: In quoting headline pay, unions ignore the annual value of the generous defined benefit pensions — deferred salary — and a huge part of overall pay for rail staff. Not only are rail pensions guaranteed they still have a retirement age of 60 and unlimited annual inflation increases. After a member's own contributions, the annual cost to rail companies — and ultimately taxpayers — is more than 50 per cent of salary. Meanwhile, even the most generous private sector defined contribution pensions have employer contributions of 15 per cent of salary, and most are much lower.
The answer to any pay squeeze for rail staff is simple: reduce the generosity of future pensions by closing the defined benefit scheme and moving to defined contributions, and then use some of the savings to increase pay. Seriously? I genuinely didn't even realise those sort of "gold plated" pensions still existed......certainly not able to be taken at 60! That's 7 years before retirement age for most others! I can imagine the reaction of Bruvver Lynch et al though if moves were made to bring these pensions into line with those the rest of us have to look forward to, without the benefit of being financed and the risk borne by the taxpayer. For non BR▸ staff it is currently 62. Bear in mind the shift pattern that workers do. Wrecks the body. Many have blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. How does a body cope with finishing late, at say 1am on a Sunday morning, having a 'day off' and booking on at 3am on the Monday morning? Not all the time but does happen, more frequently then it should. Imagine doing that for 40+ years. |
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Journey by Journey / Shorter journeys in Devon / Re: Okehampton
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on: March 26, 2022, 23:19:53
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looks like both the special and the service train were there at the same time, thought it was worked as one train at a time?
I think that photo is taken at Paignton. I believe the buildings behind are the Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway |
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Journey by Journey / London to the West / Re: Storm Barra
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on: December 07, 2021, 22:42:42
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Just a thought.....OK it's a bit radical....given there's been a bit of warning of this weather, wouldn't it have made sense to run a train service to the station either side of the affected area, and then bus people between these two points, or Exeter if it's more practical?
Before the "yeahbutwhere'sallthebuses" starts, I'm not suggesting a full service, it isn't needed at the moment anyway, but surely it would be better than this chaos?
There were buses on standby at both Newton Abbot and Exeter St Davids this morning and both lots put to use. A better idea would have been to have had a couple of Castle sets stabled at Newton and St Davids rather than buses. The Castles would have survived the waves. Or use the 7 coach XC▸ HST▸ 's from Laira |
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