Easter 2017 travel plans

[whole diary]

[John R]

"no extra trains"....don't misquote me.

Which means that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are unable to contract for stock which doesn't exist. Therefore they would be contracting for new build. With the length of franchise they currently have, any new stock wouldn't/couldn't be delivered before the end of franchise.

So, yes, absolute Tosh, TG.

That is a problem, a TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) (ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC))) locked into a 15 year contract since 2003 has seen a passenger growth of 75%.  Franchises prevent TOCs being able to adapt to changing circumstances.

They could contract to keep some of the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) which will start to go off lease. Not all have new homes to go to. Indeed they appear to be doing just that with the blessing of the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about). It's that latter point which is key, the govt effectively has a veto over any such plans.

[IndustryInsider]

The surplus Class 185s also need a home after rumours that the recently awarded franchise might have them proved unfounded.

[Richard Fairhurst]

That is a problem, a TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) (ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC))) locked into a 15 year contract since 2003 has seen a passenger growth of 75%.  Franchises prevent TOCs being able to adapt to changing circumstances.

I'm not convinced that's always true.

Getting the 180s back wasn't in FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s franchise agreement at the time. Ordering a bunch of 170s wasn't in Central Trains' franchise agreement. And so on.

Shortages of available rolling stock are one thing, but when stock is available - and it sometimes is, as per Chiltern nabbing the 170s from TPE^▸ (Trans Pennine Express) - franchises can and do take on extras, as long as (AIUI^▸ (as I understand it)) the franchise-holder can convince the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) that there will be no impact on the subsidy profile.

[paul7575]

Be interesting to see how First Group copes with scrapping a lot of SWT^▸ (South West Trains) stock and buying new.

Will they end up with more actual trains (i.e. units), coaches (longer trains)  or just more capacity (pack em in e.g. 345 style instead of 387 style).

Potentially YES to all 3.   The problem is people are only making reasonable assumptions at the moment.  What they have said in their PR^▸ (Public Relations) stuff is 90 trains totalling 750 carriages, AND the separately listed 18 x 5 car 442s.   

But the new trains will almost certainly include a high majority of 10 car units, so one new train could replace 2 x 458/5s - or 2 x 455s and a 456.

The ITT^▸ (Invitation to Tender) asked for a solution to dwell times at busy stations such as Clapham Junction.   That definitely implies units that are more like 378s then 387s, for sure.

Paul

[eightf48544]

See what I mean about making sense of trains, coaches and seats.

 90 trains totalling 750 carriages, = 8.3 coaches per train.

[bobm]

Anecdotal I'll agree but I know someone who travelled on the 19:30 from London Paddington on Good Friday towards Plymouth, paid for the Weekend First upgrade and had the whole of the first class buffet coach to themselves between Newbury and Exeter St David's.

[IndustryInsider]

It became pretty quiet after the mad rush to get away and to their destinations for lunch/dinner.  Not quite Xmas eve quiet, but quiet nonetheless.

[Adelante_CCT]

Slight reduction in staff today

08:27 London Paddington to Chippenham due 09:52 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train drivers

09:27 London Paddington to Chippenham due 10:44 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[a-driver]

Always a problem with London based drivers more than any other depot. Very few live in the London area and they would normally rely on train services to get them in which obviously don't start early on Sunday.

[TaplowGreen]

Always a problem with London based drivers more than any other depot. Very few live in the London area and they would normally rely on train services to get them in which obviously don't start early on Sunday.

1027 also cancelled, same reason.........possibly a bit of a radical concept for the railways, but if that's "obviously" the case and it was known to be a problem perhaps some initiative could have been used and other arrangements put in place to ensure that they got to work on time? 

[Adelante_CCT]

And another

10:27 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa due 12:43 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Agree with TG, surely they know which drivers can or cant get in on time, and therefore roster accordingly, also don't they use taxis for when drivers can't reach where they need to be via the use of train services?

Or is this just a case of a sunny Easter Sunday, and a handful of drivers are 'throwing a sickie'?

[Adelante_CCT]

Looks like the latter, all Paddington to Cheltenham trains have now just been cancelled for the day

18:30 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa due 20:45 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew

20:01 Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington due 22:22 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Edit: And to combat this slightly

Facilities on the 14:25 Swindon to Cheltenham Spa due 15:33.
Will be formed of 4 coaches instead of 2 between Swindon and Cheltenham Spa.
This is due to overcrowding because of an earlier cancellation.

[TaplowGreen]

.......could this be a new policy by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) to address severe overcrowding?......don't run any trains at all to a given destination? (..........which at the same time frees up trains elsewhere!) - can't see it catching on somehow 

[a-driver]

And another

10:27 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa due 12:43 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Agree with TG, surely they know which drivers can or cant get in on time, and therefore roster accordingly, also don't they use taxis for when drivers can't reach where they need to be via the use of train services?

Or is this just a case of a sunny Easter Sunday, and a handful of drivers are 'throwing a sickie'?

It might not necessarily be a driver shortage, could be a train manager, ultimately though, isn't it the responsibility of the employee to ensure they get to work on time?  Sunday's aren't part of our working week, a condition that was inherited from the days of BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) and long may that continue to be the case. 
Rostering doesn't work like that, rosters are fixed months in advance and because they are fixed well in advance it reduces the risk of human error and a job being left uncovered and ensures the most productive use of train crew.  We have to have 12 hours rest between turns so what you can work on a Sunday is determined by what you work Saturday and Monday.
We can make ourselves unavailable for a Sunday upto 5 days in advance which gives rosters enough time to find cover for a job or to quite literally beg with incentives.  For me personally, the offer of a taxi in wouldn't be enough to tempt me.  I've had to take a taxi before and I spent the entire journey in fear of my life... and the taxi driver had only done a 13 hour shift.  There are horror stories of taxi journeys and unfortunately, loss of life.  I'm not prepared to risk that for a few extra pounds.
For me, Sunday is guaranteed time I can spend with my kids and family so I'd rather not work them.

Cheltenham trains get cancelled because there's alternative ways of getting there so rosters will redeploy a member of train crew onto a Penzance perhaps. 

[ChrisB]

So what you are suggssting is that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) would have known if this shortage at least 5 days before? And thus could have have given pax that notice too? Might have been helpful....