Who's missing on Western Railways

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Posting ironically in "Who's who on Western Railways" - "Who's missing on Western Railways"

Answer - "Train Guards".

Sample from journey check:

This is due to a shortage of train guards.

Full cancellation list at time of writing:
06:03 Gatwick Airport to Reading due 07:19
08:34 Reading to Gatwick Airport due 09:50
10:03 Gatwick Airport to Reading due 11:19
11:32 Westbury to Swindon due 12:20
16:34 Bristol Temple Meads to Avonmouth due 17:02
17:00 Brighton to Bristol Temple Meads due 20:33
17:16 Avonmouth to Bristol Temple Meads due 17:50
19:18 Westbury to Southampton Central due 20:21

Other train service updates - mostly running shorter routes
05:39 Taunton to Westbury due 07:36 (*)
05:56 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 08:27
09:22 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street due 11:57
10:46 Great Malvern to Brighton due 16:15
13:10 Weymouth to Gloucester due 16:33
19:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central due 23:00
19:29 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour due 22:51
21:27 Southampton Central to Bristol Temple Meads due 23:28

* - Different reason - "Trespassers on line" - fair enough

Good(ish) to see that in most cases there are alternative services not too far from the ones lost, exception being the 11:32 Westbury to Swindon which leaves a gap from 09:30 to 13:32.

On past form, some services may be re-instated (but much damage is done as people plan their days out) and we may loose others later in the day.  On the TransWilts, I'm concerned for the 12:36 Swindon to Westbury as it's the return working of the train already cancelled.

I'm still ... gobsmacked ... that after so many years in charge of the franchise, FGW^▸ (First Great Western) (now GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)) are still short staffed like this quite commonly.   I am assured that actions are in place to improve the situation, and fully appreciate that instant solutions where very specific skilled people are needed may not be practical.

[Timmer]

Ahhh yes it's the weekend again with the map on the header of this forum covered in blue lines, now normal every weekend even when there's no disruption.

The sooner this extended franchise ends the better as it limps on. Passengers on Great Western have put up with more than their fair share of c**p service these past few years because of this botched electrification that has caused so many delays across the entire franchise. It needs a new franchise with new ideas and investment, particularly for local services in the West.

[grahame]

Good(ish) to see that in most cases there are alternative services not too far from the ones lost, exception being the 11:32 Westbury to Swindon which leaves a gap from 09:30 to 13:32.

On past form, some services may be re-instated (but much damage is done as people plan their days out) and we may loose others later in the day.  On the TransWilts, I'm concerned for the 12:36 Swindon to Westbury as it's the return working of the train already cancelled.

Spoke too soon ... think we've lost another train guard.  Cancellation list filtering out just TransWilts

11:32 Westbury to Swindon due 12:20
12:36 Swindon to Westbury due 13:20
16:33 Westbury to Swindon due 17:22
17:36 Swindon to Westbury due 18:18
18:32 Westbury to Swindon due 19:22
19:36 Swindon to Westbury due 20:20

So after the 09:32 ex Westbury and 10:36 ex Swindon, that leaves services ...
... from Westbury at 13:32 and 15:06
... from Swindon at 14:36, 15:22 and 21:06

The graphic at the head of our page looks like this:



Each pixel width of a blue line indicates a service problem - and you'll notice how the thickest blue line is the TransWilts. Which it really shouldn't be if the pain was shared equally as the TransWilts has so few services to start with!   I feel that TransWilts is bottom of the pile ... again - the line that takes the hit when something has to give, and that feeling is hard to avoid in spite of assurances to the contrary!

[Electric train]

I'm still ... gobsmacked ... that after so many years in charge of the franchise, FGW^▸ (First Great Western) (now GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)) are still short staffed like this quite commonly.   I am assured that actions are in place to improve the situation, and fully appreciate that instant solutions where very specific skilled people are needed may not be practical.

The UK^▸ (United Kingdom) has quite a low unemployment level so when people are seeking jobs if they have the choice between the anti-social hours of train crew and its rate of pay against other forms of employment the railway becomes a second or third choice

[TaplowGreen]

I'm still ... gobsmacked ... that after so many years in charge of the franchise, FGW^▸ (First Great Western) (now GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)) are still short staffed like this quite commonly.   I am assured that actions are in place to improve the situation, and fully appreciate that instant solutions where very specific skilled people are needed may not be practical.

The UK^▸ (United Kingdom) has quite a low unemployment level so when people are seeking jobs if they have the choice between the anti-social hours of train crew and its rate of pay against other forms of employment the railway becomes a second or third choice

Then it's incumbent on GWR to provide an offer that attracts enough staff to enable it to run its business, provide its services and generate more revenue - that's the same challenge that every single employer faces - the majority of them without the benefit of taxpayer subsidy..........(in the distance I can already hear the plaintive cry of "oooooos gunna pay for it")

Seriously though, the service has tangibly gone downhill rapidly over the last 6-9 months, leaving aside all the meltdowns on the rails (when the trains have actually been running), the constant staff shortages (the latest consequences being stations such as Langley and Taplow on the LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley) now having extended periods of ticket office closures, often combined with broken TVMs^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine)......) "more trains than usual" requiring repairs (quantify "usual"?) , appalling customer service, delays of months on end to deal with complaints/compensation requests (for which the volume of such claims are blamed by GWR, who clearly don't understand irony) - you have an organisation barely coping.

I wonder if the First Group focus is moving elsewhere?

[grahame]

Looks like the crew problem is anticipated to be one day only, Surprised but happy. I asked about the first train tomorrow and GWRhelp assure me:

Things can always change over night but at present there's no reason for me to believe that the service won't run as planned

If they were expecting any issues tomorrow, he couldn't say "no reason for me to believe that the service won't run as planned", could he?

[Timmer]

Looks like the crew problem is anticipated to be one day only, Surprised but happy. I asked about the first train tomorrow and GWRhelp assure me:

Things can always change over night but at present there's no reason for me to believe that the service won't run as planned

If they were expecting any issues tomorrow, he couldn't say "no reason for me to believe that the service won't run as planned", could he?

They will choose another line to take the pain of a lack of train crew instead.

[stuving]

Looks like the crew problem is anticipated to be one day only, Surprised but happy. I asked about the first train tomorrow and GWRhelp assure me:

Things can always change over night but at present there's no reason for me to believe that the service won't run as planned

If they were expecting any issues tomorrow, he couldn't say "no reason for me to believe that the service won't run as planned", could he?

Logically*, that depends on whether "he" has access to the information that would give him reason to believe that. He might still suspect that that absent information could give him reason to etc..

(* Yes, I know ...)

[TaplowGreen]

Looks like the crew problem is anticipated to be one day only, Surprised but happy. I asked about the first train tomorrow and GWRhelp assure me:

Things can always change over night but at present there's no reason for me to believe that the service won't run as planned

If they were expecting any issues tomorrow, he couldn't say "no reason for me to believe that the service won't run as planned", could he?

Never rely on someone who deals in double negatives - this smacks of ar5e covering - on Tuesday I asked GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Help Twitter if Taplow ticket office was open as I needed to renew my season ticket - the response was "....we have not had any reports that the ticket office is closed" .................off I trotted based on this information to find.............the ticket office was closed, and has remained so all week.

"Things can change", "at present" - how many caveats can you get in 120 characters? I wouldn't take that as any sort of reliable assurance where GWR is concerned!

[John R]

I'm still ... gobsmacked ... that after so many years in charge of the franchise, FGW^▸ (First Great Western) (now GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)) are still short staffed like this quite commonly.   I am assured that actions are in place to improve the situation, and fully appreciate that instant solutions where very specific skilled people are needed may not be practical.

The UK^▸ (United Kingdom) has quite a low unemployment level so when people are seeking jobs if they have the choice between the anti-social hours of train crew and its rate of pay against other forms of employment the railway becomes a second or third choice

Then it's incumbent on GWR to provide an offer that attracts enough staff to enable it to run its business, provide its services and generate more revenue - that's the same challenge that every single employer faces - the majority of them without the benefit of taxpayer subsidy..........(in the distance I can already hear the plaintive cry of "oooooos gunna pay for it")

Seriously though, the service has tangibly gone downhill rapidly over the last 6-9 months, leaving aside all the meltdowns on the rails (when the trains have actually been running), the constant staff shortages (the latest consequences being stations such as Langley and Taplow on the LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley) now having extended periods of ticket office closures, often combined with broken TVMs^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine)......) "more trains than usual" requiring repairs (quantify "usual"?) , appalling customer service, delays of months on end to deal with complaints/compensation requests (for which the volume of such claims are blamed by GWR, who clearly don't understand irony) - you have an organisation barely coping.

I wonder if the First Group focus is moving elsewhere?

I doubt it is the lack of suitable candidates, more that GWR are not staffing at a level that gives an adequate level of contingency.

A lot of the recent problems can be attributed to the delays in electrification being completed, but the list reeled off shows that there are many that are within the control of GWR and that they are not managing effectively. I'd add the introduction of turbos onto the Severn Beach line to that list by the way.

[Timmer]

Seriously though, the service has tangibly gone downhill rapidly over the last 6-9 months, leaving aside all the meltdowns on the rails (when the trains have actually been running), the constant staff shortages (the latest consequences being stations such as Langley and Taplow on the LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley) now having extended periods of ticket office closures, often combined with broken TVMs^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine)......) "more trains than usual" requiring repairs (quantify "usual"?) , appalling customer service, delays of months on end to deal with complaints/compensation requests (for which the volume of such claims are blamed by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), who clearly don't understand irony) - you have an organisation barely coping.

I wonder if the First Group focus is moving elsewhere?

Think you could be right TG, it's called the West Coast franchise that First dearly wants after having it snatched away from them after Virgin challenged their sums. It's worth a lot with the added prize of running HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) to boot.

On a serious note the GW^▸ (Great Western) franchise looks and feels very much like a franchise that has run out of steam and is going through the motions and being left to rot. 'We know we're **** but there is no incentive for us to do anything about it. The Dft won't take the franchise off us so you are stuck with us to the bitter end'.

I don't see the train crew situation changing now unless someone from GWR can tells us there is a recruitment drive actively taking place with an action plan in place to sort this out.

I would dare say the management of GWR have lost heart to a degree because the electrification project has been a complete sham terribly managed by Dft/Network Rail, that all their plans to run a half decent service at the start of this franchise have been left in tatters.

I do believe there was a desire to bring a better new improved service across the franchise built around the introduction of IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) hence the reason for a rebrand of the franchise to GWR. My view is they bought that in too soon so now the GWR branding is a tarnished as the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) brand was.

By the time the new IEP trains are fully operating the franchise will be coming to an end with a new operator waiting in the wings. Trying to be unbiased as possible when I say this but I think it's time for First to not bid for the new GW franchise and let someone else have a go. They can't do any worse can they?

[grahame]

Never rely on someone who deals in double negatives ...

I wouldn't not take further steps to enquire 

I now have a stronger assurance that - last minute sickness excepted - that there will be a much improved situation tomorrow, and steps taken to see if a repeat can be avoided. Certainly don't want to see 6 hour gaps anywhere! I think it's generally accepted that the immediate operations and daily planning teams are doing their level best to juggle things around within the tools they have to use. Whether they have been given sufficient tools (and if not, how come?) is another question.

As a community team looking to partner the railway, and work with both planning and operational groups in GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), it's a very hard call on us to turn around on a day like today and say to the people who are in the system and doing their very best to help that "what's been provided isn't good enough".  I feel very uncomfortable waving that critical flag, but exceptionally I've felt the need to do so to give them the ammunition to say to their resource providers "the natives are getting p*ssed off, unmotivated and angry" ... we have certainly reduced by a significant amount our TransWilts growth projections for 2017.   Lower growth means less income for GWR in 2017.  And it means a lower base from which to start 2018 too, so less income in that year.  And on that basis it's common sense for them to provide adequate reliable capacity for us to help fill.

[JayMac]

the immediate operations and daily planning teams are doing their level best to juggle things around within the tools they have to use. Whether they have been given sufficient tools (and if not, how come?) is another question.

I think it really is a case that planning and operations are being hamstrung by contemptible higher management/directors.

To quote Geoffrey Howe: It is rather like sending your opening batsmen to the crease only for them to find, the moment the first balls are bowled, that their bats have been broken before the game by the team captain.

[ellendune]

Trying to be unbiased as possible when I say this but I think it's time for First to not bid for the new GW^▸ (Great Western) franchise and let someone else have a go. They can't do any worse can they?

I am sure someone could do very much worse without even trying.  Try asking them in Southern Railway land.

[simonw]

If you run your network at insufficient staff, all it takes is holiday season, the odd family issue and sickness and things start failing.

Perhaps, if rail companys' had to refund £x per season ticket for each cancelled train on the season tickets route, this would not happen so much.