Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway since September 2017 - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[ChrisB]

Hence some reinstatements.

[TaplowGreen]

They would have certainly had a fair idea, though a lot of juggling goes on during the day to try and minimise shortages.

Not enough jugglers but a load of balls.

[lbraine]

Well there were 35 cancellations, then it dropped to 14 - just now back up to 27.

That’s all within 1 hour.

How the hell are passengers supposed to know if a train is going to run or not ? Crystal Ball ? Make a phone call to FGW^▸ (First Great Western) M.D.

How does this install confidence ?

I’d like FGW to get behind a hashtag #honourthetimetable - and state as policy that no matter what the occurrence, they will run the trains timetables - even if in doing so they take a financial hit.

What says everyone ? Do we start adding #honourthetimetable with every communication with FGW ?

[a-driver]

There’s Turbos coming back from Bristol being put back on service trains in the Thames Valley

[Timmer]

There’s Turbos coming back from Bristol being put back on service trains in the Thames Valley

Funny, was just about to suggest ‘would you like some Turbos back?’ But where does that leave the West fleet bearing in mind some 150 stock has already left for up North?

[Adelante_CCT]

At first glance I thought it was a tongue in cheek comment...

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O57302/2018/01/02/advanced

[grahame]

There’s Turbos coming back from Bristol being put back on service trains in the Thames Valley

Funny, was just about to suggest ‘would you like some Turbos back?’ But where does that leave the West fleet bearing in mind some 150 stock has already left for up North?

It leaves the west fleet short ... at least six diagrams involved ...

07:23 Warminster to Great Malvern due 10:31 will be cancelled.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.

Facilities on the 08:00 Cardiff Central to Paignton due 11:20.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 4.
 
Facilities on the 06:58 Barnstaple to Exeter Central due 08:10.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 4.

Facilities on the 07:33 Westbury to Swindon due 08:19.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Will be formed of 1 coach instead of 2.

Facilities on the 07:35 Taunton to Bristol Parkway due 09:03.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 3.

Facilities on the 07:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour due 10:52.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Will be formed of 3 coaches instead of 5.

[a-driver]

I’d like FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to get behind a hashtag #honourthetimetable - and state as policy that no matter what the occurrence, they will run the trains timetables - even if in doing so they take a financial hit.

What says everyone ? Do we start adding #honourthetimetable with every communication with FGW ?

But run the trains involves actually having some trains available to them. No amount of money is going to get a train to magically appear in the depot! 

[TaplowGreen]

I’d like FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to get behind a hashtag #honourthetimetable - and state as policy that no matter what the occurrence, they will run the trains timetables - even if in doing so they take a financial hit.

What says everyone ? Do we start adding #honourthetimetable with every communication with FGW ?

But run the trains involves actually having some trains available to them. No amount of money is going to get a train to magically appear in the depot! 

You'll find them in the depot.....more than usual of these (brand new) trains need repair (apparently).......maybe you need some mechanics to magically appear.....or the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) to stop encouraging drivers to phone in sick? (Allegedly) 😉

[Timmer]

It leaves the west fleet short ... at least six diagrams involved ...

07:23 Warminster to Great Malvern due 10:31 will be cancelled.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.

Facilities on the 08:00 Cardiff Central to Paignton due 11:20.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 4.
 
Facilities on the 06:58 Barnstaple to Exeter Central due 08:10.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 4.

Facilities on the 07:33 Westbury to Swindon due 08:19.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Will be formed of 1 coach instead of 2.

Facilities on the 07:35 Taunton to Bristol Parkway due 09:03.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 3.

Facilities on the 07:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour due 10:52.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Will be formed of 3 coaches instead of 5.

To list but a few, West Services taking quite a hit looking at JourneyCheck this morning with many short formed services or services starting/ending short.

[phile]

Well there were 35 cancellations, then it dropped to 14 - just now back up to 27.

That’s all within 1 hour.

How the hell are passengers supposed to know if a train is going to run or not ? Crystal Ball ? Make a phone call to FGW^▸ (First Great Western) M.D.

How does this install confidence ?

I’d like FGW to get behind a hashtag #honourthetimetable - and state as policy that no matter what the occurrence, they will run the trains timetables - even if in doing so they take a financial hit.

What says everyone ? Do we start adding #honourthetimetable with every communication with FGW ?

I E-Mailed Mark Hopwood at the end of last week not just about crew shortages but also about "More trains than usual under repair" and requesting a Public Statement be issued.   Guess what ?   No reply

[broadgage]

It’s not just the money.  Anyone in any job likes to feel valued, respected, treated reasonably etc.  I know plenty of people who have moved to a lower paid job and been happier for it because of the job satisfaction they get which they didn’t get before. 

You don’t necessarily need money to reduce turnover, just good management (again, in the broadest sense) to help retain staff who you may lose if you don’t treat them right.

The wages paid to train drivers seem to me to be generous. If recruiting or retaining drivers is problematic then that certainly suggests that it is about more than the money.
There is a fairly widely held view among train drivers that there are too many "bright young managers" often with irrelevant degrees, whose job seems to be to victimise drivers.
Said young managers are widely believed to despise the train drivers whom are paid a lot more than the managers.

It is alleged by some drivers, that managers employ underhand tactics to catch them out. Examples include use of forward facing CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) to catch drivers going the other way whilst not wearing correct uniform, and telephoning a drivers mobile number during a shift in the hope that they will answer and can then be disciplined.

Such behaviour would not help to retain drivers.

I have left a (non railway) job because of overbearing management and their security staff. Said security staff appeared to view their job as being to trap employees into breaking the rules, rather than the detection of actual dishonesty. And they wondered why retaining staff was difficult !

[ChrisB]

The wages paid to train drivers seem to me to be generous. If recruiting or retaining drivers is problematic then that certainly suggests that it is about more than the money.
There is a fairly widely held view among train drivers that there are too many "bright young managers" often with irrelevant degrees, whose job seems to be to victimise drivers.
Said young managers are widely believed to despise the train drivers whom are paid a lot more than the managers.

Are you quoting hearsay or have you actually spoken to any drivers? Many? I'm not calling your hearsay untrue, but I think you need to be upfront about your statement.

[broadgage]

The wages paid to train drivers seem to me to be generous. If recruiting or retaining drivers is problematic then that certainly suggests that it is about more than the money.
There is a fairly widely held view among train drivers that there are too many "bright young managers" often with irrelevant degrees, whose job seems to be to victimise drivers.
Said young managers are widely believed to despise the train drivers whom are paid a lot more than the managers.

Are you quoting hearsay or have you actually spoken to any drivers? Many? I'm not calling your hearsay untrue, but I think you need to be upfront about your statement.

I have actually spoken to several train drivers, all of whom have expressed very negative views about young managers without railway experience, whom they consider are "out to get drivers"
Two work for south west trains, as they were known at the time of the conversation.
One works for GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway).
One worked for south west trains, but was dismissed unfairly. BTW^▸ (by the way), the "unfairly" bit is not simply their view, they won compensation for unfair dismissal.
I also know well a driver who works for a rail freight company, they moved from a passenger TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) due to what they considered as the bad management attitude at the passenger TOC. They speak well of their present employer.

I have also heard hearsay expressing similar views.

[JayMac]

And I have a train driving friend who's just moved from freight to passenger. He speaks well of his present employer.