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

[whole diary]

[Timmer]

"Friday is the new weekend"

For some it is:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-48746707/employment-happier-working-a-four-day-week
[/quote]

[grahame]

"Friday is the new weekend"

POETS^▸ (As in "Poets day". Friday. (Push Off Early - Tomorrow's Saturday).) day, at the least!

[TaplowGreen]

"Friday is the new weekend"

For some it is:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-48746707/employment-happier-working-a-four-day-week

[/quote]

I'd be delighted to do only work 4 days a week...………..in fact a 5 day week would be nice! 

[IndustryInsider]

Numerous cancellations/alterations listed this afternoon/evening again due to crew shortage.

I assume Friday is within the working week,  even when the sun shines?

Same shortages as last year in peak holiday season: 

.....so now we're getting mass cancellations during the week too....

16:56 London Paddington to Maidenhead due 17:36
17:32 West Ealing to Greenford due 17:44
17:42 Maidenhead to London Paddington due 18:27
17:47 Greenford to West Ealing due 17:58
18:02 West Ealing to Greenford due 18:14
18:22 Greenford to West Ealing due 18:33
18:42 London Paddington to Reading due 19:43
19:32 Reading to Gatwick Airport due 20:54
19:35 London Paddington to Didcot Parkway due 20:34
19:52 Reading to London Paddington due 20:46
21:00 Gatwick Airport to Reading due 22:21
23:34 Reading to Gatwick Airport due 01:07

No material change this year sadly.  Still not enough drivers...

[nickswift99]

But tonight (and early tomorrow), it's compounded by electrification repairs at Didcot....

[TaplowGreen]

Numerous cancellations/alterations listed this afternoon/evening again due to crew shortage.

I assume Friday is within the working week,  even when the sun shines?

Same shortages as last year in peak holiday season: 

.....so now we're getting mass cancellations during the week too....

16:56 London Paddington to Maidenhead due 17:36
17:32 West Ealing to Greenford due 17:44
17:42 Maidenhead to London Paddington due 18:27
17:47 Greenford to West Ealing due 17:58
18:02 West Ealing to Greenford due 18:14
18:22 Greenford to West Ealing due 18:33
18:42 London Paddington to Reading due 19:43
19:32 Reading to Gatwick Airport due 20:54
19:35 London Paddington to Didcot Parkway due 20:34
19:52 Reading to London Paddington due 20:46
21:00 Gatwick Airport to Reading due 22:21
23:34 Reading to Gatwick Airport due 01:07

No material change this year sadly.  Still not enough drivers...

So, no real progress then despite all the promises from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), and we have the December timetable to "look forward" to which will put even more pressure on driver numbers. It doesn't bode well.

[ellendune]

So, no real progress then despite all the promises from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), and we have the December timetable to "look forward" to which will put even more pressure on driver numbers. It doesn't bode well.

But cross rail will have taken over the Reading London locals - don't they have their own drivers already?  Should that not considerably ease the driver problem in the LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley)?

[IndustryInsider]

It will certainly ease things, but there are more services to run elsewhere of course.

[nickswift99]

Journeycheck reporting lots of cancellations after 2100 tonight on LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley) services due to staff shortages. If you’re planning an evening out you might want to check the list.

[TaplowGreen]

Journeycheck reporting lots of cancellations after 2100 tonight on LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley) services due to staff shortages. If you’re planning an evening out you might want to check the list.

I wonder what today's excuse is? School holidays are over, it's hardly BBQ weather, and Friday (as far as I know) is considered part of the working week...……...it's Friday evening though, perhaps they're all at the pub?

Good luck to anyone planning a night out - you may struggle to get home.

21:26 Reading to Gatwick Airport due 22:53
21:42 London Paddington to Reading due 22:39
22:01 Reading to London Paddington due 23:16
22:15 Reading to London Paddington due 23:18
23:14 Reading to London Paddington due 00:15
23:18 Gatwick Airport to Reading due 00:37
23:27 London Paddington to Didcot Parkway due 00:56
23:34 Reading to Gatwick Airport due 01:07
23:34 Reading to Basingstoke due 23:58
23:51 London Paddington to Reading due 00:58
00:02 Basingstoke to Reading due 00:26
00:14 Reading to London Paddington due 01:11
00:34 London Paddington to Reading due 01:34
01:34 London Paddington to Reading due 02:27
Sat, 7 September 05:24 Gatwick Airport to Reading due 07:01

[TaplowGreen]

Welcome to Sunday - needless to say the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) website is advertising a good service running across the network.

All cancelled.

08:08 London Paddington to Didcot Parkway due 09:03
08:18 Reading to London Paddington due 08:51
08:34 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa due 10:32
09:16 Didcot Parkway to London Paddington due 10:08
09:20 London Paddington to Newbury due 10:30
10:18 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa due 12:29
10:49 London Paddington to Didcot Parkway due 11:42
11:11 Newbury to London Paddington due 12:25
11:25 Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington due 13:29
11:32 London Paddington to Paignton due 15:02
12:08 Didcot Parkway to London Paddington due 13:05
12:19 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa due 14:31
14:00 Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington due 15:55
14:37 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa due 16:44
15:45 Paignton to London Paddington due 19:40
15:46 Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington due 17:55
16:36 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa due 18:32
18:00 Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington due 19:52
18:36 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa due 20:29
20:00 Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington due 21:52
20:26 Weston-Super-Mare to London Paddington due 23:04

[Timmer]

You really have to feel for the South Cotswolds line users who use the line on a Sunday. They must wonder what they’ve done to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) to deserve their service bear the brunt of crew shortages. Of course we know why this line suffers most but the average passenger just sees their train cancelled owing to crew shortages.

Another favourite to get canned is the 1132 Pad-Paignton and 1545 return. I know it’s a filler between expresses to the SW, but if you are a regular user of this train it’s a bit of an inconvenience.

[TaplowGreen]

You really have to feel for the South Cotswolds line users who use the line on a Sunday. They must wonder what they’ve done to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) to deserve their service bear the brunt of crew shortages. Of course we know why this line suffers most but the average passenger just sees their train cancelled owing to crew shortages.

Another favourite to get canned is the 1132 Pad-Paignton and 1545 return. I know it’s a filler between expresses to the SW, but if you are a regular user of this train it’s a bit of an inconvenience.

……..and that's a bit of an understatement 

[bobm]

Tonight's westbound sleeper starts from Reading due to staff shortages.

[bobm]

Another favourite to get canned is the 1132 Pad-Paignton and 1545 return. I know it’s a filler between expresses to the SW, but if you are a regular user of this train it’s a bit of an inconvenience.

Especially as it operates via Bristol and Swindon on the up trip rather than the Berks & Hants.