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

[whole diary]

[a-driver]

3 out of the first five early morning Plymouth to Paddington trains cancelled. Thereafter, not looking too bad.

Lack of sets at Plymouth to form the services.

Hmmm ... should I believe you, or JourneyCheck

04:54 Plymouth to London Paddington due 08:35

04:54 Plymouth to London Paddington due 08:35 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Actually ... I believe you!

Both!!!

Shortage of staff yesterday means that sets are displaced this morning.

[a-driver]

.....If you dropped some of the conditions, namely DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)), a blanket closure of all tickets offices and the Sunday working proposals, .....

The apparent proposals for more DOO and closure of all ticket offices are, in my opinion, completely bonkers and inappropriate but it really is about time that railway staff accepted their world of work has changed and they accepted being contracted, on a rota basis, to turn out for some weekends & public holidays.

Do we know what the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) has proposed in terms of new weekend/public holiday working and why, apparently, the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) (and at least one driver!) are opposed?

When it comes to Sundays the proposals are for a “commitment to work Sundays”. Sundays will remain outside the working week but we would be forced to work overtime.  They could opt to bring Sundays into the working week but that would mean employing more staff.

Public holidays remain unchanged.

[bobm]

3 out of the first five early morning Plymouth to Paddington trains cancelled. Thereafter, not looking too bad.

Lack of sets at Plymouth to form the services.

Hmmm ... should I believe you, or JourneyCheck

04:54 Plymouth to London Paddington due 08:35

04:54 Plymouth to London Paddington due 08:35 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Actually ... I believe you!

Quite possibly shortage of trains and crew?

Lack of crew yesterday to take sets west; therefore a lack of sets at Laira this morning.  (Not helped by needing one to form the 05:03 from Penzance starting from Plymouth).

[TaplowGreen]

.....If you dropped some of the conditions, namely DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)), a blanket closure of all tickets offices and the Sunday working proposals, .....

The apparent proposals for more DOO and closure of all ticket offices are, in my opinion, completely bonkers and inappropriate but it really is about time that railway staff accepted their world of work has changed and they accepted being contracted, on a rota basis, to turn out for some weekends & public holidays.

Do we know what the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) has proposed in terms of new weekend/public holiday working and why, apparently, the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) (and at least one driver!) are opposed?

When it comes to Sundays the proposals are for a “commitment to work Sundays”. Sundays will remain outside the working week but we would be forced to work overtime.  They could opt to bring Sundays into the working week but that would mean employing more staff.

Public holidays remain unchanged.

Aren't there a lot of newer staff for whom Sunday already is a commitment/within the working week?

I seem to recall during the regular Sunday BBQ season chaos that this was highlighted by those in the know on a "manana, manana" basis.

[a-driver]

.....If you dropped some of the conditions, namely DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)), a blanket closure of all tickets offices and the Sunday working proposals, .....

The apparent proposals for more DOO and closure of all ticket offices are, in my opinion, completely bonkers and inappropriate but it really is about time that railway staff accepted their world of work has changed and they accepted being contracted, on a rota basis, to turn out for some weekends & public holidays.

Do we know what the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) has proposed in terms of new weekend/public holiday working and why, apparently, the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) (and at least one driver!) are opposed?

When it comes to Sundays the proposals are for a “commitment to work Sundays”. Sundays will remain outside the working week but we would be forced to work overtime.  They could opt to bring Sundays into the working week but that would mean employing more staff.

Public holidays remain unchanged.

Aren't there a lot of newer staff for whom Sunday already is a commitment/within the working week?

I seem to recall during the regular Sunday BBQ season chaos that this was highlighted by those in the know on a "manana, manana" basis.

For drivers, yes. I don’t think guards or train managers have a commitment to work Sundays, I might be wrong though.

This highlights the ludicrous state of negotiations. The DfT/Rdg and the RMT can’t negotiate on behalf of all TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) when we are all on different T&C’s

[TaplowGreen]

Not a particularly clever one to cancel given it would no doubt have been the route home for some exhausted Westcountry London Marathon runners..............

16:36 London Paddington to Penzance due 22:10

16:36 London Paddington to Penzance due 22:10 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[FarWestJohn]

Expect the next two trains will be 5 car.

[Timmer]

Not a particularly clever one to cancel given it would no doubt have been the route home for some exhausted Westcountry London Marathon runners..............

16:36 London Paddington to Penzance due 22:10

16:36 London Paddington to Penzance due 22:10 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

The first service from Penzance to London, the 0815 was cancelled. This was due into Paddington at 1359 so I suspect there’s a staffing connection there.

Both services were part of the few trains running via Westbury today because of engineering work with most trains diverted via Bristol. To cancel both these trains wasn’t very helpful.

[TaplowGreen]

Not looking good for travel to and from Wales tomorrow......cancellations already being announced.....all due to crew shortage.

Sun, 7 May 08:35 Swansea to London Paddington due 11:39
Sun, 7 May 09:23 Swansea to London Paddington due 12:09
Sun, 7 May 12:43 London Paddington to Swansea due 15:29
Sun, 7 May 13:43 London Paddington to Swansea due 16:32
Sun, 7 May 14:43 London Paddington to Swansea due 17:34
Sun, 7 May 16:24 Swansea to London Paddington due 19:09
Sun, 7 May 17:43 London Paddington to Swansea due 20:27
Sun, 7 May 18:24 Swansea to London Paddington due 21:13
Sun, 7 May 19:43 London Paddington to Swansea due 22:28
Sun, 7 May 20:43 London Paddington to Swansea due 00:01

[TaplowGreen]

Not looking good for travel to and from Wales tomorrow......cancellations already being announced.....all due to crew shortage.

Sun, 7 May 08:35 Swansea to London Paddington due 11:39
Sun, 7 May 09:23 Swansea to London Paddington due 12:09
Sun, 7 May 12:43 London Paddington to Swansea due 15:29
Sun, 7 May 13:43 London Paddington to Swansea due 16:32
Sun, 7 May 14:43 London Paddington to Swansea due 17:34
Sun, 7 May 16:24 Swansea to London Paddington due 19:09
Sun, 7 May 17:43 London Paddington to Swansea due 20:27
Sun, 7 May 18:24 Swansea to London Paddington due 21:13
Sun, 7 May 19:43 London Paddington to Swansea due 22:28
Sun, 7 May 20:43 London Paddington to Swansea due 00:01

Getting worse by the hour tomorrow......all cancelled due to crew shortage......is there a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Ox Roast?


Sun, 7 May 08:35 Swansea to London Paddington due 11:39
Sun, 7 May 09:23 Swansea to London Paddington due 12:09
Sun, 7 May 12:43 London Paddington to Swansea due 15:29
Sun, 7 May 13:00 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 14:35
Sun, 7 May 13:43 London Paddington to Swansea due 16:32
Sun, 7 May 14:43 London Paddington to Swansea due 17:34
Sun, 7 May 15:04 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 16:39
Sun, 7 May 16:24 Swansea to London Paddington due 19:09
Sun, 7 May 16:30 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 18:08
Sun, 7 May 17:43 London Paddington to Swansea due 20:27
Sun, 7 May 18:24 Swansea to London Paddington due 21:13
Sun, 7 May 18:30 London Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare due 20:39
Sun, 7 May 18:36 London Paddington to Plymouth due 22:07
Sun, 7 May 19:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 20:32
Sun, 7 May 19:43 London Paddington to Swansea due 22:28
Sun, 7 May 20:43 London Paddington to Swansea due 00:01
Sun, 7 May 20:44 Oxford to Great Malvern due 22:17
Sun, 7 May 21:05 Weston-Super-Mare to Bristol Temple Meads due 21:23
Sun, 7 May 22:15 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 23:46
Sun, 7 May 23:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 01:00

[tomL]

While things did somewhat improve this morning, I suspect that there were incentives/more focus to ensure a "complete" service ran yesterday for the Coronation day-trippers.

Still plenty of gaps today, but seems less dire on the South Wales route than it was looking yesterday evening.

[TaplowGreen]

While things did somewhat improve this morning, I suspect that there were incentives/more focus to ensure a "complete" service ran yesterday for the Coronation day-trippers.

Still plenty of gaps today, but seems less dire on the South Wales route than it was looking yesterday evening.

Start of tomorrow not looking too promising....crew shortage again

Mon, 8 May 04:59 Swansea to London Paddington due 07:44
Mon, 8 May 05:58 Swansea to London Paddington due 08:44
Mon, 8 May 06:57 Swansea to London Paddington due 09:44

[Timmer]

Start of tomorrow not looking too promising....crew shortage again

Mon, 8 May 04:59 Swansea to London Paddington due 07:44
Mon, 8 May 05:58 Swansea to London Paddington due 08:44
Mon, 8 May 06:57 Swansea to London Paddington due 09:44

Some better news on these three services. All three are running with two now starting and Cardiff and one at Bristol Parkway.

[TaplowGreen]

Sun, 14 May 21:15 Penzance to London Paddington due 05:03
Sun, 14 May 23:50 London Paddington to Penzance due 07:54

Both sleepers cancelled tomorrow due to crew shortage.

[IndustryInsider]

Sun, 14 May 21:15 Penzance to London Paddington due 05:03
Sun, 14 May 23:50 London Paddington to Penzance due 07:54

Both sleepers cancelled tomorrow due to crew shortage.

Where is that listed?  I can’t see it on journeycheck.