Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[Timmer]

Here we go again!

When are GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) going to stop messing passengers about every weekend, admit they simply cannot run the timetabled service anymore and do what Cross Country have done and issue a revised more reliable timetable to give people more certainty that their train will actually run?

This is ridiculous every Friday saying we can’t run the scheduled service on Sunday but can’t tell you what’s running until Sunday morning. It’s pathetic. Do GWR realise how stupid it’s making them look? Government really needs to step in here. This has gone on for far too long.

From X https://x.com/gwrhelp/status/1854933641421287845?s=61

⚠️Service update - Sunday 10 November ⚠️

Due to crew availability, we expect significant disruption to services on Sunday. A significantly reduced, amended timetable will be in place for services between London - Bristol Temple Meads and London - South Wales.

Fewer trains will run on these routes, and those that do will be very busy.  Services may also be cancelled or delayed at short notice.

Because of the late notice changes, and the complexity of updating timetable systems, journey planners will not show changes correctly before Sunday morning.

We're sorry for the impact this will have on your journey.

❗️ We advise customers to only travel if absolutely necessary and change plans if possible ❗️

If you've already bought tickets for Sunday 10, they are valid on Saturday 9 or Monday 11 November, or you can claim a full refund at GWR.com/refunds

[Chris from Nailsea]

It's particularly disappointing, bearing in mind Sunday is Remembrance Sunday.  Many veterans, members of their family and others, will be wanting to travel to attend parades and services.

That is a very poor show by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - and I'm not generally known for criticising them in public. 

[Timmer]

I’m cross with GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) because they surely must know full well that they cannot operate the current Sunday timetable due to staffing issues, which I know is out of their hands, but won’t produce a revised timetable that they have a much better chance of operating.

[Timmer]

It's particularly disappointing, bearing in mind Sunday is Remembrance Sunday.  Many veterans, members of their family and others, will be wanting to travel to attend parades and services.

That is a very poor show by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - and I'm not generally known for criticising them in public. 

You’re not the only one who’s not impressed: https://x.com/paulcliftonbbc/status/1854958328557814099?s=61

[ChrisB]

I’m cross with GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) because they surely must know full well that they cannot operate the current Sunday timetable due to staffing issues, which I know is out of their hands, but won’t produce a revised timetable that they have a much better chance of operating.

There's a BIG difference between XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise))'s *temporary* timetable - finishing in 10 days time - and a GWR Sunday timetable that would be anything other than temporary, until their DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) masters allowed them to hire more crews, and get them trained up. How long might that take? So this will continue, even if the DfT take the keys back early.

[Timmer]

There's a BIG difference between XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise))'s *temporary* timetable - finishing in 10 days time - and a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Sunday timetable that would be anything other than temporary, until their DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) masters allowed them to hire more crews, and get them trained up. How long might that take? So this will continue, even if the DfT take the keys back early.

But surely it’s wrong to be advertising a timetable to the public that you have next to no chance of ever being able to operate?

Sure, it’s been bad for many years, longer than this thread has been going, but when GWR are putting out messages like they have these past few weeks, the timetable needs revising.

[TaplowGreen]

I’m cross with GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) because they surely must know full well that they cannot operate the current Sunday timetable due to staffing issues, which I know is out of their hands, but won’t produce a revised timetable that they have a much better chance of operating.

There's a BIG difference between XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise))'s *temporary* timetable - finishing in 10 days time - and a GWR Sunday timetable that would be anything other than temporary, until their DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) masters allowed them to hire more crews, and get them trained up. How long might that take? So this will continue, even if the DfT take the keys back early.

So, GWR are actively putting pressure on the DfT to allow them to hire more crews?

Any evidence of this from Hopwood & a response from Haigh?

Any evidence of any other solutions being sought by GWR? Even if only temporary?

[a-driver]

So, GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are actively putting pressure on the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) to allow them to hire more crews?

Any evidence of this from Hopwood & a response from Haigh?

Any evidence of any other solutions being sought by GWR? Even if only temporary?

GWR don’t need to put pressure on the DfT.  GWR operate under the terms of a contract stipulated by the DfT. 
If the DfT are unhappy with what’s being provided it is down to the DfT to find and fund a solution.

[grahame]

So, GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are actively putting pressure on the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) to allow them to hire more crews?

Any evidence of this from Hopwood & a response from Haigh?

Any evidence of any other solutions being sought by GWR? Even if only temporary?

GWR don’t need to put pressure on the DfT.  GWR operate under the terms of a contract stipulated by the DfT. 
If the DfT are unhappy with what’s being provided it is down to the DfT to find and fund a solution.

I don't believe, sadly, that it's as simple as either of those views, though both have a strong element of truth in them.  Six of one, half a dozen of the other - with neither organisation putting the customer service at an appropriately high priority.  Or, perhaps, they are both of the view that the "customer" is the other organisation in their marriage and they look after and defend their partner and stand by them to the virtual exclusion of others?

[a-driver]

I don't believe, sadly, that it's as simple as either of those views, though both have a strong element of truth in them.  Six of one, half a dozen of the other - with neither organisation putting the customer service at an appropriately high priority.  Or, perhaps, they are both of the view that the "customer" is the other organisation in their marriage and they look after and defend their partner and stand by them to the virtual exclusion of others?

Sadly it is that simple.  GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) effectively just manage day to day operations as stipulated by their contract and are paid a set fee to do so.  If the contract prevents them running the timetable then that's an issue the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) needs to resolve with agreement with GWR.  The fact the issue with crewing availability has persisted for so long without comment or action from the DfT tells you exactly who is responsible, add to that, the same issue occurs on Northern Rail who is operated by DOHL.  If the DfT had any intention of resolving the issue they would have done so with Northern Rail by now.

[TaplowGreen]

I don't believe, sadly, that it's as simple as either of those views, though both have a strong element of truth in them.  Six of one, half a dozen of the other - with neither organisation putting the customer service at an appropriately high priority.  Or, perhaps, they are both of the view that the "customer" is the other organisation in their marriage and they look after and defend their partner and stand by them to the virtual exclusion of others?

Sadly it is that simple.  GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) effectively just manage day to day operations as stipulated by their contract and are paid a set fee to do so.  If the contract prevents them running the timetable then that's an issue the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) needs to resolve with agreement with GWR.  The fact the issue with crewing availability has persisted for so long without comment or action from the DfT tells you exactly who is responsible, add to that, the same issue occurs on Northern Rail who is operated by DOHL.  If the DfT had any intention of resolving the issue they would have done so with Northern Rail by now.

Still, as we've been told, the new Government, "Nationalisation" & GBR^▸ (Great British Railways) will sort it all out and the railways will move onto broad, sunlit uplands with unprecedented levels of efficiency, reliability, customer service and satisfaction.................won't they? 

[ChrisB]

Don't wish for what may be a disaster for rail....another Beeching-esque report. The DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) tasking GBR^▸ (Great British Railways) to organise the timetable after nationalisation is complete that breaks even.

[John D]

So, GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are actively putting pressure on the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) to allow them to hire more crews?

Any evidence of this from Hopwood & a response from Haigh?

Any evidence of any other solutions being sought by GWR? Even if only temporary?

GWR don’t need to put pressure on the DfT.  GWR operate under the terms of a contract stipulated by the DfT. 
If the DfT are unhappy with what’s being provided it is down to the DfT to find and fund a solution.

In a way, GWR don't operate the contract stipulated by DfT because there is a published DfT Business requirements specifying first and last trains and frequency for each route, associated with the contract, and that is not being met.

Possibly the contract daftly (DfT-ly ?) makes it cheaper to not operate minimum, and accept any penalty, than trying to deliver it.

[TaplowGreen]

Just a reminder of the position from the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) PR^▸ (Public Relations) machine......

We’re also looking at what interim measures we could take to help improve colleague availability on Sundays and are talking to the Department for Transport about what may be possible as any changes require their approval. Mark Hopwood, our MD, is clear that the current situation is unsustainable, this is a top priority for the business to look to resolve and that most importantly our customers should expect us to run the advertised timetable.

That reads to me that GWR acknowledge at least some ownership of the issues sits with them, notwithstanding it may need DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) signoff - so what are these proposed changes?

There's also the small matter of this event tomorrow............I wonder what provisions are being made?

https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/24707925.gwr-set-armistice-day-event-paddington-station/

[ChrisB]

In a way, GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) don't operate the contract stipulated by DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) because there is a published DfT Business requirements specifying first and last trains and frequency for each route, associated with the contract, and that is not being met.

That relates to the pre-pandemic contract. The new post-pandemic contract does not have these stipulations, just a timetable that has to be operated, if everything like staffing is adequate, which it obviously isn't - so as a-driver states correctly, it is for the DfT to find a solution that works.

And Armistice Day is MONDAY this year, not tomorrow.