Shortage of rolling stock since September 2017 - ongoing problems, and subsequent discussion

[whole diary]

[Wizard]

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) drivers absolutely do not sign Canton anymore. In addition, only a few select Gloucester West drivers sign the Lydney route. Swansea and most of Bristol HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) sign Lydney but not 158s.

[Alan Pettitt]

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)’s 153368, 153318, 153382 & 153372 were seen passing Bristol Parkway bound for Etches Park for a new life. Why are they still leaving when there is a shortage here?

[grahame]

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)’s 153368, 153318, 153382 & 153372 were seen passing Bristol Parkway bound for Etches Park for a new life. Why are they still leaving when there is a shortage here?

Because they were promised to East Midland Trains and there are some promises that cannot be broken.

[TaplowGreen]

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)’s 153368, 153318, 153382 & 153372 were seen passing Bristol Parkway bound for Etches Park for a new life. Why are they still leaving when there is a shortage here?

Because they were promised to East Midland Trains and there are some promises that cannot be broken.

.....unlike those made by GWR to their customers.

[a-driver]

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)’s 153368, 153318, 153382 & 153372 were seen passing Bristol Parkway bound for Etches Park for a new life. Why are they still leaving when there is a shortage here?

Because they were promised to East Midland Trains and there are some promises that cannot be broken.

The DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) rolling stock merry-go-round. Take units from one operator who are struggling for capacity and allocate them to another operator who is struggling even more!  Fear not, in a year or so time expect another operator to be relieved of there 150s and 153s!

[BBM]

On Saturday I was returning to KGX on the 15.15 LNER^» (London North Eastern Railway - about) service from Leeds when I noticed 2 cars in GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) green going past just before Wakefield Westgate. On consulting RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) I found this train, 08.57 St Philips Marsh HSTD to Neville Hill T&R.S.M.D:

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K91436/2018/06/30/advanced

According to WNXX^▸ (Stored Unserviceable, Mainline Locos HQ All Classes), the two units were 153370 & 153377 on their way to a new home with Northern.

[broadgage]

Short formations on branch line or secondary services seem to be getting worse, and are certainly having more impact as holiday and leisure traffic increases.
Today I notice an increasing number of services running as 1 car instead of 3 car. Worse than the normal short formations of 2 car instead of 3.

[Sixty3Closure]

Seemed to be quite a few short formed when I was at Paddington this evening due to rolling stock being out of position. I gave up waiting for the additional stock for the 17.18 to Twyford and squeezed myself into a short formed train to Maidenhead. Website didn't report any issues though.

[ray951]

Never mind shortage of drivers or short formed trains we now have what appears to be a shortage of at least two trains on the Reading/Didcot/Oxford/Banbury shuttles today.

Both the 0808 and 0848 Didcot - Oxford services and corresponding returns cancelled today .

Since Wednesday 27th June I am running at a cancellation rate of 33% (4 out of 12) of trains between Didcot and Oxford.

Also the services running are primarily overcrowded 2 carriage units.

[didcotdean]

Also seems Oxford-Paddington fast is thinned out as well. 10:50 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)-OXF^» (Oxford - next trains) and 11:01 OXF-PAD cancelled. 'More trains needing repairs ...'.

[simonw]

This shortage of stock has been going on for 10 months.

What is the issue?

• Lack of physical stock
• Lack of stock in working order
• Lack of trained staff (drivers, guards and maintenance) for relocated rolling stock

I was under the impression that cascaded stock from Thames area and cascaded stock to other franchise areas would have been sorted out by now.

The Rail industry has brought in a lot of rolling stock in the last 18 months, so why are trains been cancelled and run short with this issue?

When can we, as customers, expect the rail system to work again? Trains arriving, as expected, with the correct number of coaches?

Finally, I am tired of the continual strap line messages, appearing on station boards, showing that more trains and capacity next year. Unfortunately all I see next year is a worse service and another promise of 'jam' next year.

[broadgage]

I blame a lot of the problems on "new train disease" I refer here NOT to the merits or otherwise of the new trains, but a general management view that the arrival of new trains would work wonders and sweep away unrelated shortcomings.

As a result I suspect that maintenance of existing rolling stock was cut back leading to more failures.
Existing rolling stock was in many cases promised to other operators on the date when new trains SHOULD have been available.
Such transfers still went ahead even if the new trains were not yet available, such promises "cant be broken" unlike promises to passengers which are not actual promises but are "hopes, aspirations, and forecasts"

Main line services have been thrown into chaos by the failed introduction of the IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) with half length trains being a frequent feature. There was also the apparently unforeseen need to train staff on the new trains.
On the Thames valley services, new electric trains have been introduced, these seem to have been less reliable than was hoped for with short formations reported.
On many branches or secondary routes, the intention was to use the Thames turbo diesel units to replace some of the existing stock. As a result some of the existing stock was returned to the leasing company or promised to other operators, and these transfers HAD to go ahead as planned "some promises cant be broken"
Arrival of the Thames turbo units was delayed, and according to some reports numbers reduced.
There was again the apparently unforeseeable need to train staff on these "new" trains.

Another problem was that some platforms in Cornwall are too short for Turbos, this seems to have taken GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) by surprise, with fitting of selective door opening being a prolonged business that was started at the last minute and is taking longer than expected, and not working reliably according to some reports.

[didcotdean]

I only fear this could get worse with some of the 387s being removed to be HEX-fied before anyone has seen a 769 even turn a wheel publicly on diesel, let alone be available for service.

[broadgage]

I feel that the situation is now bad enough that drastic action is needed, even if it means taking "the railway" out of its comfort zone.

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), HMRI^▸ (Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate), and the government need to get to get together and hire extra stock, and to permit the use of otherwise non approved rolling stock.

Many heritage railways DO have extra stock, though not passed for mainline use. An exemption or derogation needs to be granted to permit such stock to be used on the Cornish branches, and of course a "one of" permission to use the main line to get to the branch.
A VERY BASIC "is it fit to run" examination would be needed, but this should be confined to the basics such as "does it look structurally sound" and "do the brakes work" NOT nit picking over all the correct signs and notices.
It may need to be accepted that stock acceptable for use between Minehead and Bishops Lydeard, is now acceptable for branch line use.
Steam haulage sounds attractive and might be used exceptionally, but heritage diesel  locomotives, or multiple units would be more realistic.

Or would it be simpler to re-brand one or two branches as light railways ? thereby permitting heritage stock.

There are many days on which railtours or charters do not run, what happens to the coaches ? can they not be hired and used on the main line, hauled by a heritage diesel, or a modern freight engine.

And as for the Thames turbos that lack SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening), I would run them thus even to short platforms, with stewards to prevent accidents.

[Adelante_CCT]

I only fear this could get worse with some of the 387s being removed to be HEX-fied before anyone has seen a 769 even turn a wheel publicly on diesel, let alone be available for service.

The 387s departing are as a result of the 345s coming into service, and not dependant on the arrival of the 769s. They are dependant for the further cascade of turbos though, and yes with testing way behind that is a worry.