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Author Topic: Fare strike  (Read 13795 times)
TaplowGreen
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« on: June 29, 2018, 19:07:09 »

I understand that a number of groups are planning to coordinate a 1 day fare strike across the GWR (Great Western Railway) network in protest at the woeful level of service being provided.
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phile
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« Reply #1 on: June 29, 2018, 22:23:17 »

I understand that a number of groups are planning to coordinate a 1 day fare strike across the GWR (Great Western Railway) network in protest at the woeful level of service being provided.

Shades of 2007
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LiskeardRich
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« Reply #2 on: June 29, 2018, 23:15:44 »

What is a fare strike? Who and What does it involve doing?
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broadgage
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« Reply #3 on: June 30, 2018, 00:57:24 »

It seems to mean different things to different people.
To some it means a boycott of GWR (Great Western Railway) services for a day, by making other travel arrangements or staying at home.

To others it means travel as normal but without a ticket and declining to pay if challenged. Some would intend to resist any effort to collect the fare, including violence.
Others would favour more passive resistance, and others would pay, reluctantly and after wasting as much time as possible.

Yet others might intend to POSSESS a valid ticket but refuse to show it, by way of a protest. Whilst an offence is still committed by not showing a valid ticket on demand, the much more serious offence of fraud has arguably not been committed, if a ticket was in fact held and eventually produced.
Various variations of this exist, including pretending to have lost the ticket, but "finding" it at the last moment, after wasting as much RPI (Revenue Protection Inspector (or Retail Price Index, depending on the context)) and BTP (British Transport Police) time as possible, and probably allowing others to pass through without being checked.

And yes this has happened before, I cant remember when but 2007 as suggested sounds right.
A damp squib IIRC (if I recall/remember/read correctly).
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A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
JayMac
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« Reply #4 on: June 30, 2018, 01:42:39 »

A damp squib that got wide media coverage. The first strike in January 2007 had the MD of FGW (First Great Western), Alison Forster, making a public apology and addressing the issues of rolling stock shortages. The issues that led to that first fares strike were reported as instrumental in her removal from the top job later that year. In the following years there was a vast improvement in the service offered by FGW.

If there can be similar results with another strike then I say more power to the elbows of protesters. Even just getting Mark Hopwood to make a public appearance would be a result.

And there was no violence, or for that matter arrests, in the fare strikes on FGW in 2007 and 2008. Threats of prosecution were made by FGW but weren't carried through.
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TaplowGreen
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« Reply #5 on: June 30, 2018, 07:33:08 »

A damp squib that got wide media coverage. The first strike in January 2007 had the MD of FGW (First Great Western), Alison Forster, making a public apology and addressing the issues of rolling stock shortages. The issues that led to that first fares strike were reported as instrumental in her removal from the top job later that year. In the following years there was a vast improvement in the service offered by FGW.

If there can be similar results with another strike then I say more power to the elbows of protesters. Even just getting Mark Hopwood to make a public appearance would be a result.

And there was no violence, or for that matter arrests, in the fare strikes on FGW in 2007 and 2008. Threats of prosecution were made by FGW but weren't carried through.

Judging by what I've read/heard, this is very much the aspiration once again in terms of publicity and actually getting someone to get off their arse and explain what is going on,why, and what being done to address it.

Talk of violence is a bit daft frankly.
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broadgage
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« Reply #6 on: June 30, 2018, 09:07:56 »

I doubt that any significant violence will result. There are however a number of people who jump on ANY protest bandwagon, and believe that any cause of public dissatisfaction is best addressed by calls to "smash the system" and to "bring down the government"

Such persons don't care if the protest is about global warming, NHS cuts, railways, or a fatal fire in a tower block, or almost anything else. "smash the government" that will sort it !

I suspect that the protest will achieve a fair bit of publicity and possibly management changes. It might even result in some more rolling stock being found.
Advocates of GWR (Great Western Railway) will no doubt state that there is no spare available rolling stock, and that protests wont alter the position.
I, and some others, are not entirely convinced. There is undeniably a shortage of stock of the preferred type, but with a  bit of determination I bet that something could be found even if it meant HMG granting a derogation or exemption to permit the use of otherwise non approved rolling stock.

Likewise with staff. To fully train a driver to safely work on a number of busy main line routes does indeed take many months, and this probably cant be shortened without compromising safety.
But OTOH (On The Other Hand), just how long would it take to learn to drive a heritage DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) up and down a largely self contained branch line ? The more experienced driver and more modern unit would be available for other duties.
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A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
IndustryInsider
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« Reply #7 on: June 30, 2018, 09:57:15 »

Regarding the heritage DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit), not long to train up at all, but most heritage DMUs are in use on heritage railways, especially in the summer, and of course the DNU would need to be one that is certified for national rail use (fitted with GSM-R (Global System for Mobile communications - Railway.), data recorders etc.) even if just being used on a self contained branch line.  That’s probably why it hasn’t happened yet?
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grahame
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« Reply #8 on: June 30, 2018, 10:12:21 »

Regarding the heritage DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit), not long to train up at all, but most heritage DMUs are in use on heritage railways, especially in the summer, and of course the DNU would need to be one that is certified for national rail use (fitted with GSM-R (Global System for Mobile communications - Railway.), data recorders etc.) even if just being used on a self contained branch line.  That’s probably why it hasn’t happened yet?

Not a DMU, but there is a heritage replacement service running on the Oxenholme to Windermere line.   I've heard a couple of grumbles that it is / was only running shortened heritage hours ...
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broadgage
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« Reply #9 on: June 30, 2018, 10:36:26 »

Regarding the heritage DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit), not long to train up at all, but most heritage DMUs are in use on heritage railways, especially in the summer, and of course the DMU would need to be one that is certified for national rail use (fitted with GSM-R (Global System for Mobile communications - Railway.), data recorders etc.) even if just being used on a self contained branch line.  That’s probably why it hasn’t happened yet?

One of the reasons that I suggested that HMG should grant some form of exemption or derogation, was to permit the use of say a heritage DMU on a branch line WITHOUT having to fit the latest equipment.
Would some of the smaller Cornish branches be any more dangerous without GSM-R and a data recorder, than say Bishops Lydeard to Minehead ?
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A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
martyjon
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« Reply #10 on: June 30, 2018, 10:55:06 »

Regarding the heritage DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit), not long to train up at all, but most heritage DMUs are in use on heritage railways, especially in the summer, and of course the DMU would need to be one that is certified for national rail use (fitted with GSM-R (Global System for Mobile communications - Railway.), data recorders etc.) even if just being used on a self contained branch line.  That’s probably why it hasn’t happened yet?

One of the reasons that I suggested that HMG should grant some form of exemption or derogation, was to permit the use of say a heritage DMU on a branch line WITHOUT having to fit the latest equipment.
Would some of the smaller Cornish branches be any more dangerous without GSM-R and a data recorder, than say Bishops Lydeard to Minehead ?


Would luv to see the Great Western Society's SMU (Steam Multiple Unit) aka their steam railmotor and its matching trailer coach chugging up and down the St, Erth - St. Ives branch line.
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broadgage
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« Reply #11 on: June 30, 2018, 11:12:26 »

Use of a steam railmotor and trailer might be shocking and a step too far for some, but is there in fact any sound reason to prohibit it ?

The modest coal and water requirements should be easily obtained, and it would be splendid sight.
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A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
grahame
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« Reply #12 on: June 30, 2018, 11:21:54 »

Use of a steam railmotor and trailer might be shocking and a step too far for some, but is there in fact any sound reason to prohibit it ?

The modest coal and water requirements should be easily obtained, and it would be splendid sight.

Danger due to overcrowding on a service for which unlimited walkup tickets are sold.
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bobm
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« Reply #13 on: June 30, 2018, 11:25:08 »

I would love to see the steam railmotor out and about - but another factor is the weather.  Network Rail is looking at steam charters at the moment due to the fire risk.
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martyjon
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« Reply #14 on: June 30, 2018, 11:28:55 »

Use of a steam railmotor and trailer might be shocking and a step too far for some, but is there in fact any sound reason to prohibit it ?

The modest coal and water requirements should be easily obtained, and it would be splendid sight.


It was well welcomed when the steam railmotor performed solo on the Looe - Liskeard line a couple of years ago and the steam railmotor was not fitted with all the paraphanalia required for main line running, no radio and a similar event took place on the Southall - Brentford branch also in recent years.
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