Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 02:55 19 Mar 2024
- Potholes leave nations' roads at 'breaking point'
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]
 tomorrow - WWRUG AGM
23/03/24 - Trains restart - Minehead
02/06/24 - Summer Timetable starts
17/08/24 - Bus to Imber

No 'On This Day' events reported for 19th Mar

Train RunningDelayed
02:24 Reading to London Paddington
PollsOpen and recent polls
Open to 25/03 16:00 Easter Escape - to where?
Closed 2024-03-16 Should our rail network go cashless
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple MeadsBath SpaChippenhamSwindonDidcot ParkwayReadingLondon PaddingtonMelksham
Exeter St DavidsTauntonWestburyTrowbridgeBristol ParkwayCardiff CentralOxfordCheltenham SpaBirmingham New Street
March 19, 2024, 03:04:18 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[99] Where would you recommend for an Easter Escape?
[99] More travels ... more looking at how others do it ...
[95] M25 motorway issue: a most illuminating Twitter thread.
[80] Briefing on forthcoming changes - from GWR on 14.3.2024
[51] Europeran Rail Timetable
[51] Improvements at three Berkshire stations
 
News: the Great Western Coffee Shop ... keeping you up to date with travel around the South West
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 7
  Print  
Author Topic: Stay at home Sunday  (Read 13092 times)
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40644



View Profile WWW Email
« on: July 13, 2018, 16:41:06 »

From The Bristol Post

Quote
The boss of the West’s rail services is warning people not to travel by train on Sunday because they won’t have enough staff - because of the World Cup final and sunny weather.

GWR (Great Western Railway) apologised, and warned passengers there would be ‘significant disruption’ to services in and around Bristol and from Bristol to London on Sunday, with fewer trains which will be more packed than usual.

And the company gave a long list of reasons why there would be big problems on the railway to the city this weekend, which included a football match taking place in Moscow between France and Croatia.

A statement from GWR said they were lifting ticket restrictions, offering refunds and warning people to travel before the disruption hits on Sunday.

“Due to a number of factors including on-going engineering work; the World Cup Final taking place; the continuing good weather, and the start of the school holidays in some regions, there is a reduced number of available staff,” a spokesperson said.

Better alerted now that on Sunday morning ... or when you come to catch the train home!
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
TaplowGreen
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 7723



View Profile
« Reply #1 on: July 13, 2018, 16:47:46 »

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/significant-disruption-expected-trains-staff-1783358

Were it not so pathetically predictable, inconveniencing thousands of people yet again, it might almost be amusing.

GWR (Great Western Railway) couldn't run a bath.
Logged
ChrisB
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 12330


View Profile Email
« Reply #2 on: July 13, 2018, 17:06:49 »

Here's the full press release.....

Quote
Dear Chris

e have just issued the media release below and are emailing customers who we know are planning to travel on Sunday to give them advance notice of a revised timetable.  I wanted you to be aware, in case you were travelling, and to spread the message as widely as we could.

We would much rather operate our full timetable, but having assessed the situation, we think it is better to consolidate and offer customers advance warning of the changes, rather than aim to run all our services and find we have to make cancellations on the day.    We are working now to cover as many trains as possible and the revised timetable will be available from our website tomorrow.

Please do let me know if you have any queries or questions, I will make sure we check the inbox over the weekend to provide a prompt reply.

Mark

Press release

Friday 13 July
Train operator warns of significant disruption this Sunday

Great Western Railway is warning customers of significant disruption to services this coming Sunday and has lifted ticket restrictions to enable people to travel before the disruption hits.

Due to a number of factors including on-going engineering work; the World Cup Final taking place; the continuing good weather, and the start of the school holidays in some regions, there is a reduced number of available staff.

GWR (Great Western Railway) is advising customers planning to travel on long distance intercity services on Sunday 15 July that a revised timetable will be in place with a significantly reduced number of trains in operation. Long-distance services – including routes between Paddington and Bristol, South Wales, Oxford and Devon and Cornwall will be most affected, with some changes to suburban services in the West. Trains that do run will be extremely busy.

Local stopping services in the Thames Valley are expected to run as normal.

Passengers are advised to travel as early as possible, and to consider switching their travel plans to alternate days. To help with this, ticket restrictions have been removed from services on Saturday 14 and Monday 16 July, so that customers with tickets for Sunday, including Advance fixed train tickets can travel on other services. Ticket acceptance has also been agreed with CrossCountry trains.

GWR Managing Director Mark Hopwood said:
“We will have managers and volunteers throughout our network to help at stations and on board, but unfortunately we will not be able to deliver our planned timetable of services; and the trains we are able to operate will be extremely busy.

“I would encourage customers to travel on a different day if they are able to and we will happily offer refunds to those who choose not to travel.

“We are very sorry for the inconvenience this disruption will cause.”

Full details of the revised timetable will be available online from Saturday 14 July for customers to check journeys before they travel.

Those who choose not to travel will be entitled to a full refund on their unused ticket (the GWR £10 administration fee is also waivered). To claim a refund please click here.
Logged
IndustryInsider
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 10080


View Profile
« Reply #3 on: July 13, 2018, 17:39:09 »

We would much rather operate our full timetable, but having assessed the situation, we think it is better to consolidate and offer customers advance warning of the changes, rather than aim to run all our services and find we have to make cancellations on the day.    We are working now to cover as many trains as possible and the revised timetable will be available from our website tomorrow.

Mark

Such words could, and should, have been issued from the MD on many weekends since the turn of the year!

Has he finally got the message?  Or is it that this Sunday is expected to be even worse, despite England not playing?
Logged

To view my GWML (Great Western Main Line) Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/
bobm
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 9801



View Profile
« Reply #4 on: July 13, 2018, 17:51:54 »

Quote
Due to a number of factors including on-going engineering work; the World Cup Final taking place; the continuing good weather, and the start of the school holidays in some regions, there is a reduced number of available staff.

Given that three of the four factors quoted could well apply the following week is this the tip of the iceberg?
Logged
phile
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1382

Language spoken Welsh as well as English


View Profile Email
« Reply #5 on: July 13, 2018, 17:59:26 »

We would much rather operate our full timetable, but having assessed the situation, we think it is better to consolidate and offer customers advance warning of the changes, rather than aim to run all our services and find we have to make cancellations on the day.    We are working now to cover as many trains as possible and the revised timetable will be available from our website tomorrow.

Mark

Such words could, and should, have been issued from the MD on many weekends since the turn of the year!

Has he finally got the message?  Or is it that this Sunday is expected to be even worse, despite England not playing?

Which year ?
Logged
TaplowGreen
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 7723



View Profile
« Reply #6 on: July 13, 2018, 18:01:27 »

We would much rather operate our full timetable, but having assessed the situation, we think it is better to consolidate and offer customers advance warning of the changes, rather than aim to run all our services and find we have to make cancellations on the day.    We are working now to cover as many trains as possible and the revised timetable will be available from our website tomorrow.

Mark

Such words could, and should, have been issued from the MD on many weekends since the turn of the year!

Has he finally got the message?  Or is it that this Sunday is expected to be even worse, despite England not playing?

Can anyone seriously imagine any other public service organisation behaving like this?

I've been running this over in my mind and picturing the scene sitting in front of one of my clients to explain it should my own Business be so incompetent (it never would be, we take pride in what we do and in delivering for our customers);

"Me - sorry, but we can only provide a fraction of our advertised service this Sunday...……"

Client (spluttering tea all over his desk) "Why?"

Me "well it's like this, it's Sunday, so the guys don't really fancy working, the weather's pretty good, and Croatia are playing France...…………...so that's that, tough, you'll just have to make other arrangements I'm afraid...………...contingency plans I hear you ask? Staff management? Sorry we don't do either of those, and yes I know we're paid to deliver a 7 day service, but the guys don't have to work Sundays if they don't fancy it"



Logged
JayMac
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 18887



View Profile
« Reply #7 on: July 13, 2018, 18:05:38 »

All the excuses are known knows that could and should have been mitigated with advance planning.

However, at least Mark Hopwood is acknowledging GWR (Great Western Railway)'s inability to do the basics, and by extension, his own incompetence.

I'm hoping the press go to town on him. Unfortunately (or fortunately for MH) the fourth estate is busy looking elsewhere today, distracted by an mouthy orange blimp from the US of A and a balloon caricature of him.

Actually, perhaps GWR decided today was a good day to bury bad news.
Logged

"Build a man a fire and he'll be warm for the rest of the day. Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life."

- Sir Terry Pratchett.
TaplowGreen
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 7723



View Profile
« Reply #8 on: July 13, 2018, 18:12:45 »

All the excuses are known knows that could and should have been mitigated with advance planning.

However, at least Mark Hopwood is acknowledging GWR (Great Western Railway)'s inability to do the basics, and by extension, his own incompetence.

I'm hoping the press go to town on him. Unfortunately (or fortunately for MH) the fourth estate is busy looking elsewhere today, distracted by an mouthy orange blimp from the US of A and a balloon caricature of him.

Actually, perhaps GWR decided today was a good day to bury bad news.

................how about a Hopwood blimp floating over Paddington?  Cheesy
Logged
Timmer
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6293


View Profile
« Reply #9 on: July 13, 2018, 19:19:39 »

You couldn’t make it up...World Cup disrupts scheduled train services and we’re not even in the flippin’ final!!!

What a sham and a disgrace. I can’t even believe GWR (Great Western Railway) are using the World Cup as an excuse, that’s just plain embarrassing for a service sector led company to admit to. Shocking and quite frankly shameful.

The only consolation is that GWR are at least giving everyone advance notice that they could face an unpleasant journey or no journey at all.
Logged
martyjon
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 1941


View Profile
« Reply #10 on: July 13, 2018, 19:40:07 »

All the excuses are known knows that could and should have been mitigated with advance planning.

However, at least Mark Hopwood is acknowledging GWR (Great Western Railway)'s inability to do the basics, and by extension, his own incompetence.

I'm hoping the press go to town on him. Unfortunately (or fortunately for MH) the fourth estate is busy looking elsewhere today, distracted by an mouthy orange blimp from the US of A and a balloon caricature of him.

Actually, perhaps GWR decided today was a good day to bury bad news.

................how about a Hopwood blimp floating over Paddington?  Cheesy



.... wearing a short formed pair of trousers....
Logged
a-driver
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 961


View Profile
« Reply #11 on: July 13, 2018, 20:10:28 »

You couldn’t make it up...World Cup disrupts scheduled train services and we’re not even in the flippin’ final!!!

What a sham and a disgrace. I can’t even believe GWR (Great Western Railway) are using the World Cup as an excuse, that’s just plain embarrassing for a service sector led company to admit to. Shocking and quite frankly shameful.

The only consolation is that GWR are at least giving everyone advance notice that they could face an unpleasant journey or no journey at all.

The roster for Sunday was done on Tuesday. This means traincrew would have had to make themselves unavailable prior to England playing Croatia. This contingency plan was prepared well in advance with GWR obviously expecting a larger than normal number of traincrew being unavailable.  A number of crew have since made themselves available to work but obviously GWR can’t predict numbers so they’ve had to plan for worse case.  From what I’ve heard, there was a lot of uncovered work, significantly more than previous Sundays 
Logged
bobm
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 9801



View Profile
« Reply #12 on: July 13, 2018, 20:20:51 »

You couldn’t make it up...World Cup disrupts scheduled train services and we’re not even in the flippin’ final!!!

What a sham and a disgrace. I can’t even believe GWR (Great Western Railway) are using the World Cup as an excuse, that’s just plain embarrassing for a service sector led company to admit to. Shocking and quite frankly shameful.

The only consolation is that GWR are at least giving everyone advance notice that they could face an unpleasant journey or no journey at all.

I am sure I read somewhere that staff have to give five days' notice whether they are available to work - if so many may have made themselves unavailable in the hope/expectation England would be in the final.   On that basis who is in the final wouldn't be an issue.   Not that that will help the hapless Sunday traveller.
Logged
Timmer
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6293


View Profile
« Reply #13 on: July 13, 2018, 20:32:56 »

I am sure I read somewhere that staff have to give five days' notice whether they are available to work - if so many may have made themselves unavailable in the hope/expectation England would be in the final.   On that basis who is in the final wouldn't be an issue.   Not that that will help the hapless Sunday traveller.
I think I’ve seen that somewhere too Bob. Now according to a-driver a number of crew have now made themselves available, we await to see what timetable GWR (Great Western Railway) are able to operate when its released tomorrow.
Logged
TaplowGreen
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 7723



View Profile
« Reply #14 on: July 13, 2018, 20:59:11 »

You couldn’t make it up...World Cup disrupts scheduled train services and we’re not even in the flippin’ final!!!

What a sham and a disgrace. I can’t even believe GWR (Great Western Railway) are using the World Cup as an excuse, that’s just plain embarrassing for a service sector led company to admit to. Shocking and quite frankly shameful.

The only consolation is that GWR are at least giving everyone advance notice that they could face an unpleasant journey or no journey at all.

The roster for Sunday was done on Tuesday. This means traincrew would have had to make themselves unavailable prior to England playing Croatia. This contingency plan was prepared well in advance with GWR obviously expecting a larger than normal number of traincrew being unavailable.  A number of crew have since made themselves available to work but obviously GWR can’t predict numbers so they’ve had to plan for worse case.  From what I’ve heard, there was a lot of uncovered work, significantly more than previous Sundays 

Have you any idea how utterly ridiculous and incomprehensible it appears to the overwhelming majority of people operating in the real world when the ability of one of the UKs (United Kingdom) major service industries to provide said service pivots around staff availability due to the some of them wanting to watch a football match?

Does it ever occur to you that the starting point for just about every other Business is to ensure that there are enough staff to provide the advertised service as a precursor to authorising absences?



For whom does the railway exist to serve?
Logged
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 7
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules (email link to report). Forum hosted by Well House Consultants

Jump to top of pageJump to Forum Home Page