Crew shortages - Thames Valley Branches

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Just a co-incidence that two branches are loosing service today?  Or is there a background cause such as preparations for December 15th when TfL^» (Transport for London - about) take over many services and GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) will require less drivers?

08:39 Windsor & Eton Central to Slough due 08:45
08:39 Windsor & Eton Central to Slough due 08:45 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

08:42 Greenford to West Ealing due 08:53
08:42 Greenford to West Ealing due 08:53 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[TaplowGreen]

Just a co-incidence that two branches are loosing service today?  Or is there a background cause such as preparations for December 15th when TfL^» (Transport for London - about) take over many services and GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) will require less drivers?

08:39 Windsor & Eton Central to Slough due 08:45
08:39 Windsor & Eton Central to Slough due 08:45 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

08:42 Greenford to West Ealing due 08:53
08:42 Greenford to West Ealing due 08:53 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Maidenhead - Marlow virtually wiped out

[grahame]

Just a co-incidence that two branches are loosing service today?  Or is there a background cause such as preparations for December 15th when TfL^» (Transport for London - about) take over many services and GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) will require less drivers?

08:39 Windsor & Eton Central to Slough due 08:45
08:39 Windsor & Eton Central to Slough due 08:45 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

08:42 Greenford to West Ealing due 08:53
08:42 Greenford to West Ealing due 08:53 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Maidenhead - Marlow virtually wiped out

Only Henley running properly then!

[Electric train]

The train crew travel by passenger service from Reading booing on point so if the TV service between Reading and Pad has problem then the crew straggle also they might get reassigned.  The other issue with the Marlow branch is the second unit in the peaks which runs ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) from Reading Depot which means it can get cancelled if there are problems on the Reliefs

[TaplowGreen]

The train crew travel by passenger service from Reading booing on point so if the TV service between Reading and Pad has problem then the crew straggle also they might get reassigned.  The other issue with the Marlow branch is the second unit in the peaks which runs ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) from Reading Depot which means it can get cancelled if there are problems on the Reliefs

Surely if there are problems between Reading & Paddington someone has sufficient common sense to put the crew in a taxi? 

[IndustryInsider]

Surely if there are problems between Reading & Paddington someone has sufficient common sense to put the crew in a taxi? 

If that’s the best option they would, yes.  Waiting for the next train 15 minutes later would usually be a far quicker option in the case of Reading to Maidenhead.

[TaplowGreen]

Surely if there are problems between Reading & Paddington someone has sufficient common sense to put the crew in a taxi? 

If that’s the best option they would, yes.  Waiting for the next train 15 minutes later would usually be a far quicker option in the case of Reading to Maidenhead.

There were multiple cancellations between Reading and Paddington due to crew shortages. The fact that the Marlow services were wiped out would suggest that common sense did not prevail.

[IndustryInsider]

To me it suggests the decision was taken to sacrifice the Marlow branch to run more services on the main line, or 'reassigned' as Electric Train put it.  If you're short on drivers, is it more sensible to provide more driver only main line trains than cover a branch line which is more easily and effectively replaced by road transport?

[TaplowGreen]

To me it suggests the decision was taken to sacrifice the Marlow branch to run more services on the main line, or 'reassigned' as Electric Train put it.  If you're short on drivers, is it more sensible to provide more driver only main line trains than cover a branch line which is more easily and effectively replaced by road transport?

Take great care not to twist your ankle in the holes you leave when you move the goalposts 

[IndustryInsider]

Eh?