Meet the Manager (online via Coffee Shop), Autumn 2024

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

Comments all noted, but we have to work within the parameters, very kindly offered, by Great Western Railway for the availability of one of their directors to answer our questions, live / real time.

For those who are unable to attend our live discussion, you will be able to 'read all about it' later on the evening, and post your points on the topic, to be answered later.

It's worth noting that Mark Hopwood is a member of the Coffee Shop forum, and in the past he has followed up points raised after his own live 'meet the manager' discussions.

[IndustryInsider]

................afraid of being "Hendied"? 

I wouldn’t say ‘afraid’, but perhaps ‘cautious’ and not wanting to blatantly disregard m my contract of employment.

[TaplowGreen]

................afraid of being "Hendied"? 

I wouldn’t say ‘afraid’, but perhaps ‘cautious’ and not wanting to blatantly disregard m my contract of employment.

Your contract of employment prevents you from asking questions?

Do you work on North Korean railways? 

[Chris from Nailsea]

Hmm. 

To be fair, TaplowGreen, we must respect IndustryInsider's reticence: he is active railway staff, while you and I are not.

I have previously been in PM contact with IndustryInsider and we have discussed his stance: it has no problem for me.

We already have many potential questions to put to Daryn McCombe, such that we may well have to edit / combine them, due only to time constraints.

We on the admin / moderator team continue to look forward to our online event on 3 October.

CfN. 

[TaplowGreen]

Hmm. 

To be fair, TaplowGreen, we must respect IndustryInsider's reticence: he is active railway staff, while you and I are not.

I have previously been in PM contact with IndustryInsider and we have discussed his stance: it has no problem for me.

We already have many potential questions to put to Daryn McCombe, such that we may well have to edit / combine them, due only to time constraints.

We on the admin / moderator team continue to look forward to our online event on 3 October.

CfN. 

I was joking.

[Chris from Nailsea]

I know: it's just a good way of bumping this particular topic, if nothing else. 

[IndustryInsider]

I was joking.

I think therein lies the problem, and thank you CfN.

I want to help the forum thrive, but I am very conscious my employer makes it clear I should not make any statements that are clearly negative of them.  I suspect most employment contracts have a similar social media policy, including yours TG?  If not, get ready for it.

So, I have to balance whether it is worth the ‘risk’.  In this case I don’t think it is, and, perhaps more importantly, I have internal channels in which to raise problems, so it is not as if I don’t have another option.

In two subsequent posts you have asked/suggested, in jest or otherwise, whether I’m scared or have subscribed to a communist ideology for not taking part in the debate.

Neither of those sit well with me, even if in jest, and it continues to make me wonder why I bother.

[grahame]

That post by II is truly important and needs not really a "like" by an "appreciate", signed multiple times if I could.   And an "I understand" too - which I partially do having been in, and remain in, positions where I am looking after best positions of my - oh help, I am going to say "greater gods" but not want any religious context. 

The public transport industry is complex - highly complex - and sometimes things are done which are not in the best interests of all players - indeed there is very often a compromise involved and explaining and marketing then decision and its consequences is never going to be totally easy or comfortable.  There are times that we, with those "greater gods" have to defend what becomes a very difficult position, and indeed times we find ourselves in, perhaps swept into, defending the indefensible.   We need to understand and appreciate that and accept the occasions where dissgression is the best part of valour.

A couple more thoughts if I may

* We have boards here with limited access for discussions amongst friends, and I encourage you to use those where you feel appropriate. "The Rumour Mill", "Frequent Posters", "And Also" and "How Stuff Works". Not secret, but not frightening the greater public out of context, nor exposing our personal security or comfort.   And we have a personal message system too.

* Even where a message or view is not the one people want to hear, there is an appreciation of those who say it by those who hear it.  "Thank you for telling me - I don't agree but at least I now know". It tends to be a difficult path to follow, but it's a position I personally find myself in sometimes and the feedback of appreciation by some of those told indicates the importance.  In a political sphere, "I don't agree with you - but I will vote for you next time because at least you inform us".   And concluding here with a "thank you" and repeated appreciation of those in the public transport specification, maintenance, operation, planning, finance who help answer questions and inform here.

[GBM]

I was joking.

I think therein lies the problem, and thank you CfN.

So, I have to balance whether it is worth the ‘risk’.  In this case I don’t think it is, and, perhaps more importantly, I have internal channels in which to raise problems, so it is not as if I don’t have another option.

In two subsequent posts you have asked/suggested, in jest or otherwise, whether I’m scared or have subscribed to a communist ideology for not taking part in the debate.

Neither of those sit well with me, even if in jest, and it continues to make me wonder why I bother.

II, I more than understand your very difficult position.
There are times with your experience and knowledge you know what is about to happen isn't right, but you can't speak out.
Yes sure, you/we have internal channels to voice our concerns, but to my mind they're a pointless 'get it off your chest' exercise.
It would be great if we could actually challenge a manager directly on something like this, but the after effects would result in demotion/cessation of employment for speaking out. Hendy anyone?

Please continue to post, I always appreciate them.
I do have a reason to be closer to your employment status, but like you, don't want to rock the boat too much.

[TaplowGreen]

I was joking.

I think therein lies the problem, and thank you CfN.

I want to help the forum thrive, but I am very conscious my employer makes it clear I should not make any statements that are clearly negative of them.  I suspect most employment contracts have a similar social media policy, including yours TG?  If not, get ready for it.

So, I have to balance whether it is worth the ‘risk’.  In this case I don’t think it is, and, perhaps more importantly, I have internal channels in which to raise problems, so it is not as if I don’t have another option.

In two subsequent posts you have asked/suggested, in jest or otherwise, whether I’m scared or have subscribed to a communist ideology for not taking part in the debate.

Neither of those sit well with me, even if in jest, and it continues to make me wonder why I bother.

I apologise if you took offence at my comments.

[WelshBluebird]

I've submitted a couple of questions, one pretty general around the current rolling stock issues and the resulting cancelations and one pretty specific about timetabling so not really expecting the specifics to be answered but can hope!

I'm not actually sure if I'll be around at the time due to work, but will try. Need to hope for a quiet work day!

[anthony215]

I would like to know short-term options for rolling stock could GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) push the DFT^▸ (Department for Transport) to let them create a fleet of battery class 230s for use on the Thames Valley branches and maybe even some batter fitted class 350/2's fitted with 3rd rail shoes for the North Downs like that would free up quite a few class 165/166 units

[Chris from Nailsea]

An update from me:

We have sent GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) an agenda of six 'performance related' questions, relevant to their whole franchise area, which we hope will be of interest to our wider readership, and to which Daryn McCombe can prepare his initial reply. When those are posted, real-time on 3 October, you are all very welcome to reply, challenge or refute them (within our forum posting rules, obviously).

There are several other questions you have raised, which are all perfectly valid, but are more specific to local issues, such as individual branch lines, for example. We will pass all of those on to GWR, to be answered on the Coffee Shop forum after our 'live' debate.

We on the Administrator / Moderator team are looking forward to the event.