Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[TaplowGreen]

Summer Sunday, so.................

Cancellations to services between Liskeard and Looe

Due to a shortage of train crew between Liskeard and Looe the line is closed.

Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled. Disruption is expected until 15:00 15/06.

Customer Advice
Due to crew shortages, we are unable to run train services today.
-
We have very limited road transport in place, taxis will shuttle hourly. Please note, they may not run to the train timetable. Please see station staff.
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We're sorry for the delay to your journey.

[TaplowGreen]

.....a quick look at JourneyCheck suggests that the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) BBQs are being fired up across the region today!

(......or could it be attending Glastonbury, or getting in the queue early at Wimbledon causing today's mass cancellations?)

[grahame]

.....a quick look at JourneyCheck suggests that the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) BBQs are being fired up across the region today!

(......or could it be attending Glastonbury, or getting in the queue early at Wimbledon causing today's mass cancellations?)

It looks rather as if there are a number of extra trains scheduled from Castle Cary this afternoon - perhaps the powers that be have decided to sacrifice the services they provide for their normal (loyal, regular) customer base for services for the people who come once a year?   With pre-planning and a need to provide a public service I can sorta-understand that.  To only announce wholesale decimation of certain other services on the actual morning strikes me a very bad planning and / or a showing of disregard to the people who want to use the service not only today but tomorrow, next week, and next month.

[a-driver]

.....a quick look at JourneyCheck suggests that the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) BBQs are being fired up across the region today!

(......or could it be attending Glastonbury, or getting in the queue early at Wimbledon causing today's mass cancellations?)

It looks rather as if there are a number of extra trains scheduled from Castle Cary this afternoon - perhaps the powers that be have decided to sacrifice the services they provide for their normal (loyal, regular) customer base for services for the people who come once a year?   With pre-planning and a need to provide a public service I can sorta-understand that.  To only announce wholesale decimation of certain other services on the actual morning strikes me a very bad planning and / or a showing of disregard to the people who want to use the service not only today but tomorrow, next week, and next month.

Are these extra trains or just stop orders applied to existing services?

In other news, an agreement for solving the Sunday situation has been reached between the Unions and GWR, unfortunately the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) have reportedly rejected the proposal. 

[TaplowGreen]

.....a quick look at JourneyCheck suggests that the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) BBQs are being fired up across the region today!

(......or could it be attending Glastonbury, or getting in the queue early at Wimbledon causing today's mass cancellations?)

It looks rather as if there are a number of extra trains scheduled from Castle Cary this afternoon - perhaps the powers that be have decided to sacrifice the services they provide for their normal (loyal, regular) customer base for services for the people who come once a year?   With pre-planning and a need to provide a public service I can sorta-understand that.  To only announce wholesale decimation of certain other services on the actual morning strikes me a very bad planning and / or a showing of disregard to the people who want to use the service not only today but tomorrow, next week, and next month.

Are these extra trains or just stop orders applied to existing services?

In other news, an agreement for solving the Sunday situation has been reached between the Unions and GWR, unfortunately the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) have reportedly rejected the proposal. 

............well there were some extras but......

17:35 Castle Cary to Reading due 18:46
17:35 Castle Cary to Reading due 18:46 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

19:42 Castle Cary to Reading due 20:54
19:42 Castle Cary to Reading due 20:54 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[IndustryInsider]

In other news, an agreement for solving the Sunday situation has been reached between the Unions and GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), unfortunately the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) have reportedly rejected the proposal. 

I guess that’s more positive than I was expecting at this stage if two of the three interested parties have hatched up and agreed on a plan.

[TaplowGreen]

In other news, an agreement for solving the Sunday situation has been reached between the Unions and GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), unfortunately the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) have reportedly rejected the proposal. 

I guess that’s more positive than I was expecting at this stage if two of the three interested parties have hatched up and agreed on a plan.

Yes a bit more encouraging.....of course it was going to be so much easier with Labour in charge......

[a-driver]

In other news, an agreement for solving the Sunday situation has been reached between the Unions and GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), unfortunately the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) have reportedly rejected the proposal. 

I guess that’s more positive than I was expecting at this stage if two of the three interested parties have hatched up and agreed on a plan.

Do you think so? 

If the DfT have indeed rejected the Sunday proposal then the whole agreement is dead in the water, it’ll go no further.

[IndustryInsider]

Do you think so? 

If the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) have indeed rejected the Sunday proposal then the whole agreement is dead in the water, it’ll go no further.

I do, yes.

Dead in the water would be a stalemate between the unions and the operator.  If true, the fact it’s already gone beyond that is very encouraging, with perhaps only a bit of tinkering required.

[Modified to correct quotes]

[ChrisB]

I suspect the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) hasn't agreed as it has no additional budget to pay for it....so blame HM Treasury.

[a-driver]

I suspect the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) hasn't agreed as it has no additional budget to pay for it....so blame HM Treasury.

I suspect you are correct!! 

It’s never going to be resolved for free.

[grahame]

Scenario - you are looking to take over an organisation / setup and give it a new lease of life, and you want that new lease of life to be popular with your customers, especially when it comes to them reviewing what you've done in a couple of years.   Now - how can you make the *most* improvements?   The lower you can start, the biggest mess you have to clear up, the more improvements there are available for you to make and look good in the eyes of customers.

Should the existing workforce - the people who already run the organisation - be directly or indirectly in your pay, or wish to be employed or continue to have an active position in the future, they'll need to be very wary indeed about being critical of this rundown, won't they?   They'll even tell you there's no problem at the moment ...



The above are some highly generalised thoughts, but I just wonder how much they might be applied to some of the things we see going on in the rail sector at the moment - looking at who and how the remaining TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) work, on what various contrators within the sysme do, and how associated organisions like the ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road, formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about), Transport Focus, the Community Rail Network and Partnerships - all majority funded by the organisation that is taking over the reins - might fit within those thoughts. Just a wonder - may there be a seed of truth in suggesting a linkage to the current appalling mess and a product which, certainly here in Melksham isn't fit for purpose at present?

[a-driver]

Scenario - you are looking to take over an organisation / setup and give it a new lease of life, and you want that new lease of life to be popular with your customers, especially when it comes to them reviewing what you've done in a couple of years.   Now - how can you make the *most* improvements?   The lower you can start, the biggest mess you have to clear up, the more improvements there are available for you to make and look good in the eyes of customers.

Should the existing workforce - the people who already run the organisation - be directly or indirectly in your pay, or wish to be employed or continue to have an active position in the future, they'll need to be very wary indeed about being critical of this rundown, won't they?   They'll even tell you there's no problem at the moment ...



The above are some highly generalised thoughts, but I just wonder how much they might be applied to some of the things we see going on in the rail sector at the moment - looking at who and how the remaining TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) work, on what various contrators within the sysme do, and how associated organisions like the ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road, formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about), Transport Focus, the Community Rail Network and Partnerships - all majority funded by the organisation that is taking over the reins - might fit within those thoughts. Just a wonder - may there be a seed of truth in suggesting a linkage to the current appalling mess and a product which, certainly here in Melksham isn't fit for purpose at present?

Look at South Western Railway - any other private operator launches with a new livery etc.  Not GBR^▸ (Great British Railways). They launch with a sticker that is along the lines of “GBR - coming soon”

I’d be very wary of that. It’s almost like GBR don’t want to be seen accountable for SWR^» (South Western Railway - about), makes the cynical wonder what’s going to happen.

[ChrisB]

Maybe they are waiting for GBR^▸ (Great British Railways) to be legally formed?

It's only SGBR at the moment. There's a big Government Bill due to give it powers

[TaplowGreen]

Scenario - you are looking to take over an organisation / setup and give it a new lease of life, and you want that new lease of life to be popular with your customers, especially when it comes to them reviewing what you've done in a couple of years.   Now - how can you make the *most* improvements?   The lower you can start, the biggest mess you have to clear up, the more improvements there are available for you to make and look good in the eyes of customers.

Should the existing workforce - the people who already run the organisation - be directly or indirectly in your pay, or wish to be employed or continue to have an active position in the future, they'll need to be very wary indeed about being critical of this rundown, won't they?   They'll even tell you there's no problem at the moment ...



The above are some highly generalised thoughts, but I just wonder how much they might be applied to some of the things we see going on in the rail sector at the moment - looking at who and how the remaining TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) work, on what various contrators within the sysme do, and how associated organisions like the ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road, formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about), Transport Focus, the Community Rail Network and Partnerships - all majority funded by the organisation that is taking over the reins - might fit within those thoughts. Just a wonder - may there be a seed of truth in suggesting a linkage to the current appalling mess and a product which, certainly here in Melksham isn't fit for purpose at present?

In other words if I'm reading that right, to (just for example, and not exclusively) the MD of GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), the perception is best keep your mouth shut & don't rock the boat if you wish to remain on the gravy train.

(Mixed metaphor I know, but seems appropriate!)