Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[bobm]

What about conductors and train managers?

[bobm]

An additional premium on top of the premium already offered for working days has been agreed from Monday 27th July for a year for drivers.

Is that Sunday the 27th or Monday the 28th?

[IndustryInsider]

An additional premium on top of the premium already offered for working days has been agreed from Monday 27th July for a year for drivers.

Is that Sunday the 27th or Monday the 28th?

Sorry, Monday 28th.  Though Sunday may well have the same arrangements.

[TaplowGreen]

An additional premium on top of the premium already offered for working days has been agreed from Monday 27th July for a year for drivers.

With the same premium applied to Sunday’s as well

While I don't have a problem with drivers being paid an extra premium, I might make an exception for those who put an apostrophe in a plural. 

Going up from time and a half to time and two thirds.

About £50 extra per shift.  I guess that’s quite good value if it entices extra drivers in and 4-6 cancellations per extra driver are avoided as a result?

We’ll see if it is enough of an incentive.

Given a driver's salary, once Rachel from Accounts has had her share via Income Tax etc, what's left of that £50 isn't going to add up to much of an incentive I'd say?

Dare I ask, has any progress been made on negotiations to treat the cause rather than the symptoms (ie getting Sundays within the working week), or is that one still on the "too difficult" pile?

[IndustryInsider]

Dare I ask, has any progress been made on negotiations to treat the cause rather than the symptoms (ie getting Sundays within the working week), or is that one still on the "too difficult" pile?

There was an update a couple of weeks ago - post #2690.

Adding to that, I think the TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context)’s are further advanced and their proposals have already been submitted to the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about).

[TaplowGreen]

Cancellations to services between Reading and Basingstoke
Due to a shortage of train crew between Reading and Basingstoke fewer trains are able to run on all lines.
Train services running to and from these stations will be cancelled. Disruption is expected until 11:00 20/07.
-
We're sorry for the delay to your journey this morning. Due to a shortage of train crew on our route between Reading and Basingstoke, we are unable to run the train service this morning.

Cancellations to services between Maidenhead and Marlow
Due to a shortage of train crew between Maidenhead and Marlow the line is closed.
Train services running to and from these stations will be cancelled. Disruption is expected until 12:30 20/07.

We're sorry for the delay to your journey this morning. Due to a shortage of train crew on our Maidenhead to Marlow line, we are unable to run the train service this morning.

[Timmer]

Link to the thread discussing cancellations 27/7 that were announced towards the end of last week:
https://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=30484.0

Repeating my summary as to where things were at 8am this morning:

Heart of Wessex line has managed to escape the worst of the cancellations/part cancellations with the Cardiff-Portsmouth bearing the brunt of the (like yesterday) cancellations/part cancellations.

There are also cancellations/part cancellations between Cardiff and Taunton/Exeter and on the Severn Beach line.

No cancellations showing Reading-Basingstoke/Gatwick Airport.

[TaplowGreen]

Slight variation but similar impact!

Cancellations to services at Worcester Foregate Street

Due to a shortage of station staff at Worcester Foregate Street the line is closed.
Train services running through this station have been cancelled. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

Customer Advice
We have been informed that Worcester Foregate station is closed this morning to trains, due to staff sickness.

As a result GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) services will not call at the station. Customers are advised to use Worcester Shrub Hill to make their journeys instead.

[IndustryInsider]

Was staffed and trains calling from 10am AIUI^▸ ('as I understand it').

[GBM]

A first?

09:08 Bristol Temple Meads to Weymouth due 11:26
09:08 Bristol Temple Meads to Weymouth due 11:26 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Further Information
Road transport will operate in place of this train service from stations Westbury to Weymouth.

[TaplowGreen]

Not a great day for this to happen..............

Cancellations to services between Reading and Gatwick Airport

Due to a shortage of train crew between Reading and Gatwick Airport fewer trains are able to run on some lines.
Train services running to and from these stations will be cancelled. Disruption is expected until 15:00 25/08.

Customer Advice
Due to crew shortages fewer services are able to operate between Reading - Gatwick Airport ( Both ways).

[TaplowGreen]

Due to a shortage of train crew between West Ealing and Greenford all lines are blocked.
Train services running to and from these stations will be cancelled or delayed. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

[Timmer]

Though we have seen an improvement on services to and from London these past few months, at the same time, the reliability of services on the Cardiff to Portsmouth line really has taken a dive and not just on weekends.

Take this morning, the first two trains of the day are currently showing that they won’t be going any further south than Westbury with the first train to do so leaving Westbury at 12pm. This in turn leaves a big gap in the afternoon with the return journeys also cancelled south of Westbury.

The WECA^» (West of England Combined Authority - about) Bristol to Salisbury services are also frequently cancelled short at Westbury meaning you can no longer rely on these trains for connections Salisbury to Waterloo.

It has to be said also that SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) have also caught the shortage of train crew bug these past couple of months making this alternative route to London very unreliable and I speak from personal experience. A word of warning to anyone who thinks that a nationalised GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) will be any better than under the current arrangement.

[grahame]

Though we have seen an improvement on services to and from London these past few months, at the same time, the reliability of services on the Cardiff to Portsmouth line really has taken a dive and not just on weekends.....

Sadly, I have to agree - and that applies to other lines passing through Westbury too.    I was in Dorchester West yesterday ... looking to head north on the 17:48 (to Bath Spa).  Alas:



Advise on the help point was that the next train would be at 19:50, change at Westbury, and that there was no alternative service offered.  It was suggested I call GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) by the help point person.   There were perhaps 20 or 30 people waiting at the time.  Full story - separate post to follow.   

P.S. - Classic advise from the chap on the help point that if I could get to Westbury instead of being at Dorchester I could pick up the train I was intending to ride on there. 

[Mark A]

Sheesh. For good measure, the pub by Dorchester West: derelict.

Mark