GWR line closures this Sunday

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Amazingly low number of staff shortage cancellations though, given it's a Sunday in the height of BBQ season.......no doubt the overtime comes in handy to offset the pay lost on strike days!

I think it's partly to do with our maps not showing cancellations that were done a few days ago - of 28 service booked to call at Kemble in the normal Sunday timetable, only 14 are calling today, and only one more is shown as cancelled on journey planner.  The others were "back door cancelled" earlier in the week while that back door was still open. Through London trains all gone, so that's not just local cancellations from the published timetables - it's long distance trains thinned out.


Looking to quantify this - about 2000 miles of passenger train running on services calling at Kemble of a normal Sunday has been replaced by about 500 miles.  No wonder the need for train crew is reduced!

[TonyN]

Amazingly low number of staff shortage cancellations though, given it's a Sunday in the height of BBQ season.......no doubt the overtime comes in handy to offset the pay lost on strike days!

It's too hot for BBQs I know I went to one yesterday

[AMLAG]

Once again the Tamar Valley line has continuing cancellations due ‘staff shortages’
This has been going on for well over a year or more, despite GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) senior Managers’ assurances at a public meeting in Bere Alston a few weeks ago that proactive action would be taken to cure the problems.
The Tamar Valley line is currently only worked by Plymouth and Par based ‘West’ traincrews.
Until a couple of years ago Exeter ‘West’ traincrews also had diagrammed turns on this line
and despite some of these Exeter based train crews actually living in Plymouth, no initiatives by GWR management have, it seems, sought to once again involve Exeter traincrews or indeed
Plymouth based HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) Drivers/traincrews.

Over the years at some not inconsiderable marketing costs, let alone NR^» (Network Rail - home page) track and infrastructure  renewals, much has been done to try and increase use of this line.
The train service on the Tamar Valley line is extremely difficult to replicate by road transport due to the line’s geographical position.
Rail traffic is dwindling away due lack of confidence by potential passengers with Management responsible for this ongoing unsatisfactory situation still, it seems, not on top of the job.

[a-driver]

Once again the Tamar Valley line has continuing cancellations due ‘staff shortages’

Staff shortages is not strictly true. There was no unit for first two services this morning. Unit came down from Exeter.

[Surrey 455]

Amazingly low number of staff shortage cancellations though, given it's a Sunday in the height of BBQ season.......no doubt the overtime comes in handy to offset the pay lost on strike days!

They probably don't want to take the blame if their BBQs start wild fires!

[Timmer]

Amazingly low number of staff shortage cancellations though, given it's a Sunday in the height of BBQ season.......no doubt the overtime comes in handy to offset the pay lost on strike days!

Have you seen how few services are running on the SW mainline to/from London today TG?

A handful each way and no semi fasts. (Well one was added this afternoon see http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=26630.msg324696#msg324696 )

So not a surprise there are so few cancellations. The trains that are running are absolutely rammed.

Like the last strike day on a Saturday, the affects it is also having on a Sunday are being keenly felt by those trying to travel by train on an August weekend.

[a-driver]

Amazingly low number of staff shortage cancellations though, given it's a Sunday in the height of BBQ season.......no doubt the overtime comes in handy to offset the pay lost on strike days!

They probably don't want to take the blame if their BBQs start wild fires!

I was in work.  To be fair, in this heat, sitting in an air conditioned driving cab is far more preferable to a BBQ with an extremely hot and irritable toddler!

[PhilWakely]

I can imagine the fun and games on the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) main line from the Westcountry today. No direct GWR services from Exeter St David's before 11:11 or after 17:15. No ticket acceptance on either XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) or SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) and crush-loading on the services that did run!






*** edited to correct typo! ***