Train fails to stop at Pilning

[142Pilot]

Red (or generally any bright colour) usually means an amendment to the diagram, against the normal one.

If Pilning was an extra stop compared to the norm, it would probably be printed in colour (where colour printers are used, of course, bearing in mind many schedule cards are printed on laser printers which might just manage grayscale).



Would you expect an extra payment to drive an electric train instead of a diesel train?

Why should a tablet superseding paper be any different?

Not an equal comparison.

With a tablet I would be responsible for charging it and updating it. Also I would need to carry it everywhere and potentially have to check it for emails and would in effect always be contactable.

It also saves the company money not producing said publications on paper - so why should they be the only ones to benefit from an increase in work from me?

 

[1e10]

Not an equal comparison.

With a tablet I would be responsible for charging it and updating it. Also I would need to carry it everywhere and potentially have to check it for emails and would in effect always be contactable.

It also saves the company money not producing said publications on paper - so why should they be the only ones to benefit from an increase in work from me?

Do you have any sources to back said cost saving claims? The cost of a tablet itself may well exceed any savings to be made. This seems like a simple case of a TOC trying to modernise itself just like how many passengers are choosing to go paperless with m-tickets. As is usually the case, it sounds like rail staff are reluctant to embrace modernisation without a payoff "for using a tablet".

How do you manage all these strenuous responsibilities whilst using a tablet at home?

It sounds like the best solution for all involved, to save you the worry-some bother of having to pop a tablet on charge at the end of a shift, and to deliver best value to the paying public, would be to automate the entire thing and the need for drivers all together.

 

[Joe Paxton]

Why?

It's a productivity element of the role. Why should they agree to new methods of working without payment?

Meanwhile, back in the real world...

 

[tsr]

Not an equal comparison.

With a tablet I would be responsible for charging it and updating it. Also I would need to carry it everywhere and potentially have to check it for emails and would in effect always be contactable.

It also saves the company money not producing said publications on paper - so why should they be the only ones to benefit from an increase in work from me?

I'm sorry but "responsibility for charging something" isn't really any burden at all. Roughly equivalent to tying your shoelaces before you go to work.

When I get home from work I plug my work phone into the charger and switch it to silent. It stays there until I go to work again. Takes about 5 seconds if that. Software updates automatically and most tablets can likewise be configured to do all but the very most major updates without even needing to tell you about it. And good luck to work trying to ring me at home (unless there's a known issue I have agreed to help with).

You don't have to carry a tablet at work in the rail industry any more than the WON and PON on paper, which are far more wasteful and likely just as heavy. In fact, thinking about the WON and PON, it's basically the same effort to charge a tablet or to remember to pick up an outdated sheaf of loosely stapled paper and stuff it in your bag.

I'd be delighted for official permission at my place for getting relevant publications and notices on a tablet. Instead I have to lug around half a tree whilst being able to unofficially use the same material through apps on my phone or tablet anyway. Completely and utterly wasteful and I'd very nearly pay to work more efficiently.

 

[Johncleesefan]

Firsly, gwr diagrams are only printed in black and white so, pilning, show up exactly the same size, text, font and colour as any other station. It’s the drivers responsibility to highlight it themselves if they wish to. I personally just cross stops off as adding more mores forgetting more if you catch the drift.

Secondly, why shouldn’t we receive payment for tablets, eventually everything will be in them including diagram and late notice. Eventually we will use them to book in for duty. This all comes with training and signing competence. A payment was issued so we would all start using them to receive electronic rule book amendments and calendar dates ie sim days.

Here’s some salt for that burn, I also received an extra day annual leave per year for accepting tablets

 

[43096]

It also saves the company money not producing said publications on paper - so why should they be the only ones to benefit from an increase in work from me?

Because they are paying you. It’s not some sort of happy-clappy utopian ideal where everyone shares things out. If you want to share in the savings, buy some shares in the owning company.

 

[bahnause]

We use tablets for quite a long time now. We startet 2001(?) with a Psion Netbook. That was well before "wireless age", so updates had to be done at the update station at the depot. Now we are using iPads. The software has evolved quite a bit, but basically it still shows us our shifts and the timetables / line speeds, but with a lot more online connectivity. Optimised speeds profiles are sent to the drivers iPad in real time. All the documents we need are available offline as well. Document managemant is terrible though, but not because of the tablet, just because there are too many documents...

To be back on topic: Since the alst month month or so, the next stop is highlighted in blue to make it stick out a bit more.

 

[142Pilot]

Do you have any sources to back said cost saving claims? The cost of a tablet itself may well exceed any savings to be made. This seems like a simple case of a TOC trying to modernise itself just like how many passengers are choosing to go paperless with m-tickets. As is usually the case, it sounds like rail staff are reluctant to embrace modernisation without a payoff "for using a tablet".

How do you manage all these strenuous responsibilities whilst using a tablet at home?

It sounds like the best solution for all involved, to save you the worry-some bother of having to pop a tablet on charge at the end of a shift, and to deliver best value to the paying public, would be to automate the entire thing and the need for drivers all together.

That's a rationale response. Accept a change in working arrangements or we will automise everything.

If they could, they would.

And I know it's a cost saving exercise. It has been pointed out by a finance manager in work that it would save hundreds of thousands of pounds a year.

Unlike some, my company council doesn't throw away terms and conditions away without recompense. I'm sorry if that upsets you but that's life.

My company has over a thousand tablets sitting in storage. I would welcome them. However - nothing in life is free. When the company makes a suitable offer and changes its own policies regarding to electronic devices in cabs then I will welcome my tablet with wide arms.

Until then they can keep printing out wons that I can flick through when needed in a cab.

 

[Joe Paxton]

...
Secondly, why shouldn’t we receive payment for tablets, eventually everything will be in them including diagram and late notice. Eventually we will use them to book in for duty. This all comes with training and signing competence. A payment was issued so we would all start using them to receive electronic rule book amendments and calendar dates ie sim days.

Here’s some salt for that burn, I also received an extra day annual leave per year for accepting tablets

The downtrodden working conditions of the train driver... I'm sure the vast majority of the public will offer you their sympathy...

 

[142Pilot]

The downtrodden working conditions of the train driver... I'm sure the vast majority of the public will offer you their sympathy...

Fortunately drivers don't seek or even care about public sympathy. I don't know why you would think otherwise.

Passengers I speak to want me to deliver them to destinations in a safe timely manner. My working arrangements or renumeration has never formed part of any conversation.

If it did, I would simply point them into he direction of the recruitment website and invite them to apply.

The green eyed minster appears strong in this thread.

 

[Joe Paxton]

Fortunately drivers don't seek or even care about public sympathy. I don't know why you would think otherwise.

Passengers I speak to want me to deliver them to destinations in a safe timely manner. My working arrangements or renumeration has never formed part of any conversation.
...

The railway unions certainly make vocal appeals to the public's sympathy when they threaten or engage in strike action.

The idea that any change in working practices requires compensation of some sort is not something that most working people will be sympathetic towards.

 

[bussnapperwm]

£300 payment negotiated for usage of a tablet? What a bunch of morons the unions are!

I'd have tried for £500 personally!

 

[bnm]

Fortunately drivers don't seek or even care about public sympathy. I don't know why you would think otherwise.

Don't expect any in return then when you make a mistake or consider/take industrial action.

You are Fred Kite and I claim my £5.

 

[Kettledrum]

Secondly, why shouldn’t we receive payment for tablets. A payment was issued so we would all start using them to receive electronic rule book amendments and calendar dates ie sim days.

Here’s some salt for that burn, I also received an extra day annual leave per year for accepting tablets

You that respect the role of a train driver is incredibly unusual. Office workers, teachers, schools children, swimming coaches and millions of other employees and people up and down the country use a computer or tablet without needing/getting an additional payment. For most people, it's just part and parcel of being employed.

 

[dk1]

Meanwhile, back in the real world...

Nasty place. I wouldn't want to be there New technology payments are officially agreed & if it's over & above your job description drivers would not have to accept responsibility for them.

 

[dk1]

The downtrodden working conditions of the train driver... I'm sure the vast majority of the public will offer you their sympathy...

I know there's sarcasm there somewhere but why would i care or want their sympathy in the first place? An agreement is an agreement.

 

[dk1]

Pool table? Now you’re just rubbing it in

Well for our shorter brothers & sisters it would be very unfair to place them on top of the fruit machines. Perhaps the smoke glass TV stand would have been equally as appropriate. Right in front of the Sky box

 

[Tomnick]

Do ‘new technology payments’ come with an expectation that the recipient uses some of their own time to familiarise themselves with the new technology (possibly in addition to formal training)...? A genuine question - I’ve never had one so I don’t know. If so, though, it doesn’t seem unreasonable at all.

 

[bussnapperwm]

Well for our shorter brothers & sisters it would be very unfair to place them on top of the fruit machines. Perhaps the smoke glass TV stand would have been equally as appropriate. Right in front of the Sky box

I'm tempted to put in a complaint with my union (local government) about the lack of a staff mess in my office. And ask for a snooker table

 

[dk1]

Do ‘new technology payments’ come with an expectation that the recipient uses some of their own time to familiarise themselves with the new technology (possibly in addition to formal training)...? A genuine question - I’ve never had one so I don’t know. If so, though, it doesn’t seem unreasonable at all.

Nothing is done in your 'own time' on the railway. Always someone to ask & if the toys go out of the pram then everyone joins in. The driver managers always come up with the answers at my TOC.

 

[dk1]

I'm tempted to put in a complaint with my union (local government) about the lack of a staff mess in my office. And ask for a snooker table

Go for it. It's discrimination at its ugliest.

 

[father_jack]

The way I see it from Saturday, the incident occurred after some serious delays, so the 1400 off Cardiff was canceled, and I presume the crew/unit was transferred over to the 1500, hence their printed diagrams was probably for the 1400 and not 1500, hence them emitting Pilning accidentally. Props to GWR, once told about the issue, Patchway staff soon arranged a taxi to pick up the 3 passengers (2 enthusiasts, and 1 actual passenger) from Pilning, no taxi was required from Patchway to Pilning as no one was requiring to get off.

There had been a twisted rail at Patchway, 1200 CDF TAU was trapped for 85 minutes, so indeed the degraded operational situation was part of the issue.....

 

[yorkie]

The original matter seems to have been dealt with, and we now appear to be wildly off-topic, so I am closing this thread.

If anyone wishes to create a thread to discuss any of the other matters that have arisen, please feel free to create a thread with a relevant, descriptive title.

 

[bb21]

Reopened following further progress. Please try and stay on topic.

 

[Dhassell]

The response GWR gave was professional and to a good standard of information and said exactly what I thought it would say. Got nothing else to add.

https://twitter.com/PilningStation/status/1045540423400337408?s=19

...as a result of the disruption, and the ensuing staff and stock displacement, the crew and unit scheduled to work the earlier 2C79 14:00 Cardiff to Taunton service was stepped back to work the later service (2C81), as a result the earlier schedule was worked which of course does not include Pilning.

A post incident review has taken place, and internal investigation instigated with the crew involved but this will remain internal so I cannot share the details as you request.

I can however assure you this has been treated with the utmost seriousness, and we will ensure a general re-brief is given to all staff reminding of the importance of schedule checking...

 

[Tom Quinne]

Would there be a guard on that service?- wouldn't they notice it was going too fast to stop at a booked station?

I was said guard when this happened about 18 months ago, it was an ATW driver duty.

At GWR we have to confirm the stops with our driver before we set off for this very reason.

Anyway, I’m waiting at the front end for the driver to appear. They walk up and I say hello, and shout out the stops.

No response, just then walk past into the cab.
I make the announcement and really pronounce Pilning, and even make special note of saying “please note we call at Pilning today”.

The unit was a 150/2 which allows sound leakage from the PA handset into the cab so the driver would hear it.

We leave Patchway and again i tell the passengers next stop Pilning.

Up to 75 going through Patchway Tunnel, our the other end still doing 75. Another announcement “next stop Pilning”.

By now we’re on the spilt level and still doing 75, “now approaching Pilning”.

You guessed it whoosh straight at 75mph.

On arrival at Severn Tunnel Junction a chap comes down to me and says he wanted Pilning.

The driver said he’d simply forgot....
I did try and warn him several times, and check stops before we left but you can’t help some people.

 

[yorkie]

It's a pretty decent response, and the explanation does make sense.

I did try and warn him several times, and check stops before we left but you can’t help some people.

True, but at least you can honestly say you tried your best!

 

[ComUtoR]

The unit was a 150/2 which allows sound leakage from the PA handset into the cab so the driver would hear it.

We get sound leakage. I know how to circumvent it so the first thing I do with our Guards is stop the sound coming through.

 

[ComUtoR]

Up to 75 going through Patchway Tunnel, our the other end still doing 75. Another announcement “next stop Pilning”.

By now we’re on the spilt level and still doing 75, “now approaching Pilning”.

Why didn't you cab to cab the Driver or stick in the emergency brake ?

 

[Dhassell]

I was said guard when this happened about 18 months ago, it was an ATW driver duty.

At GWR we have to confirm the stops with our driver before we set off for this very reason.

Anyway, I’m waiting at the front end for the driver to appear. They walk up and I say hello, and shout out the stops.

No response, just then walk past into the cab.
I make the announcement and really pronounce Pilning, and even make special note of saying “please note we call at Pilning today”.

The unit was a 150/2 which allows sound leakage from the PA handset into the cab so the driver would hear it.

We leave Patchway and again i tell the passengers next stop Pilning.

Up to 75 going through Patchway Tunnel, our the other end still doing 75. Another announcement “next stop Pilning”.

By now we’re on the spilt level and still doing 75, “now approaching Pilning”.

You guessed it whoosh straight at 75mph.

On arrival at Severn Tunnel Junction a chap comes down to me and says he wanted Pilning.

The driver said he’d simply forgot....
I did try and warn him several times, and check stops before we left but you can’t help some people.

Would this have been a little over 18 months? No train has stopped at Pilning heading towards Severn Tunnel Junction since the bridge was removed in October 2016. Never heard of this one, so it's interesting to hear. The only prior one I have heard of was the August 2017 one, where the driver braked hard on approach and was allowed to reverse into Pilning.