Avanti and their current problems. What could be done to improve things?

[Tomnick]

if only it were that simple.

Why isn't it that simple? It should be!

 

[Bald Rick]

Why isn't it that simple? It should be!

Yes, it should, I quite agree.

 

[Carlisle]

I'm really not sure how you've deduced that.

It’s human nature to look after oneself first & foremost, I’m sure I’m as guilty as anyone of it

 

[Tomnick]

Yes, it should, I quite agree.

I don't know whether to be surprised or disappointed to be told that it isn't! Drivers at our place certainly aren't reluctant to speak up, at branch meetings and informally elsewhere, when they think something's wrong. The last company council rep election was closely contested with someone standing against the incumbent. I know that other branches are less healthy, and indeed that ours doesn't get everything right, but is it really that bad elsewhere?

 

[muz379]

Everything you seem to hear/repeat is curiously anti-union, anti-industrial action, non-fussed by the prevailing circumstances. It doesn't match the majority of what I hear or align with the massive mandates for action voted for in most TOCs,

Quite , if the frequent unverified anecdotes we all too often hear on these forums were true we wouldn't be having verified ballot results showing overwhelming mandates for industrial action .

 

[Rover77]

Wasn't intended that way. All grades are equally entitled to their rest days.

 

[Jamesrob637]

What are the staff doing?! Not just Avanti but many others. Pretending furlough still exists, nearly a year after the scheme was wound down?!

 

[dk1]

What are the staff doing?! Not just Avanti but many others. Pretending furlough still exists, nearly a year after the scheme was wound down?!

No TOC railways staff where Furloughed in any way so we wouldn’t know what it’s like to pretend.

 

[SJN]

What are the staff doing?! Not just Avanti but many others. Pretending furlough still exists, nearly a year after the scheme was wound down?!

In case you weren’t aware, it is the main summer holidays and railway staff do actually go on holiday too. Those still at work may not want to work their rest days as they may have other things to do on their days off.

 

[Moonshot]

What are the staff doing?! Not just Avanti but many others. Pretending furlough still exists, nearly a year after the scheme was wound down?!

Enjoying the time off. Not worked a rest day myself for nearly 6 month now. A 4 day contracted working week is enough.

 

[43066]

What are the staff doing?! Not just Avanti but many others. Pretending furlough still exists, nearly a year after the scheme was wound down?!

What a bizarre comment.

They’re probably doing the same kinds of things you do when you’re not at work?!

Furlough was never available on the railway. We had to keep working for our money.

 

[bengley]

What are the staff doing?! Not just Avanti but many others. Pretending furlough still exists, nearly a year after the scheme was wound down?!

I go to the pub and get thoroughly drunk on my days off personally.

 

[FManc]

What are the staff doing?! Not just Avanti but many others. Pretending furlough still exists, nearly a year after the scheme was wound down?!

When I’m on unofficial strike I’m living my best life

 

[Fokx]

What are the staff doing?! Not just Avanti but many others. Pretending furlough still exists, nearly a year after the scheme was wound down?!

They’re working their scheduled hours which are set by the rostering teams to meet the needs of the business.

 

[357]

I go to the pub and get thoroughly drunk on my days off personally.

It's what makes us able to deal with management on the days we go to work!

 

[87015]

They’re working their scheduled hours which are set by the rostering teams to meet the needs of the business.

What’s the % that’s rostered vacancy or rostered but off work/track for whatever reason? Avanti seem to suggest the latter is at 25% but what’s the former?

 

[Bletchleyite]

So I decided to brave a non time critical trip on Avanti to see if I can find any refurbished sets (and ideally an hour's Delay Repay but this one is on time). Not got one outward, but I am sat at a table to myself in coach B (reserved coach) marked as available, with the whole train about 50% capacity with lots of unreserved seats, and it wasn't even hard to get after going to the loo and the shop first. However, according to the booking engines it is "sold out". (I got a walk up by selecting a LNR train then upping the fare to Any Permitted).

What on earth are they playing at? I do get what they are trying to do a la LNER, but a train surely isn't fully reserved until you have reserved every seat except Coaches C/U?

It is all very pleasant and 1990s style with the low loading, but they must literally have turned away tens of thousands of pounds, as it's like that for most of the day.

Chiltern and LNR must be laughing all the way to the bank.

Gone have the days of 'arrive awesome'.... Now we have gone to 'arrive eventually'

There must be a play on words similar to "FlymayBe"...anyone?

 

[455refurb]

So I decided to brave a non time critical trip on Avanti to see if I can find any refurbished sets (and ideally an hour's Delay Repay but this one is on time). Not got one outward, but I am sat at a table to myself in coach B (reserved coach) marked as available, with the whole train about 50% capacity with lots of unreserved seats, and it wasn't even hard to get after going to the loo and the shop first. However, according to the booking engines it is "sold out". (I got a walk up by selecting a LNR train then upping the fare to Any Permitted).

What on earth are they playing at? I do get what they are trying to do a la LNER, but a train surely isn't fully reserved until you have reserved every seat except Coaches C/U?

It is all very pleasant and 1990s style with the low loading, but they must literally have turned away tens of thousands of pounds, as it's like that for most of the day.

Chiltern and LNR must be laughing all the way to the bank.



There must be a play on words similar to "FlymayBe"...anyone?

There has surely got to be a compelling case for the WCML Intercity contract going OLR, so a new management team may be installed to try and sort the mess out.

If Avanti"s contract only runs to the Autumn, as I think was mentioned earlier in the thread, this must be an option.

 

[Moonshot]

There has surely got to be a compelling case for the WCML Intercity contract going OLR, so a new management team may be installed to try and sort the mess out.

If Avanti"s contract only runs to the Autumn, as I think was mentioned earlier in the thread, this must be an option.

My own TOC went to the OLR.......and things are worse.

 

[DMU180]

So I decided to brave a non time critical trip on Avanti to see if I can find any refurbished sets (and ideally an hour's Delay Repay but this one is on time). Not got one outward, but I am sat at a table to myself in coach B (reserved coach) marked as available, with the whole train about 50% capacity with lots of unreserved seats, and it wasn't even hard to get after going to the loo and the shop first. However, according to the booking engines it is "sold out". (I got a walk up by selecting a LNR train then upping the fare to Any Permitted).

What on earth are they playing at? I do get what they are trying to do a la LNER, but a train surely isn't fully reserved until you have reserved every seat except Coaches C/U?

It is all very pleasant and 1990s style with the low loading, but they must literally have turned away tens of thousands of pounds, as it's like that for most of the day.

Chiltern and LNR must be laughing all the way to the bank.



There must be a play on words similar to "FlymayBe"...anyone?

What do you want Avanti to do here?

I'm no lover of them but given they're facing many daily cancellations already, restricting the loadings on services is actually a pretty good approach to ensure there is sufficient capacity elsewhere for those affected by the cancellations.

Better than having trains fully booked and then having to squash everyone from cancelled services on top.

 

[Bletchleyite]

What do you want Avanti to do here?

I have already said it. Publish a timetable they can operate.

 

[Moonshot]

I have already said it. Publish a timetable they can operate.

5 tph out of Euston would appear to be the solution in theory

 

[Clarence Yard]

There has surely got to be a compelling case for the WCML Intercity contract going OLR, so a new management team may be installed to try and sort the mess out.

If Avanti"s contract only runs to the Autumn, as I think was mentioned earlier in the thread, this must be an option.

That will happen if it is politically expedient to do so but, in the absence of putting more resources into the current base plan, it won’t make any difference. The DfT hold the purse strings, whoever is operating it.

In the short term the cancellations will continue until Avanti can (& are allowed to) go to a timetable that they are able to operate reliably, rather than trying to do the impossible on a daily basis, hacking off staff and passengers alike.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

saying it’s the worst they’ve ever seen it, with constant diagram issues,

This is probably down to Ops Planning staff, who often are on salaries less than many traincrew, also not having had a pay rise and being put under increasing pressure with ever increasing late notice timetable changes being caused by the strikes. It’s all a bit of a vicious circle!

 

[dk1]

This is probably down to Ops Planning staff, who often are on salaries less than many traincrew, also not having had a pay rise and being put under increasing pressure with ever increasing late notice timetable changes being caused by the strikes. It’s all a bit of a vicious circle!

Why would they go out of their way? Just do the basics & at home time down tools.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Why would they go out of their way? Just do the basics & at home time down tools.

Oh I entirely agree, wasn’t expecting them to go out their way it was more explaining why there could be diagram issues as mentioned by the OP.

 

[175001]

What are the staff doing?! Not just Avanti but many others. Pretending furlough still exists, nearly a year after the scheme was wound down?!

Pahaha working, like I and they did when everyone like you were on their arses on 80% wages doing nothing

 

[dk1]

Oh I entirely agree, wasn’t expecting them to go out their way it was more explaining why there could be diagram issues as mentioned by the OP.

Must be worse than the pandemic for train planners. At least then though they felt appreciated. Now just in the same boat as traincrew & everyone else.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Must be worse than the pandemic for train planners. At least then though they felt appreciated. Now just in the same boat as traincrew & everyone else.

Yup, and same for the rostering teams. Sadly I think there are now just a lot of very demotivated people across the industry!

 

[dk1]

Yup, and same for the rostering teams. Sadly I think there are now just a lot of very demotivated people across the industry!

Such a shame.