A lot of rail replacement bus drivers are employed on a casual basis which suits both parties but obviously neither party is going to pay for the CPC.
Interesting idea
May have been a late call to replace somebody else who's gone sick? Drivers I know are usually notified well in advance and it's generally seen as an easy job but there just aren't enough drivers, so many have left the industry and there aren't many drivers coming through to replace them.
But the railway could make it a condition of the RRB contract that the awarded Operator is liable for CPC of any driver it chooses to use
Yesterday afternoon about half of the RRBs calling at intermediate stations on the Guildford to Petersfield block were showing as cancelled. However, the couple I actually saw running looked almost empty. (There's usually also a direct service via the A3 with no intermediate calls, hopefully that was running and was more reliable).
I can't really see how that would work in practice, there would be nothing to stop a driver then going to work for someone else.
I suspect many people know how unreliable RRB's have become and made other arrangements.
I thought that was an April fool until I realised it was past midday.
Southern Transit have one who can. He's ex Southern and Brighton &Hove buses before that but drives for GB Railfreight these days. Oddly enough there are a few train drivers who used to drive buses.
They wouldn't know what the huge round wheel in front of them was for!
They wouldn't know what the huge round wheel in front of them was for!
Not for all lines but on many routes we used to divert around engineering blocks. Lancaster closed? Go via the S&C. Winsford shut? Go via Chester (including a red pen move around the triangle to keep the set facing the right way). Carstairs shut? Go via the G&SW. You still need buses for the passenger who need Lancaster but all of the through passengers could stay in their seats.
Absolutely, the fatigue thing is an issue to all of us, bus or railway industries , (remember Coventry?)To be fair my friend does have 3 buses of his own plus he's involved with the 1753 4 CIG (or 5 CIG?) project with the guy behind Southern Transit. Bus driving is a hobby to him. The CPC costs about £250 for a refresher course so I'm sure he can sort that. Which reminds me I've got 2 to do before August...
Oh definitely. I tend to take in interest in buses I've been involved with. Hence I have a commercially made model of the bus I passed my test in.
I think you'll find most of the train drivers who hold PSV licenses had them before they went over to the railway industry. A fair few went to Southern and became guards or whatever.
Yes, a fair few Train Drivers at my TOC used to drive buses too.
Heh especially the 400s. I'm hoping someone does a CIG at some point.
And.
If works are planned months in advance, surely it at that point months earlier when the rail replacement buses should be contracted, rather than nearer the date? That would give greater ability for bus companies to plan for abailability.
Most definitely in my case, and plenty of my friends (all of us actually work in rail or buses).
99% of them not having a PCV licence is a start.
Fair play to you but a lot of drivers decide they're not paying it and go and get a job elsewhere, supermarket home delivery etc.
Unbelievable.
CPC is available on line for £200 for 5 days training, however if you take into account days off work it works out at over 500, unless you do it on rest days.
If the position is that they will never be available then what?
