He did only take up the role in October 2022, by which time the whole thing was already a disaster, so he can't really take the entire blame. Frankly I don't blame him for wanting to get out quickly.
Where I would imagine one of his jobs, with SWR soon to be part of DfTO, will be to get the class 701 fleet into service...
Fair enough, blame maybe needs to be shared, but we haven't exactly seen a big improvement in progress since October 2022 ...
The trains started entering service under his tenure. I'd say that a big improvement. The latest debacle would have happened long after he handed in his notice and he most likely would have been on gardening leave before the end of last year.
He departed after the big mess up with ASLEF and the new driver training programme. On his page he is stated as a union negotiator....
I think you may be jumping to conclusions unless you've got insider knowledge.
And just because they claim it on Linked-In it doesn't mean that they're actually any good at it!
The driver training pause is caused by a dispute with ASLEF regarding the new terms.
I know, but I still don't understand what you're getting at. Driver training was carrying on until late December.
New terms of using them once trained, or new terms of training on them.
The agreed course can't run as it involves DCO and there are insufficient stations now to train DCO.
Just one 701 running again today.
I thought the revised course didn't include DCO (apart from driver release of the doors).
He means the approved course as in the one that was running previously, the new one isn't approved
The revised course doesn't, but it's not been agreed by ASLEF. (Not anything to do with the course itself.) The agreed course is the original one which does include DCO but the infrastructure doesn't allow that course to be delivered.
Are you saying a course that can't be delivered was agreed.
When it was agreed, it could be delivered. Subsequently there has been a reduction in the number of stations passed for DCO operation, so it can no longer be delivered.
What has changed so that stations which were passed for DCO are now not passed?
I think no one checked thoroughly. And then those that had to live with it pointed out to those who wanted it to work that it would not work.
They’ve surely had more time to test the 701 fleet than any other UK multiple unit type that’s entered service in at least the last 50 years
701042
Presumably all the stations served (Shepperton (both ways) and Windsor routes, plus Surbiton) are compliant.
Guard dispatches throughout. Guard dispatch was covered in the agreed course in degraded scenarios. But the new, shorter course which only covers guard dispatch has not been agreed.
I am surprised that the crew are willing to work in the degraded manner day in day out. Someone really needs to get a grip on this. Plenty of other new fleets have rolled out recently. Even the notorious 777s are less of a farce than this.