Absolutely - we’re always looking at (what we perceive to be) the bigger picture. I outlined the considerations made in the thread created in response to the recent BBC article on how common failure to calls are becoming, but we’ll certainly avoid what I call “cancellations on top of cancellations” if possible.
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The decline of GWR...
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Absolutely - we’re always looking at (what we perceive to be) the bigger picture. I outlined the considerations made in the thread created in response to the recent BBC article on how common failure to calls are becoming, but we’ll certainly avoid what I call “cancellations on top of cancellations” if possible.
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nat67
Established Member
Well its got worse for me with GWR as my usual 0630 1A02 on Saturdays from Didcot has gone over to 800 rather than HST very annoying on a Thames branches.
Thinking back to how Great Western was 15 years ago, the HSTs were looking old. Very old. With the original interiors and toilets. Many were still in green and gold with some in the first purple bus livery. Class 180s were the only thing that was new, and we were wondering whether they'd end up being some some sort of HST replacement. And they were novel, and modern, but not great.
Is the 800 an improvement on the 180s? These looked like the future at one point.
Is the 800 an improvement on the 180s? These looked like the future at one point.
In terms of comfort, I think the 180 is one of the best IC trains of recent times.
In terms of reliability, maybe not. An EMU version of the 180 would have been good though!
moggie
Member
GWR ought to wonder when customers stood at Reading seriously contemplate travelling to Worcester via London and / or Birmingham when their CIS warns of a 2 car (165) vice HST or IET midweek, mid afternoon. Rammed all the way to MoM.
When the midweek, mid morning hourly service Worcester to London is cancelled due to 'lack of staff' - repeatedly.
When the local Worcestershire Tory MP's manage to organise a united front to publicly complain about the service deterioration (not that GWR will take any notice of them).
Abismal in short.
When the midweek, mid morning hourly service Worcester to London is cancelled due to 'lack of staff' - repeatedly.
When the local Worcestershire Tory MP's manage to organise a united front to publicly complain about the service deterioration (not that GWR will take any notice of them).
Abismal in short.
I’m pretty sure given the choice GWR would run with an IET or HST as booked; yet you seem to infer that GWR should run the train as such even where there physically isn’t a train or driver for it? I’m not quite sure how you propose GWR run the service? And before it is suggested there have been plenty of occasions where other trains have been cancelled; or short-formed in order to do as such.
Perhaps given his organisational prowess the local Tory MP would like to offer a solution? Perhaps they could make their case to the DfT and have them suspend or defer the deadlines for cascading GWR’s trains away to other operators; so more HSTs can be used?
IainG81
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Obviously a partial breakup of GWR is going on because by 2020 most local services will be taken over by TFL from Reading to Paddington. Most problems on that stretch are really the fault of Network Rail so many signal failures a couple a week on average normally between Reading and Paddington.
Trains are good 387's especially Hayes to Paddington are excellent as has been mentioned. But the 17.59 the one I normally get has been a Turbo lately they are using the service coming in from Newbury. Maybe a shortage of trains at that peak time.
Trains are good 387's especially Hayes to Paddington are excellent as has been mentioned. But the 17.59 the one I normally get has been a Turbo lately they are using the service coming in from Newbury. Maybe a shortage of trains at that peak time.
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Probably the reason that GWR aren't taking notice of them is that they know that in a few months (maybe even a few weeks) time many of those problems will have gone as they will have trained more drivers and they will have more 80x's so that they don't need to run Turbos.
Even if it doesn't fully resolve it GWR would probably have more Turbos to enable them to run pairs of units target than single units. In that a 80x replaces a Turbo, which means that an existing diagram which is using a single Turbo can then be run by a pair of Turbos (assuming they've stopped sending units West for now, even if that leaves Bristol a few units short).
Pretty sure an early afternoon London bound service is actually booked 165? Can anyone confirm?
Have you ever been to the North of England?
Sean Emmett
Member
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GWR website currently showing 14.00, 14.30 and 15.00 BRI - PAD all cancelled.
Pathetic!
Pathetic!
PHILIPE
Veteran Member
cactustwirly
Established Member
Yes I have actually!
Does Northern cancel consecutive services to give stations no service for 3 hours?
Does Virgin Trains cancel half their London trains?
The most annoying example was back in March during a weekend blockade, where the normal 2tph to Bristol & 1tph South Wales, was replaced by 2tph to Bristol, with 1tph continuing onto Swansea.
However most of the 1tph to Bristol only services were cancelled, leaving 1tph HST (which a significant proportion of which were shortformed 7 vice 8, so no unreserved carriage) operating in place of 3tph!
The services were very busy as a result, with many people standing.
I'm not sure that you can reasonably blame GWR for the service they cannot provide due to a Network Rail engineering blockade; but if you can then my answer is every weekend on the line from Manchester to Preston/Wigan since Jan and until (probably) August.
This isn't a game of one-upmanship, but there are plenty of other places which suffer from cancellations & short-forms just as much as GWR do, and Northern is one of them.
cactustwirly
Established Member
I get that, but a lot of the amended services were then subsequently cancelled due to a shortage of drivers, which made the problem a lot worse.
It was very frustrating as a result.
GWR from 2012 to 2015 were a really good TOC, however standards have declined rapidly since.
Affectionately known as First Great Western.
TractiveEffort
Member
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Saw a complaint on Twitter one day about the A/C not working on a 165......
That would be impressive.
NorthernSpirit
Established Member
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I don't think the aircon works to be honest on any of the Turbos, out of the four I used the other week three had the hopper windows open as it was that hot.
PHILIPE
Veteran Member
Ongoing situation and a thread here:-
/www.railforums.co.uk/threads/gwr-shortage-of-traincrew-weekend-and-during-week.148987
The last entry was nearly a year ago, so I would hardly describe that as 'ongoing'. I understood from jimm that it was all do to with training being held up by late delivery of units and electrification?
PHILIPE
Veteran Member
It appears that only the first page is showing. The last entry was 15th April this year:-
www.railforums.co.uk/threads/gwr-shortage-of-traincrew-weekend-and-during-week.148987
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The link opens the first page, which clearly shows at the top that there are 12 pages in the thread - so far.
And if you want to read what GWR's managing director has to say on the subject, see the Cotswold Line Promotion Group's website.
http://www.clpg.org.uk/blog/cotswold-line-service-problems-a-response-from-gwr/
PHILIPE
Veteran Member
Now I've found the right page () there seem to be a number of issues affecting performance, not especially staff ones.
As you have quoted jimm in page #83 that is the prime reason, having to condense the training into a shorter period of time.
Er, yes, increased service levels require more drivers, train managers, etc.
But that increase (and related training) was meant to be implemented over an extended period, stretching from the autumn of 2016 (with the crew training and then the start of the Thames Valley suburban electric services) to December this year (full expanded timetable across the GWR network), now next January.
At the end of 2016, the only emus running were shuttling up and down between Paddington and Hayes & Harlington - they didn't get to Reading and Didcot until this January and Newbury won't see a 387 until January 2019. IET training was meant to begin in May last year, instead it began in September - essentially all down to Network Rail not delivering on the electrification front.
But that increase (and related training) was meant to be implemented over an extended period, stretching from the autumn of 2016 (with the crew training and then the start of the Thames Valley suburban electric services) to December this year (full expanded timetable across the GWR network), now next January.
At the end of 2016, the only emus running were shuttling up and down between Paddington and Hayes & Harlington - they didn't get to Reading and Didcot until this January and Newbury won't see a 387 until January 2019. IET training was meant to begin in May last year, instead it began in September - essentially all down to Network Rail not delivering on the electrification front.
PHILIPE
Veteran Member
Ever since the major problems started, daily shortage of units for almost a year and shortage of traincrews for approx 6 months now and especially at weekends, not an official word to the media has come from GWR to, at least apologise and to explain and give an estimate as to when things should settle down. Customers deserve something better as any announcement might soften the blow a little and help passengers to understand somewhat. Some people have even suggested the Business of the Year award should voluntarily handed back by Mark Hopwood.
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