I admit that does surprise me, but would the chancers know where to say?Plenty of people in the Northern cities might use a train to go shopping, so that doesn't really follow.
And then you just kick them off the train there!
I admit that does surprise me, but would the chancers know where to say?Plenty of people in the Northern cities might use a train to go shopping, so that doesn't really follow.
Plenty of people in the Northern cities might use a train to go shopping, so that doesn't really follow. The usage of rail up north really does differ from the south where it's primarily about going to London or other big cities. For instance I'd be surprised if there wasn't a reasonable amount of one-stop usage on Merseyrail of that nature, such as from Aintree to the big Asda at the Old Roan. Bus is also an option, but passes around there include rail.
With a BTP presence and many stations closing multiple entrances to control who is coming and going I think for now the majority of people on stations/trains fall into the bracket of key workers or have a justified reason to travel.
Did witness one idiot at Preston last night on his phone to his mate, he was going to meet him in Barrow for a party, as the station was dead (he was the only passenger)and he was so loud on his phone it proved an easy one to remove for the BTP who was listening to everyword!
Indeed. I mentioned that earlier.I have to say that David Horne on Twitter praising getting 100% PPM two days in a row slightly disingenuous.
Can't find it now, but Northern tweeted this morning that they are leaving all barriers open and not checking tickets. Bit of a recipe for chancers I imagine, but maybe it's the lesser of two evils.
I have an email from Northern dated 3rd saying they're having to reclose gatelines because too many are travelling when not in essential categories, and presumably some will be without tickets.
Ah I didn't see your postIndeed. I mentioned that earlier.
Can't find it now, but Northern tweeted this morning that they are leaving all barriers open and not checking tickets. Bit of a recipe for chancers I imagine, but maybe it's the lesser of two evils.
Oh really. I must have picked up on an old tweet then, although I'm sure it was there this morning. Why would they send you an email? Are you on their staff?
If anything they might need it more if being in a poor financial position forces sale of their car.
No, but they send email updates to user groups and they get passed on.
" Ticket Gates: We’ve decided to re-close the gatelines. As said above, we are still seeing people other than key workers use our services for day trips and other unnecessary journeys. This is unacceptable. We hope that closing the gateline will go some way to discouraging these people. It will also help to secure the railway and hopefully prevent vandalism."
However, it's a moving picture and we must all know gatelines can't be provided, let alone manned, at all stations even at the best of times.
I've just noticed they are running a bus every 30 minutes this Friday between Guildford and Farnham. That must be the first time a rail replacement bus has run between Guildford and Farnham. Given the advice not to travel a bus every 30 minutes seems overkill.
Maybe. How many do you get on a bus vers a train? Even if that is a good reason, surely services don't need to start 3 hours earlier and if they do, then surely they do on other days. I appreciate they may not have enough staff to run services earlier on other days.Social distancing during essential travel?
One day soon ( I hope ) there is going to be an 'exit' strategy from this Lock-down of course. People asking how will it happen.
Surely it will take time for trains to be repositioned , and obviously to find out what staff from cleaners to drivers to work again. Presume sadly their will be some casualties from covid19 , and those who have worked who will need time off .
Yeah just on the timetabling point I suspect anyone who thinks the day after lockdown is lifted services will be back to there old frequencies is in for a shock.
That assumes that it's a binary thing (lockdown/no lockdown), chances are there'll be a more gradual move away from lockdown towards back to normal.
As such chances are there could be several weeks over which to sorry things out.
The big risk is that of deaths amongst staff, which would result in ongoing staff shortages. Another risk would be staff taking leave once it's all over rather than spread throughout the year, which could result in insufficient staff to run services.
Yes the point about leave will be a big issue in time. Where I am a lot of leave has been cancelled, and people will be sure to take it when the time comes. Indeed they may well *need* to as many people will have been on full pelt for some time by then keeping the job going.
The shielding ones may well also have leave accruing. In some cases this will quite probably lead to quite a bit of bitterness I would imagine if they return to work and then go straight off on leave again. Some very sensitive and careful management will be required - something the railway industry has a habit of not doing particularly well!
No doubt it will be an issue, but I assume most TOCs front line staff with rostered leave are still requiring their staff to take the leave when rostered?
I can only speak for where I am, however with there being such a desperation to get people in leave has been cancelled. They weren’t particularly happy about it and know it’s storing up a problem for the future, but the needs of the present evidently outweighed the needs of the future!
Having said that, I suspect this will be more of an issue in some other operational grades beside driver. As I say, expect a lot of trouble over the shielders. It’s simply not going to go down well for people to come back after 12 or more weeks off and then find the self-same people have 6 or more weeks of leave to take. Like with this week’s fine weather, it doesn’t help that this is falling over the summer...
I’d be surprised if any operator doesn’t abide by the Governments relaxation of carrying over annual leave to 2021 / 2022. This will help spread the pain.
EMR also looking at further reducing some services in the next week or so.Chiltern have further reduced their timetable from today, cut a few high wycombe stopping services.
They have also reduced train lengths. Services that were 4 coaches last week now down to 2 coaches.
I know of someone working for GTR who has taken leave and may have been happy not to. Maybe it depends on staffing levels at a TOC.No doubt it will be an issue, but I assume most TOCs front line staff with rostered leave are still requiring their staff to take the leave when rostered?
I know of someone working for GTR who has taken leave and may have been happy not to. Maybe it depends on staffing levels at a TOC.
I understand that there are key workers into Grimsby affected by this and crowding is ocurring on the parallel local Stagecoach bus service which serves Stallingborough, Healing and Great Coates. Fully understand the need for the branch to close, just not necessarily the local stations.And no-body noticed a difference...