Are Aslef strike day timetables gradually improving?

[Class 317]

I thought I'd pose the question of whether strike day services are improving with more TOC's providing a service on strike days than a few months ago?

I've recently had to travel to both Cambridgeshire and Kent on strike days and was pleased to see services from Kings Cross to Cambridge and St Pancras to Ashford which made both journeys significantly easier than during previous strikes.

I also had to travel back from Cambridge to Harlow and again their was a limited service where before their didn't seem to be any.

Is the service improving because of more Driver Managers driving strike day trains at the TOC's concerned or are more Drivers not striking and TOC's are starting to feel confident enough to start limited services?

Do people expect this trend to continue?

 

[irish_rail]

I thought I'd pose the question of whether strike day services are improving with more TOC's providing a service on strike days than a few months ago?

I've recently had to travel to both Cambridgeshire and Kent on strike days and was pleased to see services from Kings Cross to Cambridge and St Pancras to Ashford which made both journeys significantly easier than during previous strikes.

I also had to travel back from Cambridge to Harlow and again their was a limited service where before their didn't seem to be any.

Is the service improving because of more Driver Managers driving strike day trains at the TOC's concerned or are more Drivers not striking and TOC's are starting to feel confident enough to start limited services?

Do people expect this trend to continue?

I'm pretty sure it's driver managers, NOT drivers crossing picket lines. The only exception may be places that have lots of RMT drivers. Certainly at my place, the best they can do is a few trips to Gunnislake with driver managers.

 

[HST43257]

LNER managed about 2tp3h London to Edinburgh and a few York stoppers. Leeds neglected though I believe. They’ve have always had a decent stock of contingency staff (managers) I believe.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

GTR have made no improvements on the Redhill corridor reducing it from 6tph to 2tph. That said i will give them credit last week for realising that with Tonbridge to Redhill shut due a landslide they wouldn't be running the planned Tonbridge to Reigate service and commuted it into a Redhill to Victoria service instead.

 

[43066]

One change I did notice in the last bout of action was a limited SE Metro service from Orpington and Dartford to London terminals. I understand this was crewed by managers, which isn’t unprecedented for the TOC, albeit I’ve only known it on HS1 services (can anyone confirm - @ComUtoR may know?). It was no good to me, as it finished too early, so I ended up driving to work!

In answer to the OP, my impression is that the picture remains unchanged at most operators. Not a wheel turned at my place, for example.

The only exception may be places that have lots of RMT drivers.

Their salaries remain frozen pending resolution of the driver dispute, exactly the same as their ASLEF colleagues, so I can’t imagine many would be too quick to cross picket lines!

There aren’t many of them, in any case.

 

[ComUtoR]

One change I did notice in the last bout of action was a limited SE Metro service from Orpington and Dartford to London terminals. I understand this was crewed by managers, which isn’t unprecedented for the TOC

Very much unprecedented. This was the first time it has happened.

 

[43066]

Very much unprecedented. This was the first time it has happened.

DMs crewing, I imagine?

 

[Class 317]

Very much unprecedented. This was the first time it has happened.

Is this the first time to Ashford as well?

 

[ComUtoR]

DMs crewing, I imagine?

Yep, as well as...

Is this the first time to Ashford as well?

First time ever. There have been no trains on strike days until this round.


What this means for the future is anybody's guess. ASLEF couldn't organise a proverbial in a proverbial.

 

[Class 317]

Yep, as well as...



First time ever. There have been no trains on strike days until this round.


What this means for the future is anybody's guess. ASLEF couldn't organise a proverbial in a proverbial.

Thanks for confirming.

 

[Peregrine 4903]

GTR have made no improvements on the Redhill corridor reducing it from 6tph to 2tph. That said i will give them credit last week for realising that with Tonbridge to Redhill shut due a landslide they wouldn't be running the planned Tonbridge to Reigate service and commuted it into a Redhill to Victoria service instead.

The base timetable now had 1tph from Redhill to Victoria on overtime ban days so Redhill gets 3tph.

 

[geoffk]

How likely are further strikes in mid-May, anyone know - as I have to get to London on 14th (and back to Exeter on 22nd).

 

[dk1]

How likely are further strikes in mid-May, anyone know - as I have to get to London on 14th (and back to Exeter on 22nd).

Further strikes are extremely likely. Two weeks notice will be given as a minimum.

 

[fishwomp]

Their salaries remain frozen pending resolution of the driver dispute, exactly the same as their ASLEF colleagues, so I can’t imagine many would be too quick to cross picket lines!

There aren’t many of them, in any case.

Strike law would not enable an RMT driver to stay at home and breach contract without reasonable excuse. RMT isn't on strike and hasn't balloted - but an RMT driver would still be perfectly entitled to call in sick, or refuse overtime and rest day working, or just be inflexible on the roster. Whether working or not working leads to a faster resolution and receiving the back dated payrise is subject of opinion...

 

[Horizon22]

Strike law would not enable an RMT driver to stay at home and breach contract without reasonable excuse. RMT isn't on strike and hasn't balloted - but an RMT driver would still be perfectly entitled to call in sick, or refuse overtime and rest day working, or just be inflexible on the roster. Whether working or not working leads to a faster resolution and receiving the back dated payrise is subject of opinion...

Although to my understanding the TOC also doesn't know who is within the union and who isn't, so the RMT driver would be assumed to be part of ASLEF... In reality, I doubt anything would happen to them.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

The base timetable now had 1tph from Redhill to Victoria on overtime ban days so Redhill gets 3tph.

OK thats good although they did manage to put on some of the Gatwick-Vic extras on the previous occasion so presumed they had just extended those. Just need to get the two Thameslinks to run on the opposite side of the half hour (i know it won't quite be half hour apart) then that will be reasonable. Of course what are GTR doing to close down the driver vacancy gap would be good to know compared to their former sister company SE that manages to run a full service.