Chiltern Railways train crew shortages

[jimm]

Chiltern Journeycheck at 9.30am: 36 cancellations due to crew shortages, which I believe amounts to more than 10% of Chiltern services due to operate on a typical Saturday. Good job Spurs are playing at Huddersfield this afternoon, not at Wembley.

09:09 Oxford to London Marylebone due 10:18
09:29 Aylesbury to London Marylebone due 10:36
14:13 Aylesbury Vale Parkway to London Marylebone due 15:20
14:48 Aylesbury to London Marylebone due 15:50
14:57 London Marylebone to Aylesbury Vale Parkway due 16:03
15:48 Aylesbury to London Marylebone due 16:50
16:05 London Marylebone to Oxford due 17:10
16:08 London Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street due 17:56
16:13 Aylesbury Vale Parkway to London Marylebone due 17:20
16:38 London Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill due 18:41
16:44 Banbury to London Marylebone due 18:07
17:35 London Marylebone to Oxford due 18:39
17:41 Oxford to London Marylebone due 18:47
18:05 London Marylebone to Oxford due 19:10
18:41 London Marylebone to Harrow-On-The-Hill due 18:56
18:55 Birmingham Moor Street to London Marylebone due 20:42
19:11 Oxford to London Marylebone due 20:18
19:12 Birmingham Snow Hill to London Marylebone due 21:11
19:17 Harrow-On-The-Hill to London Marylebone due 19:32
19:42 Oxford to London Marylebone due 20:52
19:44 London Marylebone to Banbury due 21:02
19:47 London Marylebone to Gerrards Cross due 20:19
20:11 London Marylebone to Harrow-On-The-Hill due 20:26
20:47 Harrow-On-The-Hill to London Marylebone due 21:03
20:49 Gerrards Cross to London Marylebone due 21:36
21:11 London Marylebone to Harrow-On-The-Hill due 21:26
21:14 London Marylebone to Aylesbury due 22:21
21:27 London Marylebone to Aylesbury due 22:26
21:46 Banbury to London Marylebone due 23:10
21:47 Harrow-On-The-Hill to London Marylebone due 22:02
21:57 London Marylebone to Aylesbury Vale Parkway due 23:03
22:05 London Marylebone to Oxford due 23:09
22:14 London Marylebone to Aylesbury due 23:31
22:29 Aylesbury to Princes Risborough due 22:45
23:18 Oxford to Bicester Village due 23:36
23:18 Aylesbury to Amersham due 23:42

https://www.journeycheck.com/chilternrailways/

Not the first weekend that this has happened recently - August 4 (which was as bad as today), August 13, August 25 (the month was a repeat of events in August 2017) - but some people just don't seem to get half as excited about Chiltern letting down passengers as they do about other operators.

For the record, the number of GWR cancellations at 9.30am - for any reason - one, there will not be an 11.41 from Penzance to Plymouth due to a train fault.

 

[Metroman62]

The Metropolitan Line is not running from Harrow on the Hill to London this weekend with Chiltern as the suggested alternative, so its rather annoying to have cancelled Chiltern services

 

[didcotdean]

Between 19:00-20:00 GWR will be accepting Chiltern tickets to Oxford from Paddington, as will West Midlands from Euston to Birmingham and Cross Country from Banbury to Birmingham.

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

That list is far worse than any Saturday I can recall with GWR. What on earth is tomorrow (Sunday) going to look like.

 

[Metroman62]

As at 11:55 6 trains show as being cancelled

 

[Bletchleyite]

What is the cause of this? Have they hacked off enough staff that the stereotypical Saturday/Sunday BBQs are being organised?

Given that it's Arriva...

 

[CarltonA]

Well I hope they have got it sorted tomorrow or I will say "tut tut". (Quietly, of course).

 

[dk1]

Didn't realise there where any issues else I probably would've avoided Chiltern. I was in Nottingham & it was a choice of Skegness or London Marylebone (not much difference between the two I know). The effects of the previous evening where still taking their toll & I missed the the one to the bracing East Coast resort so ended up on the 13:55 LHCS from Moor St.

 

[DarloRich]

There could just be a sickness bug around a depot! Drivers/guards aren't immune to the same workplace sicknesses and bugs that we all get from time to time!

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

Presumably it’s the kind of illness you only get at weekends

 

[jimm]

More Chiltern crew shortages today - 13 listed on Journeycheck at 8.15, with a couple of early departures from Marylebone also cancelled earlier this morning

07:00 London Marylebone to Banbury due 08:45
08:08 Princes Risborough to London Marylebone due 09:12
09:07 Banbury to London Marylebone due 10:32
16:27 London Marylebone to Aylesbury due 17:21
17:02 Princes Risborough to Aylesbury due 17:20
18:22 Aylesbury to Princes Risborough due 18:47
18:50 London Marylebone to Oxford due 19:57
19:32 Princes Risborough to Aylesbury due 19:49
19:32 London Marylebone to Aylesbury Vale Parkway due 20:39
20:26 Oxford to London Marylebone due 21:38
20:48 Aylesbury Vale Parkway to London Marylebone due 21:53
22:13 London Marylebone to Aylesbury due 23:17
22:57 London Marylebone to Aylesbury Vale Parkway due 00:03

https://www.journeycheck.com/chilternrailways/

 

[jimm]

Looks like some cover has been found for several evening trains, as the list has shrunk to five cancellations now

 

[atraindriver]

<deleted>

 

[jimm]

Another dozen cancellations due to crew issues listed for today

12 Train Cancellations
08:13 London Marylebone to Aylesbury due 09:24
09:43 London Marylebone to Banbury due 11:02
11:20 Aylesbury to Wembley Stadium due 12:16
11:43 Banbury to London Marylebone due 13:11
12:55 Birmingham Moor Street to London Marylebone due 14:49
15:34 Birmingham Moor Street to Leamington Spa due 16:17
16:30 London Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill due 18:41
16:33 Leamington Spa to Birmingham Moor Street due 17:18
17:55 Birmingham Moor Street to London Marylebone due 19:44
19:12 Birmingham Snow Hill to London Marylebone due 21:14
20:43 London Marylebone to Banbury due 22:05
22:13 London Marylebone to Aylesbury due 23:34

 

[CyrusWuff]

And 21 showing for Sunday at the moment, on top of Marylebone being closed until 10:30 for Engineering Work (trains are starting from Amersham or West Ruislip):

Sun, 7 October 09:12 Birmingham Snow Hill to London Marylebone due 11:12
Sun, 7 October 09:40 Aylesbury Vale Parkway to London Marylebone due 10:50
Sun, 7 October 09:54 West Ruislip to Stratford-Upon-Avon due 12:07
Sun, 7 October 10:10 Aylesbury Vale Parkway to London Marylebone due 11:20
Sun, 7 October 10:21 West Ruislip to Birmingham Moor Street due 11:59
Sun, 7 October 10:29 Aylesbury to London Marylebone due 11:39
Sun, 7 October 11:05 London Marylebone to Oxford due 12:12
Sun, 7 October 12:05 London Marylebone to Oxford due 13:12
Sun, 7 October 12:19 Stratford-Upon-Avon to Leamington Spa due 12:57
Sun, 7 October 12:35 London Marylebone to Oxford due 13:40
Sun, 7 October 12:42 Oxford to London Marylebone due 13:48
Sun, 7 October 12:55 Birmingham Moor Street to London Marylebone due 14:43
Sun, 7 October 13:40 London Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill due 15:37
Sun, 7 October 13:40 Oxford to London Marylebone due 14:46
Sun, 7 October 14:11 Oxford to London Marylebone due 15:21
Sun, 7 October 14:55 Birmingham Moor Street to London Marylebone due 16:43
Sun, 7 October 15:13 London Marylebone to Aylesbury due 16:22
Sun, 7 October 15:27 London Marylebone to Aylesbury due 16:29
Sun, 7 October 16:27 London Marylebone to Aylesbury due 17:29
Sun, 7 October 17:27 London Marylebone to Aylesbury due 18:29
Sun, 7 October 18:40 London Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill due 20:37

 

[CarltonA]

This has not affected me so far. Certain trains being cancelled can be a real pain. Once, they cancelled the 10:05 Banbury (from GX) due to a faulty unit (165s increasingly showing their age). In spite of them stopping a Moor Street silver train it delayed me by 59mins. At least I got the delay repayment.

 

[muddythefish]

Is this another example of a timetable that depends on drivers working overtime for it to work properly ?

 

[dk1]

Is this another example of a timetable that depends on drivers working overtime for it to work properly ?

Most TOCs rely on overtime to cover Sundays. Some have agreements where drivers must work their own booked turns whereas others can opt out if before the cut off. Not sure what Chiltern are & as been one big franchise so long it's not like GA who still have drivers under three separate agreements dating from pre-2004 days.

 

[jimm]

Staffing situation much improved this weekend. Just two cancellations notified today, affecting a round trip between Leamington and Stratford-upon-Avon

17:32 Leamington Spa to Stratford-Upon-Avon due 18:15
18:41 Stratford-Upon-Avon to Leamington Spa due 19:17

 

[jimm]

Nine cancellations due to crew shortages today. Half a dozen on the Saturday of last weekend as well, apparently.

08:45 London Marylebone to Leamington Spa due 10:29
09:34 Aylesbury to London Marylebone due 10:58
10:34 Aylesbury to London Marylebone due 11:58
10:55 Leamington Spa to London Marylebone due 12:42
15:48 London Marylebone to Leamington Spa due 17:29
15:55 Leamington Spa to London Marylebone due 17:38
16:03 London Marylebone to Aylesbury due 17:20
17:55 Leamington Spa to London Marylebone due 19:37
21:00 London Marylebone to Oxford due 22:19

 

[Metroman62]

Also annoying when they run extra trains to Wembley by cancelling trains on the Aylesbury /Amersham / Marylebone service as they have been doing. So they get more revenue from extra Wembley passengers bur existing customers suffer

 

[jimm]

Looks like driver shortages are going to bite again this afternoon and evening.

https://www.journeycheck.com/chilternrailways/

13 Train Cancellations
13:47 Banbury to London Marylebone due 15:08
15:43 London Marylebone to Banbury due 17:02
17:55 Birmingham Moor Street to London Marylebone due 19:41
19:12 Birmingham Snow Hill to London Marylebone due 21:11
19:35 London Marylebone to Oxford due 20:37
19:46 London Marylebone to Gerrards Cross due 20:19
20:29 Aylesbury to London Marylebone due 21:36
20:43 London Marylebone to Banbury due 22:05
20:49 Gerrards Cross to London Marylebone due 21:32
21:09 Oxford to London Marylebone due 22:18
21:40 London Marylebone to Banbury due 23:07
21:57 London Marylebone to Aylesbury Vale Parkway due 23:03
22:35 London Marylebone to Oxford due 23:47

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Looks like driver shortages are going to bite again this afternoon and evening.

https://www.journeycheck.com/chilternrailways/

No surprise there - stretched resourcing leads to cancellations when people want to have holiday!

 

[jimm]

27 more cancellations already listed for tomorrow

Sun, 23 December 07:57 London Marylebone to Aylesbury Vale Parkway due 09:03
Sun, 23 December 08:29 Aylesbury to London Marylebone due 09:38
Sun, 23 December 08:35 London Marylebone to Oxford due 09:45
Sun, 23 December 08:40 London Marylebone to Banbury due 10:02
Sun, 23 December 09:13 Aylesbury Vale Parkway to London Marylebone due 10:21
Sun, 23 December 09:46 London Marylebone to Gerrards Cross due 10:16
Sun, 23 December 10:05 London Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street due 11:56
Sun, 23 December 10:07 Oxford to London Marylebone due 11:24
Sun, 23 December 10:30 Gerrards Cross to London Marylebone due 11:03
Sun, 23 December 10:44 Banbury to London Marylebone due 12:06
Sun, 23 December 10:57 London Marylebone to Aylesbury Vale Parkway due 12:03
Sun, 23 December 11:43 London Marylebone to Banbury due 13:02
Sun, 23 December 12:05 London Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street due 13:56
Sun, 23 December 12:10 London Marylebone to Oxford due 13:21
Sun, 23 December 12:13 Aylesbury Vale Parkway to London Marylebone due 13:20
Sun, 23 December 12:46 London Marylebone to Gerrards Cross due 13:19
Sun, 23 December 12:55 Birmingham Moor Street to London Marylebone due 14:40
Sun, 23 December 13:30 Gerrards Cross to London Marylebone due 14:04
Sun, 23 December 13:37 Oxford to London Marylebone due 14:48
Sun, 23 December 13:44 Banbury to London Marylebone due 15:06
Sun, 23 December 13:46 London Marylebone to Gerrards Cross due 14:16
Sun, 23 December 14:29 Gerrards Cross to London Marylebone due 15:02
Sun, 23 December 15:13 London Marylebone to Aylesbury due 16:19
Sun, 23 December 15:27 London Marylebone to Aylesbury due 16:26
Sun, 23 December 16:10 London Marylebone to Oxford due 17:21
Sun, 23 December 17:37 Oxford to London Marylebone due 18:48
Sun, 23 December 19:13 London Marylebone to Aylesbury due 20:19

 

[jimm]

Plus one evening service to Kidderminster that will terminate short at Birmingham

19:35 London Marylebone to Kidderminster due 22:18

23/12/18 19:35 London Marylebone to Kidderminster due 22:18 will be terminated at Birmingham Snow Hill.
It will no longer call at Rowley Regis, Cradley Heath, Stourbridge Junction and Kidderminster.
This is due to availability of train crew.

 

[jimm]

And 10 more cancellations coming up for Christmas Eve

Mon, 24 December 06:23 Bicester North to London Marylebone due 07:28
Mon, 24 December 07:30 Kidderminster to London Marylebone due 09:59
Mon, 24 December 08:39 Aylesbury Vale Parkway to London Marylebone due 09:44
Mon, 24 December 10:46 London Marylebone to Gerrards Cross due 11:19
Mon, 24 December 11:10 London Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street due 12:56
Mon, 24 December 11:49 Gerrards Cross to London Marylebone due 12:32
Mon, 24 December 15:40 London Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill due 17:44
Mon, 24 December 18:40 Birmingham Snow Hill to London Marylebone due 20:37
Mon, 24 December 19:21 London Marylebone to Oxford due 20:27
Mon, 24 December 20:55 Oxford to London Marylebone due 22:05

 

[jimm]

Five more crew-related cancellations today, on top of the service alternations due to Spurs playing Wolves at Wembley this afternoon

5 Train Cancellations
10:46 London Marylebone to Gerrards Cross due 11:22
11:30 London Marylebone to Wembley Stadium due 11:44
11:35 Gerrards Cross to London Marylebone due 12:22
20:35 London Marylebone to Oxford due 21:39
22:09 Oxford to London Marylebone due 23:28

 

[jimm]

Six more crew-related cancellations listed today plus three services that will not cover their full route, due to lack of a guard for operation north of Banbury.

6 Train Cancellations
18:05 London Marylebone to Kidderminster due 20:36
19:27 London Marylebone to Aylesbury due 20:26
19:32 Leamington Spa to Stratford-Upon-Avon due 20:06
20:48 Aylesbury to London Marylebone due 21:50
21:30 London Marylebone to Oxford due 22:42
22:49 Oxford to Bicester Village due 23:09
3 Other Train Service Updates
15:12 Birmingham Snow Hill to London Marylebone due 17:10
19:35 London Marylebone to Kidderminster due 22:18
20:38 Stratford-Upon-Avon to London Marylebone due 22:53

 

[jimm]

And they just keep on coming. Lack of guards seems to be a problem again today.

7 Train Cancellations
15:55 Birmingham Moor Street to London Marylebone due 17:45
17:44 Banbury to London Marylebone due 19:06
17:55 Birmingham Moor Street to London Marylebone due 19:53
18:08 London Marylebone to Kidderminster due 20:48
21:02 London Marylebone to Oxford due 22:11
22:12 Birmingham Snow Hill to Banbury due 23:23
22:15 Oxford to London Marylebone due 23:52

4 Other Train Service Updates
14:10 London Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street due 15:59
18:12 Birmingham Snow Hill to London Marylebone due 20:18
19:40 London Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street due 21:48
21:10 London Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street due 23:10

 

[HowardGWR]

You seem to be ploughing a lone furrow here jimm but I think you are doing a good job! It is amazing we don't hear of more moans from Chiltern customers in the press (at least, I haven't noticed any and I follow the articles about rail with a link*). I wonder if they get them on their twitter site.

*This is the link I use.
https://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/UK/Travel+&+Transport/Rail?type=ln