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Effects of COVID absences on signalling staff

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mm333

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We’ve heard a lot about COVID absences on TOCs, but is there a risk that lines will have to close if there’s a shortage of signalling staff?
 
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Failed Unit

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Yep. I heard that NR had to close Barnetby - Lincoln line for a short period before Christmas to cover this issue. Fortunately they managed to find cover so it wasn’t for a whole shift.
 

Llanigraham

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One of the South Wales Boxes was closed due to a resident going down with Covid the other week, and I have heard from aquaintances that some of the bigger centres are running close to their limits with staff off.
 

43095john

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York ROCs Hartlepool Workstation had to close for almost 5 hours on the 27th December effectively shutting down the whole of the network on Teeside until 1330 that day

No Signaller at Shrewsbury on the evening of the 29th December caused nothing to move north of Shrewsbury from 2000 that night.
 
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Dai Corner

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One of the South Wales Boxes was closed due to a resident going down with Covid the other week, and I have heard from aquaintances that some of the bigger centres are running close to their limits with staff off.
Yup. It was Park Junction box and led to the closure of the Ebbw Vale branch, including the Newport-Crosskeys shuttle. Apparently there are six residents and a further six who sign it.
 

Horizon22

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Yes it has. Several desks have closed on the Western route - normally only for an hour at a time to allow meal breaks but it still has an impact on well utilised sections. Also it has impacted isolations due to a shortage of SSMs (Shift Signalling Managers)
 

High Dyke

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Yep. I heard that NR had to close Barnetby - Lincoln line for a short period before Christmas to cover this issue. Fortunately they managed to find cover so it wasn’t for a whole shift.
There was an incident that affected all overnight traffic between Scunthorpe and Cleethorpes (including freight traffic to/from Immingham). There have been other cases where staff, including myself, have surrendered annual leave to keep boxes open. In locations that are single-staffed it is slightly easier to cover - if there's sufficient competent staff available in the first place. However, concentrations of staff in ROC's or PSB will multiply any staff shortages.
 

Fokx

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It’s happened a few times at York ROC too at various points this year confirming that it’s not just the smaller boxes. At York for example, there has been staff but the bare minimum, to the point where when they’ve had to go on their legally required break there’s been no trains for that hour Eastbound from Leeds
 

800001

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It’s happened a few times at York ROC too at various points this year confirming that it’s not just the smaller boxes. At York for example, there has been staff but the bare minimum, to the point where when they’ve had to go on their legally required break there’s been no trains for that hour Eastbound from Leeds
Examples of this at Leeds? Not aware of any times where they have had to put a block on services East of Leeds.
 

Jimini

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It's wiped out the sub surface lines down here on the tube a fair few times over the past year or so. Hammersmith box in particular is a troublesome one to keep staffed.
 

skyhigh

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Examples of this at Leeds? Not aware of any times where they have had to put a block on services East of Leeds.
I agree with @Fokx that I remember it happening - I can't remember the precise dates and times though
 

800001

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I agree with @Fokx that I remember it happening - I can't remember the precise dates and times though
I work within an area that covers Leeds East, am not aware of any instance where this has happened.

To put a block on anything East of Leeds, even for one hour, would cause massive disruption.
 

Starmill

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I work within an area that covers Leeds East, am not aware of any instance where this has happened.

To put a block on anything East of Leeds, even for one hour, would cause massive disruption.
While it would be disruptive at any time, surely it would depend on the time of day it was. There has been so much disruption on some days anyway that no route available east from Leeds 2200 - 2300 as a random example would probably not make much difference.
 

800001

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While it would be disruptive at any time, surely it would depend on the time of day it was. There has been so much disruption on some days anyway that no route available east from Leeds 2200 - 2300 as a random example would probably not make much difference.
Even between 2200 and 0000 would still cause massive disruption, as that blocks access to Neville Hill, as I sad previously, I deal alot with stuff which interacts with Leeds East, and am not aware of anything at anytime that myself or my colleagues have had to deal with, where Leeds East had been closed.
 

Starmill

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Even between 2200 and 0000 would still cause massive disruption, as that blocks access to Neville Hill, as I sad previously, I deal alot with stuff which interacts with Leeds East, and am not aware of anything at anytime that myself or my colleagues have had to deal with, where Leeds East had been closed.
Disruption for any reason has not exactly been uncommon in the area in recent months, as has been said.
 

800001

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Disruption for any reason has not exactly been uncommon in the area in recent months, as has been said.
Well aware of that, as said, I work very much, as do my colleagues with Leeds East.
I won't comment any more. You are entitled to your opinion
 

skyhigh

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I work within an area that covers Leeds East, am not aware of any instance where this has happened.

To put a block on anything East of Leeds, even for one hour, would cause massive disruption.
I seem to remember it was around lunchtime in September/October, and was only from Cross Gates - Micklefield so there was still access on and off Neville Hill. I recall that it was originally due to be an hour closure, but in the end was shut for 30ish mins.
 

Starmill

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Well aware of that, as said, I work very much, as do my colleagues with Leeds East.
I won't comment any more. You are entitled to your opinion
It's not my opinion. It's skyhigh and Fokx's. I'm merely pointing out that your account isn't necessarily inconsistent with what they are saying.
 

Horizon22

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It's wiped out the sub surface lines down here on the tube a fair few times over the past year or so. Hammersmith box in particular is a troublesome one to keep staffed.

TfL had been having ongoing issues with the Met, H&C & Circle for months. It actually recently hasn't been so bad.
 

SilentGrade

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Examples of this at Leeds? Not aware of any times where they have had to put a block on services East of Leeds.
29/06/21 the route was closed completely east of Neville Hill in the middle of the afternoon. YROC has had multiple examples in the past year or so, although not always necessarily COVID related.
 

Fokx

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Examples of this at Leeds? Not aware of any times where they have had to put a block on services East of Leeds.
I can’t give you exact days or times but it’s happened twice that I’ve been on shift, resulting in knock-on delays to my trains due to congestion

It was somewhere between summer/autumn 2021. I recently replaced my diary unfortunately and discarded the old one which would have had this in

edit - SilentGrade has found it
 

NEDdrv

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Examples of this at Leeds? Not aware of any times where they have had to put a block on services East of Leeds.
Worked a XC which was held at Leeds due to signaller taking break, it must have been early to mid last year
 

theageofthetra

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Out of interest do signalling (or other NR staff) only receive statutory sick pay if off sick with Covid and unvaxed? I believe some TOCs do?
 

Trothy

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Manchester ROC has been very close to having to close a panel on several occasions. A regular shift would have 8 workstations, 2 meal relief and 2 SSM's. At one point they were left with both SSMs working workstations and both meal relief working workstations.
 

Signal_Box

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One of the South Wales Boxes was closed due to a resident going down with Covid the other week, and I have heard from aquaintances that some of the bigger centres are running close to their limits with staff off.

Theyve been running on good will for years, covid has just made it worse.

Out of interest do signalling (or other NR staff) only receive statutory sick pay if off sick with Covid and unvaxed? I believe some TOCs do?

No, full pay and no disadvantage with loss of RDW if booked ie, if your booked a RDW turn then book sick you’ll still get your allocated RDW.
 

alexl92

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Yes it has. Several desks have closed on the Western route - normally only for an hour at a time to allow meal breaks but it still has an impact on well utilised sections. Also it has impacted isolations due to a shortage of SSMs (Shift Signalling Managers)
It's good to know that the value of a proper break for food is still respected on the railways in 2021. So many companies would force employees to work through a break to cover rather than bring things to a halt temporarily.
 

Signal_Box

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It's good to know that the value of a proper break for food is still respected on the railways in 2021. So many companies would force employees to work through a break to cover rather than bring things to a halt temporarily.

That’s the railway, and a old fashioned concept of a Union to enforce staff breaks.
 
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