Kite159
Veteran Member
Not the best evening for the 387 stoppers out of Paddington, and looking at the GWR journey check carrying on into the night.
-
Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
GWR Shortage of Traincrew Weekend and During Week
- Thread starter PHILIPE
- Start date
- Status
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
PHILIPE
Veteran Member
When I looked at Journey Check earlier there 40 cancellations in the LTV area. The disruption is bad enough to warrant an entry on NRES site.
WelshBluebird
Established Member
- Joined
- 14 Jan 2010
- Messages
- 4,923
Which is of course hilarious for those of us who use those services, as they are busy enough the rest of the year anyway. The crush loading due to the Bath xmas market etc just adds to the already existing issues, rather than being the issues themselves. And that is ignoring the other two issues that GWR are in control over (more units out for repair and not enough staff) that has made these last couple of months especially bad.
Seems there aren't enough drivers with 387 traction knowledge yet. Welcome to the 'interesting' LTV transition period. With hindsight, the Turbo cascade should have been held back until they were actually ready to run more 387s.
Wilts Wanderer
Established Member
- Joined
- 21 Nov 2016
- Messages
- 2,484
A bit difficult when the Sprinter fleet is already leaving the franchise. What do you suggest, no trains in the Bristol area until LTV are good and ready to release some Turbos?
Or a couple of GWR drivers due to work the late shift today may just have called in sick. In which case, what rolling stock is available will be neither here nor there.
Rail replacement buses for LTV until things are sorted out?
The issue was flagged up on the GW Coffee Shop forum a few days ago. Was told to expect this on Monday and Tuesday.
nickswift99
Member
- Joined
- 7 Apr 2013
- Messages
- 273
I'd suggest buying shares in a private hire company in Reading. The last Reading - Didcot stopper has been cancelled yet again.
It's now becoming an almost weekly occurrence. It looks like all the overnight Paddington to Reading stoppers are cancelled too, so there could be some interesting taxi rides from Paddington. Good job it's not a Friday night in the run up to Christmas.
It's now becoming an almost weekly occurrence. It looks like all the overnight Paddington to Reading stoppers are cancelled too, so there could be some interesting taxi rides from Paddington. Good job it's not a Friday night in the run up to Christmas.
Mitchell Hurd
On Moderation
- Joined
- 28 Oct 2017
- Messages
- 1,646
If anyone's interested who isn't aware, the 17:25 Great Malvern train was cancelled from Oxford on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th (all being a few days ago) due to staff shortages.
There's a meeting somewhere in Reading regarding the future of the Great Western franchise (Reading is nearest / easier for me) on the 19/01/18. Times are to be confirmed.
If I go, and have a chance to speak in the microphone, I'm likely to politely make my point if possible.
When Turbos start running Portsmouth services later this year, I might have a trip to Bristol Temple Meads for around 2 hours and see what's going on if there's still frequent staff shortages by then. I may even take my clipboard with me !
There's a meeting somewhere in Reading regarding the future of the Great Western franchise (Reading is nearest / easier for me) on the 19/01/18. Times are to be confirmed.
If I go, and have a chance to speak in the microphone, I'm likely to politely make my point if possible.
When Turbos start running Portsmouth services later this year, I might have a trip to Bristol Temple Meads for around 2 hours and see what's going on if there's still frequent staff shortages by then. I may even take my clipboard with me !
Mitchell Hurd
On Moderation
- Joined
- 28 Oct 2017
- Messages
- 1,646
I wasn't on this service thankfully on any of these days but it was tweeted.
The staff shortages seem to have largely disappeared in the past couple of days - I'm sure there are all sorts of factors that people inside GWR may be able to explain. The only current cancellation on GWR journeycheck is the 10.45 Paddington to Swansea, which is being blamed on an earlier train failure.
In the case of the 16.22 from Paddington to Great Malvern this week, there seems to have been a particular difficulty related to the fact that Oxford drivers are yet to be trained on IETs. As a result, some drivers from Worcester are working duties at the moment that involve more travelling as passengers in trains or taxis than actual driving.
There is some detail of what's going on here http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=19201.15
Hopefully they will have sorted something out for next week, but the start of more 800 operations on the Cotswold Line from the 15th should make things easier when it comes to diagramming crews.
PHILIPE
Veteran Member
Reported by BBC Travel and NRE early this morning was that there could be no service on the Severn Beach line today due to shortage of train crews. However, the only cancellations are the buses arranged to cover. Trains running
Mitchell Hurd
On Moderation
- Joined
- 28 Oct 2017
- Messages
- 1,646
Regarding my comment about the 16:22 London to Great Malvern service, I think you've just told me some really useful information ! I mean it, not sarcastically don't worry!
PHILIPE
Veteran Member
Many Inter City services to Bristol TM, Swansea and Carmarthen cancelled or terminating short today due train crew shortages. As documented elsewhere insufficient IEP drivers to crew Cotswold Line trains, West (Regional) seems OK.
PHILIPE
Veteran Member
Seems that when there is a train for Swansea at Paddington, people are crammed in the front 5 carriages of the 800 with no seat reservations available and complaining that the rear 5 carriages of the of the 800 are empty due no crew member
Another "Shambolic Sunday" for GWR. This really needs sorted out. 
Another "Shambolic Sunday" for GWR. This really needs sorted out.
Please feel free to offer your expertise! I’m sure Train crew resources etc will appreciate your input.
philthetube
Established Member
- Joined
- 5 Jan 2016
- Messages
- 3,762
Another "Shambolic Sunday" for GWR. This really needs sorted out.
I don't think he needs to be an expert to know it needs sorting, people somewhere along the line need to start doing what they are paid for.
Imagine if every time you took a faulty good back to the shop where you bought it you were told by that shop to give your expertise on how they should fix it! I don't think you would appreciate that response from the shop would you?
Precisely - in any other business an action plan would be put in place to resolve the situation. I hope this is happening in GWR- time will tell.
irish_rail
Established Member
Saw one of these at Bristol parkway, seems the horrible ineffiecency of too many 5 car units is starting to bite .....
Dai Corner
Established Member
- Joined
- 20 Jul 2015
- Messages
- 6,348
Too many at the moment, certainly. I wonder why they didn't build the 9 car sets first?
Well we could perhaps try the fact that the nine-car sets ordered by the DfT were initially all intended to be electric-only, so not much use when it comes to replacing five-car Class 180s on the diesel-only Cotswold Line - or indeed replacing anything much at all due to the delays in installing the overhead wires. By the time the DfT decided to fit diesels to all the GW nine-car sets, the production schedule was already in place, with the five-car bi-modes first in line.
Today it looks as though it has been the turn of Padd-South Wales. 3 down services and 4 up services canned.
Doctor Fegg
Established Member
- Joined
- 9 Nov 2010
- Messages
- 1,837
Generally the way it works is that we passengers offer our “money” and we expect the train company to supply the “expertise” in return. Right now only one side of the bargain is being honoured.
WelshBluebird
Established Member
- Joined
- 14 Jan 2010
- Messages
- 4,923
Was not fun yesterday evening with Cardiff Central station already busy after the Cardiff V Man City FA cup game.
18:13, 19:13 and 20:13 Cardiff to London all cancelled, with passengers being told to board the Bristol Temple Meads bound services and change there. Problem was that those services are usually fairly busy anyway, and are usually 2 or 3 coaches, so adding a full HST's worth of passengers to those did not go well. I managed to get a seat (just due to knowing exactly where the stop sign is on P1) but it did not look comfortable for those getting on after me! God help anyone making cross London journeys from Cardiff yesterday evening!
So far so good this morning - just the one cancellation shown currently on GWR Journey Check and that is due to a train fault not traincrew shortage.
PHILIPE
Veteran Member
Didn't say anything on purpose for fear of tempting fate.
I got the text from
Journey check about an hour ago......
"KEM to GCR on your route: 11:51, 13:51 - cancelled - a shortage of train crew."
I noticed yesterday (or maybe Friday) a few trains from Paddington to Taunton / WSM were being terminated at BRI due due driver shortages
Journey check about an hour ago......
"KEM to GCR on your route: 11:51, 13:51 - cancelled - a shortage of train crew."
I noticed yesterday (or maybe Friday) a few trains from Paddington to Taunton / WSM were being terminated at BRI due due driver shortages
PHILIPE
Veteran Member
Also yesterday, there were some Paddington to Swanseas cancelled in each direction due to driver shortage on the same day of the England v Wales match at Twickers.
- Status