GWR Shortage of Traincrew Weekend and During Week

[BestWestern]

O

Coming from a retail environment myself, I find it tricky to understand the agreement with Sundays/Weekends on the railway. More or less everyone in retail on full time contracts will work many weekends as the business is trading and the service is needed. You get two days off a week but usually (from my experience) they're different each week. I don't really understand how the railway is much different (offers a service 7 days a week) but my guess is the way staff contracts are set out? Sundays are now a vital day for those commuting and leisure travellers.

It's a historic thing. Years ago nothing much happened on a sunday, it was a 'day of rest' and so working it was optional. The retail industry is, generally, poorly represented by unions, and so employers were easily able to change the way they contracted their staff and bring in sunday working. The railway has a srong union backing, and wasn't so easily bought, and the situation has remained. That's also why the railway remains well paid, whilst the retail sector is known for being poorly paid.

Incidentally, I know a chap who has worked for a major high street retailer for approaching 30 years, and his contract doesn't oblige him to work sundays (much to the annoyance of his managers!), so it wasn't always just the railway.

 

[Mag_seven]

What is the situation in the airline industry? It seems to be relatively heavily unionised as well?

 

[PHILIPE]

GWR only showing one route for cancellations today. The usual Paddington to Cheltenham and return completely decimated throughout the day

 

[Deafdoggie]

O

It's a historic thing. Years ago nothing much happened on a sunday, it was a 'day of rest' and so working it was optional. The retail industry is, generally, poorly represented by unions, and so employers were easily able to change the way they contracted their staff and bring in sunday working. The railway has a strong union backing, and wasn't so easily bought, and the situation has remained. That's also why the railway remains well paid, whilst the retail sector is known for being poorly paid.

Incidentally, I know a chap who has worked for a major high street retailer for approaching 30 years, and his contract doesn't oblige him to work Sundays (much to the annoyance of his managers!), so it wasn't always just the railway.

I think that is the point, many people spend years working on the railway. The retail industry has a quick turnover. They don't change existing contracts, but enough people join on new ones to quickly make it the "norm"

Of course, older timers can change, as generally the new contracts are a higher pay rate, but do away with not working Sundays, double time etc!

 

[PHILIPE]

Full house for the Paddington to Cheltenhams for a change. Just one or two odd cancellations today.

 

[bramling]

Full house for the Paddington to Cheltenhams for a change. Just one or two odd cancellations today.

Weather not so good today?

 

[Mag_seven]

Weather not so good today?

Or more traincrew available due to less trains as a result of the Didcot-Oxford block?

 

[Rich McLean]

Or more traincrew available due to less trains as a result of the Didcot-Oxford block?

Wouldn't make much difference as the lions share of work is LTV apart from TMs on the HSTs and Bristol HSS only work a few Morning Up and Evening down turns via the Cotswolds.

 

[PHILIPE]

Cardiff to Portsmouth/Brighton route taking a hit today. Also 2 round TransWilts trips.

 

[Drsatan]

Cardiff to Portsmouth/Brighton route taking a hit today. Also 2 round TransWilts trips.

There are a few trains terminating short of their destination today. The 1209 Cardiff Central to Brighton stopped short at Southampton.

 

[tgrb]

If it's not already a thing how about TOCs building up a team of weekend only crew. I can of course see some issues with this - training costs, conflicts with other jobs etc but if it was done right this could elieviate the issue?

I work in IT - and we work all hours for our salary, but get given and I give me juniors the lue days and exercise other flexibility/perks to compensate - totally understand working in the safety critical role as a driver doesn't allow this flexibility!

 

[BestWestern]

If it's not already a thing how about TOCs building up a team of weekend only crew. I can of course see some issues with this - training costs, conflicts with other jobs etc but if it was done right this could elieviate the issue?

I work in IT - and we work all hours for our salary, but get given and I give me juniors the lue days and exercise other flexibility/perks to compensate - totally understand working in the safety critical role as a driver doesn't allow this flexibility!

Hmm. LUL have part time Night Tube-only Drivers, of course. Might work, but I think the greater emphasis at first is likely to be persuading existing staff to do it. Saturdays aren't optional anyway, it's sundays which are the major issue.

 

[philthetube]

The issue with part time drivers is training, it would work for staff wanting to reduce hours as they get older but for new starts they would have to work full time to get in their training, (guessing for a couple of years) where as on the Underground it is 15 or 17 weeks, depending on line.

 

[BestWestern]

Just to add a different angle to this, GWR services are being mashed on the Cotswolds today due to a lack of a Shrub Hill signaller for most of the day. Services terminating at Evesham/Cheltenham. Not just a traincrew issue then!

There's also a derailed freight blocking the Down Main at Swindon, a fatality west of Exeter and overrunning engineering on the Weymouth road. Ouch.

 

[PHILIPE]

Just to add a different angle to this, GWR services are being mashed on the Cotswolds today due to a lack of a Shrub Hill signaller for most of the day. Services terminating at Evesham/Cheltenham. Not just a traincrew issue then!

There's also a derailed freight blocking the Down Main at Swindon, a fatality west of Exeter and overrunning engineering on the Weymouth road. Ouch.

NRE and GWR saying due to fault with the signalling system. Makes me wonder if they are trying to hide something in view of your post.

 

[BestWestern]

NRE and GWR saying due to fault with the signalling system. Makes me wonder if they are trying to hide something in view of your post.

There may be various issues afoot! I'd imagine they'll get someone in the box before long.

 

[PHILIPE]

There were more cancellations as the day went on today. Seems to be predominantly guards in the Bristol and Gloucester Depots areas.

 

[Mag_seven]

There's also a derailed freight blocking the Down Main at Swindon

They must have re-railed it pretty fast - everything was running fine on the Down Main at about 12.30 when I was there!

 

[father_jack]

They must have re-railed it pretty fast - everything was running fine on the Down Main at about 12.30 when I was there!

It was off NR operational area

 

[tiptoptaff]

NRE and GWR saying due to fault with the signalling system. Makes me wonder if they are trying to hide something in view of your post.

It's just a standard delay code reason for Journey Check - not hiding anything.

 

[PHILIPE]

Quite a large number of cancellations/part journeys again today. Predominantly trains passing through Westbury but suspect Gloucester and Fratton could have shortages also.

 

[PHILIPE]

Quite a lot again today, would point to shortages at Bristol and Gloucester this week. Just wondering if Turbo training is having effect by rendering crews unavailable due to the hours issue. Severn Beach especially affected by cancellations

 

[tiptoptaff]

Quite a lot again today, would point to shortages at Bristol and Gloucester this week. Just wondering if Turbo training is having effect

IT's not.

 

[PHILIPE]

Multiple cancellations again today due shortage of guards on a route Gloucester/Bristol/Westbury/Portsmouth/Brighton again. TransWilts service almost non-existent.

 

[Parallel]

Multiple cancellations again today due shortage of guards on a route Gloucester/Bristol/Westbury/Portsmouth/Brighton again. TransWilts service almost non-existent.

Truro - Falmouth line also decimated this evening.

 

[PHILIPE]

Cardiff to Portsmouth/Brighton routes badly affected again today also some services between Brsitol/Cheltenham/Worcester which is becoming a regular weekly feature now. Lost too was a Weymouth Bucket and spare from Bristol TM and return.

 

[Mag_seven]

Not surprisingly lots of issues today being a Sunday on a bank holiday weekend.

1. Most Padd-Chelt services cancelled. On RTT they are shown as "Planned Cancellations" (PG) which implies GWR have known there would be an issue today. On GWR JourneyCheck the cancellations are shown as due to "Urgent Repairs to the track".

2.Lots of part cancellations e.g. 09.57 Padd-Newquay starting at Reading. Once again there is an inconsistency between RTT and GWR Journey Check. RTT states that the part cancellation is due to "an issue with the train crew" (TH) but Journey Check states that the part cancellation is, like the Cheltenham services due to "Urgent Repairs to the track"

Can anyone shed any light on what these "Urgent Repairs to the track" are?

 

[PHILIPE]

Not surprisingly lots of issues today being a Sunday on a bank holiday weekend.

1. Most Padd-Chelt services cancelled. On RTT they are shown as "Planned Cancellations" (PG) which implies GWR have known there would be an issue today. On GWR JourneyCheck the cancellations are shown as due to "Urgent Repairs to the track".

2.Lots of part cancellations e.g. 09.57 Padd-Newquay starting at Reading. Once again there is an inconsistency between RTT and GWR Journey Check. RTT states that the part cancellation is due to "an issue with the train crew" (TH) but Journey Check states that the part cancellation is, like the Cheltenham services due to "Urgent Repairs to the track"

Can anyone shed any light on what these "Urgent Repairs to the track" are?

I heard about this and challenged GWR through Twitter as entry on GWR Website stated "Due to Late Notice Engineering and Other Issues" which listed the services cancelled. I smelled a rat, this being the reason for asking what the issues were. As well as the Cheltenham services, there were 5 round trips to and from Bristol TM listed also and I asked for an honest and open reply. The reply which didn't wash was because there was an HST out of service following it's derailment at Paddington last week. On checking today, the Bristols are back in but as STPs.
There are the usual cancellations on Portsmouth and Brighton routes again but not quite as severe.

 

[Mag_seven]

I heard about this and challenged GWR through Twitter as entry on GWR Website stated "Due to Late Notice Engineering and Other Issues" which listed the services cancelled. I smelled a rat, this being the reason for asking what the issues were. As well as the Cheltenham services, there were 5 round trips to and from Bristol TM listed also and I asked for an honest and open reply. The reply which didn't wash was because there was an HST out of service following it's derailment at Paddington last week. On checking today, the Bristols are back in but as STPs.
There are the usual cancellations on Portsmouth and Brighton routes again but not quite as severe.

How convenient that this "late notice engineering work" results in all these Padd-Chelt cancellations. Since this "late notice engineering work" is at the London end what is to stop GWR only running the HST's between Swindon and Cheltenham? Traincrew shortage perhaps?

 

[PHILIPE]

Not so bad today apart from the Portsmouth route again. Several trains that were shown as Cancelled this morning finished up being re-instated. The biggest problem today was HSTs falling down all over the place, a situation which has been more prevalent lately.