GWR Shortage of Traincrew Weekend and During Week

[PHILIPE]

It's spread to today now with whole and part cancellations between Bristol TM and Portsmouth Harbour/Weymouth. Wondering if it's connected to Turbo training which has got to be done otherwise come Day 1 and nobody competent to work them.

 

[WelshBluebird]

What do you expect them to do? If crew aren't available they aren't available. The root cause is the continuous late-agreed engineering work for electrification, combined with a 6-day working week inherited from British Rail. Refusing the engineering work, however unreasonable, will simply lead to even greater problems when January 2018 cascade can't happen. It's simply a case of gritting their teeth and waiting it out unfortunately.

If the lack of crew is this bad (which it is, and has been for a while now) then the simple answer is they need to hire more staff!

Of course I realise it isn't as easy as that, and I am playing devils advocate a little, but that is the general answer for any other company that is finding that it doesn't have enough staff on duty.

 

[FGW_DID]

If the lack of crew is this bad (which it is, and has been for a while now) then the simple answer is they need to hire more staff!

Of course I realise it isn't as easy as that, and I am playing devils advocate a little, but that is the general answer for any other company that is finding that it doesn't have enough staff on duty.

Not quite as simple, if the Sunday is outside the working work, then the staff don’t have to work it! The staff numbers may be there but the numbers willing to work isn’t.

When I first started on the Railway, where I worked there was a local agreement that if your rostered shift fell on a Sunday, you worked it and were paid at the usual enhanced rate. I was gobsmacked to learn that at the next station along, they didn’t have to work rostered turns on Sundays if they didn’t want to! There were numerous occasions when either the Station was unmanned or manned by staff from our station (who had had the appropriate induction) on overtime. This was a complete alien situation to me, I worked shifts virtually all the 22 yrs of my previous career and you worked shift regardless of when it fell, Sunday’s, Bank Holidays, Xmas Day etc!

 

[PHILIPE]

There are no GWR services between Westbury and Brighton today due to traincrew shortages and a couple of round trips on the Trans Wilts later today cancelled. This would indicate shortages at Westbury and Fratton. The regular vulnerable area.

Stop Press - Afternoon Brighton now re-instated

 

[PHILIPE]

Later Trans Wilts trains re-instated. Representations were made to GWR Twitter that a special publicity drive advertising the services today had been made in the local press.

 

[387star]

In the past two years Fratton has seen about 8 guards retire or leave although at least five have since been taken on

 

[gallafent]

It seems that the shortage of traincrew at weekends might be seeping into Monday mornings too. 0524 2P11 OXF-PAD cancelled today — JourneyCheck says “shortage of drivers”, RTT says no guard … well, either way, hey ho.

Aside: still, at least when GWR management has failed to allocate staff (and/or late-notice cover) to some of its services, we can rely on the hardware used to operate those which do run to keep working, right? No, the 0542 OXF-PAD 1P03, was cancelled on arrival at DID (having done what seemed like an emergency stop shortly after leaving Radley, followed by several minutes of first the driver, then both him and the other member of GWR staff on board, fiddling about with something in the cab — AWS? — before getting going again), reported by RTT as M0, “problem with the on-board safety systems”.

The third OXF-PAD fast service this morning, 0559 1P05, managed to get all the way to Paddington, two minutes late.

 

[PHILIPE]

Yesterday turned out to be chaotic. The Regional services were not so bad but some cancellations involving Westbury, Gloucester, Portsmouth and Weymouth areas. The big problem was HSS services which as the day went on deteriorated virtually into chaos due to the knock on effect. The problems escalated due to trains delayed putting crews out of place, overloading (normal without cancellations), passengers having reserved seats finding their trains cancelled and having to catch the next train, no reservations put out, trains running very late. Even after shortages were known and published, a Swansea to Paddington in the morning found itself at Bristol Parkway with no driver to work it forward. GWR Twitter Feed couldn't keep up, provoking still more complaints. The problem route was between Paddington and Bristol which was also heavily affected by Engineering work.

 

[Mag_seven]

The problem route was between Paddington and Bristol which was also heavily affected by Engineering work.

The rail replacement buses between Reading and Swindon must have been fun with the planned M4 closure between junctions 12 and 13!

 

[PHILIPE]

The rail replacement buses between Reading and Swindon must have been fun with the planned M4 closure between junctions 12 and 13!

The RRBs only ran between Swindon and Didcot Parkway.

 

[Mag_seven]

The RRBs only ran between Swindon and Didcot Parkway.

RTT showed buses between Swindon and Didcot and Swindon and Reading - did they see sense and re-route all the Reading bound buses to Didcot?

 

[50031]

Yesterday turned out to be chaotic. The Regional services were not so bad but some cancellations involving Westbury, Gloucester, Portsmouth and Weymouth areas. The big problem was HSS services which as the day went on deteriorated virtually into chaos due to the knock on effect. The problems escalated due to trains delayed putting crews out of place, overloading (normal without cancellations), passengers having reserved seats finding their trains cancelled and having to catch the next train, no reservations put out, trains running very late. Even after shortages were known and published, a Swansea to Paddington in the morning found itself at Bristol Parkway with no driver to work it forward. GWR Twitter Feed couldn't keep up, provoking still more complaints. The problem route was between Paddington and Bristol which was also heavily affected by Engineering work.

Yes I popped down to Temple Meads with my daughter. Had to drive to Filton Abbey Wood as the 1837 back to Cam & Dursley was cancelled. When announced at Temple Meads there was no mention by the announcer of what any Yate and C&D passengers were supposed to do.. wait 2 hours for the next service ?? Glad I checked first!

 

[JN114]

RTT showed buses between Swindon and Didcot and Swindon and Reading - did they see sense and re-route all the Reading bound buses to Didcot?

A few did Swindon - Reading Saturday morning and took twice the planned journey time even when the theoretical journey time via diversion was taken into account. Buses were then diverted to Didcot from late morning Saturday but train capacity wasn’t great.

Crew situation wasn’t great yesterday; although the diversions via the B&H - which isn’t core route knowledge for certain HSS depots - didn’t help matters. A few no shows and uncovered turns that hadn’t been identified until train time led to a snowballing effect as the afternoon wore on.

 

[PHILIPE]

RTT showed buses between Swindon and Didcot and Swindon and Reading - did they see sense and re-route all the Reading bound buses to Didcot?

Saw sense

 

[Mag_seven]

There are RBB's next weekend as well, though no motorway closure this time.

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

It does seem that GWR are experiencing a perfect storm at the moment. Hopefully things will pick up after Christmas.

 

[Parallel]

It does seem that GWR are experiencing a perfect storm at the moment. Hopefully things will pick up after Christmas.

Another rebrand on the cards?

Maybe they should just name the TOC ‘Worst Late Western’ and then all their trains might run on time!

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

How original

 

[SwindonBert]

There are RBB's next weekend as well, though no motorway closure this time.

Add in the Bath Christmas Market & England at home at Twickenham it was always going to be busy on that stretch of track without the bus replacements

 

[PHILIPE]

The worst of all today, mostly services radiating from Bristol. 30 Cancellations and many more with shortened journeys. Today would be one of the busiest Saturdays of all especially with the Bath Christmas markets. To aggravate this, GWR acceoting XC tickets on certain routes due to their Train Manager's strike and also many short formed formed trains. There have been difficulties during this week also which have seen trains not reaching Brighton and Weymouth. LTV pretty bad also..

 

[Mag_seven]

The worst of all today, mostly services radiating from Bristol. 30 Cancellations and many more with shortened journeys. Today would be one of the busiest Saturdays of all especially with the Bath Christmas markets. To aggravate this, GWR acceoting XC tickets on certain routes due to their Train Manager's strike and also many short formed formed trains. There have been difficulties during this week also which have seen trains not reaching Brighton and Weymouth. LTV pretty bad also..

A lot of these appear to be additional services - given the traincrew issues it seems a bit strange even attempting to run these.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Are the current shortages of drivers, guards or both?

 

[PHILIPE]

A lot of these appear to be additional services - given the traincrew issues it seems a bit strange even attempting to run these.

The Severn Beach line services have been cut back to Clifton Down to provide resources for the Bath Christmas Market. Not all of these have been run though

 

[SWTrainspottin]

Are the current shortages of drivers, guards or both?

Mainly guards I believe.

 

[Parallel]

I was on the 16.50 Great Malvern - Westbury yesterday from Worcester. At the station, the train was announced as going as far as Bristol T Meads (via Bristol T Meads ) due to a fault on this train but the guard said it was because there was no guard at Bristol to work it forward. At some point in the journey she must’ve had a chat with someone as she later she was happy to take the train onto Westbury as it is a busy departure from Bristol.

I’m guessing she was Gloucester crew - Do Gloucester crew sign as far as Westbury? (Malvern - Westbury is a fairly long run)

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

I was on the 16.50 Great Malvern - Westbury yesterday from Worcester. At the station, the train was announced as going as far as Bristol T Meads (via Bristol T Meads ) due to a fault on this train but the guard said it was because there was no guard at Bristol to work it forward. At some point in the journey she must’ve had a chat with someone as she later she was happy to take the train onto Westbury as it is a busy departure from Bristol.

I’m guessing she was Gloucester crew - Do Gloucester crew sign as far as Westbury? (Malvern - Westbury is a fairly long run)

They certainly do, and via Melksham as well.

 

[PHILIPE]

Quite a few shortages again today on the usual routed but some have been attributed to staff being unable to get into work due to driving conditions

 

[trolleyman]

Gloucester crews sign as far down as Warminster.
I believe in the past (maybe during Wessex days) they signed To southampton

 

[PHILIPE]

The weekend problem has extended into Monday now. Lots of cancellations/shortened journeys Bristol area including decimation of Severn Beach line services. Just for a change a Barnstaple trip cancelled this evening.

 

[PHILIPE]

Many of today's cancellations earlier advised later re--instated including most of Severn Beach line