Multiple trains one after the other cancelled due to 'staff shortages'

[Lurcheroo]

Its like one of those memes isnt it. "In Russia, train cancels you!"

That have me a good chuckle ! Thanks haha

 

[185]

I do not want to offend anyone, but if a train cannot run because of a staff shortage and that staff member is not off sick or with other issues, that staff member should be fired on the spot. I had to fork out a huge amount of money yesterday to go an alternative route.

Are we in Britain or China? The Daily Mail, Express seem to have you believing we're in the latter?!

For finishing work and going home for their day off, I'll have them all flogged for you. But it's never Rishi's fault.

 

[rower40]

"Staff Shortages"? Just employ taller staff. Or get the short ones a booster seat or similar.

(This post may contain traces of not taking the problem seriously. Mea Culpa.)

 

[Wolfie]

Yesterday when travelling from Leamington to Oakham at 6pm in the evening, multiple trains on this route got cancelled 'due to staff shortages'. I have never seen such a pathetic excuse for such incredible disruption on this network.
I do not want to offend anyone, but if a train cannot run because of a staff shortage and that staff member is not off sick or with other issues, that staff member should be fired on the spot. I had to fork out a huge amount of money yesterday to go an alternative route.

What about if that staff member is themself on a delayed earlier train?

 

[skyhigh]

"Staff Shortages"? Just employ taller staff. Or get the short ones a booster seat or similar.

(This post may contain traces of not taking the problem seriously. Mea Culpa.)

That reminds me, years ago one of our services was cancelled because the drivers seat got jammed in the highest position and the driver's feet couldn't reach the DSD pedal. The train was cancelled due to "short staff with no taller staff available to step up".

 

[sprunt]

What a daft comment. The staff shortage is because there is no member of staff available. You can't fire someone who isn't there.

We should fire people who've chosen not to be train drivers from their actual jobs, then they can be train drivers instead. Shortage solved!

 

[Somewhere]

Yesterday when travelling from Leamington to Oakham at 6pm in the evening, multiple trains on this route got cancelled 'due to staff shortages'. I have never seen such a pathetic excuse for such incredible disruption on this network.
I do not want to offend anyone, but if a train cannot run because of a staff shortage and that staff member is not off sick or with other issues, that staff member should be fired on the spot. I had to fork out a huge amount of money yesterday to go an alternative route.

You cannot fire someone who doesn't exist.

A decision to totally abandon line 1 to run a full service on line 2 is the problem. Two certain operators I can think of have form for doing this - often abandoning longer distance intercity type services to protect the local services in their home city.

If passenger numbers on line 1 are so low, then the impact would be less and bustitution is fairly acceptable, but when passenger numbers are the same or higher - then the operator has made the wrong decision.

On the subject of last minute cancellations, this is a difficult one - from a short term planning perspective, this could be caused by disruption on another service utilising the spare driver/guard or a resources manager hoping to get an overtime volunteer only to get none.

Quite often that won't be a decision that's been made, as there won't be enough time and staff to rewrite diagrams. The cancellations will literally be the trains that aren't covered, plus the knock-on effects, rather than a deliberate decision to cancel trains on a certain route

 

[185]

Quite often that won't be a decision that's been made, as there won't be enough time and staff to rewrite diagrams. The cancellations will literally be the trains that aren't covered, plus the knock-on effects, rather than a deliberate decision to cancel trains on a certain route

Disagree. Cut & paste diagrams are often thrown together in minutes. All trains are originally diagrammed - it's just which one they dump that causes the problem.

 

[Bridger]

Disagree. Cut & paste diagrams are often thrown together in minutes. All trains are originally diagrammed - it's just which one they dump that causes the problem.

They might be able to throw a diagram together quickly, the main question is if you have the right staff member with the required route knowledge, traction competency and start/ finish times to cover said diagram... E.g. I only sign metro routes. Even if I'm spare and it fits within my day, I would be unable to cover an intercity service.

 

[norbitonflyer]

A series of trains cancelled due to staff shortage suggests it is not train crew that's the problem - more likely a signal box. (It has happened before when a signalman has been taken ill while on duty and it has taken a while to get a relief to take over.)

 

[skyhigh]

A series of trains cancelled due to staff shortage suggests it is not train crew that's the problem - more likely a signal box. (It has happened before when a signalman has been taken ill while on duty and it has taken a while to get a relief to take over.)

It was 2 consecutive trains cancelled (18.40 and 19.40) due to train crew shortage, not signalling staff.

 

[Somewhere]

Disagree. Cut & paste diagrams are often thrown together in minutes. All trains are originally diagrammed - it's just which one they dump that causes the problem.

You need people to copy and paste the diagrams, after checking whether drivers are compatible with the new diagrams

 

[Sly Old Fox]

Not all trains are rostered to be covered. They should be but if there are vacant lines in the roster and no spares available they’ll just be left uncovered. There’s not a lot you can do. Resources will try and jiggle things around as best as they can but it’s not always possible to cover everything.

 

[HarryF]

Isn’t the staff shortage occurring because the train operators aren’t allowed to employ any more staff by the government? If anyone needs firing, it’s said government.

 

[Stigy]

Yesterday when travelling from Leamington to Oakham at 6pm in the evening, multiple trains on this route got cancelled 'due to staff shortages'. I have never seen such a pathetic excuse for such incredible disruption on this network.
I do not want to offend anyone, but if a train cannot run because of a staff shortage and that staff member is not off sick or with other issues, that staff member should be fired on the spot. I had to fork out a huge amount of money yesterday to go an alternative route.

“Fired on the spot”….are you for real?

 

[dk1]

Isn’t the staff shortage occurring because the train operators aren’t allowed to employ any more staff by the government? If anyone needs firing, it’s said government.

At my TOC driver, conductor & catering training and recruitment has never stopped. Train operators would not get Rest Day Working agreements from ASLEF if driver vacancies weren't filled.

 

[Merseysider]

if a train cannot run because of a staff shortage and that staff member is not off sick or with other issues, that staff member should be fired on the spot

with the greatest of respect, and the utmost impartiality, it is not the railway staff who deserve your ire, rather it is the somehow-still-in-power Tory government who control the pursestrings who have frustrated spending, overtime agreements and recruitment.

 

[laseandre]

Yesterday when travelling from Leamington to Oakham at 6pm in the evening, multiple trains on this route got cancelled 'due to staff shortages'. I have never seen such a pathetic excuse for such incredible disruption on this network.
I do not want to offend anyone, but if a train cannot run because of a staff shortage and that staff member is not off sick or with other issues, that staff member should be fired on the spot. I had to fork out a huge amount of money yesterday to go an alternative route.

Firing someone who doesn't exist on the spot for not showing up? The employment lawyers will have a field day with that one.

 

[contrex]

Its like one of those memes isnt it. "In Russia, train cancels you!"

Soviet Russia, as I remember it!

In Soviet Russia - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[GoneSouth]

Yesterday when travelling from Leamington to Oakham at 6pm in the evening, multiple trains on this route got cancelled 'due to staff shortages'. I have never seen such a pathetic excuse for such incredible disruption on this network.
I do not want to offend anyone, but if a train cannot run because of a staff shortage and that staff member is not off sick or with other issues, that staff member should be fired on the spot. I had to fork out a huge amount of money yesterday to go an alternative route.

And firing people will reduce the number of available staff further presumably. Nicely thought out plan!

 

[InkyScrolls]

with the greatest of respect, and the utmost impartiality, it is not the railway staff who deserve your ire, rather it is the somehow-still-in-power Tory government who control the pursestrings who have frustrated spending, overtime agreements and recruitment.

Somehow I suspect the original poster won't see the Tory government as a negative.

 

[Wolfie]

And firing people will reduce the number of available staff further presumably. Nicely thought out plan!

Even better is that it will be in a two-fold manner. Not only will there be less staff to schedule but those who they do have will likely be taking industrial action....

 

[Deafdoggie]

with the greatest of respect, and the utmost impartiality, it is not the railway staff who deserve your ire, rather it is the somehow-still-in-power Tory government who control the pursestrings who have frustrated spending, overtime agreements and recruitment.

Anyone who thinks all the problems will disappear when Labour come to power will be very disappointed indeed.

 

[chris_in_salop]

Probably best to drive next time.

As a paying passenger, you are nothing more than a nuisance. The railway doesn't want your custom. So don't give it them.

 

[Meole]

A series of trains cancelled due to staff shortage suggests it is not train crew that's the problem - more likely a signal box. (It has happened before when a signalman has been taken ill while on duty and it has taken a while to get a relief to take over.)

Signal boxes are rare these days surely.
Anyway no reason the TOC can't call in a sub from the extra board.

 

[dk1]

Anyway no reason the TOC can't call in a sub from the extra board.

I have no idea what you mean by this.

 

[43066]

Signal boxes are rare these days surely.

There’s a signal box controlling every bit of the railway. Some are bigger, and control rather more of it, than others.

Anyway no reason the TOC can't call in a sub from the extra board.

What does this mean?

Anyone who thinks all the problems will disappear when Labour come to power will be very disappointed indeed.

Sacking non existent staff for not showing up to work, as suggested by the OP, certainly won’t help matters! So let’s hope Labour don’t adopt that particular policy .

 

[12LDA28C]

Probably best to drive next time.

As a paying passenger, you are nothing more than a nuisance. The railway doesn't want your custom. So don't give it them.

What utter nonsense. That might be how it appears occasionally to passengers but it's certainly not the case in general.

 

[trainophile]

Regardless of the reasons, it’s disturbing to note at 19:30 tonight on Northern Journey Check 80 cancellations, all for the remainder of today, before we even get onto the bank holiday situation tomorrow.

Some stated shortage of a member of train crew, some the infuriating short notice change to the timetable. Someone in scheduling must have known ahead of today that the situation was serious. Why can’t they just admit they can’t provide the services they continue to sell tickets for?

 

[TB]

Yesterday when travelling from Leamington to Oakham at 6pm in the evening, multiple trains on this route got cancelled 'due to staff shortages'. I have never seen such a pathetic excuse for such incredible disruption on this network.
I do not want to offend anyone, but if a train cannot run because of a staff shortage and that staff member is not off sick or with other issues, that staff member should be fired on the spot. I had to fork out a huge amount of money yesterday to go an alternative route.

And where do you find a replacement driver that doesn't need 12 months or however long to be trained, is fully route trained (or who is able to drop everything and potentially move across the country) to replace the sacked driver instantly to prevent a shortage later that day or the next day or the day after that etc etc...