Northern: North West Sunday Crew Shortages

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Yesterday, Ashton saw its first Sunday trains since 29th September.

Ashton (-under-Lyne) has both tram and bus alternatives on a Sunday. Look at the other Sunday public transport alternatives in the "country station" towns in places from Chinley to Grindleford.

 

[Bovverboy]

Just when you thought that the 'excuses' for failing to operate couldn't get any sillier, we have tonight's 2216 Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester Airport (via CLC, semi-fast) cancelled 'due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time'. This is at 2216 on a Sunday, when Northern's rolling stock requirement is likely to be no more than 50% of its requirement at Mon-Fri peak, if that.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Just when you thought that the 'excuses' for failing to operate couldn't get any sillier, we have tonight's 2216 Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester Airport (via CLC, semi-fast) cancelled 'due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time'. This is at 2216 on a Sunday, when Northern's rolling stock requirement is likely to be no more than 50% of its requirement at Mon-Fri peak, if that.

If the new franchise starts on Sunday, 1st March 2020, this will only leave Northern one more Sunday in which to make such creative use of the English language.

 

[Llama]

Just when you thought that the 'excuses' for failing to operate couldn't get any sillier, we have tonight's 2216 Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester Airport (via CLC, semi-fast) cancelled 'due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time'. This is at 2216 on a Sunday, when Northern's rolling stock requirement is likely to be no more than 50% of its requirement at Mon-Fri peak, if that.

It's the use of the word 'usual' that annoys me with that excuse.

 

[Bovverboy]

But there has been a productivity package voted in today by drivers which will see more commitment to working Sundays. The relevant terms within the agreement commence on 26th January.

There don't appear to be any planned cancellations for today (Sun), so I presume that is a consequence of the latest 'productivity package' coming into effect.
Won't this be to the detriment of Monday to Saturday services, as last time? There aren't suddenly going to be noticeably more drivers, are there?

I haven't been following the situation as closely as I might have done, but I noticed that on Saturday night just gone (29/2/20 - this was ATN's last day) three of the last four ex-Liverpool Chat Moss stoppers missed through driver shortage, as did the last but one Liverpool-bound journey. There's nothing like going out in style!

 

[Llama]

There were some odd things happen last night, I think there is no smoke without fire.

 

[40145 Panther]

Hours into Northern's status as an Operator of Last Resort, I noticed that Bustitution seems to have returned to the StalyVegas Shuttle. After a month of Sunday diagrams with trains instead of buses up to the end of Arriva's tenure. On Sunday, First Greater Manchester was providing buses for the section between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge. According to the Northern website, more of the same is planned next Sunday. I understand that the Old Lanky Line saw buses on most Sundays in 2019, so I was wondering if the same old staffing issues have returned to the fore.

 

[Killingworth]

Hours into Northern's status as an Operator of Last Resort, I noticed that Bustitution seems to have returned to the StalyVegas Shuttle. After a month of Sunday diagrams with trains instead of buses up to the end of Arriva's tenure. On Sunday, First Greater Manchester was providing buses for the section between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge. According to the Northern website, more of the same is planned next Sunday. I understand that the Old Lanky Line saw buses on most Sundays in 2019, so I was wondering if the same old staffing issues have returned to the fore.

Given that there are no Sunday trains at all on the Hope Valley line due to engineering work during February and March (no information on what exactly is being done to improve it) that should have released 3 crews to cover elsewhere. Sundays are, of course, the second busiest days of the week for leisure users to the Peak District, be they coming from the Sheffield or Manchester sides. After 6 months of strikes wiping out the busiest Saturday services it's no wonder rail makes a barely noticeable contribution to reducing the number of cars and minibuses coming into the Peak.

The bus substitutes are barely used, not least because no notices have been posted at stations by Northern and the bus stops aren't visible from the platforms!

 

[40145 Panther]

Given that there are no Sunday trains at all on the Hope Valley line due to engineering work during February and March (no information on what exactly is being done to improve it) that should have released 3 crews to cover elsewhere. Sundays are, of course, the second busiest days of the week for leisure users to the Peak District, be they coming from the Sheffield or Manchester sides. After 6 months of strikes wiping out the busiest Saturday services it's no wonder rail makes a barely noticeable contribution to reducing the number of cars and minibuses coming into the Peak.

The bus substitutes are barely used, not least because no notices have been posted at stations by Northern and the bus stops aren't visible from the platforms!

Transport for Greater Manchester also has 'Rail Replacement Services' written down on some bus stop flags that are close to smaller rail stations in Greater Manchester. Of course, it is received wisdom that RRBs would use station forecourts at bigger stations; as at Stalybridge, though TfGM's notice also appears on the bus stops at Rassbottom Street.

As for the lack of notices by Northern (Arriva and DfT OLR eras), you are spot on. I didn't see a single poster outside Ashton-under-Lyne railway station - or a sticker in the windscreen of one of the rail replacement buses. Nor a single person directing passengers on to the bus.

 

[175001]

Engineering work between Victoria and Stalybridge yesterday. Nothing to do with crew