Strikes - Who's driving and staffing?

[sutty]

Recently during the strikes I've had lots of time to stand and watch.

I've noted that trains pulling into stations (Especially BHM) are a lot slower, and sometimes marshalled into stations with platform staff using hand signals towards where stopping points.

At Wolverhampton trains are approaching slower and leaving slower.

Also - train staff on West Midland Trains making announcements are really quite funny and sarcastic (in a good way) which has got a few chuckles up and down the train.

Are the drivers people in training or with route knowledge needing refreshing?

Also: this is in no way a bad thing. I'm just curious as I've seen Avanti and West Midland Trains doing the above.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Various managers.

 

[brick60000]

Recently during the strikes I've had lots of time to stand and watch.

I've noted that trains pulling into stations (Especially BHM) are a lot slower, and sometimes marshalled into stations with platform staff using hand signals towards where stopping points.

At Wolverhampton trains are approaching slower and leaving slower.

Also - train staff on West Midland Trains making announcements are really quite funny and sarcastic (in a good way) which has got a few chuckles up and down the train.

Are the drivers people in training or with route knowledge needing refreshing?

Also: this is in no way a bad thing. I'm just curious as I've seen Avanti and West Midland Trains doing the above.

During RMT strikes trains/stations are worked by contingency staff, usually management grade employees that will include driver/senior conductor managers, and various other management staff that are passed as competent in safety critical duties.

The observation of trains being slower to arrive and depart are strange, because they are driven by regular drivers (as they weren’t on strike on the same days). Some operators use DMs to operate on ASLEF strike days, but WMT haven’t been operating anything on these days.

 

[the sniper]

I've noted that trains pulling into stations (Especially BHM) are a lot slower, and sometimes marshalled into stations with platform staff using hand signals towards where stopping points.

This is fairly standard at New Street, but might be more common during a strike where more trains are terminating and turning back, so they might not want trains going down to the signal ahead. If there are less staff, where trains stop on the platform can also become more important, due to the curvature on some platforms requiring more dispatchers, for seeing the length of the train to dispatch it and sighting the starting signal.

At Wolverhampton trains are approaching slower and leaving slower.

Linespeed's only 15mph...

 

[Starmill]

Are the drivers people in training or with route knowledge needing refreshing?

They're just the same drivers as usual. When drivers have been on strike at Avanti West Coast and West Midlands Trains, they have no service.

 

[PupCuff]

Slower to arrive and depart may well just be folk less bothered about chasing the minutes. Reduced service means there's fewer trains behind you that you'll delay, and there's less in front of you that'll hold you back from gaining time in running. No point in rushing things unnecessarily.

Strike days have seemed to me to be much more relaxed overall, which isn't a bad thing.

 

[Sprinter107]

Its a 10mph speed limit into Birmingham New Street, as it has been for many years. We very often get stopped short of platform signals by platform staff giving handsignals. Thats also been happening for years. Theres nothing different.

 

[the sniper]

Just a thought, the OP may have coincidentally noticed a slight change in approaches to New Street, as some 10/15 mph boards have been moved/introduced a bit further out in a few places with the resignalling over Christmas. I could imagine people have been approaching it a little bit more gingerly until they've got familiar with where the boards are now.

 

[sutty]

Just a thought, the OP may have coincidentally noticed a slight change in approaches to New Street, as some 10/15 mph boards have been moved/introduced a bit further out in a few places with the resignalling over Christmas. I could imagine people have been approaching it a little bit more gingerly until they've got familiar with where the boards are now.

This sounds the most likely explanation. I've been doing this route daily since 2009ish and notice changes.

The speed limits on approach doesn't feel the right answer with noticing trains being marshalled in almost like aircraft. I've not seen it before at BHM.

It could be the headway thing with not having trains behind to delay.

That said, it could also be that stations have been so quiet I'm looking around and noticing more things.

Thanks, all!

 

[Adam0984]

The slower approaches might be as a result of drivers taking it a bit easier as their guard is their driver manager on a normal day

 

[Silverlinky]

As far as i'm aware very few WMT Driver Managers (if any) are carrying out contingent SC roles during action. Roster clerks and admin staff, right through to Heads of Department and Directors have been carrying out contingent SC roles.

 

[sutty]

Just to add, I don't want the thread to devolve into speculation about anything that sounds negative, i.e staff being more careful because their boss is at the other end. I was just curious about the different driving styles.

 

[td97]

They're just the same drivers as usual. When drivers have been on strike at Avanti West Coast and West Midlands Trains, they have no service.

What about LNER who managed 38 or so services on the ASLEF strike day?

 

[43066]

What about LNER who managed 38 or so services on the ASLEF strike day?

Driver managers most likely? They’re basically the only people, other than regular drivers, who have competence to drive trains.

 

[Sleepy]

It all depends on what TOC agreements say driver managers can/cannot do on these days.

 

[Haywain]

Driver managers most likely? They’re basically the only people, other than regular drivers, who have competence to drive trains.

And probably a driver or two who are not ASLEF members.

 

[Silverlinky]

What about LNER who managed 38 or so services on the ASLEF strike day?

When was this?

 

[800001]

When was this?

Thursday just gone

 

[dk1]

And probably a driver or two who are not ASLEF members.

Are there such things?

What about LNER who managed 38 or so services on the ASLEF strike day?

Remember a lot of those where partial or short hop connecting services.

 

[Annetts key]

Are there such things?

There are some drivers who are in the RMT.

 

[Haywain]

Are there such things?

I have no idea but it's fairly rare to find any workplace with 100% union membership these days. And some drivers are RMT members so they wouldn't be striking.

 

[dk1]

There are some drivers who are in the RMT.

Oh yes but they are quite a rare breed up & down the national rail network.

I have no idea but it's fairly rare to find any workplace with 100% union membership these days. And some drivers are RMT members so they wouldn't be striking.

Extremely strong union membership amongst drivers on my patch.

 

[Haywain]

Extremely strong union membership amongst drivers on my patch.

Extremely strong isn't the same as 100%.

 

[dk1]

Extremely strong isn't the same as 100%.

It’s pretty damn close.

 

[InkyScrolls]

It’s pretty damn close.

But not the same.

 

[dk1]

But not the same.

Nobody said anything was the same.

 

[Bald Rick]

Remember a lot of those where partial or short hop connecting services.

Most of them were London to Leeds, York or Edinburgh (Or v.v.)

 

[dk1]

Most of them were London to Leeds, York or Edinburgh (Or v.v.)

Lots where Doncaster-Leeds shuttles.

 

[Bald Rick]

Lots were Doncaster-Leeds shuttles.

12 to be precise. The majority were main line.

 

[CE142]

Extremely strong isn't the same as 100%.

My Depot is 100% on both sides, as is the two Depots within half an hour of us.