Why No GWR Trains on the south Pembrokeshire Line Today - Sat 8 July?

[Envoy]

On summer Saturdays, GWR run IET’s down to Pembroke Dock. Today (8 July) none were running - why?

 

[JonathanH]

On summer Saturdays, GWR run IET’s down to Pembroke Dock. Today (8 July) none were running - why?

Industrial action - ASLEF overtime ban - seems the most likely reason.

 

[Envoy]

Industrial action

So, I guess it means that the drivers for these services would have been volunteers working overtime? That’s really tough on tourists & locals heading in/out of south Pembrokeshire where trains are only every other hour including those run by TfW.

Hopefully GWR will employ more drivers and banish overtime.

 

[JonathanH]

So, I guess it means that the drivers for these services would have been volunteers working overtime?

No, not necessarily.

I would have thought it means that a) GWR are prioritising their core service, and b) GWR are avoiding the risk that the service is cancelled if the service can't be covered, so remove it from the schedule.

 

[cactustwirly]

So, I guess it means that the drivers for these services would have been volunteers working overtime? That’s really tough on tourists & locals heading in/out of south Pembrokeshire where trains are only every other hour including those run by TfW.

Hopefully GWR will employ more drivers and banish overtime.

It's one of the most resource intensive services and only a select number of Swansea Drivers and TMs sign down to Pembroke Dock.

Running the Pembroke service could have resulted in cancellations of the London to Swansea services which are more important than local services in Pembrokeshire.

 

[zwk500]

Hopefully GWR will employ more drivers and banish overtime.

It takes more than a year to train new drivers. And the DfT may have a say in paying the additional salaries.
In the longterm employing more drivers would be good, although in general a bit of overtime is no bad thing.

 

[Starmill]

Hopefully GWR will employ more drivers and banish overtime.

Lovely idea and would likely help enormously, but simply not going to happen without a quite a large annual budget increase being authorised. So under the current government simply not happening.

 

[allaction]

TfW also cancel services on the Pembroke Dock line whenever greater problems occur on their network - last Sunday 2 of the hardly generous 4 return services were pulled, on one of the busiest Sundays of the year, due to the staging of the Long Course Weekend in Tenby and surrounds.

We know what it’s like to be at the end of the line. Literally….

 

[Kite159]

TfW also cancel services on the Pembroke Dock line whenever greater problems occur on their network - last Sunday 2 of the hardly generous 4 return services were pulled, on one of the busiest Sundays of the year, due to the staging of the Long Course Weekend in Tenby and surrounds.

We know what it’s like to be at the end of the line. Literally….

I noticed it yesterday that the service was near enough wiped out west of Carmarthen in the evening

 

[Anonymous10]

TfW also cancel services on the Pembroke Dock line whenever greater problems occur on their network - last Sunday 2 of the hardly generous 4 return services were pulled, on one of the busiest Sundays of the year, due to the staging of the Long Course Weekend in Tenby and surrounds.

We know what it’s like to be at the end of the line. Literally….

And we know that our service can and will be pulled at any time if there's issues elsewhere. There's a reason many drive to milford or more likely Carmarthen to travel elsewhere by train.

 

[davidgiles]

I was booked on the GWR from Reading to Pembroke Dock today, and got an email about 10 days ago to say it had been cancelled. No reason given. Nor any info when I tried asking GWR on Messenger. Advised to ‘get the next train to Pembroke Dock’, which I assume is 15 July!

I travelled on the booked train, today terminating short at Swansea. There was no mention on board of what intending Pembroke-bound passengers should do, or any admission at all of the original destination. Seat reservations were unavailable, presumably also to avoid any unwanted mention of Carmarthenshire/Pembrokeshire stations no longer served.

Consequently, with no replacement transport put on, I had to wait for the next TfW service, eventually arriving at 1601 instead of the intended 1400. Delay Repay here I come. I imagine they will pretend it wasn’t cancelled because it didn’t exist in the 2200 the day before plan.

 

[Envoy]

I was booked on the GWR from Reading to Pembroke Dock today, and got an email about 10 days ago to say it had been cancelled. No reason given. Nor any info when I tried asking GWR on Messenger. Advised to ‘get the next train to Pembroke Dock’, which I assume is 15 July!

I travelled on the booked train, today terminating short at Swansea. There was no mention on board of what intending Pembroke-bound passengers should do, or any admission at all of the original destination. Seat reservations were unavailable, presumably also to avoid any unwanted mention of Carmarthenshire/Pembrokeshire stations no longer served.

Consequently, with no replacement transport put on, I had to wait for the next TfW service, eventually arriving at 1601 instead of the intended 1400. Delay Repay here I come. I imagine they will pretend it wasn’t cancelled because it didn’t exist in the 2200 the day before plan.

It is appalling what happened to you. Why did GWR not hire in buses to convey people between Swansea/Carmarthen and south Pembrokeshire? Why did GWR not offer any advice for passengers heading west of Swansea?

Many thanks everyone for your comments and the fact that TfW are also providing unreliable services in SW Wales.

 

[Anonymous10]

It is appalling what happened to you. Why did GWR not hire in buses to convey people between Swansea/Carmarthen and south Pembrokeshire? Why did GWR not offer any advice for passengers heading west of Swansea?

Many thanks everyone for your comments and the fact that TfW are also providing unreliable services in SW Wales.

This is normal there's a shortage of bus drivers locally making replacement travel difficult and on disruption the mainline always will be prioritised

 

[dk1]

The same would have occurred on the 22nd July as working to rule applies all that week but it’s also an RMT strike day too.

 

[railfan99]

TfW also cancel services on the Pembroke Dock line whenever greater problems occur on their network - last Sunday 2 of the hardly generous 4 return services were pulled, on one of the busiest Sundays of the year, due to the staging of the Long Course Weekend in Tenby and surrounds.

We know what it’s like to be at the end of the line. Literally….

This is a concern, as on a Eurailpass later in the year, I've included an overnight stay at Pembroke Dock with next morning planning to be on the 0659 weekday up to Llanelli to change to a Shrewsbury-bound train via the famous branch line. However, a general strike (or overtime bans) are just as big a threat. Talk about white-knuckle travel.

After travelling in the UK last September and early October prior to a European holiday with my wife, I thought the strikes would be over in a couple of months. How wrong I have been.

 

[robert thomas]

This is a concern, as on a Eurailpass later in the year, I've included an overnight stay at Pembroke Dock with next morning planning to be on the 0659 weekday up to Llanelli to change to a Shrewsbury-bound train via the famous branch line. However, a general strike (or overtime bans) are just as big a threat. Talk about white-knuckle travel.

After travelling in the UK last September and early October prior to a European holiday with my wife, I thought the strikes would be over in a couple of months. How wrong I have been.

There are no current strikes on Tfw

 

[Watershed]

This is a concern, as on a Eurailpass later in the year, I've included an overnight stay at Pembroke Dock with next morning planning to be on the 0659 weekday up to Llanelli to change to a Shrewsbury-bound train via the famous branch line. However, a general strike (or overtime bans) are just as big a threat. Talk about white-knuckle travel.

After travelling in the UK last September and early October prior to a European holiday with my wife, I thought the strikes would be over in a couple of months. How wrong I have been.

TfW services haven't really been affected by industrial action since the Network Rail signallers' dispute was resolved, as they aren't in dispute with any of their staff.

There's currently a controversial driver deal being voted on, which it appears different depots are very split on whether to accept or reject. But I can't see that heading for strike action as the Welsh government gives TfW the leeway to conduct sensible negotiations - unlike Westminster with the DfT TOCs.

 

[cactustwirly]

It is appalling what happened to you. Why did GWR not hire in buses to convey people between Swansea/Carmarthen and south Pembrokeshire? Why did GWR not offer any advice for passengers heading west of Swansea?

Many thanks everyone for your comments and the fact that TfW are also providing unreliable services in SW Wales.

Surely it should be TfW that should arrange buses?

 

[Anonymous10]

Surely it should be TfW that should arrange buses?

Why would tfw be hiring road transport for another toc

 

[cactustwirly]

Why would tfw be hiring road transport for another toc

Swansea to Pembroke Dock is the responsibility of TfW.
GWR only operate twice a day

 

[Anonymous10]

Swansea to Pembroke Dock is the responsibility of TfW.
GWR only operate twice a day

However gwr are responsible for that service

 

[cactustwirly]

However gwr are responsible for that service

There are alternatives in the form of TFW, so why do they need to arrange buses?

 

[Anonymous10]

There are alternatives in the form of TFW, so why do they need to arrange buses?

Because the service in question is provided by gwr on a summer Saturday ie tfw do not operate it. The line sees a service every other hour and usually gets replacement travel

 

[Mark Carter]

So I was trying to book the 10.00 GWR Pembroke Dock to Swansea tomorrow, no sign of it. There are no strikes and it is still listed to 9th September in the main timetables. Any idea why it is not running or even showing as cancelled. TFW have seemingly removed their services at those times for the summer peak so that Great Western replaces them or not as seems the case. Poor old Pembroke Dock line

 

[Western 52]

Not showing on RTT either, but GWR have other cancelled trains in west Wales today due to train crew shortages, so that's probably the issue. Leaves Tenby and Pembroke with a 4 hour gap on a summer Saturday!

 

[Trainguy34]

So I was trying to book the 10.00 GWR Pembroke Dock to Swansea tomorrow, no sign of it. There are no strikes and it is still listed to 9th September in the main timetables. Any idea why it is not running or even showing as cancelled. TFW have seemingly removed their services at those times for the summer peak so that Great Western replaces them or not as seems the case. Poor old Pembroke Dock line

By the looks of RTT, it's been cut back to Cardiff, your best bet is probably the 9.48 from Paddington to Swansea.

 

[Mark Carter]

By the looks of RTT, it's been cut back to Cardiff, your best bet is probably the 9.48 from Paddington to Swansea.

I was going Pembroke Dock to Swansea. Huge gap for holiday visitors both morning and afternoon My point is that the average customer does not have a clue if he is relying on the main timetable

 

[robert thomas]

I was going Pembroke Dock to Swansea. Huge gap for holiday visitors both morning and afternoon My point is that the average customer does not have a clue if he is relying on the main timetable

It has not run to Pembroke Dock during the ASLEf overtime ban

 

[43055]

So I was trying to book the 10.00 GWR Pembroke Dock to Swansea tomorrow, no sign of it. There are no strikes and it is still listed to 9th September in the main timetables. Any idea why it is not running or even showing as cancelled. TFW have seemingly removed their services at those times for the summer peak so that Great Western replaces them or not as seems the case. Poor old Pembroke Dock line

There is the overtime ban this week and next which is probably the reason why it is removed.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

So I was trying to book the 10.00 GWR Pembroke Dock to Swansea tomorrow, no sign of it. There are no strikes and it is still listed to 9th September in the main timetables. Any idea why it is not running or even showing as cancelled. TFW have seemingly removed their services at those times for the summer peak so that Great Western replaces them or not as seems the case. Poor old Pembroke Dock line

There is no ‘strike’ but there still is industrial action which means sadly it’s not possible to resource that train.