Staff on trains - shifts etc

[bunnahabhain]

Is work grouped so they work the same lines for a couple of weeks and then move elsewhere? (I don't see guards for months and then see them a few times close together, except 1 who is nearly always on the same train each week (Thursday mornings))

Yes and no, you do tend to get a run of similar jobs some days, but generally you'll not get the same turn more than twice a week unless you're accommodated, we only have about four or five turns for the accommodated link and that is split over two links with a few people having "their" diagram which they will work either 4 or 5 days a week depending on how long the diagram is.

For example in the past four weeks I've only worked two shifts twice, one of those I worked on a Monday, Thursday and Friday, and the other I worked on a Saturday (different number same diagram) and then almost two weeks later on a weekday.

My depot has almost 50 diagrams for guards so the chances of me popping up on the same turn more than once a week are usually relatively low unless its an accomodated job thats not covered, then I have ended up working the same turn almost all week long.

 

[sarahj]

For us Southern staff the routes that we sign also vary by depot. As a Brighton link 2 guard I sign:

Brighton - Lewes
Lewes - Seaford
Lewes to Ore
Lewes to Keymer junction
Brighton to East croydon via both Quarry and Redhill
East croydon to London Bridge
East croydon to Clapham Junction (only via Thornton Heath)
Clapham Junction to Victoria (direct lines only, not off at pouparts and the altantic lines)
Preston Park to Hove via Cliftonville tunnel
Brighton - Hove
Hove to Portsmouth Harbour.
Barnham to Bognor
Arundel junction to Littlehampton
Ford junction to Littlehampton
Three Bridges to Arundel junction (arun valley line via Horsham).

Link 1 signs also to Southampton.

Other depots, not 100% sure, but I know eastbourne only sign as far west as Hove, but sign to Ashford. Redhill only sign from Hove to Preston Park, not via Brighton (plus of course things like Redhill Tonbridge, Horhsham to Dorking etc.)

My traction is 377,442 and 313. And I'm PTS for DC only. I have to carry a competency licence which lists this info and expires 20/07/2020, but off course we are tested on rules and pts all he time. (changes all the time, used to be line manager questions, then a computer test, now classroom based exam on sections), plus train rides.

I'd post a idea of a diagram on here, but cannot seem to copy over from a pdf to here very well.

SJ
SJ

 

[Matt Taylor]

Here's a typical shift card for a non commercial turn at Strawberry Hill:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40172673@N03/7026272639/in/photolist-bGTu4H-bADxh4-didpai-dkb2MZ-didoTV-didmZW-didoXV-didmNW-didp32-dkb445-didmJA-didpbP-didnbw-comPfE-didn63-didph4-didn7w-bnUkT8-dni8UH-bt5Sw4-bt5SE2-bt5SzZ-bswTqK-a6WQ4J-a6WQ5u-ksiENo-jd4YYk-comP83-bBzbTY-dnicaL

 

[455driver]

Here's a typical shift card for a non commercial turn at Strawberry Hill:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40172673@N03/7026272639/in/photolist-bGTu4H-bADxh4-didpai-dkb2MZ-didoTV-didmZW-didoXV-didmNW-didp32-dkb445-didmJA-didpbP-didnbw-comPfE-didn63-didph4-didn7w-bnUkT8-dni8UH-bt5Sw4-bt5SE2-bt5SzZ-bswTqK-a6WQ4J-a6WQ5u-ksiENo-jd4YYk-comP83-bBzbTY-dnicaL

I see you put up one of the nice shifts, have you got a copy of 206 or 207 for comparison?

 

[Matt Taylor]

The odd thing is that compared to typical Fratton work both 206 & 207 are pretty straightforward! A double Waterloo is basic work for Fratton an that's a minimum of 9h 30m

How about:

12 car ECS Depot-Ports Hbr
12 car 0550 Stopper to Waterloo
12 car 0753 Waterloo-Woking
12 car 0847 Woking-Waterloo
PNB
5 car 1045 Waterloo-Portsmouth & Southsea stopper
pass to Fratton.

That's a lot of carriages to walk through and a lot of passengers to look after.

 

[craigybagel]

Yes then. It has changed. But the OP didn't say all drivers at the depot

How does it work at New Street now with the drivers and the different links?

 

[455driver]

The odd thing is that compared to typical Fratton work both 206 & 207 are pretty straightforward! A double Waterloo is basic work for Fratton an that's a minimum of 9h 30m

How about:

12 car ECS Depot-Ports Hbr
12 car 0550 Stopper to Waterloo
12 car 0753 Waterloo-Woking
12 car 0847 Woking-Waterloo
PNB
5 car 1045 Waterloo-Portsmouth & Southsea stopper
pass to Fratton.

That's a lot of carriages to walk through and a lot of passengers to look after.

Yuck springs to mind!

 

[Antman]

East Midlands Trains guards at Nottingham travel on the morning ECS to Liverpool Lime Street, departs Nottingham at 0400 and arrives at 0613 - that must be a contender, though obviously the train is not in passenger service!

Sorry if it sounds a silly question but what does the guard do between 04.00 and 06.13? Just get a bit of shut eye?

 

[Beveridges]

Sorry if it sounds a silly question but what does the guard do between 04.00 and 06.13? Just get a bit of shut eye?

The Guard does not have to do anything while travelling passenger on ECS other than get off the train at the required location.

 

[bunnahabhain]

Sorry if it sounds a silly question but what does the guard do between 04.00 and 06.13? Just get a bit of shut eye?

More or less, yes, or read a book, listen to music, do some road refreshing as it takes in a few diversionary routes. Some I know bring pillows and a sleeping bag!

 

[plastictaffy]

Sorry if it sounds a silly question but what does the guard do between 04.00 and 06.13? Just get a bit of shut eye?

If the train is ECS and you've got a tidy guy on the sharp end, get yourself up the front and learn the route from a drivers' point of view.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The odd thing is that compared to typical Fratton work both 206 & 207 are pretty straightforward! A double Waterloo is basic work for Fratton an that's a minimum of 9h 30m

How about:

12 car ECS Depot-Ports Hbr
12 car 0550 Stopper to Waterloo
12 car 0753 Waterloo-Woking
12 car 0847 Woking-Waterloo
PNB
5 car 1045 Waterloo-Portsmouth & Southsea stopper
pass to Fratton.

That's a lot of carriages to walk through and a lot of passengers to look after.

We have a dreaded job too.
8 car 350 to London
8 car 321's on three trips to Tring International, with a PNB in between trips two and three
Pass back from Euston. See that come up on the 7 or 48, and book the day off.
We also have jobs with four trips to Bedford. Watford have jobs with 10 (I think) round trips to St. Albans Abbey.

 

[Jones]

Can someone tell me the difference between commercial and non Commercial guards?

 

[plastictaffy]

Jones - at my place, you do the "commercial" part of the training before you're allowed to sell tickets. So my guess is that "non-commercial" don't carry ticket machines. Perhaps the job they're working doesn't go to any unbarriered stations, and therefore there's very little tickets to be sold on board.

 

[Minilad]

How does it work at New Street now with the drivers and the different links?

In a word. A mess. Sorry thats two words

 

[the sniper]

Can someone tell me the difference between commercial and non Commercial guards?

Commercial Guards (Usually called Conductors) usually carry an Avantix Mobile machine and can do tickets. Non commercial guards are lucky bleeps who don't do tickets. I'd much rather be the latter than the former!

 

[infobleep]

Do non commercial guards only cover barriers stations? I never see anyone buying a ticket on the Guildford to Waterloo via Cobham services yet not all stations have barriers.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

[Jones]

Thanks chaps

 

[david_VI]

That diagram posted earlier was really interesting.. Noone happens to have a typical shift for a GA driver/guard?

 

[306024]

No such thing as a typical shift. They vary from 5 to 10 hours on GA, although there are not too many of the really long shifts. Depends where you are based as to what the diagrams look like.

 

[Sleepy]

of course savvy guards know when a trip can become non- commercial !! E.g. between certain barriered stations where 100% of pax will hold tickets and you are just wasting shoe leather (and your energy), at the end of the day you can get pulled up for safety critical issue very quickly but unless you are very lazy no one will hassle you about tickets IME.

 

[455driver]

Do non commercial guards only cover barriers stations? I never see anyone buying a ticket on the Guildford to Waterloo via Cobham services yet not all stations have barriers.

On the Cobham route most trains are covered by non commercial guards so no ticket check, they do send a team of RPIs down occasionally to remind some people of the need to buy tickets!

 

[LBSCR Times]

On the Cobham route most trains are covered by non commercial guards so no ticket check, they do send a team of RPIs down occasionally to remind some people of the need to buy tickets!

Usually after Hinchley Wood, even though that was the first station outside of the Travelcard Zone. One morning when travelling home off of nights, the RPI pulled up several women who had Travelcards, going to Claygate, but it was the same RPI a few days later, who caught them out again.......

 

[infobleep]

On the Cobham route most trains are covered by non commercial guards so no ticket check, they do send a team of RPIs down occasionally to remind some people of the need to buy tickets!

They certainly do. I almost missed a train because of a Guildford platform blockade. Bear in mind I had to go through the ticket barriers at Guildford to be in the position. Admittedly I could have just got a bridge pass but one can do that and head south towards Portsmouth Harbour and they never do blockades of platform 4. The Portsmouth trains would have commercial guards but it requires the guard to be in the right coach to check your ticket and not be busy dealing with something else when the trains going.

Will they ever put commercial guards on the Cobham route?

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

[david_VI]

No such thing as a typical shift. They vary from 5 to 10 hours on GA, although there are not too many of the really long shifts. Depends where you are based as to what the diagrams look like.

Okay when I said typical I didn't really mean typical . I'm just curious of the diagrams, especially for a Colchester based driver.. Although it'l be a few years before I get to that stage.

David

 

[306024]

Okay when I said typical I didn't really mean typical . I'm just curious of the diagrams, especially for a Colchester based driver.. Although it'l be a few years before I get to that stage.

David

Ah that narrows it down

Colchester drivers have a fair bit of variety. Routes are:
Liverpool St - Ipswich
Stratford - Orient Way
Witham - Braintree
Marks Tey - Sudbury
Colchester - Clacton / Walton including via Colchester Town
Manningtree - Harwich Town
No.1 link also sign Ipswich - Peterborough

Traction is 153, 156, 321, 360, and in No.1 link 170

Shifts start from 04.15 or finish up to 02.00 ish, but there are no night running diagrams. Early diagrams tend to be shorter than late ones. Work is a mix of driver only operation or with conductors on the branch lines. Some jobs involve two trips to London, but others just on branch lines, there is quite a mix.

For depot drivers there are night shifts, plus the complication of working out how to stable all the trains each night are there are more units than siding space. It's a good chess puzzle, which involves stabling trains in platforms 4, 5 and 6 as well.

I see you've just started with GA, ask someone to show you where the diagrams are on the company intranet site, that will tell you all you want to know.

 

[david_VI]

Ah that narrows it down

Colchester drivers have a fair bit of variety. Routes are:
Liverpool St - Ipswich
Stratford - Orient Way
Witham - Braintree
Marks Tey - Sudbury
Colchester - Clacton / Walton including via Colchester Town
Manningtree - Harwich Town
No.1 link also sign Ipswich - Peterborough

Traction is 153, 156, 321, 360, and in No.1 link 170

Shifts start from 04.15 or finish up to 02.00 ish, but there are no night running diagrams. Early diagrams tend to be shorter than late ones. Work is a mix of driver only operation or with conductors on the branch lines. Some jobs involve two trips to London, but others just on branch lines, there is quite a mix.

For depot drivers there are night shifts, plus the complication of working out how to stable all the trains each night are there are more units than siding space. It's a good chess puzzle, which involves stabling trains in platforms 4, 5 and 6 as well.

I see you've just started with GA, ask someone to show you where the diagrams are on the company intranet site, that will tell you all you want to know.

Cheers!
Interesting, on the intranet it doesn't mention Colchester drivers do Harwich. I didn't think diagrams were on the intranet, i've been snooping around it to get an idea of things even though i've only just done induction week :roll .

Probably a few years before I leave the depot if the promotions/transfer list is anything to go by but the depot seems a great place to learn and I used to enjoy puzzles .

 

[306024]

Have a look under Departments / Train Planning. You'll meet some of the friendly faces that do the diagrams as well

 

[plastictaffy]

of course savvy guards know when a trip can become non- commercial !! E.g. between certain barriered stations where 100% of pax will hold tickets and you are just wasting shoe leather (and your energy), at the end of the day you can get pulled up for safety critical issue very quickly but unless you are very lazy no one will hassle you about tickets IME.

You should try working for my TOC. We're "expected" to sell 10.46 tickets a day, apparently. However there's always the select few that WILL NOT walk trains, and nothing ever seems to be said to them.

 

[GodAtum]

I had a funny chat with a guard this morning. he walked through checking tickets (I was the only one in 1st). A guy then waited until he left the carriage then moved seat into 1st. I wasnt expecting the guard to come back and I guess he wasnt either. Anyway the guard did come back and told him to move. When he left the guard looked at me then rolled his eyes. I said he thought you where born yesterday lol. We then had a quick chat avoid fare evaders.

 

[plastictaffy]

I had a funny chat with a guard this morning. he walked through checking tickets (I was the only one in 1st). A guy then waited until he left the carriage then moved seat into 1st. I wasnt expecting the guard to come back and I guess he wasnt either. Anyway the guard did come back and told him to move. When he left the guard looked at me then rolled his eyes. I said he thought you where born yesterday lol. We then had a quick chat avoid fare evaders.

Plenty that will do that!! I like to walk through there after Watford on the up, get all those that hold those mythical 1st class Oysters.........
I won't check the whole train at that point because I've already done it, but to see their faces when you walk in makes my morning!!! I like the ones that see you come in, and scarper out the other end with a sheepish look on their face. Also, another classic for fare dodgers is; they know that they can tell where you are in the train by whch hazard light is flashing when stationary, you can see them checking for it and then walking to the other end. I'll always take a wander down and ask them for a ticket. A good few will buy one - the "Honest Dishonest" if you will. They'll pay, but you have to ask for it!!