The hold up to the training programme has nothing to do with DOO.
Thanks for the corrective update. However it (Northern's position) is full of apparent contradictions.
It hasn't even been discussed with ASLEF. Northern tried to include responsibility for SDO but this was rejected by ASLEF and is now in the guards training package.
Not sure how you can include SDO training using controls on the cab desk without making reference to DOO: those controls are there for a reason!
The training programme was agreed with ASLEF. The sticking point is that Northern are now saying the training programme (and agreed payments for undertaking training on rest days) only applies to fully qualified drivers (non PQA) and newly qualified drivers will get less.
How can some drivers receive more training than others? A basic principle of railway training is that you are either competent or not, there is no partial competence.
Also as the training needs to be over 7 consecutive days (5 days if not signing both 331s and 195s) there is debate over whether drivers can be forced to work rest days to cover this even if it's been agreed with ASLEF is there anything the company can do if individual drivers refuse it?
Does this mean that the specific traction instructors will have to work 7 days a week for the duration of the training programme? What am I missing?
There are also some minor details regarding travel and lodging agreements for specific depots to be resolved.
Lodging issues are not new, they arise every time a new recruit for a "remote" depot enters the training school. The costs (and other implications) would surely have been included in the franchise bid so why are they an issue now?
At the moment ASLEF are in a 'fail to agree' position with the company, although that could escalate to industrial action this is unlikely as it's in Northerns interest to resolve it quickly.
Are Northern really interested in resolving the issues? ISTM quite possible that they still hope that RMT will give up their opposition before any talks with ASLEF are necessary. In fact we may even end up with lots of shiny new trains laid up in sidings all over the Northern network while passengers continue to suffer both overcrowding and continued use of the hated Pacers all because there is an unwillingness on the part of Northern/DfT to actually resolve the dispute through a negotiated settlement.
None of the new trains have been signed off yet so training cannot even begin with an agreement. The latest ive heard is very limited introduction in March (not diagrammed) with more from May. Northern are still misinforming passengers on Twitter though that these trains will be introduced this year!
Sadly it seems that clear and open communication is an alien concept to Northern under Arriva.
It is indeed, and probably highlights that the only service in Northernland that would justify genuine DOO i.e. with no second member of staff even for revenue is probably Metrolink, which is of course already DOO (or Merseyrail, which appears to have an agreement based on a second member of staff with no actual role thus far). Might be justified on the Hadfields at a push, but for the rest OBS is probably going to work quite well.
Not the first time you have made such a suggestion but it makes no sense. Hadfield/Glossop route has a basic half-hourly service just as on many other Northern routes. Using your parameters the Leeds "triangle" is a much better candidate.
