CrossCountry coronavirus timetable - skipped stops

[Snow1964]

To be fair they're not alone. Both TPE and XC have probably got enough staff to run only around 55-65% of the December 2019 timetable by train kilometres. It's just that XC are handling it with a permanently reduced timetable and TPE are handling it by giving in to chaos. ScotRail have already implemented a significant permanent cut of around 20% for the same reason, and that's also much too optimistic a timetable and has had to be reduced again.

With Covid apparently affecting between 1 in 30 and 1 in 45 (depending on who you ask, and which part of the country) that equates to about 2-4% of staff

So where are the other 30-40% of staff shortages coming from, is it people retired and voluntarily left, but which XC has failed to replace.

I find it staggering by the idea that XC have managed to permanently lose third of staff in just over 2 years. So I am not convinced by this explanation.

 

[Starmill]

With Covid apparently affecting between 1 in 30 and 1 in 45 (depending on who you ask, and which part of the country) that equates to about 2-4% of staff

So where are the other 30-40% of staff shortages coming from, is it people retired and voluntarily left, but which XC has failed to replace.

I find it staggering by the idea that XC have managed to permanently lose third of staff in just over 2 years. So I am not convinced by this explanation.

The gap is roughly the proportion of work that would have been covered by overtime. Generally this is no longer an option, although it may still be if an agreement for an enhancement from before the pandemic is still in place.

 

[Snow1964]

The gap is roughly the proportion of work that would have been covered by overtime. Generally this is no longer an option, although it may still be if an agreement for an enhancement from before the pandemic is still in place.

Thank you for the explanation, for someone outside of XC, seems crazy that a third of timetabled trains were being covered by overtime, that means two thirds normal time and a staggering 50% of normal is overtime, and equates to average employee working about 20 hours of overtime per week. I am gobsmacked.

Surely it is cheaper to employ more people than pay enhanced rates of overtime, although for flexibility I understand upto about 15% being overtime, but not averaging 50% as overtime.

They other thing that I would appreciate someone explaining, is if about 50% overtime was acceptable in 2019, why is it no longer an option 3 years later.

 

[Starmill]

Thank you for the explanation, for someone outside of XC, seems crazy that a third of timetabled trains were being covered by overtime, that means two thirds normal time and a staggering 50% of normal is overtime, and equates to average employee working about 20 hours of overtime per week. I am gobsmacked.

Surely it is cheaper to employ more people than pay enhanced rates of overtime, although for flexibility I understand upto about 15% being overtime, but not averaging 50% as overtime.

They other thing that I would appreciate someone explaining, is if about 50% overtime was acceptable in 2019, why is it no longer an option 3 years later.

It won't be quite that bad in some areas because there are still large numbers of training hours that haven't been carried out but obviously that's very variable by depot and region. Some areas also have more vacancies that they're not finding it easy to fill.

 

[Watershed]

With Covid apparently affecting between 1 in 30 and 1 in 45 (depending on who you ask, and which part of the country) that equates to about 2-4% of staff

So where are the other 30-40% of staff shortages coming from, is it people retired and voluntarily left, but which XC has failed to replace.

I find it staggering by the idea that XC have managed to permanently lose third of staff in just over 2 years. So I am not convinced by this explanation.

Some will be people who have left but who have not been replaced - even if replacements have been recruited, building up the extensive route knowledge that most XC drivers have takes months, if not years.

Another bit will be due to significantly above average levels of sickness. 10% is a not uncommon figure across the industry. The root causes of this are complex and contentious, to say the least.

But the vast majority is down to the fact that establishments have never been high enough to allow for normal absences, holiday, training etc. to be covered without overtime.

It is far cheaper to have people doing overtime, even with enhancements, than to increase establishments. This is primarily because of the aforementioned costs of training, which are a fixed amount per head. Plus overtime isn't pensionable, which also helps a bit.

Unfortunately the DfT want to have their cake and eat it, by neither allowing establishments to increase nor signing off on a new overtime deal at most TOCs. Now in some cases the latter is somewhat understandable, as some of the deals were very expensive (figures of £500-750 per rest day were not unheard of). But it's a big problem and there is no indication of the DfT changing their position anytime soon.

 

[43066]

Unfortunately the DfT want to have their cake and eat it, by neither allowing establishments to increase nor signing off on a new overtime deal at most TOCs. Now in some cases the latter is somewhat understandable, as some of the deals were very expensive (figures of £500-750 per rest day were not unheard of). But it's a big problem and there is no indication of the DfT changing theor position anytime soon.

I’m not sure that policy is entirely consistent across the industry. Our RDW deal has recently been renewed on exactly the same terms as pre pandemic (150% of basic rate for drivers, I’m not sure what enhancement TMs get).

Anyone who thinks overtime will be disappearing (as has been regularly argued for on here) is living on cloud cuckoo land, and paying flat rate simply won’t incentivise people to anything like the same extent.

 

[Watershed]

I’m not sure that policy is entirely consistent across the industry. Our RDW deal has recently been renewed on exactly the same terms as pre pandemic (150% of basic rate for drivers, I’m not sure what enhancement TMs get).

Anyone who thinks overtime will be disappearing (as has been regularly argued for on here) is living on cloud cuckoo land, and paying flat rate simply won’t incentivise people to anything like the same extent.

It's highly inconsistent across TOCs, that's the problem. I guess you were more easily able to sign off a new RDW deal as your pre-pandemic one doesn't sound outlandish.

However if you look at some of the allowances and multiples that other TOCs' drivers were getting, you can start to see the problem - ASLEF won't be keen on signing a deal that's less generous than pre-Covid, and the DfT want to cut costs regardless of the consequences. That leaves passengers as the piggy in the middle, just as with the RMT strikes!

 

[baza585]

I am affected by XC not stopping at Winchester. I have yet to see a sensible explanation why this is happening given trains only wait time at Parkway or Basingstoke instead.

Does anyone know what the official line is please?

 

[Watershed]

I am affected by XC not stopping at Winchester. I have yet to see a sensible explanation why this is happening given trains only wait time at Parkway or Basingstoke instead.

Does anyone know what the official line is please?

It was ostensibly introduced to allow longer dwells at the stations either side "due to social distancing".

Quite why the stops haven't been reinserted given that Covid restrictions (let alone social distancing) are long behind us, I don't know. It makes even less sense when you consider that they have kept some calls around "peak" times - when you'd expect the trains to be busiest of all!

There's nothing to be lost by raising a complaint to XC, but equally I wouldn't be surprised if they come back with a nonsensical answer. I certainly wouldn't expect an individual complaint to result in any changes; you'd need to get your MP or local rail groups onboard to really get any sort of traction.

 

[43066]

It's highly inconsistent across TOCs, that's the problem. I guess you were more easily able to sign off a new RDW deal as your pre-pandemic one doesn't sound outlandish.

However if you look at some of the allowances and multiples that other TOCs' drivers were getting, you can start to see the problem - ASLEF won't be keen on signing a deal that's less generous than pre-Covid, and the DfT want to cut costs regardless of the consequences. That leaves passengers as the piggy in the middle, just as with the RMT strikes!

All fairly unsatisfactory really. There does indeed seem to be a desire to “reinvent the wheel” when in fact the current heavy reliance on overtime is largely explained by a desire to reduce costs.

Perhaps a light is dawning in certain quarters, hence the rumoured proposal to being Sundays inside the week across the board which is really just committed Sundays (ie more reliance on overtime!) by another name.

 

[Falcon1200]

I am affected by XC not stopping at Winchester. I have yet to see a sensible explanation why this is happening given trains only wait time at Parkway or Basingstoke instead.

It really is quite ludicrous; The train I caught from Oxford this morning, 1M18 0515 Southampton Central-Manchester Piccadilly, did not stop at Winchester, but arrived at Basingstoke 4 minutes early ! The only possible explanation is 'can't be bothered'.

 

[stevetay3]

When will they if ever stop using the now defunct pandemic as an excuse for running a sub standard service

 

[HamworthyGoods]

When will they if ever stop using the now defunct pandemic as an excuse for running a sub standard service

It isn’t ‘substandard’ though it’s running the service they are contacted by the DfT to run. They aren’t using covid as an excuse for running this timetable just it’s what their client has asked them to operate. It’s very much like if your client asks for apples and says he will pay for apples you don’t give them a load of oranges!

You can argue the specification is incorrect but DfT have asked Cross Country to operate this and that’s what they do.

 

[Kite159]

It really is quite ludicrous; The train I caught from Oxford this morning, 1M18 0515 Southampton Central-Manchester Piccadilly, did not stop at Winchester, but arrived at Basingstoke 4 minutes early ! The only possible explanation is 'can't be bothered'.

Especially when they didn't use a similar excuse regarding social distancing to drop some of the calls in the West Midlands to increase dwell times, as those trains can be very busy between Coventry & Birmingham (and Wolverhampton - Birmingham) owing to being faster.

 

[stevetay3]

It isn’t ‘substandard’ though it’s running the service they are contacted by the DfT to run. They aren’t using covid as an excuse for running this timetable just it’s what their client has asked them to operate. It’s very much like if your client asks for apples and says he will pay for apples you don’t give them a load of oranges!

You can argue the specification is incorrect but DfT have asked Cross Country to operate this and that’s what they do.

Does the title of this thread not say it all “covid timetable”

 

[Birmingham]

Especially when they didn't use a similar excuse regarding social distancing to drop some of the calls in the West Midlands to increase dwell times, as those trains can be very busy between Coventry & Birmingham (and Wolverhampton - Birmingham) owing to being faster.

It is frankly just absurd to suggest dropping calls off these services at Coventry and/or Wolverhampton.

 

[Falcon1200]

You can argue the specification is incorrect but DfT have asked Cross Country to operate this and that’s what they do.

Is the DfT really micro-managing the railway to such an extent that they dictate to TOCs what individual stations they may or may not stop at ? And is so, can TOCs not challenge the stipulation ?

 

[87015]

Is the DfT really micro-managing the railway to such an extent that they dictate to TOCs what individual stations they may or may not stop at ? And is so, can TOCs not challenge the stipulation ?

DfT sign off on timetables/timetable concepts presented by TOCs as deliverable. If its been put in as a performance measure its always likely to sail through the process.

 

[Snow1964]

The biggest question for me is what is the plan to unwind the temporary covid cuts, at the moment not seeing anything obvious.

In theory anything introduced on a shorty notice temporary basis, should be able to be reversed just as quickly (we are not talking new changes here, just going back to where it was 28 months ago).

I do wonder if the XC management are scared to go back to the timetable used at start of 2020, simply because they don’t think they can deliver it 100%. But what I can’t fathom is why it seems be be a binary choice between covid timetable or normal, rather than say 90% of normal as deliverable.

Of course longer term, what is left of cross country network, and what happens to it going forward is for a different thread.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

I do wonder if the XC management are scared to go back to the timetable used at start of 2020, simply because they don’t think they can deliver it 100%. But what I can’t fathom is why it seems be be a binary choice between covid timetable or normal, rather than say 90% of normal as deliverable.

You seem to be missing the point it’s not an XC management decision but a DfT one. XC are contracted to run the current timetable so any changes will need to be agreed with the funder, the DfT.

The current timetable is the new ‘normal timetable’ in contractual terms the ‘normal’ timetable you mention doesn’t exist anymore.

 

[Watershed]

I do wonder if the XC management are scared to go back to the timetable used at start of 2020, simply because they don’t think they can deliver it 100%. But what I can’t fathom is why it seems be be a binary choice between covid timetable or normal, rather than say 90% of normal as deliverable.

The problem is that it's somewhat difficult to come up with 'half way houses' on the XC network, given that there was a fair bit of interworking (particularly at Manchester Piccadilly). Change that and it throws out the window unit balancing, platforming and all sorts of other considerations.

 

[baza585]

You seem to be missing the point it’s not an XC management decision but a DfT one. XC are contracted to run the current timetable so any changes will need to be agreed with the funder, the DfT.

The current timetable is the new ‘normal timetable’ in contractual terms the ‘normal’ timetable you mention doesn’t exist anymore.

Thanks. EM sent to my MP to ask DfT why Winchester stops still being skipped. Will post any half coherent reply but won't bother if the usual spin.

I suppose there is a minuscule fuel saving from not stopping.............

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Thanks. EM sent to my MP to ask DfT why Winchester stops still being skipped. Will post any half coherent reply but won't bother if the usual spin.

That is probably the best way to try and get a challenge to the specification.

 

[NEDdrv]

Thank you for the explanation, for someone outside of XC, seems crazy that a third of timetabled trains were being covered by overtime, that means two thirds normal time and a staggering 50% of normal is overtime, and equates to average employee working about 20 hours of overtime per week. I am gobsmacked.

Surely it is cheaper to employ more people than pay enhanced rates of overtime, although for flexibility I understand upto about 15% being overtime, but not averaging 50% as overtime.

They other thing that I would appreciate someone explaining, is if about 50% overtime was acceptable in 2019, why is it no longer an option 3 years later.

Don’t think the figures are correct, pre covid nowhere near as many RD’s as suggested, in fact outside of summer leave period there may have been a couple at some depots (exc Birmingham). Dft specify timetable and have blocked the Rest Day agreement that ended in November, XC trains that are showing as cancelled due to shortage of train drivers would almost certainly not have been cancelled with the RD agreement in place. The same is happening at Northern and TPE but LNER has been allowed to renew their agreement as we can’t have trains going to London being affected.