No times showing for replacement buses on North Downs Line 03/02

[Class 317]

Looking at the GWR app no trains or replacement buses are showing for tomorrow 03/02?

Is this correct?

I'm trying to find the times to get to Wokingham before 09.30 and it's showing no information.

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Looks like no information on any services running on north downs line tomorrow.
Buses running Reading to Blackwater but no times!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Engineering works tomorrow. Should, I think, be rail replacement buses operating, but can't get any RRB timetable info to show. Anyone able to further advise?

 

[Class 317]

Just spoke with a very helpful customer service team member who tried to get hold of control but was unable to do so.

I have been promised a call back and will post any updates I get.

 

[JonathanH]

I think the entire service has been cancelled all weekend. The action short of a strike means that trains can't run east of the block, and the buses are therefore cancelled as well.

https://www.journeycheck.com/greatwesternrailway/

Between Reading/Wokingham/North Camp and Reigate/Redhill/Gatwick Airport via Guildford and Dorking Deepdene

Planned engineering work will take place between Reading/Wokingham/North Camp and Reigate/Redhill/Gatwick Airport via Guildford and Dorking Deepdene from 01:45, Saturday 03 February 2024 to 03:30, Monday 05 February 2024.
Some lines will be closed.

Additional Information
All weekend, trains between Reading, Guildford, Redhill and Gatwick Airport will NOT RUN.
There will be no replacement bus transport provided.

 

[Class 317]

That's such a short sighted decision as no one can travel in the blocked section.
Also absolutely no information on the GWR website or in their customer service team which is very poor

Appreciate the update and now need to work out how to get into work tomorrow morning which will probably be an expensive cab.

Why do people think my chances of a refund of the can fare are? Zero I'm guessing despite no information to confirm the above anywhere on their website.

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Buses must also have been booked and paid for already!

 

[JonathanH]

Appreciate the update and now need to work out how to get into work tomorrow morning which will probably be an expensive cab.

Can you go from Camberley via Ascot?

 

[30907]

The SW buses are running Reading-Bracknell.
I assume you are not starting from the Cotswolds though?

 

[Class 317]

Can you go via Ascot?

Nope,.not an option for me.
Might be able to get a bus to Bracknell to get to Wokingham.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Feb 2024 ==

Still think it's very poor not to have a disruption alert on the app or any information on their website to tell anyone this!

The customer service aspect is just really very poor.

 

[Bread & cheese]

Rail replacement buses should be running tomorrow between Reading and North Camp, according to the GWR and National Rail websites.
There are also buses running between Reading and North Camp on Saturday 2 March, and times for these are in journey planners.
It may be that the schedules for the two Saturdays are the same.

 

[JonathanH]

Rail replacement buses should be running tomorrow between Reading and North Camp, according to the GWR and National Rail websites.
There are also buses running between Reading and North Camp on Saturday 2 March, and times for these are in journey planners.
It may be that the schedules for the two Saturdays are the same.

They aren't running this weekend, as my message above, which quotes GWR journey check information confirms.

I assume that it is easier to update journeycheck than the other two websites.

 

[Bread & cheese]

They aren't running this weekend, as my message above, which quotes GWR journey check information confirms.

I assume that it is easier to update journeycheck than the other two websites.

Missed your post while I was writing mine!

 

[Class 317]

They aren't running this weekend, as my message above, which quotes GWR journey check information confirms.

I assume that it is easier to update journeycheck than the other two websites.

It's still disgraceful that no one in the customer service team knows anything about this.
Also for most people they will check GWR website not journey check.

It's just really poor customer service of the lowest standard.

I still don't get why the replacement buses are cancelled because drivers are not available.foe trains after the section they are running on.

 

[JonathanH]

I still don't get why the replacement buses are cancelled because drivers are not available.foe trains after the section they are running on.

I think that is a question to ask GWR, but think it is to avoid people being stranded at North Camp thinking the trains are running.

It seems to be fairly standard practice that replacement buses are cancelled if the train service is cancelled.

Obviously it causes a different group of people to be stranded (although all the stations between North Camp and Crowthorne have alternative stations within four miles), and the 194 goes from Camberley to Bracknell.

 

[Class 317]

I have complained to them and thanks again for confirming the correct information

Understand that issue but it just strands people at other stations when information on the website suggests they are running.

 

[Watershed]

If you already hold a ticket bought before the cancellations, you're entitled to alternative transport. When/if GWR refuse to provide this, you can claim back your reasonable expenses in providing this yourself.

 

[Deepgreen]

They aren't running this weekend, as my message above, which quotes GWR journey check information confirms.

I assume that it is easier to update journeycheck than the other two websites.

NRE has nothing on this - they don't include GWR in their list of overtime ban-affected TOCs today nor is there any other mention except that an hourly service is running from Blackwater to Gatwick. What a complete mess - atrocious.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Feb 2024 ==

I think that is a question to ask GWR, but think it is to avoid people being stranded at North Camp thinking the trains are running.

It seems to be fairly standard practice that replacement buses are cancelled if the train service is cancelled.

Obviously it causes a different group of people to be stranded (although all the stations between North Camp and Crowthorne have alternative stations within four miles), and the 194 goes from Camberley to Bracknell.

WHY?! That's exactly when they should be running!

 

[JonathanH]

RTT shows no trains through Dorking Deepdene today, despite there being no industrial action on GWR today and the engineering work being between Reading and Blackwater only, with an hourly service supposed to be running from Blackwater to Gatwick. Any ideas why the whole line appears to be shut? NRE has no clues.

All of the drivers on the North Downs Line are based at Reading. Therefore, to get them to Blackwater or Redhill by taxi to run trains involves work outside the usual rosters. As drivers are working to rule, it is not possible to run any train services.

Explained much better the last time this happened here - https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/north-downs-line-2nd-3rd-december.258260/#post-6514877

 

[Deepgreen]

All of the drivers on the North Downs Line are based at Reading. Therefore, to get them to Blackwater or Redhill by taxi to run trains involves work outside the usual rosters. As drivers are working to rule, it is not possible to run any train services.

Explained much better the last time this happened here - https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/north-downs-line-2nd-3rd-december.258260/#post-6514877

Be that as it may, NRE is woefully-lacking in accurate information on the day's service provision!

 

[JonathanH]

Be that as it may, NRE is woefully-lacking in accurate information on the day's service provision!

Indeed, the service should have been shown as cancelled the moment the industrial action was announced.

 

[Deepgreen]

If you already hold a ticket bought before the cancellations, you're entitled to alternative transport. When/if GWR refuse to provide this, you can claim back your reasonable expenses in providing this yourself.

It would be good if those who have used NRE's useless wrong information claim these expenses, and the costs find their way back to NRE! There are just too many of these mess-ups and generally poor information dissemination from them.

 

[Class 317]

It would be good if those who have used NRE's useless wrong information claim these expenses, and the costs find their way back to NRE! There are just too many of these mess-ups and generally poor information dissemination from them.

It's not just NRE it's GWR own app, website and customer services helpline!

Only information on strike page of the website this morning was to say they were affected by engineering works which is a long way short of all services cancelled.

 

[infobleep]

Q

It would be good if those who have used NRE's useless wrong information claim these expenses, and the costs find their way back to NRE! There are just too many of these mess-ups and generally poor information dissemination from them.

I thought it was GWRs responsibility to update NRE.

When someone complains to GWR, perhaps they can ask why customer services staff didn't check Journey Check, if that is where GWR wanted people to get this information.

When I use to commute regularly on South West Trains, I found I needed to check NRE Journey planner, NR3 general disruption notices, SWT Journey Check and Twitter, now known as X, to find information on delays, if they had anything.l that is.

There was no consistent place for the info. That is obviously still the case at some or all TOCs.

 

[boiledbeans2]

All of the drivers on the North Downs Line are based at Reading. Therefore, to get them to Blackwater or Redhill by taxi to run trains involves work outside the usual rosters. As drivers are working to rule, it is not possible to run any train services.

Explained much better the last time this happened here - https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/north-downs-line-2nd-3rd-december.258260/#post-6514877

That seems like a poor excuse, that since the taxi journeys are considered overtime, no trains are running.

A common sense solution would be to cancel the first run of the day, such that the traincrew can use that time to get taxis to where they need to be for the second run. Similarly, the last run of the day would be cancelled for traincrew to return to their base.

 

[Class 317]

That seems like a poor excuse, that since the taxi journeys are considered overtime, no trains are running.

A common sense solution would be to cancel the first run of the day, such that the traincrew can use that time to get taxis to where they need to be for the second run. Similarly, the last run of the day would be cancelled for traincrew to return to their base.

And it's no excuse for not running the bus replacement service to Blackwater or the complete lack of any information on the GWR website or customer service team. In fact if you believed the customer service team on Friday evening I was told replacement buses were still running but no times available but to go to the station where a member of staff would be able to help. Sandhurst station is unstaffed but the customer service team seem to have no access to this information.

The communication of this change is the worst part. If the taxi to the train starting location was known to be considered overtime then the information on the cancellation should have been advertised at stations, on trains, the website and been known to the customer service team well in advance rather than being completely hidden.

On a side note any change to contacts needs to put this as part of the T and C for the future.

 

[zoneking]

No trains at all next week on the whole line (10-18 Feb inclusive). Bus times are showing.
However, the national rail website says 'Engineering work is taking place between Reading and Guildford', so why are the no trains between Redhill and Guildford?

 

[Watershed]

No trains at all next week on the whole line (10-18 Feb inclusive). Bus times are showing.
However, the national rail website says 'Engineering work is taking place between Reading and Guildford', so why are the no trains between Redhill and Guildford?

Presumably because GWR are unable to fuel units on the east side of the block. They would probably only last two days or so, even if they started with full tanks from Reading.

ISTR that GWR used to get Southern to fuel the units up (at Selhurst?) during blockades in the past. But with Southern Redhill drivers no longer working the 165s this is likely deemed to be in the "too difficult" pile - you'd need to get GWR Reading drivers to be route conducted by GTR etc. It's easier just to give up and bustitute the lot.

 

[JonathanH]

Presumably because GWR are unable to fuel units on the east side of the block. They would probably only last two days or so, even if they started with full tanks from Reading.

A similar block last February saw GWR put five units east of the block for a week, and use them sparingly.

North Downs Line engineering works 13-17 February & stabling & servicing of Great Western Railway turbos

The North Downs Line will be closed between Reading and Guildford and Reading and Bracknell for engineering works from 13-17 February. I have been told a reduced hourly service will run between Guildford and Redhill/Gatwick Airport. Does anyone know where the trains will be stabled and how...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Watershed]

A similar block last Autumn saw GWR put five units east of the block for a week, and use them sparingly.

Evidently that's seen as too hard to do. Another case of the railway lacking customer focus

 

[infobleep]

Evidently that's seen as too hard to do. Another case of the railway lacking customer focus

Perhaps it's only hard in certain months but not others.

 

[JonathanH]

Perhaps it's only hard in certain months but not others.

Or they found that doing it last February wasn't worthwhile because fewer people travelled.