Recent content by whoosh

Was the token machine or telephones in a non-standard place (not in the signalbox with the signaller)? Just that alone is a layer of swiss cheese.

+1 for Abermule

Actually, sometimes I think you are right with what you've said there. There is a danger of thinking it always is the case though, and I would caution a large pinch of salt to be taken with any story involving a rail union in a newspaper.

I get what you are saying - the ASLEF Executive Committee can and has accepted pay offers without running a referendum of the members. However, crucially, this is when an offer is recommended for acceptance by the Company Council, who are the representatives at the company concerned and who have...

'Collective bargaining' works like this: The workers vote people in to represent them at company level. In ASLEF, this is called 'Company Council', and it is their role to negotiate pay and conditions with the company. To bypass this, and make an offer direct to the union's head office -...

It has been a common settlement, yes. After proper talks. I think there's a significant danger you are being led into "that's just ridiculous!" territory by a newspaper, if you think ASLEF are against electronic pay slips.

Thankyou for that. I did a bit if digging and found these two statements from ASLEF District Council meetings in June: It would make sense for a London Overground style arrangement to have been been negotiated since, which would be a compromise. Perhaps that's what's happened?

Cross Country: Looks like the issue is an offer made outside of the normal 'bargaining machinery' process. Therefore, it is unsurprising that the Executive Committe of the union have rejected the offer as full and proper negotiations have not been completed. It is not necessarily the amount...

I've seen the circular ASLEF put out for LNER. It mentioned a change to a four day week (currently an average of a 4.25 day week). It did not mention a reduction in the working week. In the past, as examples, South Eastern went from an average 4.5 day week down to a four day week, and TPE went...

I think there's a lot of waffle in announcements which smack of a manager somewhere trying to sound clever. This does nothing to help anyone whose English isn't great. "Inclement weather" is an example. There's people whose first language IS English, who don't know what that means! There's...

Mitigated with something like a Higher Grade Duty payment, or similar arrangement surely?

There's been a suspicious number of substation fires on the railway, across the country.

If he didn't plan to swim the channel from the beginning, and instead assumed he'd get permission from the Channel Tunnel to walk through it, then I'd say that was distinct lack of foresight. As he's swum a considerable amount previously, it's not a massive hardship given the huge overall...

Yes power issues meant a limit of 12 electric trains per hour could be run between Kings Cross and Welwyn (a significant reduction). All peak Peterborough to Kings Cross GN fasts were cancelled. All Cambridge to Kings Cross fasts were cancelled, with a shuttle between Kings Lynn and Cambridge.

It isn't a fixed red main aspect, it's a 'Limit of Shunt' board - actually a board too, proper old school. You could only enter the up platform from the south on a position light. There's an Associated Position Light on the down line at the main aspect signal protecting the station (where you...