CrossCountry lack of train crew

[MattyLDS]

Just a heads up for anyone travelling on XC at the weekend

 

[221129]

Not surprising really.

 

[AndrewE]

Do I remember people saying "It will all be better when it is privatised," or did we invent the phrase to point the finger at the "lean mean" (but profitable) private sector operators? Sod the passengers, we have shareholders to look after!

 

[LowLevel]

Do I remember people saying "It will all be better when it is privatised," or did we invent the phrase to point the finger at the "lean mean" (but profitable) private sector operators? Sod the passengers, we have shareholders to look after!

What has it got to do with that? It's Christmas, no one wants to work if they don't have to and there's a particularly vicious virus doing the rounds on the railway at the minute which is knocking train crews for 6.

 

[AndrewE]

What has it got to do with that? It's Christmas, no one wants to work if they don't have to and there's a particularly vicious virus doing the rounds on the railway at the minute which is knocking train crews for 6.

If the cause really is the viruses that are currently going round then I sympathise, but there is no reporting of an epidemic that I have seen (even though most of my family and lots of our friends have been affected.)
Maybe a public transport operator should have enough headroom in its staff numbers to be able to run the advertised service even with a level of sickness absence? That way it might have earned the goodwill so that people would work their rest days in an emergency, or even be able to postpone some refresher or new stock familiarisation training...

 

[221129]

If the cause really is the viruses that are currently going round then I sympathise, but there is no reporting of an epidemic that I have seen (even though most of my family and lots of our friends have been affected.)
Maybe a public transport operator should have enough headroom in its staff numbers to be able to run the advertised service even with a level of sickness absence? That way it might have earned the goodwill so that people would work their rest days in an emergency, or even be able to postpone some refresher or new stock familiarisation training...

You can't really postpone new stock or route refreshes otherwise you'll cause more problems than you solve further down the line.

 

[Bayum]

If the cause really is the viruses that are currently going round then I sympathise, but there is no reporting of an epidemic that I have seen (even though most of my family and lots of our friends have been affected.)
Maybe a public transport operator should have enough headroom in its staff numbers to be able to run the advertised service even with a level of sickness absence? That way it might have earned the goodwill so that people would work their rest days in an emergency, or even be able to postpone some refresher or new stock familiarisation training...

... Why does an epidemic need to have been announced? Do train crew not share staffrooms, work environments, toilets and whatever else? Working in close quarters or even having contact with viruses and mis-touching your face can be enough to make you poorly.

 

[LowLevel]

If the cause really is the viruses that are currently going round then I sympathise, but there is no reporting of an epidemic that I have seen (even though most of my family and lots of our friends have been affected.)
Maybe a public transport operator should have enough headroom in its staff numbers to be able to run the advertised service even with a level of sickness absence? That way it might have earned the goodwill so that people would work their rest days in an emergency, or even be able to postpone some refresher or new stock familiarisation training...

We sit together, share controls and confined spaces, use the same toilets, work on trains with air conditioning etc. No difference to being at home with your family. The bug going round here is horrible - flu symptoms, stomach problems, fever, throat ulcers etc. People with perfect sick records are being floored by it.

 

[Bayum]

We sit together, share controls and confined spaces, use the same toilets, work on trains with air conditioning etc. No difference to being at home with your family. The bug going round here is horrible - flu symptoms, stomach problems, fever, throat ulcers etc. People with perfect sick records are being floored by it.

We’ve got a lot of hand foot and mouth going round at school at the moment. I get it all the time because my immune stem is barely existing, but even some of the healthier teachers have been really poorly with similar issues this year.

 

[Furrball]

Was the same last weekend. Services running truncated routes all over XC network

 

[PHILIPE]

TFW services in West Wales and on the Cambrian Coast are being cancelled on a daily basis. Is it right to assume, perhaps, that train crews may have to take all their outstanding leave before the end of the year ?

 

[dk1]

TFW services in West Wales and on the Cambrian Coast are being cancelled on a daily basis. Is it right to assume, perhaps, that train crews may have to take all their outstanding leave before the end of the year ?

Not how it works on our patch. You are not entitled to leave just because it's the end of the year else everyone would do that to get Christmas/New Year off. It's simply declined & you carry it over till the end of the financial year in March.

 

[Kettledrum]

There need to be punitive clauses in the TOC's franchise agreement to incentivise the TOC to do everything it can to stop the risk of this happening. This should include having greater headroom in terms of spare crew!

 

[221129]

There need to be punitive clauses in the TOC's franchise agreement to incentivise the TOC to do everything it can to stop the risk of this happening. This should include having greater headroom in terms of spare crew!

And as always, I take it you're happy to pay more in ticket prices for extra crew to spend a load of their time doing nothing?

 

[sheff1]

What has it got to do with that? It's Christmas, no one wants to work if they don't have to and there's a particularly vicious virus doing the rounds on the railway at the minute which is knocking train crews for 6.

I remember when extra trains were run on the XC routes via Birmingham in the run up to Christmas and enough 'spare' turns and offers of overtime were in place to cover anything other than a major epidemic (not that I can actually recall such an event) ....

..... when such mentions of 'practices of old' are made now the reply is always the same i.e. that is not possible in today's climate. Which rather suggests that it has got a lot to do with it.

 

[Bayum]

There need to be punitive clauses in the TOC's franchise agreement to incentivise the TOC to do everything it can to stop the risk of this happening. This should include having greater headroom in terms of spare crew!

How would you police that? What are the relief staff meant to do with their time? Not have a drink on their birthday because there’s a slight possibility they might be needed? Or pay them as relief but not working because no one is off sick?

 

[woody505]

Thankfully I'm going on the coach but there still advertising an hourly service from Leeds too Birmingham on Sunday which I think is normal service and after game there's two in an hour. They know there's gona be problems but still allowing ppl to reserve seats. Even if your not A Leeds fan travelling can't find any notice on cross country website.

 

[sufian123]

Thankfully I'm going on the coach but there still advertising an hourly service from Leeds too Birmingham on Sunday which I think is normal service and after game there's two in an hour. They know there's gona be problems but still allowing ppl to reserve seats. Even if your not A Leeds fan travelling can't find any notice on cross country website.

Everything is being planned so website will update soon.

 

[Starmill]

Is there an actual announcement about what is happening?

At the moment, we appear to have one tweet (an image only, no text based information and no link), lots of conjecture about what's happening, and a discussion about the transmission of unpleasant viruses.

I am all for all of these things but perhaps before we all start going off on one about privatisation, train crew working practices, holiday periods, the cost of contingencies and whatever other old favourite topics we all love to have a good chin wag about maybe we could first have some actual information about what is happening!!

 

[philthetube]

There need to be punitive clauses in the TOC's franchise agreement to incentivise the TOC to do everything it can to stop the risk of this happening. This should include having greater headroom in terms of spare crew!

How would you police that? What are the relief staff meant to do with their time? Not have a drink on their birthday because there’s a slight possibility they might be needed? Or pay them as relief but not working because no one is off sick?

Is there an actual announcement about what is happening?


I am all for all of these things but perhaps before we all start going off on one about privatisation, train crew working practices, holiday periods, the cost of contingencies and whatever other old favourite topics we all love to have a good chin wag about maybe we could first have some actual information about what is happening!!

Regardless of what is currently happening their ought to be enough staff on a rosta to cover all duties during normal working, then overtime can be used, paid at a premium rate, to cover needs. The Sunday issue needs to be sorted, even if done gradually with new starters.

penalties for not running trains due to staff shortage should be set at a punitive level so that ir hurts the TOC's to cancel.

 

[221129]

Is there an actual announcement about what is happening?

At the moment, we appear to have one tweet (an image only, no text based information and no link), lots of conjecture about what's happening, and a discussion about the transmission of unpleasant viruses.

I am all for all of these things but perhaps before we all start going off on one about privatisation, train crew working practices, holiday periods, the cost of contingencies and whatever other old favourite topics we all love to have a good chin wag about maybe we could first have some actual information about what is happening!!

Not sure if an official announcement has been made but I know there are currently a lot of uncovered turns for Sunday.

 

[talltim]

And as always, I take it you're happy to pay more in ticket prices for extra crew to spend a load of their time doing nothing?

I'm happy for TOCs to make lower profits to pay for it.

 

[tiptoptaff]

I'm happy for TOCs to make lower profits to pay for it.

This has been done to death, about the relatively small margins of TOCs. It's also naive to think they'd take the hit and not pass it on

 

[Mag_seven]

Its perfectly simple - the fare payer pays £X for a service to be provided - the TOC should provide it for £X not for £X +£Y.

 

[PHILIPE]

There need to be punitive clauses in the TOC's franchise agreement to incentivise the TOC to do everything it can to stop the risk of this happening. This should include having greater headroom in terms of spare crew!

The DFT micro-manage traincrew establishments now.

 

[Spankthemonkey]

Regardless of what is currently happening their ought to be enough staff on a rosta to cover all duties during normal working, then overtime can be used, paid at a premium rate, to cover needs. The Sunday issue needs to be sorted, even if done gradually with new starters.

They Sunday situation was attempted to be sorted this time last year when eventually Train Managers accepted 1.8x and Senior Cons 1.55x and a £28 booking on fee for doing non committed Sundays as overtime. However, outside of VTWC and LNER these are the highest earning guards on the railway (not difficult to make £40k a year with a little overtime and 5% ticket commission) so no amount of money will convince them to work Sunday before Christmas or, as seen earlier in the year, a World cup final with England potentially taking part.

As previously also discussed, at the time it didn't seem that XC wanted to bring in compulsory Sundays as it woyld have cost even more and the franchise was coming to an end. Now this has been increased for maybe 5 years it will be interesting to see if they now attempt to bring Sundays inside.

I also agree that new starters should be put on a Sundays inclusive contract. It's a 7 day railway so needs 7 day staff. The turnover of guards at XC is high enough (lots leave to be drivers elsewhere as XC does not promote internally) that it would not take long for Sundays to be largely covered.

 

[Taunton]

I recall Sundays being voluntary-only for some grades in the 1970s, with periodic large impacts on services, whether at times of major events, or union dissatisfaction. It's extraordinary that 40 years on it has not been sorted out.

There are plenty of other jobs for whom Sundays are rostered, there can be some swapping around to suit but if you can't arrange that, you have to do it. Imagine these staff going to the airport for their family holiday to Spain, only to be told "not enough volunteers for the flight today, Sunday, so it's cancelled". By the way, airline staff, generally nowadays not as well paid as railway, do not get any Sunday premium. It's the same 7 days a week. Even Christmas Day.

 

[Deafdoggie]

I recall Sundays being voluntary-only for some grades in the 1970s, with periodic large impacts on services, whether at times of major events, or union dissatisfaction. It's extraordinary that 40 years on it has not been sorted out.

There are plenty of other jobs for whom Sundays are rostered, there can be some swapping around to suit but if you can't arrange that, you have to do it. Imagine these staff going to the airport for their family holiday to Spain, only to be told "not enough volunteers for the flight today, Sunday, so it's cancelled". By the way, airline staff, generally nowadays not as well paid as railway, do not get any Sunday premium. It's the same 7 days a week. Even Christmas Day.

Yes, I mean Ryanair haven’t been in the news all year for cancelling flights. Airlines are notorious for punctual departures and not waiting for delayed crew to arrive!

 

[DanDaDriver]

Yes, I mean Ryanair haven’t been in the news all year for cancelling flights. Airlines are notorious for punctual departures and not waiting for delayed crew to arrive!

Bloody pilots, all they do is push a few buttons, the plane flies itself, nationalise the airlines!!!!

 

[gordonthemoron]

it's Affects, not Effects FFS. DO these people not understand English?

 

[Ih8earlies]

Email at work says that XC are now expecting to run a normal service Sunday 23rd of December. How true that is on the day remains to be seen.

TPE will be accepting XC Only Advance ticket types only on the 30th if services on the 30th do fall over due to lack of crew. However TPE will not be accepting XC only walk up or season tickets. Advance ticket holders will have to stick as close to booked times as possible and will not be entitled to any seat reservations - TPE ticket holders will be given seating priority whilst on TPE services... how that will work in practice Is a mystery.