Do VWC employ any staff in Brum?

[djw1981]

On Thursday I was due to catch the 1903 VWC service from Birmingham - Glasgow. This was advertised as a Voyager

Upon arriving at BHM at 1840 (my LM connection had been late) I went to the indicated platform (5), to see a Pendolino standing there. I tried to find a member of staff to check that this was the correct train, since the door LCD displays were not showing anything. The member of NR staff just pointed to the TV screen, so hoping for the best, I got on board.

The train was a dump - empty bottles, cans, crisp bags and paper on all the tables, and most seats in standard, and crisps / bits of sandwiches under the seats and tables. The bins were overflowing.

The Train Manager came on at about 1858 to say this was the Virgin West Coast service to Glasgow, anyone not intending to travel should go to the platform etc.

About 5 minutes out from BHM, she then announced that she would be serving complimentary tea/coffee as the shop would not be open before Preston as they had no trained staff.

Come Preston, there was a crew change, and the shop did open - albeit with no change. However, from no staff, we suddenly had 4 people sat round a table next to the shop, chatting and talking, all in VT uniforms - I assume one crew was travelling Pass or similar to Glasgow (which is where they all got off). The Train Manager made one pass through the train, and when a passenger asked about the rubbish, she offered o get him a bin bag so he could clear it up.

I know it was the holidays and the train was lightly loaded, and engineering works would mean that trains were off diagram, but the failure of VT to have dispatch /platform staff, cleaners or catering/retail staff at BHM over the Christmas period does seem a little unusual. Or maybe I am used to the travelling cleaners on GNER who used to go through collecting rubbish between Newcastle & Berwick.

 

[BOSCH]

On Thursday I was due to catch the 1903 VWC service from Birmingham - Glasgow. This was advertised as a Voyager

Upon arriving at BHM at 1840 (my LM connection had been late) I went to the indicated platform (5), to see a Pendelino standing their. I tried to find a member of staff to check that this was the correct train, since the door LCD displays were not showing anything. The member of NR staff just pointed to the TV screen, so hoping for the best, I got on board.

The train was a dump - empty bottles, cans, crisp bags and paper on all the tables, and most seats in standard, and crisps / bits of sandwiches under the seats and tables. The bins were overflowing.

The Train Manager came on at about 1858 to say this was the Virgin West Coast service to Glasgow, anyone not intending to travel should go to the platform etc.

About 5 minutes out from BHM, she then announced that she would be serving complimentary tea/coffee as the shop would not be open before Preston as they had no trained staff.

Come Preston, there was a crew change, and the shop did open - albeit with no change. However, from no staff, we suddenly had 4 people sat round a table next to the shop, chatting and talking, all in VT uniforms - aI assume one crew was traveling Pass or similar to Glasgow (which is where they all got off). The Train Manager made one pass through the train, and when a passenger asked about the rubbish, she offered o get him a bin bag so he could clear it up.

I know it was teh holidays and the train was lightly loaded, and engineering works would mean that trains were off diagram, but the failure of VT to have dispatch /platform staff, cleaners or catering/retail staff at BNS over the christmas period does seem a little unusual. Or maybe I am used to the traveling cleaners on GNER who used to go through collecting rubbish between Newcastle & Berwick.

So what you're saying is the whole experience was "Rubbish"....Sorry,I'll get me coat !!!:roll:

 

[Max]

Sounds like several staff were being paid to sit on their arses instead of actually performing basic tasks - appalling. How do they think it's acceptable for the train to be left in that state for a long distance intercity journey? And to act so rudely towards a passenger - surely asking for the rubbish to be cleared was a perfectly resaonable request? Sitting amongst rubbish is not a pleasant experience, especially when you could potentially have paid £50 for a ticket!

 

[djw1981]

The staff's attitude was that the rubbish would be dealt with by the cleaners at Polmadie. Who would also have 2 broken/full toilets and 2 broken fridges in the shop to deal with - all labeled so presumably this wasn't their first day being broken! What happens with VHF - on train cleaning?

 

[Lewisham2221]

Sounds like several staff were being paid to sit on their arses instead of actually performing basic tasks - appalling. How do they think it's acceptable for the train to be left in that state for a long distance intercity journey? And to act so rudely towards a passenger - surely asking for the rubbish to be cleared was a perfectly resaonable request? Sitting amongst rubbish is not a pleasant experience, especially when you could potentially have paid £50 for a ticket!

Sounds like a group of traincrew travelling from Preston to Glasgow, but not actually working that particular train.

It's impossible to tell from the written account of it, but I imagine the passenger mentioned something about the full bins and the rubbish, so the TM offered a bin bag so that the passenger could clear the rubbish from their own seat.

And there are lots of experiences that can be encountered and considered unpleasant whilst travelling by train where similar amounts of money could have been paid for a ticket.


Cleaning on VT services is generally carried out by a contractor (ISS springs to mind as the name), so it's not directly VT's fault if a member of staff failed to turn up.

Given what's been said, it's seems like, for some reason, there were too few (if any) CSA's rostered for the train, so it's possible that the TM was too busy to clear rubbish in standard because she was assisting in FC?

 

[djw1981]

No, she was in the shop doling out free drinks, or walking up and down doing the gripping. Given how few passenegrs there were, she could have at least taken one bin bag through and offered to clear the rubbish from that guys seat.... but it was more the attitude.