Greater Anglia after strike days

[Spet0789]

Can anyone explain why Greater Anglia’s WAML service on Friday starts so late?

I would expect that on Wednesday night trains arrived back at depots in the usual way and then a handful of trains provided the skeleton service today before presumably ending up back where they would normally be stabled.

What’s the issue?

 

[JonathanH]

What’s the issue?

Network Rail don't have a full complement of staff at work until later in the morning as the night shift staff don't start their shifts.

 

[Spet0789]

Network Rail don't have a full complement of staff at work until later in the morning as the night shift staff don't start their shifts.

Thanks for the info but that makes no sense to me. I get that if you usually start at 10pm and that falls on a strike day, you don’t start work at 10pm. But start at 00.01.

 

[JonathanH]

Thanks for the info but that makes no sense to me. I get that if you usually start at 10pm and that falls on a strike day, you don’t start work at 10pm. But start at 00.01.

It doesn't work like that. The instruction to staff on strike is that they don't work shifts that start after 0001 on a strike day. If a member of staff books on at 2359 the day before a strike day they complete that shift on the strike day rather than walking out at 0001.

As a result, the workers who would have started work at 2359 on the strike day don't turn up for their entire shift, meaning the start the next day isn't until the morning shift are in place.

 

[Magdalia]

Most signalling and control room staff work a shift system of earlies (0600-1400), lates (1400-2200) and nights (2200-0600). In some TOCs the traincrew diagrams will be set up to follow a similar pattern, but I don't know if Greater Anglia work that way. There's exceptions where signal boxes are not open 24 hours.

On a strike day the signalling and control room staff on night shift will complete their shifts that they started the previous day. But they will be on strike for their shift starting at 2200 on strike day. After strike day there won't be any signalling and control room staff until the early shift signs on at 0600.

 

[Mike99]

All the above is correct.

• I think dk1

on this forum is a driver out of Norwich and he has mentioned before it's also to do with preparation of the trains which some duties deal with, in and out of the platforms overnight at Norwich and the depot. I live on the GEML near Stowmarket and pay attention to what he writes.

 

[dk1]

Remember that West Anglia drivers never sign on before 05:00. This is why they have extra night turns & something that has helped make harmonisation of GA drivers impossible since 2004. There woulve been no night turns the day of ASLEF strikes making startup thatvbit more difficult. Today however would be down to signallers.