If everyone went back to the office like it's 2019...

[brad465]

An article in the FT today about returning to office disputes in the public sector got me wondering, could the rail network actually cope with this?

Several rail companies took advantage of covid reducing commuter demand to bin off parts of their fleet and not worry about fully replacing them. This includes commuter operators like Southern, Great Northern and SWR*, while the Bakerloo line fleet replacement appears to have been deferred at least in part by TfL's financial woes that covid caused/worsened. If a larger office mandate was suddenly enacted I could see some routes struggling to cope, resulting in more commuters resorting to other transport modes, which then also become overwhelmed.

Back to office disputes spread across UK public sector

Staff at Land Registry to take industrial action after being ordered back to their desks three days a week

on.ft.com

Disputes over office attendance are spreading across the UK’s public sector, with staff at the Land Registry set to take indefinite industrial action from this month after being ordered back to their desks.

*SWR are having big problems now, but if the 701s actually got introduced in a far less shambolic manner I suspect their situation would be far better whatever the commuter volume.

 

[Halish Railway]

One thing to note is that operators can no longer lease in locomotive hauled coaching stock to ease rolling stock shortages as most of them no longer comply with the 2020 accessibility regulations and getting a waiver to use them or the money to lease them would be downright impossible.

 

[JonathanH]

An observation is that many employers have reduced their office space to the extent that they couldn't impose a full back to the office mandate, nor could everyone attend on the same day. This may mean that there would need to be a greater spreading of 'in office' days across the week. The railway may well be able to cope with that.

 

[Western 52]

An observation is that many employers have reduced their office space to the extent that they couldn't impose a full back to the office mandate, nor could everyone attend on the same day. This may mean that there would need to be a greater spreading of 'in office' days across the week. The railway may well be able to cope with that.

Yes that's certainly the case where I work. Now only enough desks for about a quarter of the staff. We'll never go back to full office working.

 

[Krokodil]

One thing to note is that operators can no longer lease in locomotive hauled coaching stock to ease rolling stock shortages as most of them no longer comply with the 2020 accessibility regulations and getting a waiver to use them or the money to lease them would be downright impossible.

Indeed, before the pandemic several cities had loco-hauled sets on peak time crowdbusters. Only the Chiltern ones have survived.

 

[JonathanH]

Indeed, before the pandemic several cities had loco-hauled sets on peak time crowdbusters.

To be fair, a number of those have more capacity on the new trains that have been introduced than existed at the time the loco-hauled sets were used.

 

[VItraveller]

An observation is that many employers have reduced their office space to the extent that they couldn't impose a full back to the office mandate, nor could everyone attend on the same day. This may mean that there would need to be a greater spreading of 'in office' days across the week. The railway may well be able to cope with that.

Pretty sure that’s a feature, not a bug, it’s away for employers to get rid of staff without needing to make them redundant first.
It’s incredibly shortsighted because you end up losing your best staff to rival companies

 

[DM352]

I remember back in the day trying to miss the commuter crowds getting the first early train and leave earlier with most other staff arriving at 09:00. Most of the time the carriage was quiet too.

Getting there was easy, leaving not so as you could hear "part time workers" being said as some staff were in the 9-5 mindset though flexitime was allowed.

Would do the early train again if back to the office, especially if trains are short formed.

 

[LittleRedTrain]

I know the plural of anecdote is not data, but certainly commuting back from Marylebone last night, the Covid timetable reductions meant that capacity was definitely not meeting current demand.
The 1807 to Stourbridge Jn was full and standing 10min before departure, despite being a full Mk3 set.
Pre-Covid this was fast to Banbury with a (now-axed) semi-fast service handling the Haddenham and Bicester commuters, it looks like that might be needed again sooner rather than later!

The Tube also seems to have got busier over the last few months. It used to be I could guarantee a seat getting on the Circle/H&C at Baker Street in the mornings, but not any more!

 

[TheTallOne]

I remember back in the day trying to miss the commuter crowds getting the first early train and leave earlier with most other staff arriving at 09:00. Most of the time the carriage was quiet too.

Getting there was easy, leaving not so as you could hear "part time workers" being said as some staff were in the 9-5 mindset though flexitime was allowed.

Would do the early train again if back to the office, especially if trains are short formed.

That's a good point.

Pre-covid there were trains you couldn't actually get onto as they were full down the aisles and lobbies too.

Tended to be more when the trains were delayed (seemed like quite a lot of the time).

Some train upgrades may help though, the more modern ones have more standing room.

But equally frequency has been reduced in places, so could still be tight at times

 

[greyman42]

An observation is that many employers have reduced their office space to the extent that they couldn't impose a full back to the office mandate, nor could everyone attend on the same day.

Companies could increase their office space if there was a business case for them to do so.

 

[JonathanH]

Companies could increase their office space if there was a business case for them to do so.

Yes, they could, but equally the railway could do the same. The question is whether the railway would find itself in an intermediate issue, which seems unlikely.