Just to clarify, when a member of staff takes their break on the train, that means they are a passenger, and another member of staff of the same grade is on the train performing their duties (or in the case of Catering, the buffet is closed).
Is a member of staff whose off duty a member of staff or a passenger?
Recently someone said to me train connections don't even wait for members of staff. I'd have thought that impossible unless off duty members of staff are classed as staff at all times when travelling or their are staff such as catering staff who could be left behind during disruption, if they missed their connecting train.
I think breaks are important and the fact staff are having them should be conveyed to passengers. [Edit actually just saying awaiting train crew would be good enough if other passengers will just throw abuse]. Nothing more frustrating than silence on a matter or a reason that doesn't seem to be possibly the case any more. Yes some will moan but they will moan even with silence in the matters and others who otherwise would understand and not moan if they were told the facts will also moan.
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You think so? Only the other week I was on a break and the train HAD to leave 15 minutes late, the guard had told the passengers that the driver was on a break and it is a safety issue but it didn't stop me getting verbally abused by more than one passenger saying "enjoy you cupper did you, your just a little prick who has now caused me to be late for a meeting" I didn't reply but told the guard and he chucked him off at the next station so he was even later for that meeting. This isn't an isolated case, I am afraid many passengers don't give a toss about the train crew in the slightest and will verbally abuse them whenever a train is late even if they know the valid reason, even when there is a fatality they harp on about being late and why is the driver not moving the train, I am sorry but there are things you tell passengers and things you don't and train crew on a break is something I will never openly admit as a delay reason.
Would they verbally abuse you if you remained silent and didn't say anything. Personally I'd rather all these people were chucked off if that's all they want to do. However I'm not the one having to receiving this abuse to my face.
I work in the public sector and I once had an irritate person on the phone swearing at me. It's easier when they are not in your face of course. I just let them let off steam. I could have threatened to end the call once they swore but I didn't see the point as it might make them more angry.
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The issue here is that some crews will take their booked break as their are entitled to do, but others will merrily go without anything at all if the circumstances are such that it reduces delays (often if it is their 'going home' train, i.e. last train of the shift). Control/resources staff are not shy of asking people to move, reduce or give up their breaks, sometimes in return for an overtime payment, which I personally find rather disagreeable. The variations in individuals' attitudes can mean that sometimes a train will be delayed, and sometimes it won't be. Station staff might assume that because a certain service turned around in five minutes last time it was delayed, the same will happen again this time, but the crew this time may wish to take their break or indeed it may even be a different crew on a different diagram. Equally, some crew memebers are a tad more proactive in communicating than others, and some may not reveal that they will be leaving late until they arrive, whereas their more helpful colleagues will have already phoned control. None of that changes the basic fact that train crews need a break (guards as well as drivers, our cock-ups can kill people too), but abuse and/or ignorance of that is not rare. The obvious comparison with professional road vehicle drivers is often given, the difference being that their restrictions are legally enforceable whereas those on the railway aren't - a significant failing in my opinion.
As for the public information, yes it is of course deeply irritating when a stated departure time is suddenly scuppered for no apparent reason. However, bear in mind that the railway tends to work on the 'root cause' where delays are concerned - so if the crew are late arriving because of a level crossing failure or whatever, that will be the given cause of any resulting delays for the rest of the day. Hence the slightly bizarre explanation 'congestion caused by an earlier delay...' - when something has caused widespread problems that reason will be the stated cause of residual disruption during service recovery. Stating a miriad of other individual reasons for lots of different services gives the impression that there are hundreds of isolated delays, when in fact the whole show is actually up the swanny because of one particular incident.
Sometimes online you see notices above the live timings for a train or series of trains stating they are late due to congestion caused by earlier delays.
However when you go into the timings of the earlier trains, there is nothing stating why they are running late.
Last week South West Trains actually put out a delay notice which included all the multiple events that were leading to the delays. Such notices are rare in my experience. Multiple events causing delays are also rare but not as rare as such notices about multiple events causing delays. There was also a separate notice for the main cause of the delays that day as well.
As for telling passengers, I'd be quite happy with a waiting for train crew reason. It's factually correct and helps explain why a train isn't moving when others around it are.
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Trains are regularly delayed for a member of traincrew having a PNB. I did it Tuesday. Happens more than people realise. What I like to do, if I've had a late-running PNB, is stroll out to the train afterwards, with a mug of tea in my hand. You get very disapproving looks from the passengers, makes me smile every time.
I can see why that would wind passengers up. Especially when we as passengers are told connecting trains cannot wait for us, as it will delay other trains and passengers.
The other week at Clapham Junction I saw a member of platform staff run down the busy platform whilst a train was in. Not sure of the reason but clearly they felt they should run and deal with the situation quickly to try and reduce the delay further, train already being late in. TOCs say running at stations leads to accidents so should the member of staff have walked? Nothing is ever black and white.
