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I am increasingly of the opinion that this all might have been stoked by the TOCs et al to engender more ill-feeling from the public. Even IF the strikes go ahead as planned there would be no real need for the draconian meaures promulgated here. Were they to be implemented there should be calls for an investigation into the details to ascertain how necessary it really was. In fact, I wonder where, outside this forum, the issue has even been discussed in such pessimistic terms.
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The GWR website (https://www.gwr.com/strike) had the following earlier this afternoon, but it's been removed since:
"Train services could also be disrupted from 18 December 2022 to 2 January 2023 as Network Rail may only be able to provide a reduced window of operation. This means a reduced timetable would be in operation, with train services not starting until 07:30 and all journeys being completed before 18:30."
I am increasingly of the opinion that this all might have been stoked by the TOCs et al to engender more ill-feeling from the public. Even IF the strikes go ahead as planned there would be no real need for the draconian meaures promulgated here. Were they to be implemented there should be calls for an investigation into the details to ascertain how necessary it really was. In fact, I wonder where, outside this forum, the issue has even been discussed in such pessimistic terms.
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Those of us close to the railways are bound to be frothing over this !. From my experience many (the public) that don't use trains just don't care.
EDIT
I have only just realised one who will care - my granddaughter. She was looking forward to going to the London museums and generally travelling around (but then she does seem to be taking an unhealthy interest in railways ).
I don't really think it's "our little world" - use of the railways is still huge and the knock-on effects are major - freight as well as passenger. Of course, we should be expanding rail use hugely, as a green option, not jeopardising it and risking it contracting.
This is not a strike day, but there are strikes either side.
We're still evaluating how this day will be impacted by strikes, but we'll likely be running a reduced timetable. We'll update this section when we have more information.
What information will be available?
Expected date
Details of how our services will be affected
Tuesday 6 December
Provisional timetable
Tuesday 6 December
Tickets available to book, change and request refunds
Friday 9 December
And yes they will be affected by the Network Rail overtime ban from 18th December to 2nd January
I have only just realised one who will care - my granddaughter. She was looking forward to going to the London museums and generally travelling around (but then she does seem to be taking an unhealthy interest in railways).
What happens if you want to keep the magazines for future reference - and don't say print it out as that is a) time consuming and b) degrades the photographs
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No, it just shows what happens when you have obsolete plant equipment being used to run an obstensibly modern railway.
If a signal box controlling something important is out of action the entire line is out of action, that is just the way it is with this sort of equipment
This is why modernisation of signalling is such an important thing, and why the railways continuous failures in this respect are going to cause serious problems moving forward.
What happens if you want to keep the magazines for future reference - and don't say print it out as that is a) time consuming and b) degrades the photographs
If this is the case, the 27th and 28th December will be particularly bad due to the closure of the WCML between Rugby and Milton Keynes. Unless they find a way for Chiltern to operate services north of Banbury on those dates I suspect we may end up with a situation where passengers are stuck at Banbury and Birmingham New Street as they will be unable to board already full Crosscountry services.
If this is the case, the 27th and 28th December will be particularly bad due to the closure of the WCML between Rugby and Milton Keynes. Unless they find a way for Chiltern to operate services north of Banbury on those dates I suspect we may end up with a situation where passengers are stuck at Banbury and Birmingham New Street as they will be unable to board already full Crosscountry services.
I don't really think it's "our little world" - use of the railways is still huge and the knock-on effects are major - freight as well as passenger. Of course, we should be expanding rail use hugely, as a green option, not jeopardising it and risking it contracting.
I despair at the rate of green progress. I have been a gentle environmentalist for decades - back in the very late 1970s I did not consider using aerosols because my Mum never had - would not (she was a Biologist and knew what CFCs did to the upper atmosphere).
You mention freight - so true as that has not been working from home !.
Probably not although she is starting to do social media and would probably run rings round me if on here (technically). She does have questions that either myself or this forum could answer. I am considering signing her up (long cold winter days and all that) she would be into the photos and thinks she has seen 231s in Cardiff (I dragged her out when I was visiting to bag some) and small green trains she reckons were 150s ("not the big London ones").
What happens if you want to keep the magazines for future reference - and don't say print it out as that is a) time consuming and b) degrades the photographs
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Could the continuous failures have anything to do with the government not being prepared to stump up the money for them
Ah, I fear its going the way of music. You pay a subscription to have all those back issues readily available wherever you are at the touch of a button, that is until demand is exceeded by cost !.
Car becomes cheaper than rail in my experience as soon as there are two of you. Plus a car is far more reliable. Big win for rail is getting you into a town centre avoiding parking charges as congestion/emission charges. That relies on a good enough frequency and mostly works in London. If I am going to London I never drive but if going out of London I mainly drive (or get picked up).
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Oh no, they are are not going to discontinue pdf files are they .
On a different tack. I was pondering why only 06:00-18:00. Answer is I suppose that it more or less covers commuting and avoids any early/late disruption due to actual strikes on adjacent days. Another aspect is I bet there will be cover after 18:00 but reserved for late running trains or other dsruption. I was trying to get away from clever conspiracy theories.
What happens if you want to keep the magazines for future reference - and don't say print it out as that is a) time consuming and b) degrades the photographs
PDF is the perfect format if you want to keep documents for future reference. You can keep as many as you like without taking any extra physical space, view them wherever and whenever you want and they won't degrade as paper copies you buy from the newsagent will. And it's better for the environment too. What's not serious about keeping the PDFs if you want to keep magazines for future reference?
The other option (which lots of publications are using) is that they host all their back issue on a web portal, and you have access to it for as long as you subscribe.
But what's not serious about having a folder on your desktop for the railway magazines?
On a different tack. I was pondering why only 06:00-18:00. Answer is I suppose that it more or less covers commuting and avoids any early/late disruption due to actual strikes on adjacent days. Another aspect is I bet there will be cover after 18:00 but reserved for late running trains or other dsruption. I was trying to get away from clever conspiracy theories.
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If it is journey complete by 1800 then that'll cut a lot of commuting, mine is 1hr 45min dor to door including the tube so likely not viable for the whole period
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E.g. the current strike travel by 1900 service means a last train to Aylesbury at 1640 IIRC. So it'd be 1540 or so under this arrangement which would mean leaving the office around 2.45 to ensure I didn't miss it
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If it is journey complete by 1800 then that'll cut a lot of commuting, mine is 1hr 45min dor to door including the tube so likely not viable for the whole period
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E.g. the current strike travel by 1900 service means a last train to Aylesbury at 1640 IIRC. So it'd be 1540 or so under this arrangement which would mean leaving the office around 2.45 to ensure I didn't miss it
That is the sort of thing that was troubling me. So more or less useless. Only works for shorter commutes, for example greater London, Greater Manchester.
Also it really cuts it down for really long distance trains, for example London to Inverness. I was wondering if the 18:00 deadline was for scheduled departure time but that would mean a signaller hanging around in Scotland for example until nearer midnight.
Will be interesting to see if many people travel OR if trains run around empty - particularly longer distance.
All I know is coach tickets are going to be prohibitively expensive over this period even if the whole set of restrictions eventually gets cancelled.
I am increasingly of the opinion that this all might have been stoked by the TOCs et al to engender more ill-feeling from the public. Even IF the strikes go ahead as planned there would be no real need for the draconian meaures promulgated here. Were they to be implemented there should be calls for an investigation into the details to ascertain how necessary it really was. In fact, I wonder where, outside this forum, the issue has even been discussed in such pessimistic terms.
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Most of the public are blissfully unaware of the potential of disruption throughout Christmas. They may have noted the RMT strikes as these have been publicised.
Most of the public are blissfully unaware of the potential of disruption throughout Christmas. They may have noted the RMT strikes as these have been publicised.
I just can’t believe the railway is so reliant on overtime that without it they can only run 0600 to 1800, with significant parts of the network being closed.
I would have expected an overtime ban to result in something like services be restricted to 06:00 to 22:00 with some of the quieter lines not operating, disruptive yes, but not so much so that it makes the railway essentially useable for most commuters.
Though perhaps, due to it being over the Christmas and New Year period, the railway is more reliant on overtime at this time of year.
I just can’t believe the railway is so reliant on overtime that without it they can only run 0600 to 1800, with significant parts of the network being closed.
I would have expected an overtime ban to result in something like services be restricted to 06:00 to 22:00 with some of the quieter lines not operating, disruptive yes, but not so much so that it makes the railway essentially useable for most commuters.
Though perhaps, due to it being over the Christmas and New Year period, the railway is more reliant on overtime at this time of year.
I just can’t believe the railway is so reliant on overtime that without it they can only run 0600 to 1800, with significant parts of the network being closed.
I would have expected an overtime ban to result in something like services be restricted to 06:00 to 22:00 with some of the quieter lines not operating, disruptive yes, but not so much so that it makes the railway essentially useable for most commuters.
AIUI 12 hour shifts over a short week, rather than the old 8 hour pattern, are common for signallers now.
If some routes require some boxes/workstations to be covered on overtime (not unlikely IMO) there is a real possibility that locations will close at random times meaning that the whole line is inoperable - there have been recent examples (nothing to do with overtime bans) on e.g. the Marches line.
it’s been the worst time of my 30 year+ career. Quite a few people at breaking point. Some have broken. Not helped by some of the stuff on this thread (not by you, of course). Personally I’m doing 70-80 hour weeks to try and keep the railway alive. I find it so frustrating that politics - yet again - is interfering with our ability to run a decent service for passengers and freight customers. And that isn’t just party politics, but union politics too, I’m afraid.
This whole episode will be a thick chapter in my book. No doubt i will need to engage lawyers.
it’s been the worst time of my 30 year+ career. Quite a few people at breaking point. Some have broken. Not helped by some of the stuff on this thread (not by you, of course). Personally I’m doing 70-80 hour weeks to try and keep the railway alive. I find it so frustrating that politics - yet again - is interfering with our ability to run a decent service for passengers and freight customers. And that isn’t just party politics, but union politics too, I’m afraid.
This whole episode will be a thick chapter in my book. No doubt i will need to engage lawyers.
I do feel for you. I saw the way things were going, and thought it would break me so chose to leave when I could, but never did I think it'd get this bad. I still speak to some of my former colleagues in QMK and I feel for everybody who's stuck it out trying to keep the country going.
I hope there is light after all of this, for everyone affected.
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