The future of Laira depot.

[D1009]

Are trains not serviced there overnight, cleaned and refuelled etc then they start the next day in the Plymouth area, therefore you would have drivers that sign there, if the depot was moved towards London or some 30 miles away what will happen to them drivers.

Well the likely service pattern will require trains to stable overnight in the Plymouth area. The future of Laira depot is the point at issue and what if any maintenance will take place there. I can't see drivers being much affected as they wil still book on and work trains whatever happens.

 

[CockneySparrow]

Just looked on real time trains and it looks like there is trains start from there in the morning and finish up there at night

 

[PHILIPE]

Starters at Laira in the morning are a 150 for first Gunnislake and a 153 to run ECS to Liskeard for Looe branch.

 

[craigybagel]

Are trains not serviced there overnight, cleaned and refuelled etc then they start the next day in the Plymouth area, therefore you would have drivers that sign there, if the depot was moved towards London or some 30 miles away what will happen to them drivers
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Like Crown Point for example overnight the lines are full of trains, in the morning drivers local to Norwich will go to the depot and collect a train drive it into Norwich and start their shift, what would happen to those drivers if the depot was demolished and a new one built at Ipswich or Colchester, Laira is the same right

Cant speak for Plymouth but at most places in general the traincrew are based at the station, not at the maintenance depot. They would book on at the station and then walk/taxi to the depot to bring a train back to the station and into service. Reverse happens at night. Some places have one or more drivers working a night shift where they'll spend the night prepping trains and ferrying between the depot and the station. In these situations moving the depot shouldn't change the booking on point for the drivers.

 

[CockneySparrow]

Cant speak for Plymouth but at most places in general the traincrew are based at the station, not at the maintenance depot. They would book on at the station and then walk/taxi to the depot to bring a train back to the station and into service. Reverse happens at night. Some places have one or more drivers working a night shift where they'll spend the night prepping trains and ferrying between the depot and the station. In these situations moving the depot shouldn't change the booking on point for the drivers.

That's near enough what I was getting at, now think of a scenario of the new depot being 40-50 miles from Plymouth.

I was just asking how that would work as one poster suggested that the new depot could be put anywhere, ie pulled out if Plymouth

It's still for the DfT to decide on the AT300s. By no means a done deal yet.

Contingency, if no deal, is for 21 HST sets to remain for West of England services.

If the AT300s are ordered they may not have the same 'build and maintain' contract attached to them as the Class 800/801s, as they would be built in Japan, not Newton Aycliffe. Stoke Gifford in Bristol is unlikely to have the capacity to maintain another 29 (AT300, if ordered, would be 7x 9 car and 22x 5 car) sets. So its likely another depot site would be required. That would logically be on the line of route between London and Devon/Cornwall. Laira would seem like the obvious choice. Or a new build in the west. Either way there shouldn't be a dire threat to jobs.

I think the reports of Laira's demise are greatly exaggerated.

I'd be more concerned about Landore in Swansea...

 

[krus_aragon]

I notice that you have spelt Landore as Llandore perhaps as a Cymro. I hope you don't mind me asking why ? The area of Swansea is historically named after a man whose name was LANDORE John Hughes and the composer of "Calon Lán". Cymru am byth.

Fingers running on automatic: it wasn't a concious decision.

 

[Steve childs]

Hi I work in a maintenance depot in the UK. I quite believe in the next 20 years we will all be working for Hitachi or Alstom. It just seems to be the way things are going. If the work is sub contracted out the TOC you work for just pays a price and washes their hands of the hassle. They don't have to pay you holidays or sick leave, or worry about admin and depot safety. At a guess if your depot was to get some enhancements I could see Hitachi take over the depot. The only rolling stock iv seen planned to come in lately with no maintenance plan is the new sleeper vehicles which have not arrived yet. Its now time for the DPE to fight like hell and get the depot more work. That's their job.

 

[Domh245]

I think that most (all?) electrostars/turbostars have been provided without a maintenance contract.

 

[swt_passenger]

Hi I work in a maintenance depot in the UK. I quite believe in the next 20 years we will all be working for Hitachi or Alstom. It just seems to be the way things are going. If the work is sub contracted out the TOC you work for just pays a price and washes their hands of the hassle. They don't have to pay you holidays or sick leave, or worry about admin and depot safety...

You forgot Siemens, who maintain SWT's Desiros, and various others.

But it isn't as cut and dried as you imply. In SWT land, Northam Depot is the allocated depot for over 170 trains, but they only visit the place about once a fortnight. They are stabled at many locations and maintained at those places mainly by SWT employees - although there are Siemens reps present at some of the other sites.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I think that most (all?) electrostars/turbostars have been provided without a maintenance contract.

387s too I think, and all the ex-BR stock.
So FGW will have some in-house maintenance, pending new stock in the future.
You could argue that outsourcing to the manufacturer provides more job stability than if the TOC does it.
After all, Hitachi, Siemens and the rest will be maintaining their trains for several franchise lengths, unlike a specific TOC who might lose out at the next competition.
The IEP service contracts last 27 years.
The Pendolino contract with Alstom runs up to 2022, well beyond the current VTWC franchise end date.

 

[edwin_m]

Cant speak for Plymouth but at most places in general the traincrew are based at the station, not at the maintenance depot. They would book on at the station and then walk/taxi to the depot to bring a train back to the station and into service. Reverse happens at night. Some places have one or more drivers working a night shift where they'll spend the night prepping trains and ferrying between the depot and the station. In these situations moving the depot shouldn't change the booking on point for the drivers.

Makes sense because if the crew and the train start the day in the depot then the train will probably not be going back to the depot at the end of the shift, so a taxi would be needed then to return the crew to the depot. Each train will change crews several times during the day before returning to depot in the evening, so basing the crew at the station results in fewer crew transfers by taxi.

Whatever happened to Laira I imagine there will still be some trains starting and finishing the day in Plymouth so some crews will need to do the same (plus some more if, as is likely, there are crew changes there during the day). The number of trains starting/finishing, and hence the establishment, would have to get very small before it was more cost-effective to taxi them in from somewhere like Exeter.

 

[irish_rail]

For running turns all Plymouth drivers book on and off at Plymouth station, NOT Laira depot.

The only time Plymouth drivers book on at Laira is if we are on a dedicated "Shed" turn - ie shunting on the depot.

 

[craigybagel]

And there is a precedent for the maintenance depot being a long way from the nearest traincrew depot. I'm not sure how XC do it but for Virgin any Voyagers going to and from Central Rivers are driven by Wolverhampton based drivers. Wolves is the closest depot but it's still quite a distance!

 

[Rich McLean]

It is currently being discussed that Laira will be used for light maintenance if the AT300 order for West of England gets the go ahead by the DfT. Tavistock Yard was looked at, but is unsuitable. This is by no means set in stone

Major exams however will take place at North Pole so Laira will lose all the heavy work.

 

[MarkyT]

It is currently being discussed that Laira will be used for light maintenance if the AT300 order for West of England gets the go ahead by the DfT. Tavistock Yard was looked at, but is unsuitable. This is by no means set in stone

Major exams however will take place at North Pole so Laira will lose all the heavy work.

Makes sense. Tavistock Yard is quite long but actually comparatively small in total area on an awkward thin site that narrows towards the London end, whilst there is plenty of quailty siding space at Laira with lighting etc already installed, even perhaps some space for expansion out (over allotments) towards Friary if neccessary. The original 60s diesel depot buildings might have to be be removed if they're degrading as mentioned earlier, but that would still leave the later long HST shed which could be reused for the AT300s, perhaps extended a little to accomodate a pair of 5 car sets. There's sufficient room for a separate DMU facility there as well if required.

I say keep Tavistock yard for freight and engineering. There's room for a number of parallel 800m+ sidings alongside the main line there if needed for the future.

 

[CockneySparrow]

Can Tavistock yard be used as stabling points should they wish to demolish Laira and rebuild it

 

[irish_rail]

Yes, and Hitatchi have looked at that possibility....