Transpennine Express boss apologises for poor services (BBC)

[Bald Rick]

If they do have a plan it might have been a good idea for the MD to say that when he was interviewed on the news last week.

He said it at the Transport Select committee a few weeks back.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

MG does know all of this but TPE hasn’t got the money to reverse it all out. The DfT also believe that restricting traction and route knowledge and optimising train crew diagrams is the way to keep train crew numbers and costs down. TPE isn’t the only TOC where this has been happening.

Until sufficient money is forthcoming to increase traction and route training and to employ enough staff to ease out the diagrams, as well as sorting out the time it takes to learn routes (which at TPE is a long time), irrespective of the current Pay and RDW disputes, TPE will continue to be a basket case.

Of course, if OLR took over, the management fees that FG earn will go to help - a cynical political move perhaps but one I can see the DfT making.

Its inferred elsewhere that when OLR are given control they get a free hand to run the show so maybe its the best thing that can happen although given what @Bald Rick has intimidated they need to get ASLEF on side or deal with them.

 

[Bertie the bus]

He said it at the Transport Select committee a few weeks back.

And what % of TPE passengers watch Transport Select Committee sittings? If he can explain to MPs but when given an opportunity to explain to his customers declines that just shows contempt.

 

[Clarence Yard]

No, that’s because what he says and when is now controlled. TOC MD’s are not their own PR masters anymore.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

And what % of TPE passengers watch Transport Select Committee sittings? If he can explain to MPs but when given an opportunity to explain to his customers declines that just shows contempt.

Yup thats fair enough and you'd think they might have an explainer on the TPE website but there isn't nor any obvious apology about the level of daily cancellations that are going on.

Anyhow this is the file for the TSC meeting and if you just search for galton you can see his responses and few excerpts below

Chair: I want to ask Northern and TransPennine about recruiting additional drivers. Can you update us on how you are increasing your workforce?
Matthew Golton: Sure. In the case of TransPennine Express, five years ago we had 371 drivers; we now have 576 drivers and trainees. We will
have recruited 113 drivers this year. We have never stopped recruiting drivers. The big significant issue for us is the training backlog, getting
ready particularly for the trans-Pennine route upgrade, which probably places more demands on TransPennine Express than on any other
northern operator, because we need to get ready for the diversionary routes that we will be using. This year, there will be 85 days of trains
diverted; next year, it is 147. We are also getting ready for the December timetable change.

Matthew Golton: Let me say at the outset that we are sorry that we have let customers and communities down with the service delivery that
we have had this year. That is important to say. Like Northern, we have a very strong pipeline of trainees coming through. Every driver who qualifies
and builds up route knowledge gets us to a more resilient position. We haven’t had the benefit of rest-day working for the last year among our
driver community. That will make a material difference to our progress if we can get it back, but we are very clear that what we have to do over the
next few months is get the timetable performing more reliably and make significant inroads in the number of cancellations. That is what we are
going to do

Matthew Golton: We have 576 drivers: 14 qualified drivers in training, 55 new to driving—either from within the business or outside—and 507 competent drivers, albeit not all of whom have the requisite route and tracks knowledge that I referred to earlier. There is a strong pipeline of future training, with new-to-driving courses in January, March and May at many of our depots.

So some insight but no timelines provided as to when things will improve though and that is what should be available and surely should be used in what services they plan as P coding off dozens of trains each evening is clearly an indication that all is not as it should be.

 

[Spartacus]

The issue at hand is do TPE have a deliverable plan to resolve this or not?

They do, reversing the policy of recent years, but how long it'll take to implement it is anyone's guess. It would probably take ages even without industrial relations issues. The 'whole route' learning situation, rather than doing sections doesn't help either.

 

[mike57]

The last DfT spending report showed them receiving 17-18m/railway period so over 200m pa

but they receive 2nd highest subsidy after Northern/passenger carried.

And in spite of this we have a service which is almost unusable, (to define my idea of usable: You can plan a trip more than 24 hours in advance and have a reasonable certainty that you will reach your destination within 15 mins of your expected time).

It raises some more questions:

If the issue is money then how much extra would be needed to turn things around and get back to a service level similar to pre May 2018, if its management then all the more reason to go to OLR.

A lot of the issues seem to relate to the DfT - TPE relationship, and certainly anecdotally front line staff morale is very low, would transfer to OLR allow a 'fresh start'

If the issue is insufficent staff then why hasn't an emergency timetable been introduced which can then be delivered with some degree of reliability. Couple this with making sure that everything is 5-6 car, no more 3 car units on the core routes.

 

[Spartacus]

If the issue is money then how much extra would be needed to turn things around and get back to a service level similar to pre May 2018, if its management then all the more reason to go to OLR.

It's not the money, it's the previous management decisions. As has been said, there are plans afoot to reverse things, so going to OLR won't make any difference to that, though come to think of it knowing them the Gov might choose to do that and take any plaudits for the plan which was already in place...

 

[josh-j]

It isn't true. Certainly about the performance.

You might be right. But I thought a big part of the problem here is lack of rest day working, and is it not the case that the government need to essentially give permission (more negotiating freedom) for that to be resolved satisfactorily?

But no operators are saying that, the government appears happy to drag things out for political reasons, nothing gets resolved, and we are where we are.

It feels to me like the operators just are not able or willing to give a proper explanation because of the political stance of the government on the ongoing industrial action.

It's not like I've read the legislation involved but it's what RMT have strongly suggested for a while with respect to their strike action, and some other members here have said the same regarding RDW... or am I mistaken? (Entirely possible)

 

[Jonny]

Is there some reason for the altered timetable next week and services marked as compulsory reservations? Example service: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C85239/2023-02-06/detailed
Edit: backup https://archive.is/QGDhc

 

[Spartacus]

Is there some reason for the altered timetable next week and services marked as compulsory reservations? Example service: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C85239/2023-02-06/detailed
Edit: backup https://archive.is/QGDhc

Morley's blocked, hence the altered timetable, no idea about the compulsory reservations bit, can't see that being correct or workable.

 

[mike57]

Is there some reason for the altered timetable next week and services marked as compulsory reservations? Example service: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C85239/2023-02-06/detailed
Edit: backup https://archive.is/QGDhc

According to National Rail Enquiries there is engineering work between Leeds and Mirfield, with trains diverted.

 

[Bertie the bus]

It's not the money, it's the previous management decisions. As has been said, there are plans afoot to reverse things, so going to OLR won't make any difference to that, though come to think of it knowing them the Gov might choose to do that and take any plaudits for the plan which was already in place...

There is no suggestion of a recovery plan in those excerpts. A recovery plan is actions, results, dates. All that says is they are training some drivers. No mention of when that will result in fewer cancellations or anything else of interest. Avanti had, and communicated, a recovery plan. It didn’t go very well but at least they had a plan.

 

[Spartacus]

Avanti had, and communicated, a recovery plan. It didn’t go very well but at least they had a plan.

Which might be why TPE are being a bit coy about it, plus people will expect almost instant results, and when that doesn't happen, because it's not really possible without cancelling many more trains to release crews, they'll come out of it even worse than before. Tell 'em you have a plan when you know it's working, not when it could fail like Avanti's.

 

[mike57]

Tell 'em you have a plan when you know it's working, not when it could fail like Avanti's.

Problem is, reading some of the posts here, the very issues that are causing a lot of the problems (reduction in route knowledge resulting in multiple crew changes) are not being addressed. Recovery isnt going to happen until actions which have put things into the current state are reversed, and there is no sign of that.

 

[Moonshot]

Problem is, reading some of the posts here, the very issues that are causing a lot of the problems (reduction in route knowledge resulting in multiple crew changes) are not being addressed. Recovery isnt going to happen until actions which have put things into the current state are reversed, and there is no sign of that.

High rates of sick absence is a big issue as well.

 

[Spartacus]

Problem is, reading some of the posts here, the very issues that are causing a lot of the problems (reduction in route knowledge resulting in multiple crew changes) are not being addressed. Recovery isnt going to happen until actions which have put things into the current state are reversed, and there is no sign of that.

That is what they're trying to address, which is one of the bog reasons they're always losing drivers to freight companies.

 

[Bertie the bus]

Which might be why TPE are being a bit coy about it, plus people will expect almost instant results, and when that doesn't happen, because it's not really possible without cancelling many more trains to release crews, they'll come out of it even worse than before. Tell 'em you have a plan when you know it's working, not when it could fail like Avanti's.

That makes absolutely no sense. If TPE laid out dates where cancellations will reduce because they have trained x number of drivers then people wouldn't expect instant results. They would expect results by x date. As for the rest, if what you say was true it would just prove my point about TPE management having contempt for its customers.

 

[Spartacus]

That makes absolutely no sense. If TPE laid out dates where cancellations will reduce because they have trained x number of drivers then people wouldn't expect instant results. They would expect results by x date. As for the rest, if what you say was true it would just prove my point about TPE management having contempt for its customers.

Until you're practically upon that date though it's very hard to say with any sort of confidence when it will occur.

 

[zwk500]

That makes absolutely no sense. If TPE laid out dates where cancellations will reduce because they have trained x number of drivers then people wouldn't expect instant results. They would expect results by x date. As for the rest, if what you say was true it would just prove my point about TPE management having contempt for its customers.

And this is the greatest fear of any senior manager (in any industry) - actually having to be held to account. Can't keep on the merry-go-round if people get some hard facts on you.

 

[Frankfurt]

That is what they're trying to address, which is one of the bog reasons they're always losing drivers to freight companies.

Nonsense. In what way are they trying to address things? The below is all I've seen/read.

"We are bringing forward a recovery plan for the business, which we will be discussing with the DfT and Rail North Partnership shortly and I will give you more detail in due course".

Of which I have zero confidence in by the way.

There are many reasons why drivers are leaving and plenty more actively looking too, even greater number of guards also doing the same.

 

[Spartacus]

Nonsense. In what way are they trying to address things? The below is all I've seen/read.

It's not nonsense at all. They're trying to reverse the policy of crews only signing, and working, short sections of the route, though clearly with timetables in place it's more of a long term thing than anything that's not going to yield much in the way of short term results.

 

[Backroom_boy]

Of course, if OLR took over, the management fees that FG earn will go to help - a cynical political move perhaps but one I can see the DfT making.

What is the delta between the management fees that FG earn and the fees that the consortium of consultants providing OLR services would receive?

 

[GordonT]

What is the delta between the management fees that FG earn and the fees that the consortium of consultants providing OLR services would receive?

And surely there must be a cut-off point at which sufficiently high quality management talent at the disposal of OLR is already fully deployed.

 

[VauxhallNova]

Of course, if OLR took over, the management fees that FG earn will go to help - a cynical political move perhaps but one I can see the DfT making.

How is it a "cynical political move" to transfer the money from the "pay shareholders" account to the "pay railway staff" account?

Maybe time to step back from the First Group Kool-aid, more than 5 glasses a day can't be good for you!

 

[Bertie the bus]

It doesn’t really matter if the difference between what OLR would be paid and what FirstGroup is paid is £2.50. If that money could go towards any improvement at all it is better spent than giving it to a company whose only contribution has been to decimate rail services in the north of England.

 

[Jonny]

Morley's blocked, hence the altered timetable, no idea about the compulsory reservations bit, can't see that being correct or workable.

That's the oddest bit - how are they going to make it work 'on the day'? Or are they going to bother?

 

[zwk500]

That's the oddest bit - how are they going to make it work 'on the day'? Or are they going to bother?

Maybe it's just an attempt to put people off travelling.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

It's not nonsense at all. They're trying to reverse the policy of crews only signing, and working, short sections of the route,

What absolute tosh! I have list more off my route card and traction in the last link change because in managements words "my depot is an 802 depots, we dont have any 185 work"

If they were seriously wanting to change that they would be utilising us while spare to actually go out and relearn those routes. They aren't and any requests to do so gets knocked back!

So i sit spare whe trains are cancelled due to lack of traincrew, i cannot cross cover because management took the routes off my card!

 

[greyman42]

High rates of sick absence is a big issue as well.

Why aren't these these high rates of sick absence affecting other sectors as well?