The agreement is with a company acting on the instructions of the government (effectively as their agents), and the dispute has effects on both taxpayers and passengers. In the circumstances, I think members of the public are quite entitled to know what's going on.
It’s still a private company regardless.
Also, you may get a rare reversal at say Bristol Temple Meads, Birmingham New Street, Derby, Sheffield, Leeds and even Newcastle which is another reason why CrossCountry don't offer a choice of direction - that they may have to reverse.
There is no dispute, drivers are just having there days off, off, and for that reason it clearly shows that the company does not employ enough staff to run the service that it is meant to be providing.
LNER, Northern and SE are all legally private companies and yet they are subject to FoI. The legal status of the operator has little bearing on whether it's in taxpayers' and passengers' legitimate interests for there to be transparency.
All of them. If the DfT say jump, XC will simply ask how high (as with all other "franchisees") .
They are doing exactly what the DfT wants. So, err, no.
The DfT.
Not formally. But it would be awfully naive to think this isn't industrial action short of a strike. There has been a RDW agreement for years, and the normal running of the service relies on there being one.
I don't think anyone is suggesting otherwise.
"It has always been that way" is a pretty lousy excuse to be honest.
I can certainly think of quite a few who ultimately do end up relying on overtime but that is more down to staff sickness or a genuine shortage of staff, but I can't think of many where that is the actual plan and the business simply refuses to hire enough people. Most businesses actually do try to hire enough people to fill their operational rota. Even in hospitality and retail (which are two industries well known for overworking staff), businesses do make an effort at least - in theory the Spoons by partner works in have enough staff for both the bar and the kitchen so that overtime is only really a thing to cover sickness etc. If those business are successful or not is a different matter (at the moment often not due to lack of people wanting to work in those industries), but the fact the railway doesn't even try (and often falls back on the flimsy excuse mentioned above) is the issue for me.
Not by any means an excuse as there doesn't need to be one. Its just a fact.
Create a new thread on the fares or trip reports section, with your full itinerary types out in an easy to read format, the full list of tickets etc.
Xmas was uploaded a while back. 27th is one of XCs busiest days too and with a block on between Warwick and Dorridge I suspect they will be wedged.
Thanks for the reply! Must have sold out then, usually the journey planner shows them as being unavailable or sold out tho. Either way I was going to go at 7am, but you're right about it being busy. I'll just drive even tho we'll have our other car up there!
First Class usually copes quite well. I have been on busy services from Manchester and everyone was seated nicely.
An XC First Class getting any usage? Wow!
What site can you see this on?
That was a Neville Hill to Craigentinny ECS move.
It wasn't on a website. I requested a seat in the Standard Class quiet coach and it offered one in coach G, which only HSTs do. Whether it's changed since I posted my message I don't know.
It's generally popular on many services except for in the evenings. It's a shame they've scalped the hot meals off the menu though.
I can understand some TOCs maybe having a reduced First Class offer if it would require a chef to cook food, but given on Cross Country it just needs the catering person in First Class to microwave stuff, I feel that's a bit inexcusable.
All showing on realtimetrains to be HST today (Sunday 05 December 2021):
1V48 (No allocation but works 1S55 back / XC Journeycheck quotes running as HST)
Realtime Trains - 1V48 0823 Wakefield Westgate to Plymouth
Realtime Trains is an independent source of live realtime running information for the Great British railway network.www.realtimetrains.co.uk
1V56
Realtime Trains - 1V56 0908 Edinburgh to Plymouth
Realtime Trains is an independent source of live realtime running information for the Great British railway network.www.realtimetrains.co.uk
1S55
Realtime Trains - 1S55 1427 Plymouth to Edinburgh
Realtime Trains is an independent source of live realtime running information for the Great British railway network.www.realtimetrains.co.uk
1E75
Realtime Trains - 1E75 1827 Plymouth to Sheffield
Realtime Trains is an independent source of live realtime running information for the Great British railway network.www.realtimetrains.co.uk
Looking at RTT the train from Leeds arrived at P1 at 0823, with the Plymouth train departing from the same platform two min later. Definitely the same train! No idea why it was shown as two!
Looks like the alterations for the Voyagers were already in the system with paths from Crofton Depot so it could be to late to reinstate the full path? Also see 1E75 1827 Plymouth to Leeds which is split at Sheffield. National Rail does show this as one service on the live departures.
However like Saturday just gone.
