As you probably know, First Great Western / Great Western Railway currently have two services scheduled in each direction between Swansea and Pembroke Dock (PMD) on summer Saturdays. One of the westbound workings starts from Swansea, the other 3 services are supposed to run through to/from London Paddington. The westbound through service (08:45 from Paddington), and one of the two London-bound services, is a named train 'The Pembroke Coast Express.
This year, on the 4th June the 08:45 Pembroke Coast Express from PAD never reached PMD, it was terminated at Carmarthen 'due to a member of train crew being unavailable'. This meant the return working from Pembroke Dock to London started from Carmarthen rather than Pembroke Dock.
The same happened yesterday (25th June) and, if I recall correctly, on the 11th of June as well. To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, “To lose train crew one week may be regarded as misfortune; to lose them two weeks running and then again a week later looks like carelessness.”
Since the train managed to make it to Carmarthen, I assume the problem is that the staff with route knowledge (or possibly traction knowledge, if they use ATW staff for the service) were not available. But was it the driver or guard, or both, who were unavailable? And why were they missing, given the problem has happened three times has somebody accidently rosted the wrong staff for the service, are the right staff all off-sick or is the service they are working earlier in the day having a bad time at the moment meaning the staff aren't where they need to be on time?
Also yesterday (25th June), Real Time Trains is saying the eastbound 'Pembroke Coast Express' (09:58 from Pembroke Dock) was terminated at Bristol Parkway due "to an issue with the train crew". I was at Swindon at the time and didn't notice an announcment that it had been canceled. It disappeared from the information displays for a while, but then came back and was annouced as though it was running and about to arrive at platform 3, just before I boarded a train to Swansea. Soon after we left, an eastbound service passed us. Was the 09:58 from Pembroke Dock really canceled (if so what happened to the train crew?) or was that what I saw shortly after leaving Swindon?
This year, on the 4th June the 08:45 Pembroke Coast Express from PAD never reached PMD, it was terminated at Carmarthen 'due to a member of train crew being unavailable'. This meant the return working from Pembroke Dock to London started from Carmarthen rather than Pembroke Dock.
The same happened yesterday (25th June) and, if I recall correctly, on the 11th of June as well. To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, “To lose train crew one week may be regarded as misfortune; to lose them two weeks running and then again a week later looks like carelessness.”
Since the train managed to make it to Carmarthen, I assume the problem is that the staff with route knowledge (or possibly traction knowledge, if they use ATW staff for the service) were not available. But was it the driver or guard, or both, who were unavailable? And why were they missing, given the problem has happened three times has somebody accidently rosted the wrong staff for the service, are the right staff all off-sick or is the service they are working earlier in the day having a bad time at the moment meaning the staff aren't where they need to be on time?
Also yesterday (25th June), Real Time Trains is saying the eastbound 'Pembroke Coast Express' (09:58 from Pembroke Dock) was terminated at Bristol Parkway due "to an issue with the train crew". I was at Swindon at the time and didn't notice an announcment that it had been canceled. It disappeared from the information displays for a while, but then came back and was annouced as though it was running and about to arrive at platform 3, just before I boarded a train to Swansea. Soon after we left, an eastbound service passed us. Was the 09:58 from Pembroke Dock really canceled (if so what happened to the train crew?) or was that what I saw shortly after leaving Swindon?