Getting people back on trains as lockdown eases.

[GodAtum]

In the central area, passengers have no clue as to whether the train in front of them is on time or late. All they know for sure is that it is there and that they can squeeze on. Hence, they will arrive at their destination sooner than waiting for the next train.

Personally, I'll let one sardine can go. If the next is just as bad, I am another sardine.

I can be quite picky, sometime waiting for up to 30 minutes until a train comes in with a seat.

 

[westv]

The government cannot expect the private sector to bring their employees back to the office when their own are still sat at home. If they want workers back in the city centres then they need to set an example.

Sat at home or sat in an office. No difference really. It's the same work.

 

[greyman42]

Sat at home or sat in an office. No difference really. It's the same work.

My point is that Johnson sees getting workers back in the office as a boost to the economy.

 

[BrianW]

My point is that Johnson sees getting workers back in the office as a boost to the economy.

This is uncertain and unsupported by evidence. There is evidence that suggests workers are MORE productive at home, but less creative. I suggest the government would like to see city centres busy again- Starbucks, Costa, theatres (esp with Debenhams etc closed for ever)... but not if it means more 'investment' in infrastructure like trains and buses. Electric cars maybe ... as long as they're built or assembled by poorly paid but grateful folk somewhere in the 'new north'.

 

[bramling]

Sat at home or sat in an office. No difference really. It's the same work.

That’s all well and good, but we keep getting reasons why certain things can’t happen, or at least are taking longer than normal. One issue in particular is when people don’t have access to specialist (or in a lot of cases not so specialist!) equipment at home.

A lot of the “I want to work at home” brigade tend to overlook such issues.

 

[westv]

That’s all well and good, but we keep getting reasons why certain things can’t happen, or at least are taking longer than normal. One issue in particular is when people don’t have access to specialist (or in a lot of cases not so specialist!) equipment at home.

A lot of the “I want to work at home” brigade tend to overlook such issues.

Maybe because a lot of the "I want to work from home brigade" don't use specialist equipment anyway.

 

[seagull]

If Health and Safety rules about employees in a work environment (now their home) started to be enforced I suspect many companies will bring workers back to the office.

 

[bramling]

Maybe because a lot of the "I want to work from home brigade" don't use specialist equipment anyway.

Dodgy ground. Those that genuinely don’t are really opening themselves up to downward pressure on wages, ironically this perhaps applying most to people in the London & South East area who generally enjoy slightly inflated wages compared to elsewhere. London weighting would be the first thing in the bin for starters.

There’s a lot of people who do need access to equipment though. I seem to remember someone posted an example not so long ago with TfL FOI, who couldn’t respond to certain requests as they didn’t have access to CD writers. As time wears on such flimsy excuses will wear thin.

 

[takno]

This is uncertain and unsupported by evidence. There is evidence that suggests workers are MORE productive at home, but less creative. I suggest the government would like to see city centres busy again- Starbucks, Costa, theatres (esp with Debenhams etc closed for ever)... but not if it means more 'investment' in infrastructure like trains and buses. Electric cars maybe ... as long as they're built or assembled by poorly paid but grateful folk somewhere in the 'new north'.

There is evidence that suggests that people have been working longer hours through boredom and worry, which may have slightly increased their productivity. That kind of change won't survive first contact with a re-opened world.

More importantly, people are getting on with stuff in silos. That might provide a short-term productivity boost, but over time the lack of collaboration will mean that the stuff they are getting on with is increasingly busy-work or actively the wrong stuff. Doing the wrong thing will not lead to good long-term productivity however hard people feel they are doing it.

It's also a very risky strategy for a country with lots of well-paid workers to prove that their jobs can be offshored.

 

[Jonny]

If Health and Safety rules about employees in a work environment (now their home) started to be enforced I suspect many companies will bring workers back to the office.

That might be awkward, since the domestic environment is taken as the "baseline" for what is safe anyway.

 

[trebor79]

That might be awkward, since the domestic environment is taken as the "baseline" for what is safe anyway.

I don't think that's true at all. Do you get all of your home electrical equipment PAT tested? Do you have a fully automatic fire detection and monitoring system at home? Do you have a fire escape from whatever room you are using as an office?

Three random examples off the top of my head. If any company cited "well, it's good enough for a domestic environment so it's good enough for work" they'd find themselves hauled over the coals.

Indeed, it's a bit of a grey area and I'm sure we will start to see some test cases before too long. "I had an accident at work, my employer failed to keep me safe/carry out a risk assessment/allowed me to work in a hazardous environment", with the workplace being the employees home. Employer *should* be risk assessing and taking measures to mitigate, but I bet very few do.

 

[anthony263]

That will be quite interesting. I didn't think about it till I read your post

 

[westv]

Indeed, it's a bit of a grey area and I'm sure we will start to see some test cases before too long. "I had an accident at work, my employer failed to keep me safe/carry out a risk assessment/allowed me to work in a hazardous environment", with the workplace being the employees home. Employer *should* be risk assessing and taking measures to mitigate, but I bet very few do.

People have been working from home for years so I'm sure your hypothetical example would have happened already if it was going to.

 

[trebor79]

People have been working from home for years so I'm sure your hypothetical example would have happened already if it was going to.

Probably more for longer term things like carpal tunnel due to inadequate DSE set ups than tripping over the extension lead. Law recognises that employer has little control over your home, but they do have a duty of care. So for example, if your employer is aware that you're spending 8 hours a day on your sofa with a laptop balanced on your knees, and you subsequently develop problems, they could be seen to have failed in their duty of care.

 

[Jamiescott1]

My chiltern train this morning was the busiest its been for over a year.
They've also added a section on their app to show how busy the train is projected to be

 

[johntea]

Both trains and buses nice and busy this morning…wonderful to see people getting out and about again!

 

[Jamiescott1]

My chiltern train this morning was the busiest its been for over a year.
They've also added a section on their app to show how busy the train is projected to be

... and my train home is the quietest its been since before Easter.

 

[joncombe]

... and my train home is the quietest its been since before Easter.

People stopping for a pint on the way home now perhaps?

 

[Jamiescott1]

People stopping for a pint on the way home now perhaps?

Could be a one off.
People maybe now working longer days or a post work beer

 

[shredder1]

@shredder1 took a East Midlands Day Ranger on Saturday I see. I looked at the cost of said ticket on Rail Enquiries and had a whiter-than-snow look on my face. You could do the whole of the Czech Republic for that price even at a slightly rip-off exchange rate of 25CZK/GBP!

Yes in deed, even cheaper in June and July with the summer offers.

 

[scotrail158713]

Scotrail seem to have reinstated evening journeys now. That should help somewhat.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

People stopping for a pint on the way home now perhaps?

Rather encouraging to see some ex Thameslink commuters having a pint on arrival back at St Albans ! - just like the old times.

I have been putting one of my young adults onto the 0724 off SAC for months - today was the busiest for a long time with a queue for the drop off area.

(my off peak trip around - is irrelevant - but I note that London has seen the taps put on as of this week)

 

[YorkshireBear]

Pretty much every train to the south west from London is sold out on Friday 28th May with no seats left. A shame as clearly the demand is there to bring more people back to the railway but we can't supply them! Hopefully social distancing on trains will be removed shortly, it isn't enforced on the tube or on Northern 2 car 150s, so the industry needs to get the message right. Is the railway open or not?

Full family now driving to Cornwall instead.

 

[VauxhallandI]

Pretty much every train to the south west from London is sold out on Friday 28th May with no seats left. A shame as clearly the demand is there to bring more people back to the railway but we can't supply them! Hopefully social distancing on trains will be removed shortly, it isn't enforced on the tube or on Northern 2 car 150s, so the industry needs to get the message right. Is the railway open or not?

Full family now driving to Cornwall instead.

Yep, I've been toying with how to get to Altrincham this weekend and at lunchtime finally gave into the £94 charge as I felt I would be tired on Sunday and quite like not to do the return drive. Selected the train got right through to the end only to be told there are no seats for the train!! What a PITA the thing is probably half empty so thats another car on the motorway.

Oh and the trains for the following weekend have still not been allocated any Advance tickets.

 

[Bikeman78]

Pretty much every train to the south west from London is sold out on Friday 28th May with no seats left. A shame as clearly the demand is there to bring more people back to the railway but we can't supply them! Hopefully social distancing on trains will be removed shortly, it isn't enforced on the tube or on Northern 2 car 150s, so the industry needs to get the message right. Is the railway open or not?

Full family now driving to Cornwall instead.

The 1648 Liverpool Street to Shenfield was properly rammed out of Stratford. As were the two trains ahead of it. Not quite pre virus crowding but close to it. An ever growing number of passengers are happy to squeeze on.

 

[westv]

The 1648 Liverpool Street to Shenfield was properly rammed out of Stratford. As were the two trains ahead of it. Not quite pre virus crowding but close to it. An ever growing number of passengers are happy to squeeze on.

I wouldn't imagine they were happy about it.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Car park revenue is at very best 30% I reckon - so a way to assist would be to drastically reduce car park charges at least at weekends , and probably weekday - as the days of capacity charging are long over - and this would possibly reduce the extremely annoying "commuter" parking on suburban streets - at least a mile or so away from key commuting stations.

If people are travelling for say 2 days a week on standard tickets none commuting seasons , then the economics of reduced car parking costs may well assist , and certainly for a flat fare of £1-£2 a day at weekends.

 

[Bikeman78]

I wouldn't imagine they were happy about it.

Perhaps willing would have been a better word.

 

[Cdd89]

I noticed recently that the on board Covid announcements on Thameslink have been dramatically shortened. It now just says:

You must wear a face covering on board unless you are exempt. Please check the latest government guidance before travelling.

I actually can’t remember what it said before, as it became background noise, but it went on for ages (distancing, hand washing and symptoms, at a guess).

 

[ChiefPlanner]

I noticed recently that the on board Covid announcements on Thameslink have been dramatically shortened. It now just says:


I actually can’t remember what it said before, as it became background noise, but it went on for ages (distancing, hand washing and symptoms, at a guess).

The present short announcement is fine , and said in that sort of "cheery" voice. It is OK. Short and sweet.