Grand Central Rail- 8 passenger seats closed off

[rmt4ever]

See attached picture. Recent trip with Grand Central Trains.

I could understand during COVID... but now?? 8 passenger seats lost on a busy service where I am sure some passengers would have appreciated a table.

The two crew members occupied the area for just about 15 minutes of the journey, right at the end before the destination station.

Is this the GC policy?

 

[virgintrain1]

Do Adelantes not have a Train Manager's office?

Do Adelantes not have a Train Manager's office?

 

[CharlieSpotted]

Absolutely unacceptable - should have stopped happening once Covid was no longer an issue. Two staff blocking 8 seats so they can have a natter? Nonsense.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Do Adelantes not have a Train Manager's office?

Almost no trains in the UK do, typically the back or an intermediate cab is used for the guard.

 

[SteveM70]

Is this the GC policy?

Unless rogue staff have knocked up a colour notice and decided to create their own little space, I'd say it seems that way. I'd ask them on Twitter, but they've blocked me for asking questions about PRO16 and not being happy with their incorrect and unhelpful answers......

Perhaps someone else could tweet them the photo and ask if its official policy that their staff are entitled to 4 seats each

 

[theblackwatch]

Or on their legal requirement break perhaps? I'm sure that everyone would agree staff should not have to sit next to customers while having their break.

 

[LowLevel]

Absolutely unacceptable - should have stopped happening once Covid was no longer an issue. Two staff blocking 8 seats so they can have a natter? Nonsense.

They don't have any staff accommodation on 180s. The Guard usually slings their stuff somewhere in the first class coach. I'd imagine it's a couple of bays of seats so the crew can have a break.

The normal whinge on here is about them daring to do it in first class coaches despite it being company policy so it's refreshing to see one about them doing it in standard despite the fact there are obviously seats free.

 

[800001]

You would think they would be diagrammed a break at end of journey.

Many a time I’ve seen set locked at Kings Cross with crew eating and drinking.

 

[skyhigh]

Is this the GC policy?

Yes, it's always blocked off.

 

[virgintrain1]

Almost no trains in the UK do, typically the back or an intermediate cab is used for the guard.

Fair few Intercity trains, Pendolinos, Voyagers, Meridians, HSTs, 225s.

 

[CharlieSpotted]

Or on their legal requirement break perhaps? I'm sure that everyone would agree staff should not have to sit next to customers while having their break.

Eh? Why on earth not? Heaven forbid they should sit next to the great unwashed!

8 seats. For two people. Come on...

 

[Towers]

They don't have any staff accommodation on 180s. The Guard usually slings their stuff somewhere in the first class coach. I'd imagine it's a couple of bays of seats so the crew can have a break.

The normal whinge on here is about them daring to do it in first class coaches despite it being company policy so it's refreshing to see one about them doing it in standard despite the fact there are obviously seats free.

The guard has the rear cab, plus a large secure bike/luggage space at either end. They really shouldn’t be leaving kit or revenue gear in public areas!

 

[TreacleMiller]

Clearly the train is full and standing.

Not sure what the issue is.

 

[Towers]

Eh? Why on earth not? Heaven forbid they should sit next to the great unwashed!

On a break? Come on, you don’t really need that answered do you?!

 

[YorkRailFan]

I had that when I traveled with GC in April, but this time it was one train crew member (conductor) lounged out on the seats, thankfully the train wasn't too busy as it was the first Sunderland-London service of the day. Didn't see it on my other journeys with GC this year (my return trip in April on the same day and in September as I was in a different carriage) and that was the first time traveling with GC since 2019.

 

[Bletchleyite]

On a break? Come on, you don’t really need that answered do you?!

Nonetheless it's not good optics to have two staff lounging around in two table bays, visible to the passengers, while the rest of it is full and standing.

If this is standard (i.e. the case on all trains) perhaps they should have had designed and installed a proper partition so it was hidden from the passengers, rather than a notice done in M$ Word and a piece of sellotape which really belongs back in 2020 never to be seen again? I did often suggest before that the solution to the Virgin "Coach K problem" (only eventually solved by the introduction of Standard Premium, meaning the staff couldn't any longer monopolise Coach K) was adding such a partition to separate the staff area of K from the rest of it.

 

[357]

The guard has the rear cab, plus a large secure bike/luggage space at either end. They really shouldn’t be leaving kit or revenue gear in public areas!

That area is called a crumple zone. I hope I don't need to explain why people aren't permitted to remain in that area.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Nonetheless it's not good optics to have two staff lounging around in two table bays, visible to the passengers, while the rest of it is full and standing.

The train wasn’t full and standing the picture shows other empty seats.

 

[SteveM70]

If this is standard (i.e. the case on all trains) perhaps they should have had designed and installed a proper partition so it was hidden from the passengers, rather than a notice done in M$ Word and a piece of sellotape which really belongs back in 2020 never to be seen again?

Just be grateful the text wasn't in Comic Sans

 

[Caaardiff]

Why aren't GC staff taking breaks at allocated break locations. E.G stations/mess rooms?

 

[43066]

This is a bit of a non-thread. As noted above there isn’t a separate galley/area on 180s, so it seems quite reasonable to partition off a few seats.

God forbid staff should be able to take a break away from the travelling public - that won’t go down at all well on here!

 

[LowLevel]

The guard has the rear cab, plus a large secure bike/luggage space at either end. They really shouldn’t be leaving kit or revenue gear in public areas!

When they were on EMR the guard didn't use either. They had a little open counter at one end of the first class carriage which they shared with the host.

They were not popular trains.

 

[Towers]

When they were on EMR the guard didn't use either. They had a little open counter at one end of the first class carriage which they shared with the host.

They were not popular trains.

That’s rather bizarre to say the least!

 

[theblackwatch]

On a break? Come on, you don’t really need that answered do you?!

Indeed. It reminds me why I and many other don't bother to post on here much nowadays.

 

[Towers]

That area is called a crumple zone. I hope I don't need to explain why people aren't permitted to remain in that area.

Guards aren’t permitted to remain in the rear cab? Are you sure?!

There’s a few other TOCs who didn’t get that memo!

 

[43066]

When they were on EMR the guard didn't use either. They had a little open counter at one end of the first class carriage which they shared with the host.

They were not popular trains.

Indeed. The arrangements shown above are still sub optimal as you really need a secure separate area - the ability to lock the galley on meridians to stop people wandering in is a God send.

Indeed. It reminds me why I and many other don't bother to post on here much nowadays.

Quite.

 

[Qwerty133]

That area is called a crumple zone. I hope I don't need to explain why people aren't permitted to remain in that area.

Of course people shouldn’t be sat in that area whilst the train is in motion but at the same time unattended belongings (which is what the previous poster was actually referring to) shouldn’t be left in a passenger accessible area (even if that area is nominally taped off).
Not only is it a security issue in that somebody with the wrong intentions could either obtain some branded items or leave there own nefarious packaged with the guards stuff it also rather negates the announcements that tell passengers not to leave items unattended.

Guards aren’t permitted to remain in the rear cab? Are you sure?!

There’s a few other TOCs who didn’t get that memo!

Depends on the type of train, by and large anything designed to travel at more than 110mph will have a crumple zone and trains with lower design speeds will not. Travelling in the back cab is only an issue for those trains with crumple zones.

 

[Towers]

Indeed. The arrangements shown above are still sub optimal as you really need a secure separate area - the ability to lock the galley on meridians to stop people wandering in is a God send.

Why are the guards not using the cabs, this is rather confusing?! When new, on GWR, it was standard practice for guards to base themselves in the rear cab as they would on any other DMU, indeed it was entirely necessary as the method of work required them to have access to the buzzer. Where has this idea come from that they need to be leaving their kit in the middle of the train I wonder?

 

[43066]

Why are the guards not using the cabs, this is rather confusing?! When new, on GWR, it was standard practice for guards to base themselves in the rear cab as they would on any other DMU, indeed it was entirely necessary as the method of work required them to have access to the buzzer. Where has this idea come from that they need to be leaving their kit in the middle of the train I wonder?

Cabs aren’t great to sit in for eating etc. Plus there’s always the risk of the emergency brake being knocked.

It looks like the area shown above is for sitting/relaxing. I don’t know where the idea that they’re leaving equipment there has come from(?) - that could indeed be securely stowed in the cab behind the seating area if they weren’t using it.

 

[Caaardiff]

Do GC train crew work such long journeys that they need to take a break while on the train? Are there not enough break facilities at certain locations for them to take a break? If break facilities are available, why is there a need to take a break on the train?