GTR mass cancellations - 18th November

[Bishopstone]

Since mid-afternoon today, a large number of Thameslink services have been cancelled, at short notice, due to staff unavailability (according to the TL Twitter feed and website).

Crew resourcing issues on GTR at weekends are familiar, but why have they abruptly found themselves short of dozens of drivers on a dark Thursday in November, outside the school holidays?

 

[21C101]

Since mid-afternoon today, a large number of Thameslink services have been cancelled, at short notice, due to staff unavailability (according to the TL Twitter feed and website).

Crew resourcing issues on GTR at weekends are familiar, but why have they abruptly found themselves short of dozens of drivers on a dark Thursday in November, outside the school holidays?

Usually this happens when they get offered a 0% pay rise and simultaneously and unconnectedly go off the idea of working any overtime

 

[Bishopstone]

Usually this happens when they get offered a 0% pay rise and simultaneously and unconnectedly go off the idea of working any overtime

If true, looks like a large number of duties are covered by overtime!

 

[21C101]

If true, looks like a large number of duties are covered by overtime!

Thats usually the case.

 

[ExRes]

Even as a non twitter user it's taken me 2 minutes to find out, from twitter, that "there's been a minor power issue which has affected a trains pantograph at City Thameslink"

 

[Bishopstone]

Even as a non twitter user it's taken me 2 minutes to find out, from twitter, that "there's been a minor power issue which has affected a trains pantograph at City Thameslink"

That’s not the reason that Thameslink have been giving for their mass cancellations since this afternoon.

 

[JonathanH]

Isn't there usually a problem with the need to take annual leave on a 'use it or lose it' basis around this time of the year?

 

[theageofthetra]

Isn't there usually a problem with the need to take annual leave on a 'use it or lose it' basis around this time of the year?

Yes as usual the railway using antiquated and inflexible working practices. Force drivers to take leave or lose it rather than them carry it over to Jan when most TOC's have no rostered leave and are less short of drivers.

 

[driverd]

Yes as usual the railway using antiquated and inflexible working practices. Force drivers to take leave or lose it rather than them carry it over to Jan when most TOC's have no rostered leave and are less short of drivers.

Or even just offer to buy the leave back if desperate, as many other industries do.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Yesterday was also a record number of new COVID cases. Sickness will continue to bite and affect train crew availability.

 

[JKF]

Yesterday was also a record number of new COVID cases. Sickness will continue to bite and affect train crew availability.

I presume there will be a number of critical rail staff out with medium/long Covid symptoms. The tiredness and ‘brain fog’ can last for weeks in normal cases or months with long Covid, which will not allow the kind of attentiveness needed for driving/signalling work. I didn’t drive my car for a few weeks when affected and still after 6/7 weeks wouldn’t consider a long drive.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Since mid-afternoon today, a large number of Thameslink services have been cancelled, at short notice, due to staff unavailability (according to the TL Twitter feed and website).

Crew resourcing issues on GTR at weekends are familiar, but why have they abruptly found themselves short of dozens of drivers on a dark Thursday in November, outside the school holidays?

Seems to be in reasonable shape today so far with only a handful cancelled. By and large the service has been reasonable when it hasn't been impacted by incidents on my route anyhow.

 

[Sleepy]

Expect large scale service reductions tommorow from midday (mainly Cambridge & Peterborough routes) due to driver shortages. https://www.thameslinkrailway.com/t...025460000#INC0847DC0BCAD04F3FB43169935DBCD57A

 

[MikeWM]

Expect large scale service reductions tommorow from midday (mainly Cambridge & Peterborough routes) due to driver shortages. https://www.thameslinkrailway.com/t...025460000#INC0847DC0BCAD04F3FB43169935DBCD57A

On a Saturday in December? Least surprising news ever. They've only had 7 years to get on top of this sort of thing.

Fairly tedious though, especially as Cambridge - Cambridge North is closed all next weekend.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Expect large scale service reductions tommorow from midday (mainly Cambridge & Peterborough routes) due to driver shortages. https://www.thameslinkrailway.com/t...025460000#INC0847DC0BCAD04F3FB43169935DBCD57A

I guess this is because these service groups aren't run out of Three Bridges so are drivers on old T&Cs and they need RDW cover?

 

[ExRes]

It's just over 11 years since I last travelled on Thameslink, how good to see that nothing has been done to recruit sufficient Drivers to run a service without expecting them to work over or outside their contractual hours, I mean there's just nobody out there wanting to become Drivers, are there? never mind though everybody should just carry on blaming the wrong people because it's the easy thing to do, as for forcing staff to take their leave, I lost count of the times that leave was refused because of shortages thanks solely to insufficient staffing levels

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

It's just over 11 years since I last travelled on Thameslink, how good to see that nothing has been done to recruit sufficient Drivers to run a service without expecting them to work over or outside their contractual hours, I mean there's just nobody out there wanting to become Drivers, are there? never mind though everybody should just carry on blaming the wrong people because it's the easy thing to do, as for forcing staff to take their leave, I lost count of the times that leave was refused because of shortages thanks solely to insufficient staffing levels

In the main its just the HRH-PBO service that has suffered and only in late afternoon today other service groups running with very cancelled so far.

My recollection is HRH-PBO were covered by creating new Thameslink depots from former Southern and GN drivers so presumably there are less of them to go round. I can understand this being an issue at HRH but as GN drivers already cover 700's you would have thought it would be less of an issue on the GN but no doubt despite its same franchise they don't cross cover.

 

[westcoaster]

I guess this is because these service groups aren't run out of Three Bridges so are drivers on old T&Cs and they need RDW cover?

All drivers have the same t&C's no matter the depot. Only a few small points on Sunday commitments.

A point on annual leave. There is a fixed number of drivers allowed leave each day. Once that number is reached no more drivers will be permitted leave.

 

[Sleepy]

All drivers have the same t&C's no matter the depot. Only a few small points on Sunday commitments.

A point on annual leave. There is a fixed number of drivers allowed leave each day. Once that number is reached no more drivers will be permitted leave.

So if for example a depot has 10 vacancies and it falls that 8 diagrams were due to be worked by them today, add in rostered annual leave and sickness and not many volunteers for overtime because partners want to go Christmas shopping etc. and bingo you've lots of uncovered duties.

 

[iphone76]

In the main its just the HRH-PBO service that has suffered and only in late afternoon today other service groups running with very cancelled so far.

My recollection is HRH-PBO were covered by creating new Thameslink depots from former Southern and GN drivers so presumably there are less of them to go round. I can understand this being an issue at HRH but as GN drivers already cover 700's you would have thought it would be less of an issue on the GN but no doubt despite its same franchise they don't cross cover.

Not all GN drivers sign Class 700s. This may also be part of the issue as some spare drivers cannot cover. (At the moment)

 

[MikeWM]

Doesn't look mich worse than usual at Kings Cross - except for both the 2042 and 2112 to north of Cambridge being cancelled, forcing me to leave London earlier than I'd like

 

[ungreat]

You need to also take into account not every GN driver signs Horsham..so even if fully staffed it can still be a problem

In the main its just the HRH-PBO service that has suffered and only in late afternoon today other service groups running with very cancelled so far.

My recollection is HRH-PBO were covered by creating new Thameslink depots from former Southern and GN drivers so presumably there are less of them to go round. I can understand this being an issue at HRH but as GN drivers already cover 700's you would have thought it would be less of an issue on the GN but no doubt despite its same franchise they don't cross cover.

Only Horsham and Peterborough drivers sign end to end Horsham to Peterborough (and not all do sign yet). Cambridge drivers sign Brighton but not to Horsham or past Hitchin to Peterborough . Cross cover can involve 3 to 4 drivers covering one trip.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

You need to also take into account not every GN driver signs Horsham..so even if fully staffed it can still be a problem

Thought as much as even on a normal day ive frequently observed driver changes at Finsbury Pk

 

[Surreytraveller]

Thought as much as even on a normal day ive frequently observed driver changes at Finsbury Pk

Drivers change over at Finsbury Park anyway

 

[JonathanH]

It does appear that the opportunity ought to be taken to cut back the base level of Thameslink service to what can actually be provided with one or more of the service groups binned. With the capacity of the 700s, a missing train doesn't really cause an overcrowding issue at most times.

 

[MikeWM]

In possibly the least surprising announcement ever, Great Northern/Thameslink are already warning of driver shortages tomorrow 'across the whole network'. On the last Saturday before Christmas? Who could have guessed that would happen?

They actually also point out that 'Services are expected to be busier than usual as it's the last weekend to squeeze in some last-minute Christmas shopping.' Err, yes, that's why it would be quite nice if you actually ran the services in your timetable.

 

[Robcuk]

Thursday pm shift would be the hardest to cover if turns are uncovered due to sickness, leave, training etc..... This is due to the shift that are not working will be due in the next day in the morning so they cannot work Thurs p.m and have the required 12 hours off.

 

[Mcq]

Also Hertford Loop Tonight

 

[ungreat]

Today won't be any better...

 

[Bald Rick]

In possibly the least surprising announcement ever, Great Northern/Thameslink are already warning of driver shortages tomorrow 'across the whole network'. On the last Saturday before Christmas? Who could have guessed that would happen?

They actually also point out that 'Services are expected to be busier than usual as it's the last weekend to squeeze in some last-minute Christmas shopping.' Err, yes, that's why it would be quite nice if you actually ran the services in your timetable.

What is your proposed solution for a sudden spike in absence caused by Covid related illness?