TPE - "Essential travel only" Friday 23rd June.

[CAF397]

Not sure what's triggered this.

Chris Jackson, Interim Managing Director at TransPennine Express, said: “Unfortunately, operational issues mean we will be running a reduced number of services on Friday 23 June

TransPennine Express urges customers to only make essential journeys on Friday 23 June

TransPennine Express (TPE) is asking customers across the North and into Scotland to only travel if their journey is essential across key routes on Friday 23 June.

mediacentre.tpexpress.co.uk

 

[RHolmes]

Not sure what's triggered this.

Most likely the list of amendments and cancellations for tomorrows service on top of the engineering works taking place

 

[Carlisle]

The users of Lockerbie etc appear to have
gained zero improvements since OLR took over TPE

 

[Parjon]

Just who on earth do these people think they are?!!

Absolutely gobsmacking. Government owned or not, this company should not be entrusted to run rail services.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

The users of Lockerbie etc appear to have
gained zero improvements since OLR took over TPE

Which is what everyone said, it wouldn’t make a blind bit of difference.

 

[_toommm_]

They can’t even give out helpful information. The following service is cancelled:

23/06/23 17:54 Liverpool Lime Street to York due 20:04 will be cancelled.
This is due to a short-notice change to the timetable.

But then they advise the following:

Additional Information
Customers are advised to travel on the 18:19 TransPennine Express service from Liverpool Lime Street to York.

The 18:19 doesn’t even go to York, it goes to Cleethorpes. Nearest is Sheffield or Doncaster. Ridiculous…

 

[coxxy]

Still useless then.

Not sure what's triggered this.

TransPennine Express urges customers to only make essential journeys on Friday 23 June

TransPennine Express (TPE) is asking customers across the North and into Scotland to only travel if their journey is essential across key routes on Friday 23 June.

mediacentre.tpexpress.co.uk

 

[Starmill]

Which is what everyone said, it wouldn’t make a blind bit of difference.

I would say it does make a difference. When you TUPE staff, they're under absolutely no obligation to accept the offer. Obviously, most of then will... but you have absolutely no way to know in advance, and crucially you get zero notice - employees aren't obliged to serve their notice period to the incoming firm as they've no relationship with them, and they cannot usually serve the one that's ceased operation. As a result plenty of people took the opportunity to depart from the business - and who can blame them, morale being what it is? Various projects which are dependent on TPE input are therefore delayed, recruitment and other important workstreams within the company are being slowed down as a result of the transfer, there are numerous one-off costs related to the OLR setup too, and of course, the public finances are on the hook for all of this extra cost from degrading the service.

But you're right though that this was pointed out by plenty of people on here and other media in advance. Apparently it was also pointed out to Ministers, yet this bananas decision was still made.

Just who on earth do these people think they are?!!

Absolutely gobsmacking. Government owned or not, this company should not be entrusted to run rail services.

Well what's your alternative? No services whatsoever? That's now the only alternative...

 

[SuperNova]

Not sure what's triggered this.

TransPennine Express urges customers to only make essential journeys on Friday 23 June

TransPennine Express (TPE) is asking customers across the North and into Scotland to only travel if their journey is essential across key routes on Friday 23 June.

mediacentre.tpexpress.co.uk

Lack of available drivers who can sign the diversionary route via Healey Mills

 

[175001]

I thought the MD was the messiah for getting RDW back.. Pahaha

 

[ATrainSpotter]

Not sure what's triggered this.

TransPennine Express urges customers to only make essential journeys on Friday 23 June

TransPennine Express (TPE) is asking customers across the North and into Scotland to only travel if their journey is essential across key routes on Friday 23 June.

mediacentre.tpexpress.co.uk

The essential journeys only message again?! I thought we left that tosh back in the pandemic

 

[HamworthyGoods]

The essential journeys only message again?! I thought we left that tosh back in the pandemic

It’s not tosh if people are at risk of being stranded.

Yes it’s not ideal in any sense but if it puts a few discretionary journeys off for another day when the train service can me a bit more certain that’s achieved the purpose of the message.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

Just who on earth do these people think they are?!!

Absolutely gobsmacking. Government owned or not, this company should not be entrusted to run rail services.

Oh dont worry. From what I am hearing theres plenty of fingers being pointed in front of the MD and in the direction of managers responsible for the mess the company is in, and he appears to be listening....

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Oh dont worry. From what I am hearing theres plenty of fingers being pointed in front of the MD and in the direction of managers responsible for the mess the company is in, and he appears to be listening....

And so did the previous one. Listening is one thing, it’s whether they have the ability to do anything about it or have their hands tied behind their back.

 

[timothyw9]

It's a pretty good day on the Anglo-Scottish route (a few cancelled in the morning but fine for the rest of the day) and an excellent day on the South Route (0 cancellations apparently). Just the North Route thats in the toilet.

 

[YorkshireBear]

I was wondering what all the fuss was about after seeing this morning's service, but the afternoon service from Leeds to Manchester looks like just pure carnage.

Oh dont worry. From what I am hearing theres plenty of fingers being pointed in front of the MD and in the direction of managers responsible for the mess the company is in, and he appears to be listening....

Got to hope the listening gets put into action before the whole thing comes crumbling down.

It would be nice if they know this far in advance to ensure that they don't run some of the few services as 3 car.

 

[Urobach]

I thought the MD was the messiah for getting RDW back.. Pahaha

RDW (re)starts tomorrow, 24th June

 

[mike57]

Maybe if there is a total meltdown of the service action will be taken to sort the problems out. The bad publicity will force those in control to take action. We have been suffering TPE poor service for 5 years now, different year, different excuse, but as a passenger it makes no diffeence, the trains dont run as advertised.

TPE North service is now unusable, you cannot plan a journey with any hope that you will arrive even close to the advertised time, and that rules rail out as a choice.

 

[Moonshot]

Maybe if there is a total meltdown of the service action will be taken to sort the problems out. The bad publicity will force those in control to take action. We have been suffering TPE poor service for 5 years now, different year, different excuse, but as a passenger it makes no diffeence, the trains dont run as advertised.

TPE North service is now unusable, you cannot plan a journey with any hope that you will arrive even close to the advertised time, and that rules rail out as a choice.

What action should be taken by those in control?

 

[TUC]

It’s not tosh if people are at risk of being stranded.

Yes it’s not ideal in any sense but if it puts a few discretionary journeys off for another day when the train service can me a bit more certain that’s achieved the purpose of the message.

It's called being a total failure in meeting passenger needs, and that is all the rail industry exists for.

People are not there to move their lives around to fit the needs of the rail system. Real people do not have 'discretionary journeys'. They have what they have planned to do with their lives that day.

 

[OneOfThe48]

It's called being a total failure in meeting passenger needs and commercially increasing income.

People are not there to move their lives around to fit the needs of the rail system. Real people do not have 'discretionary journeys'. They have what they have planned to do with their lives that day.

The service would be the same with or without this warning.

At least this way passengers will know it will be bad today and some will choose not to travel today where they don’t have to specifically today.

 

[Huntergreed]

The users of Lockerbie etc appear to have
gained zero improvements since OLR took over TPE

As a regular (almost daily) user of Lockerbie, if anything I’d say it’s got worse!

They only useable commuter train to Glasgow from Lockerbie (the 07:10) seems to be one of their favourites to cancel. This is also the first northbound service of the day, so most folk have given up with commuting from there, as there’s simply no reliable option to get you into Glasgow before 9 now.

A small saving grace is that Avanti are now very reliable up here and the 08:15 is generally very punctual (most of the time), so provided I don’t have to be there before 9am, I generally use Avanti both ways now.

 

[43066]

It's called being a total failure in meeting passenger needs, and that is all the rail industry exists for.

People are not there to move their lives around to fit the needs of the rail system. Real people do not have 'discretionary journeys'. They have what they have planned to do with their lives that day.

So would you prefer they didn’t say anything and just let people become stranded?

Because that’s the only other alternative…

 

[HamworthyGoods]

The service would be the same with or without this warning.

At least this way passengers will know it will be bad today and some will choose not to travel today where they don’t have to specifically today.

Exactly this!
At least some people will defer their journey which is some less potentially stuck people!

 

[Parjon]

The service would be the same with or without this warning.

At least this way passengers will know it will be bad today and some will choose not to travel today where they don’t have to specifically today.

Looking at the list of cancellations, it looks like an average day as far as I can see.

Should they make this announcement every day now?

I think they will find their only remaining customers are those whose journeys are unavoidable already (and those unfortunate enough to travel infrequently who will be taken by surprise in any case)

 

[KGX]

Perhaps the goal is closure with other TOCs picking up the slack. How much would that save the DfT...

 

[mike57]

What action should be taken by those in control?

Reverse the changes that have led to the current situation, the causes have been aired on various threads here, it might not be a quick fix, but at least things would be moving in the right direction. As for who is in control, well that needs to be made clear, DfT? Minister? TPE MD?, and then whoever takes responsibility for this mess needs to be given the resources and backing to sort it.

Bear in mind that for a number of years up until 2018 TPE ran a reasonable service, the only major issue was overcrowding which could have been easily fixed with more rolling stock compatible with the existing fleet.

 

[Spartacus]

I was wondering what all the fuss was about after seeing this morning's service, but the afternoon service from Leeds to Manchester looks like just pure carnage.

12 hours of 'service', SEVEN trains in each direction. I mean, if the Morley block was a short notice emergency one, I could understand it, but as it is it's a disgrace.

 

[josh-j]

Ultimately it all comes back to the government, not that they seem to care about that. One day, we might have people in power who actually care about public transport.

As it is we just have an ingrained belief that investment is bad. I'm not sure how things can function properly until that is sorted out, it's a very stupid attitude. Miserly is the word. Good luck improving anything with a miserly attitude!

I do wonder though - with the rest day agreement might things at least get slightly less bad? It's something!

 

[Confused52]

Reverse the changes that have led to the current situation, the causes have been aired on various threads here, it might not be a quick fix, but at least things would be moving in the right direction. As for who is in control, well that needs to be made clear, DfT? Minister? TPE MD?, and then whoever takes responsibility for this mess needs to be given the resources and backing to sort it.

Bear in mind that for a number of years up until 2018 TPE ran a reasonable service, the only major issue was overcrowding which could have been easily fixed with more rolling stock compatible with the existing fleet.

As I understand it the immediate cause is the Morley block for Transpennine Route Update. We have heard that TPE told DfT that they could not get training done for sufficient staff to support the TRU. The DfT decided to go ahead anyway. The only Depot covering the diversion appears to be Sheffield. Getting more depots trained is not possible because of the Aslef RDW ban which ends tomorrow and the Morley block gets lifted on Monday. Apart from solving the drivers and conductors disputes a year ago or generally turning the clock back the only rational action is to put up with it until Monday.