gottago wrote: ↑Sat 22 Oct, 2022 17.49
As an aside, god I miss Virgin Trains West Coast. Avanti has been simply appalling since Covid, though I suppose many of their staffing problems may well have hit Virgin too if they'd have kept the franchise.
The staff on the ground (when you actually encounter them) are lovely, despite the circumstances.
We were on one of their trains from Preston to London yesterday. As we got to the platform, they decided to reform a late-running southbound service into a late-running northbound, and a late-running northbound service into a late-running southbound, making two trainloads of passengers swap trains; while those of us on the platform got to see both the passenger information system and the train crews get completely baffled by the changes. (While the train to Glasgow ended up being significantly late, our driver managed to make up enough time and RTT shows we were 14¾ minute late - I was hoping they'd end up having to pay two lots of Delay Repay for their shenanigans.)
Monolithic wrote: ↑Sun 23 Oct, 2022 00.48
The Great British Rail project may be scrapped. Significant impact on all regions as a result, i.e nothing will change.
It may be, but it's more likely it will happen albeit in a less formal way.
The DfT have been wanting to sack off the franchise model for some years, and the Network Rail name is going to go for definite. It's just whether the massive transformation planned takes place (automation, decreased staffing etc probably won't happen as the RMT/Aslef/TSSA have the industry by the short and curlies)
Monolithic wrote: ↑Sun 23 Oct, 2022 00.48
The Great British Rail project may be scrapped. Significant impact on all regions as a result, i.e nothing will change.
It may be, but it's more likely it will happen albeit in a less formal way.
The DfT have been wanting to sack off the franchise model for some years, and the Network Rail name is going to go for definite. It's just whether the massive transformation planned takes place (automation, decreased staffing etc probably won't happen as the RMT/Aslef/TSSA have the industry by the short and curlies)
I'm not convinced that nationalising the railways as proposed by Labour and the unions would solve everything and indeed some of the changes proposed by Network Rail will eventually happen whether we like it or not.
We're going to be caught up in our 4th train strike since August next Saturday- when we'll be coming back from Heathrow on a long haul flight, tired and fatigued just wanting to get home, and it's going to take us twice as long and cost twice as much to get home as the train should have (thanks to a combination the coach company hiking their prices and £30 for a taxi at the end of the journey as the coach won't get us all the way home like the train would.
Last month we were caught in a strike that caused us to have to spent an extra £70 in accomodation to travel the previous day, coupled with spending over an hour rammed against a luggage rack in a full train (we had no seat reservation, as that was on the train that was cancelled)- including my 72 year old mother who ends up in pain having to stand for long periods. I feel like it's not worth booking trains any more as you can't be sure that they're not going to strike and the trains are even going to run. When we don't know if we'll even be able to travel, having to make alternate travel plans with 2 weeks notice and hiked fares from the coach companies on strike days, or be stuck on the few jam packed trains that are running, it's just not worth trying to travel by train any more while the threat of regular strikes is still hanging. Maybe we're more unlucky than others in being caught up in the strikes so many times, but it's getting incredibly frustrating, and we have 2 train journies booked for next month and no idea if we could be going through more of this with them, especially with the RMT just voting for potentially anoter 6 months of strikes.
james2001 wrote: ↑Wed 16 Nov, 2022 20.39
I feel like it's not worth booking trains any more as you can't be sure that they're not going to strike and the trains are even going to run.
with some train operators, it's bad enough even without the industrial action - you can't put all the blame on the RMT. Also bear in mind they're not doing this for fun - they're standing up for decent working conditions and a reasonable wage for the people on the front line who run the services.
james2001 wrote: ↑Wed 16 Nov, 2022 20.39
I feel like it's not worth booking trains any more as you can't be sure that they're not going to strike and the trains are even going to run.
with some train operators, it's bad enough even without the industrial action - you can't put all the blame on the RMT. Also bear in mind they're not doing this for fun - they're standing up for decent working conditions and a reasonable wage for the people on the front line who run the services.
I can agree to a degree with the thinking and reason behind the strikes, however, as a fare paying passenger who did recently travel during one of the cancelled strike days and on the return leg endured a 2 hour bus and underground odyssey through the depths of South London the patience wore thin on a completely rammed bus.
Surely before all these strikes a work schedule will have been drawn up well in advance, why is it supposedly so hard to revert back to it, with delays for days afterwards? Are they really that inflexible and dogmatic?
I do support the right to strikes but the RMT are guilty of strike first, talk later and I think Londoners in particular don't hold them in particularly high regard whereas other unions like ASLEF tend to be a bit more diplomatic but also their messaging is more apologetic to the public.
Jonwo wrote: ↑Thu 17 Nov, 2022 18.43
I do support the right to strikes but the RMT are guilty of strike first, talk later and I think Londoners in particular don't hold them in particularly high regard whereas other unions like ASLEF tend to be a bit more diplomatic but also their messaging is more apologetic to the public.
I don't think that's a fair characterisation at all.
There have been negotiations with the TOCs, quite regularly in fact. The TOCs have literally nothing they can offer because pay increases are determined by the DfT.
The DfT have refused to improve the pay offer they have instructed their contractors to maintain, and have completely refused all attempts to negotiate directly with unions.
There is essentially no possibility of meaningful negotiation.
Jonwo wrote: ↑Thu 17 Nov, 2022 18.43
I do support the right to strikes but the RMT are guilty of strike first, talk later and I think Londoners in particular don't hold them in particularly high regard whereas other unions like ASLEF tend to be a bit more diplomatic but also their messaging is more apologetic to the public.
I don't think that's a fair characterisation at all.
There have been negotiations with the TOCs, quite regularly in fact. The TOCs have literally nothing they can offer because pay increases are determined by the DfT.
The DfT have refused to improve the pay offer they have instructed their contractors to maintain, and have completely refused all attempts to negotiate directly with unions.
There is essentially no possibility of meaningful negotiation.
While that's true on National Rail TOCs and that's more justified. It doesn't explain other disputes with the likes of TfL which isn't covered by the DfT as it's devolved.
