tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4169740113013066976.post1249931429387464035..comments2024-02-10T12:12:06.028+00:00Comments on The Real Blog: The real reason Southern Rail services have implodedDavid Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11410159311875228620noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4169740113013066976.post-4807427605935933732016-07-10T21:58:20.624+01:002016-07-10T21:58:20.624+01:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4169740113013066976.post-10281299729128786312016-07-08T22:28:34.328+01:002016-07-08T22:28:34.328+01:00It is really sad that our government deliberately ...It is really sad that our government deliberately sets out to cause so much destruction. Sadly nearly all our MPs have betrayed us. Commuting from Worthing to London is seriously affecting my health, not sure I can carry on.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4169740113013066976.post-90962231639895221272016-07-07T18:18:20.956+01:002016-07-07T18:18:20.956+01:00Is it a co-incidence the revised service is now li...Is it a co-incidence the revised service is now limited Guildford Gatwick and Chichester to Portsmouth where DOO infastructure is not ready and some guards staying on contracts are being kept for this but not enough. Strange How all this has been agreed now indefinitely until the work and other TOC agreements get agreed. Seems government backing these reforms with GTR to comply with the managed franchise.<br />It seems customers are not getting a revised service for them but for for the GTR and government cost cutting of reducing safety responsiblity to guards so to reduce pay in future to new people on railway. Should be questioned for a enquiry<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4169740113013066976.post-31914957238667030512016-07-05T10:25:20.307+01:002016-07-05T10:25:20.307+01:00Completely agree with the above. Why would the TOC...Completely agree with the above. Why would the TOC go through all of this if it was just about a trivial change in staff duties. Clearly it isn't and what this is really about is them putting themselves in a situation where they can cut staff as much as they want in the near future. The unions and the guards are aware of this too, that is why the safety issue is so important for them, it is the only reason the TOC cant implement staff cuts now. <br />The other part of this is the nature of the franchise if you can even call it that. The whole thing absolutely stinks. Both the TOC and the DFT are putting lives on the line (quite literally) and making every commuters life a misery because of this. The press have been incredibly show to pick up on what is actually happening which is very annoying.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4169740113013066976.post-62037169743307483522016-06-23T23:41:21.659+01:002016-06-23T23:41:21.659+01:00So Govia claim. But if this were the case, why wou...So Govia claim. But if this were the case, why would they endure months of disruption and reputational damage for a trivial change in staff duties? There would be very little incentive to continue pushing forward with the change, and passengers are clearly fine with the current conductor role. The only realistic incentive to continue pushing such a trivial issue is that it enables them to eliminate a large number of conductor jobs in the future. How long do you think their word that conductors will remain to perform "customer service" (read: revenue protection) duties? There's nothing binding Govia to honour this statement, and given the management contract structure that's in place, they won't pass up any opportunity to save money for long.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4169740113013066976.post-24605639739628426302016-06-20T22:05:23.540+01:002016-06-20T22:05:23.540+01:00But surely what is being proposed is DOO whilst re...But surely what is being proposed is DOO whilst retaining a staff member on the train to collect tickets and help passengers isn't it?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4169740113013066976.post-89184131933089005372016-06-20T21:36:57.730+01:002016-06-20T21:36:57.730+01:00Fact is that Driver Only Operation is used by 30% ...Fact is that Driver Only Operation is used by 30% of all mainline UK train services, so absolutely not limited to the Underground or similar. There is no evidence whatsoever that it is less safe than trains run with a guard. Check out Wikipedia: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-man_operationAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4169740113013066976.post-20751795481840053102016-06-20T13:14:07.350+01:002016-06-20T13:14:07.350+01:00Boss of the UK's worst rail franchise sees pay...Boss of the UK's worst rail franchise sees pay packet soar above £2 million<br /><br />http://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/boss-of-the-uks-worst-rail-franchise-see-pay-packet-soar-above-2million-a3270111.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4169740113013066976.post-8291555683457767942016-06-15T11:07:49.627+01:002016-06-15T11:07:49.627+01:00More lies from the utterly incompetent, and loaths...More lies from the utterly incompetent, and loathsome rail minister Claire Perry, who doesn't know one end of a train from another.<br /><br />http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/14557427.Rail_Minister__Unions_are_launching_a_war_on_passengers/<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4169740113013066976.post-18000313778893003612016-06-14T23:34:33.719+01:002016-06-14T23:34:33.719+01:00In relation to your opening paragraph, Drivers can...In relation to your opening paragraph, Drivers can't just 'do some work' if there is no job or duty being provided for them. They can't just waltz into the depot and take a train! They need to have a duty provided to them. If a duty isn't provided, all the Drivers can do is wait for one.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4169740113013066976.post-13675683740212954422016-06-14T19:32:56.268+01:002016-06-14T19:32:56.268+01:00Talking to a train driver at Horsham this morning ...Talking to a train driver at Horsham this morning (Tues 14 June) after the 08.07 was cancelled - he said that the drivers are refusing to work their rest days because they are fed up with Southern and that is why the trains are being cancelled. He said that had he not agreed to work his rest day, the train that I was on would have been cancelled as well!<br />Just another variation on the story...Oliver Brocklehurstnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4169740113013066976.post-30744248599189068742016-06-14T19:12:03.303+01:002016-06-14T19:12:03.303+01:00I am a train driver who has driven both DOO and wi...I am a train driver who has driven both DOO and with a guard. DOO is a ridiculous.<br /><br />If there is a crash and I am killed or injured physically or for that matter psychologically and cannot do anything, there is no one to protect the line, or evacuate passengers. Railways are dangerous It is not the same as the road in any way. Not only will passengers be frightened and confused, but trespass on railways is a criminal offence for good reason, because they are dangerous, and without a suitably qualified person there, passengers can put themselves in more danger than they are already in.<br /><br />As for train dispatch, mirrors and monitors can become useless in darkness or extreme sunlight, and the traditional way of dispatching using eyesight is required, and often the front of the train is the least suitable place for viewing what is going on. Guards are often told to dispatch from the safest place to get the best viewing, which may be the rear, may be the centre of the train and in rare cases towards the front. Naturally once the doors are shut, we drive and cannot view the train as it pulls out of the platform - nor should we it distracts us from signals and what lies ahead, so if someone jumps on the side or falls under, we won’t know, where as a guard can stop the train as the railway rulebook states that the guard must remain at the window at all times until the train has passed the platform.<br /><br />On staffed stations with DOO (which the vast majority are not), the platform staff have no way of stopping a moving train other than contacting the signaller which takes time, or gesturing to the punters to pull the cord, which is highly ineffective. Prosecutions and sackings are now commonplace for dispatch incidents, despite the fact that the bulk of them happen under DOO. Drivers do not want to take on the risk of prison having to deal with anti social idiots jumping on the side of trains, or gangs of youths banging on the windows and kicking the train as it pulls out. Assaults and threats can act as a distraction to drivers, who can end up having safety incidents, because they are concentrating on thuggery, rather than signals.<br /><br />The companies spin getting rid of guards as technology making them unneeded. In reality it means the driver does two people's work (or three people's work if the platform staff are removed) putting criminal liability onto drivers at the platform. Technology would mean the process is automated, not lumping all the work onto one person who already has a serious safety critical job to do. CCTV is inferior to physically standing on platforms, no matter what these "experts" at the top say. They do not drive trains, guard trains or dispatch trains from stations.<br /><br />Customer service with just a driver on board is non existent. When things go wrong we are often driving on yellow signals or even from red signal to red signal. You cannot use the PA when on restrictive aspects, and attempting to find out what is going on using mobile phones or any electronic equipment will lead to dismissal, no phones or laptops or anything switched on in the cab whilst the train is in motion, and rightly so.<br /><br />DOO trains are also rampant with anti social behaviour. First class / quite coaches are always abused, blatant smoking of both cigarettes and illegal drugs, criminal damage to the train and so forth. A guard can deal with these miscreants, either as a visual deterrent, or ejecting them from the train, and if the situation is too dangerous, they can still move passengers out of the way and get the police far more quickly, as well as act as a witness. As a driver we can do very little at all, and have no clue what we are ferrying around. <br /><br />Well done for allowing rail workers to speak their mind on this page. I hope trade unions, passenger user's groups and MPs are able to work together, regardless of political affiliation to sort this mess out, to defeat nonsense such as DOO, and to improve the rail service for passengers and staff alike. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4169740113013066976.post-20923885600643266802016-06-14T17:31:57.263+01:002016-06-14T17:31:57.263+01:00Anonymous I have since received a reply from Maria...Anonymous I have since received a reply from Maria Caulfield, and actually yes she does seem to be very active on the matter! All power to her elbow in this regard at least!<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01087599611693700264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4169740113013066976.post-90307428764250574452016-06-14T17:13:49.145+01:002016-06-14T17:13:49.145+01:00Dear Anonymous, you have no idea what you are talk...Dear Anonymous, you have no idea what you are talking about, I drive trains, I get up at 0200 every day for 5 days and am out of the house for 12 hours, I have a couple of days off then get in at 0200 for two weeks with a couple of days off in between and work 3 weekends out of 4 and if I cock it up, then YOU don't go home to your family - and I don't see mine for a week at a time due to rostering !Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4169740113013066976.post-55692843827098019882016-06-14T16:44:56.585+01:002016-06-14T16:44:56.585+01:00I'm disabled, so need ramps to get on and off ...I'm disabled, so need ramps to get on and off trains. I have to ring Southern Assisted Travel at least 24 hours before I want to travel, to arrange "assistance" that seldom materialises, so I have to rely on the guard to get me on and off the train. Get rid of the guards, and people in my situation won't be able to travel.<br /><br />One week recently, the Southampton to Brighton train I was booked on was "cancelled" without warning, but they ran it <b>empty</b>. I watched it go through the station without stopping, five minutes before it would have been due.<br /><br />One of the stations I use has recently been abandoned. The ticket office remains locked, and large gates have been erected at the entrances/exits. So far these are open, but for how long?<br /><br />Southern have posters displayed at this station claiming that it "will be" manned from the first train to the last each day, so why have they got rid of the four people who used to run the station if they're planning on replacing them?<br /><br />This Monday (June 13th), despite my having arranged "assistance", there was nobody to get me on the first train, nobody at Brighton to get me off this train and onto the next, and nobody at my destination station. What would I do if they were driver-only trains?<br /><br />I have nothing but praise for train guards and platform staff, who are always friendly and helpful, however difficult their job becomes, but there are fewer platform staff every week.<br /><br />Brighton and Hove buses are operated just as badly by the same parent company. I have friends living on the outskirts of Brighton, who often have to wait up to an hour for buses that are supposed to run every ten minutes. Drivers say the company needs around 80 additional drivers to run a full timetable, but it seems the management isn't interested in recruiting. Like the train crews, bus drivers too are being bullied.<br /><br />I've heard of drivers getting 'phone calls in the middle of the night "asking" (demanding?) that they work their days off.<br /><br />Buses take short cuts, leaving people stranded, but the company denies this. Sometimes they go completely off-route to avoid the busy Churchill Square area. If they're running late, they display a "Not in Service" message. I've personally seen as many as three successive buses on the Brighton-Eastbourne route go through without picking anyone up.<br /><br />In central Brighton the service is pretty good, but move out a couple of miles and it's usually quicker to walk.<br /><br />Barneynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4169740113013066976.post-55414149731616274372016-06-14T14:29:26.212+01:002016-06-14T14:29:26.212+01:00Andrew I have been in regular contact with Maria C...Andrew I have been in regular contact with Maria Caulfield about this shambolic situation and she assures me that it is very high on her agenda - in fact she is meeting the Secretary of State for Transport tomorrow. Whether anything comes of that is another question but she is at least making the right noises which is a lot more than can be said for many of the other Sussex MPs.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4169740113013066976.post-88807449395200027262016-06-14T12:53:40.041+01:002016-06-14T12:53:40.041+01:00Agree with Ziz. It's time for another petition...Agree with Ziz. It's time for another petition to go up.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15063190472158040414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4169740113013066976.post-84182092143912379122016-06-14T12:52:09.273+01:002016-06-14T12:52:09.273+01:00I was quoting someone ("Anonymous") for ...I was quoting someone ("Anonymous") for the first bit, that post has since been deleted it seems, sorry you missed it.Just paying the billsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4169740113013066976.post-41298456632452917582016-06-14T10:38:16.224+01:002016-06-14T10:38:16.224+01:00Let's get another petition up online?
Sadly th...Let's get another petition up online?<br />Sadly the other petitions calling on Govia to sort their sh!t out never really got many signatures.<br />Zizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02414860879829217479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4169740113013066976.post-44388355228385921632016-06-14T09:42:31.797+01:002016-06-14T09:42:31.797+01:00Haven't read the Eye Piece yet but Dft involve...Haven't read the Eye Piece yet but Dft involvement might go some way to explain the almost spooky absence of coverage and comment on this disgusting spectacle.<br /><br />I tried to make an appointment to discuss it with my MP (Maria Caulfield, Con) - auto reply tumbleweed.<br /><br />We passengers need to organise somehow - but how? I've finally felt the need to get a Twitter account; I have tweeted about this blog and it's alrady been retweeted, so that's something I guess. hashtag sackGTR anyone?Andrew Williamsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4169740113013066976.post-6235505259749710042016-06-14T08:46:52.554+01:002016-06-14T08:46:52.554+01:00Monday evening at 1830 the press of passengers on ...Monday evening at 1830 the press of passengers on Platform 1 & 2 at Brighton was so great that the staff closed the platform and hired in BTP to stop more joining. Was this due to a cancellation westbound? <br /><br />If so or if not, it really is a bit much to have to get coppers to stop users using your trains.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00971446804087712672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4169740113013066976.post-62603849479249014552016-06-14T07:48:38.051+01:002016-06-14T07:48:38.051+01:00Interesting blog, really helped put this in perspe...Interesting blog, really helped put this in perspective. As a daily user of the metro service, I face random luck on getting to work on time or getting home. Today my train from Epsom downs was cancelled, 2 buses to Sutton to catch the 7:10 and I arrived to that being cancelled as well. Now I'm on a Victoria train which was full by carshalton. Every stop now is a heated exchange between people trying to squeeze on with chaos at every station. This is a near daily occurrence... what a mess this company is. Rotfacehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15774915458022785761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4169740113013066976.post-2129077416253943722016-06-14T00:20:56.708+01:002016-06-14T00:20:56.708+01:00Mike @ 1812. It's been suggested that it's...Mike @ 1812. It's been suggested that it's quite deliberate and not a fundamental error, it allows GTR to push through these changes on behalf of the DfT.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4169740113013066976.post-89922174496415920372016-06-13T20:56:44.834+01:002016-06-13T20:56:44.834+01:00Just paying the bills - you are clueless. Staff do...Just paying the bills - you are clueless. Staff don't get paid 12 hours pay for two hours work, more like they are rostered 9.5 hours, volunteer to work an additional 2 hours and if they're lucky the company will pay them twelve hours. Considering overtime is paid at the standard rate this effectively a small sweetener to get staff to volunteer, in reality it's probably an extra £5/£10 bonus for agreeing to work extra! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4169740113013066976.post-39837629192945955212016-06-13T18:12:00.910+01:002016-06-13T18:12:00.910+01:00I happened to be bored enough on the way into Lond...I happened to be bored enough on the way into London on a delayed Southern train this morning to search for the GTR franchise agreement. A couple of questions: Firstly, is the 2014 agreement still effective? If so, from the financial section it looked like DfT (and therefore the taxpayer) picks up the tab for delay repay claims through a balancing payment at the end of the year. Has anyone else looked into this? If true, it would seem like a pretty fundamental error in contract drafting if DfT were trying to ensure any kind of incentive for GTR to provide a decent service to the end user..Mikenoreply@blogger.com