Train strikes

[PinkandTwinkly]

The extremely well-paid already drivers are the bad guys here.

But, do you agree they should give up T&Cs and not be paid for it?

Sunday being outside the working week

I work for a TOC where (currently) mainline drivers are not striking, it's also a TOC where for drivers base rostered Sunday working was already "bought" years back for which the drivers received a decent pay increase (and currently are one of the higher paid mainline TOCs)

Surely, Drivers at other locations should be equal well paid in order to give up a T&C

 

[Lonette]

My issue with the drivers is they are never, ever happy. It doesn't matter how many times they are given into, they go off on one again in no time. I'm sick of it, got to admit.

 

[PinkandTwinkly]

My issue with the drivers is they are never, ever happy. It doesn't matter how many times they are given into, they go off on one again in no time. I'm sick of it, got to admit.

Evidence of that?
Up until the first strike last summer Drivers strikes have been very very rare, and specific to certain TOCs over specific local issues

I think these strikes are something like for first national strikes for 25 or 26 years..The first post BR

 

[Lonette]

It always seems like they're on strike.

I did not realise we're in a courtroom, though, hence just stating an opinion and no "evidence"...

 

[gossipgirlxxo]

Yikes, I forgot that the 13th of May is the Eurovision final.

14th is the Leeds marathon so a lot of people will be travelling the day before if they’re not local

 

[Warpaint]

Going to be another big weekend of strikes with the FA cup final going on.

 

[CrackingOwlSanctuary]

RMT called 20th, 22nd and 29th July strike dates as ASLEF declare an overtime ban (action short of a strike).

It is heavily rumoured RDG are gojng to announce the closure of ticket offices in the next few days. Absolute madness as far as I'm concerned.

Ben Elton did a show on 4 the other night about the railway and it's problems which was good but only scraped the surface in my eyes.

 

[wideopenspace]

This summer I should be planning a trip to London but with rail strikes I can't be bothered. There's too much risk booking hotels, theatre tickets etc and then strikes getting called. They're doing themselves out of a job. Leisure travellers are using other options and I know people changing jobs to avoid the trains.

 

[Folkevermore]

This summer I should be planning a trip to London but with rail strikes I can't be bothered. There's too much risk booking hotels, theatre tickets etc and then strikes getting called. They're doing themselves out of a job. Leisure travellers are using other options and I know people changing jobs to avoid the trains.

Rail travel is actually picking up a fair bit now, both leisure and commuting.
Six months ago my commute wasn’t too bad and I could always get a seat. Now I’m fighting for my life to get a seat on my commute into London, and the train starts at my station.
Will be interesting to see how the travel figures look in six months.
I travel to Manchester fairly frequently on the weekend and even the standard premium section is completely full

 

[CrackingOwlSanctuary]

This summer I should be planning a trip to London but with rail strikes I can't be bothered. There's too much risk booking hotels, theatre tickets etc and then strikes getting called. They're doing themselves out of a job. Leisure travellers are using other options and I know people changing jobs to avoid the trains.

Tell that to the government who want to get rid of all these jobs because 'no-one uses the train anymore.' Full and standing for 45 minutes into Manchester on the one I caught the other morning.

That government argument always made me laugh, as I likely said somewhere here before they are saying no-one uses the trains now and in the same announcement have the head of the publican and restaurant association saying strikes have cost them a billion in revenue. How does that work if no-one uses the trains now?

 

[wideopenspace]

Tell that to the government who want to get rid of all these jobs because 'no-one uses the train anymore.' Full and standing for 45 minutes into Manchester on the one I caught the other morning.

That government argument always made me laugh, as I likely said somewhere here before they are saying no-one uses the trains now and in the same announcement have the head of the publican and restaurant association saying strikes have cost them a billion in revenue. How does that work if no-one uses the trains now?

I do have commute cross country for work a few times a year. With cancellations and strikes it makes it near impossible. There's constant cancellations on the transpennie route so when they do run they are packed as they're so infrequent which drives people away from using them.

I completely get your point people are using them and strike days do have a negative impact to the wider economy. Unfortunately I choose not to travel and do things vitually now and I know many thers doing the same. Admittedly not everyone has the option so those having to use trains and be crammed in I do sympathise with.

 

[Piff paff puff]

Just like royal mail. They will cause their own demise.

 

[CrackingOwlSanctuary]

I fully understand the frustration but the issues outside of the industrial action would still be present even if they all agreed to terms tomorrow. The problems are far deeper than that and the government don't want to get into that financial quagmire.

For instance the Castlefield corridor in Manchester, still the same now as it was when it was built in Victorian times. The rail traffic over this key stretch of line has increased slightly since then, and any slight delay to a service using it can cause catastrophic knock ons across the rail network resulting in delays and cancellations. It won't be sorted though because it would cost a fortune.

 

[CrackingOwlSanctuary]

131 Ticket Offices to close for starters.

Edit: That's just the ones operated by Northern.

 

[CrackingOwlSanctuary]

Avanti propose to close all thier ticket offices. Transpennine propose to close all except Huddersfield and Manchester Airport.

 

[wideopenspace]

Avanti propose to close all thier ticket offices. Transpennine propose to close all except Huddersfield and Manchester Airport.

Where will people go when the train is cancelled and need a note to get on another train?

 

[Folkevermore]

Where will people go when the train is cancelled and need a note to get on another train?

I believe avanti are essentially moving ticket staff to floor workings, so you’ll just have to find a member of staff in the station.
I’m assuming other TOCs will be doing the same

 

[CrackingOwlSanctuary]

Although I think they will be deploying those staff to move between stations on their shift so I assume it will be 'tough' if they aren't on the station when you are there. Those floor working roles make the least sense about the cost cutting, surely the staff wages are the highest over head in the whole scheme. I know for a fact at least two of the stations earmarked for closure take thousands of pounds a day.

 

[wideopenspace]

Although I think they will be deploying those staff to move between stations on their shift so I assume it will be 'tough' if they aren't on the station when you are there. Those floor working roles make the least sense about the cost cutting, surely the staff wages are the highest over head in the whole scheme. I know for a fact at least two of the stations earmarked for closure take thousands of pounds a day.

I wonder if they will sell it as floorwalkers but as people leave or retire they won't be replaced so in the end they'll be no one there.

 

[Folkevermore]

I wonder if they will sell it as floorwalkers but as people leave or retire they won't be replaced so in the end they'll be no one there.

I noticed earlier that avanti have a bunch of floor walker job vacancies listed - I’m in Euston at least a couple of times a week so I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out to see how it works.

I think it’ll be difficult at stations like Euston where you get a lot of tourists who may not know how to book tickets online