Trains cancellations - latest

[DovertheRoad]

At least 4 trains into LB have been cancelled this morning inc the 0707, 0727 and 0807 not sure why...others heading south also.

[DovertheRoad]

Update: trains look scheduled to run between 0817 and 9am peak time but likely to be crowded due to above. Problem is apparently ongoing driver sickness issues. 0916 also down as cancelled

[Chief]

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/sicknote-strike-southern-rail-conductors-call-in-ill-1000-times-in-a-month-a3256451.html

[a_m]

The trains were also awful yesterday - I stood for 45 minutes in the rain-lashed shelter on the platform as train after train was cancelled. Shocking service yet again from Southern. Surely they can't allow this sick note situation to continue?

[mikeb]

I think it's probably fairer to view "sick note" culture as being a ultimately a management problem: a poorly-motivated workforce, with sub-standard conditions and limited ways routes to fulfillment at work, can respond antagonistically and with increased absences from work.

I suspect at the heart of this is that Southern is trying to run the network on too little subsidy, or alternatively is trying to take excessive profit from the franchise - though not sure how one could ever disaggregate this without much more financial disclosure.

[BrandNewGuy]

One major problem is that no journalist ever properly investigates such disagreements, they just parrot the lines given to them from both sides. The union says that Southern is understaffed, so even just a few absences cause problems. The management says there's a sicknote culture.

How does Southern compare with other rail operators in terms of numbers, shifts etc? And what is the absentee rate through sickness elsewhere?

Until questions like this are asked and answered, then the poor old commuter will carry on suffering.

[Earl Aelfheah]

One thing's for sure, profits will keep being made, regardless of what passenger's or staff's experience is like.

[BrandNewGuy]

Well, British Rail was profitable in the 50s and again in the 80s. Nothing wrong with profits, as long as they're not excessive.

[Penguin68]

BR's profits went to 'the railway' and stayed in the system. Privatised and private company profits go to the investors - many for UK utilities and rail companies outside the UK (and indeed some actually the state concerns of other countries). There is a difference.

[Loz]

I've been around long enough to remember BR. It was awful. If a company can run the railway better and make a profit, then that's fine by me.

Anyway, 'profit' doesn't all go to the train operating company. For this sort of stuff, fullfact.org are a good, independent examiner of the underlying facts.

https://fullfact.org/news/do-train-operating-companies-earn-massive-profits/

[Mick Mac]

It's half term - people get sick at half term.

[DovertheRoad]

Mick Mac Wrote:

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> It's half term - people get sick at half term.

And often on Mondays. The 06:53 train on a Monday is cancelled more regularly than I'd like and "overrunning weekend engineering works" isn't a good excuse when there haven't been any.

[JohnL]

Most people who don't ever take time off sick (unless in hospital) don't understand this.

Anyway RMT blames the Govia dirty tricks department.

http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2016-05-26/rmt-southern-sickness-figures-fiction-and-dirty-tricks/

I just tweet them pics now which for some reason both Thameslink and Southern then retweet :)

[Lowlander]

DovertheRoad Wrote:

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> Mick Mac Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > It's half term - people get sick at half term.

>

> And often on Mondays. The 06:53 train on a Monday

> is cancelled more regularly than I'd like and

> "overrunning weekend engineering works" isn't a

> good excuse when there haven't been any.

Odd...there isn't an 0653 train from ED to London bridge. There is an 0655...which hasn't been canceled at any time in the las 6 weeks http://www.recenttraintimes.co.uk/Home/Search?Op=Srch&Fr=East+Dulwich+%28EDW%29&To=London+Bridge+%28LBG%29&TimTyp=A&TimDay=6a&Days=Wk&TimPer=6w&dtFr=04%2F05%2F2016&dtTo=01%2F06%2F2016&ShwTim=AvAr&TOC=All&ArrSta=5&MetAvg=Mea&MetSpr=RT&MxScDu=&MxSvAg=10&MnScCt=2&MxArCl=5

[DovertheRoad]

I get on at North Dulwich (hence 0653)...and it has been cancelled at least 4 times this year...

[Alan Medic]

DovertheRoad Wrote:

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> I get on at North Dulwich (hence 0653)...and it

> has been cancelled at least 4 times this year...

That's less than once a month on average. You have high expectations.

[DovertheRoad]

You're right... we also take a regular 3 tight change journey to Weybridge from ND...lots of error potential and it rarely goes to plan.

I probably need to recalibrate.

[BrandNewGuy]

08.10 and 08.20 cancelled from ED this morning. Grateful for the National Rail app but not happy about getting a slowly crawling crowded 40 bus again.

[DulwichFox]

BrandNewGuy Wrote:

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> 08.10 and 08.20 cancelled from ED this morning.

> Grateful for the National Rail app but not happy

> about getting a slowly crawling crowded 40 bus

> again.

I got the 40 to Borough daily for 14 years.. From North Cross rd.

Would be nodding off by the time I got to the station.

Bliss.

[BrandNewGuy]

It's usually OK as I catch it from Heber Road, so there's still lots of space, but on train cancellation days it's heaving. A book and an iPod are some consolation, however.

[Lowlander]

Trains were bad this morning: the 0807, 0817 and 0827 all cancelled from North Dulwich. I walked up to Herne Hill, thinking that the 0847 would have been rammed...

[Jeremy]

Luckily at PR we have other options (Overground, City Thameslink). But it really is inexcusable - whether it's under-staffing, skiving, or unofficial strike...

[rendelharris]

No great consolation when standing in the rain, but if you're delayed more than half an hour you can claim back from TfL: https://tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/replacements-and-refunds/refunds-for-delays?intcmp=16681 though they say they won't pay for strike action - I wonder if they'll try to claim the alleged sick note campaign is strike action?

[danielson00]

You have to claim delay repay from Southern if its from ED.

Considering for an half hour (up to an hour) delay they pay 25% of the ticket price, which is around ?3 on Oyster is it worth it?

[lozc]

0720 was cancelled going south this AM; 0731 was then nearly 10 minutes late. Hopeless currently. 30 minutes isn't much use as a 'delay repay' threshold when many of the journeys made from East Dulwich are so short.