[Beeyar Wunby]

Hi Phil, thanks for your reply. We're both looking at different issues here, so I'll try and cover the points in order.

Originally Posted by Silver Fox Phil

I don’t think from the comments so far that anyone is judging any one person?

That's not how I read this.......

Hmmmm, was the guard on the red carpet the next day?

I'm seeing the word guard clearly. Not Rosters, Driver Resourcing Managers, Service Delivery Centre, or perish the thought MANAGEMENT - at whose door all failures should be laid as it is their job to make the railway run.

I was not criticising anybody's viewpoint, I was simply expressing my own personal dismay at the way people jump to the conclusion that it was the traincrew's fault when THIS WAS NOT CLEARLY ESTABLISHED.

"Train cancelled because driver/guard failed to turn up" is a stock phrase that is bandied about when a train doesn't have a crew. There are a multitude of reasons why the crew may not be there. In my experience it's often not the crew's fault - I gave one example in my previous post, and I could probably fill a whole page with more reasons if required.

You're right, this is a democratic forum & I enjoy the discussions. God knows we could do with some lively discussion on here. Of course everybody has a right to express their view, and to be listened to. I fully respect that.

I apologise if you think I'm trying to shout people down. I'm not, but this is my day job and I'm passionate about it. The railway would run so much better if a few more people on it were passionate.

And now to the points that matter to you.....

Originally Posted by Phil

What is relevant was why there was no cover?

That's the privatised railway for you. Companies employ FAR fewer staff than they actually require, and encourage their staff to work their Rest Days. (Thanks God for Hidden 18, which caps the number of days a Safety Critical member of staff can work). To watch the DRMs trying to cover the work fills me with a great deal of respect for them - I couldn't do their job.

Do you really imagine that any company intent on squeezing the maximum profit out of the cash cow is going to pay staff to sit around as Cover ?

Originally Posted by Phil

How do you imagine the passengers felt because of a breakdown in service that should never have happened?

Well Phil I spend most of my time on the railway. I don't have to imagine. I have to deal with verbal and physical threats on a regular basis because of the poor quality of service that I'm giving them. I KNOW how people feel.

Cancellations affect me too. Just like my passengers I know how it feels to be stranded 100 miles from home after a long day's work because my train home isn't running.

And I know how it is to be a passenger. I have to pay to travel on other TOC's trains, and put up with their cancellations and poor customer service.

I do feel for my customers, and as you say it is a systemic problem.

Thank you for an interesting discussion,

Yours respectfully, BW