End of the line for EWS?

[reflector]

Originally Posted by LesG

As a member of DB Schenker/EWS staff I personally feel that the company under the Germans can only go one way 'upwards' providing we can get some forward thinking managers that are willing to see our trains run and give their support to train crews that are trying to see the company succeed no matter what the name is.

You may well be right in that a change of ownership is exactly what is needed. I have no problem with that at all. All I am saying is that a brand name is important and that changes of name are not always necessary and certainly not always in the organisation's best interests. I would have thought that EWS is a sound and fairly well trusted name in and beyond the industry and something on which they can build. There is no reason at all why they could not have kept the name (and corporate image)rather than launching something new which inevitably will take the wider public some time to recognise and to trust.

My gas/electricity provider has changed its' name three or four times now in almost as many years which I cannot see is to the benefit of the company or the customer, most of whom I guess are now totally confused as to they get their energy from. Mind you, with the reputation of many providers, perehaps that is the intention!

Good luck to all involved with EWS.

[Flying Pig]

Originally Posted by reflector

I would have thought that EWS is a sound and fairly well trusted name in and beyond the industry and something on which they can build.

I'll try NOT to offend any EWS employees, it's a company I deeply respect. Anyway here goes....

Sadly on the Railway nowadays, just as everywhere else, 'style wins over content'

EWS is seen by many in the industry as being the last freight company to do things 'The Old BR way'. Not that there's anything wrong with the old way, but things change over time and there's alot of competition now.

Companies like GBRf, which is a relatively new player, have swept away most old working practices. As part of the First group they are extremely image conscious; they portray themselves as being very business orientated by doing things like dressing their drivers in suits and calling them Train Managers. This is only window-dressing, but customer seem
to lap it up.

But fundamentally it's Logistics which count. By basing many of their drivers at home and faxing jobsheets directly to them, they save on real estate costs. Also by sending out fuel bowsers to meet the locos at remote locations they save on having fuelling points. Obviously this enables them to undercut the prices that EWS with its enormous resource base has to charge. The bottom line is that GBRf can do it cheaper much of the time, and their reliability is around 99%. Hence they're growing like a virus.

Most industry insiders believe it's time for EWS to face up to GBRf, HH, and DRS and play them at their own game. But it will take a visionary to lead this, and it will be painful for many. And of course on top of this we're now enterring a recession/depression, so things will even harder still.

Personally I deeply hope EWS wins through. They have a really experienced and talented workforce, which thoroughly deserves to win more work.

I believe that EWS really does need an image change, and I hope that DB Schenker can take it forward. Good luck to them.

[paul miller]

I wish them good luck for the sake of the employees.
I dont begin to understand the need for all the changes of "brand" and "image", but if it keeps people in a job, and hopefully makes someone realise that eventually we have to get vast amounts of frieght back on the railways and off the roads, then I can live with it.
Paul.

[washingmachine]

EWS workers are very flexible,will go the extra mile to get things right.GBRail and F HH are run by ex EWS staff.There is a lot of good will from staff running EWS.It would collapse if they worked the way their managers want them to.The problem is senior managers ,there from BR days,junior managers shit scared to make a decision incase they are relocated to the dole.Their CEO runs it with an iron fist and won't listen to suggestions to improve.
Man management is very poor in this company.Their workers still deliver whilst getting treated piss poor.
DB may be what is needed,but they need to get rid of most of the present management and some of the crap graduates that are being taken on.
Safety,its the tick box culture.reactive not proactive.
All rail companies are in the same boat.

[washingmachine]

Yes,the end of EWS,but the start of something big.Look out other freight companies.

[LesG]

Originally Posted by washingmachine

EWS workers are very flexible,will go the extra mile to get things right.GBRail and F HH are run by ex EWS staff.There is a lot of good will from staff running EWS.It would collapse if they worked the way their managers want them to.The problem is senior managers ,there from BR days,junior managers shit scared to make a decision incase they are relocated to the dole.Their CEO runs it with an iron fist and won't listen to suggestions to improve.
Man management is very poor in this company.Their workers still deliver whilst getting treated piss poor.
DB may be what is needed,but they need to get rid of most of the present management and some of the crap graduates that are being taken on.
Safety,its the tick box culture.reactive not proactive.
All rail companies are in the same boat.

WM,

I don't know if you work for EWS/DB schenker but if you do its not the same company I work for.

I agree with some of what you say but with other bits of this comment its pure rubbish.

I have to watch what i say, but many of our drivers don't want to change the old practices, mainly those from the large depots, they want the big money but they want it for doing next to nothing. Many of our older drivers are still working to what is called the pre 1988 agreements, now I won't even pretend to or understand the details of this agreement as its way before my time on the railway. New drivers have to agree to drive road vehicles to and from jobs if the diagramme needs that particular form of transport. These pre 1988 drivers do not have to drive road vehs so therefore that part of the job becomes a taxi ride which then equalls two taxi rides, one for him and one for the returning driver. According to our management the taxi bill is absolutley phenonomil for the company,

Yes many of our staff will go that extra mile to make a train run and keep it running but if we get to a point where we start to exceed our legal timings etc and can't get relief there comes a point where we have to say enough is enough. A couple of months ago a train arrived at our depot that was a couple of hours late, through no fault of the company, the relieving driver, who had travelled up pass refused to work the train away because he would have been a few minutes over his day and returned home pass leaving a train standing with no-one to work it.

This to me is what DB-Schenker has to stamp out the old BR mentallity, not just from its traincrews/groundstaff but also from some managers aswell. These people have to move into the 21st railway centuary and realise that the only way to work is to work as a team and maybe we can succeed as a team.

Your statement about a lot of good will from the people running EWS, Can you point them out to me please cause I have yet to meet any one running the company that has any.

Just my view from someone from a small DB depot.

Les

[washingmachine]

The taxi problem is being sorted,a taxi bill for £96k is a joke when we see people going up he road,don't have the same problem with drivers you have had.Not many old school drivers left.Drivers I know will keep trains running and not bail out if they run slightly over hours.The good will is from staff,NOT managers.Staff on the sharp end are running the show.The managers are playing golf.Best place for them.
It runs as a team but screws up when managers get involved.
Get rid of the business units is the first step.


Can't see why you have called my comment rubbish.Its FACT in my area.Sorry its not in yours.Nothing wrong with the old BR mentality long as its positive. Some of the "newboys/galls" to the rail industry have not got a clue.Some have been found out and sacked.One nearly lost a major contract.

[washingmachine]

See DB SCHENKER (EWS) has lost a lot of network rail work.around 40% is a huge amount of work.Don't think their senior managers care.Hopefully they will pick up other work.

[LesG]

Originally Posted by washingmachine

See DB SCHENKER (EWS) has lost a lot of network rail work.around 40% is a huge amount of work.Don't think their senior managers care.Hopefully they will pick up other work.

Got told about this this morning plus the other bit:

Another 150 jobs to go on top of what has already been announced, unconfirmed report!

Les

[swisstrains]

The magazine "Today's Railways Europe" reports that DB/Schenker have had to hire 170 km of siding space in Germany to store idle wagons. The number of freight trains operated is down 40% and 8000 wagons have been put in store.