No Southern Trains Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday

[Chicken Run]

You haven't a clue, it would take more like TEN years to replace all drivers if they could which they can't

You're being STUPID, stop it[emoji23]

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

It depends on what depot they are at, but a starter driver at Brighton who would drive Brighton to Ore , Brighton to Haywards Heath & Brighton to Littlehampton would take roughly 2 years from leaving the job centre to be able to do that fully passed out. Problem is that there are not enough Driver Instructors to ensure that can do their route learning and accompanied hours in the cab so may take a lot longer. It's the next step learning to London, Portsmouth/Southampton etc that is hard as they cannot learn the routes as nobody to cover their booked duties whilst they do so.
This has been going on for years, not a new thing. Simply not enough drivers to do what they have to do.

Out of interest what's uptake like? If there's vacancies how many would typically apply and then pass?

 

[Thunder Bolt]

They've had 4 years to get the ball rolling and 2 years since the first emergency timetables due to staff shortages in Dec 2014. They didn't act then and won't act now.

This is the problem in a nutshell. It will take years to sort out, no matter who is in charge.

 

[albionite]

Out of interest what's uptake like? If there's vacancies how many would typically apply and then pass?

Not sure on how many apply for each job advertised, but I do know only 2% of those that apply get a drivers job.

I may of got my figures wrong here (will have to check) from what I remember it costs them £60k to train each driver, the reason why they stop recruiting just before their franchise is over if they believe they won't win the next one.

Problem is thameslink did the same thing now they have a mess they can not handle. But as long as they are getting their bonus from dft from reaching targets they don't care.

 

[ROSM]

You're being STUPID, stop it[emoji23]

I think his point is that there isn't an infinite amount of space on the tracks or driver instructors or other drivers to fill routes that would normally be covered by those doing advanced route training.

One driver may take 2 years to be fully qualified but to qualify a whole army of them isn't a case of all being done in 2 years. The critical path of 10 years, whilst dramatically extreme may not be far off

 

[Ernest]

I think his point is that there isn't an infinite amount of space on the tracks or driver instructors or other drivers to fill routes that would normally be covered by those doing advanced route training.

One driver may take 2 years to be fully qualified but to qualify a whole army of them isn't a case of all being done in 2 years. The critical path of 10 years, whilst dramatically extreme may not be far off

It would be impossible to do, it's simply not feasible to train a completely new workforce. For a train driver at a depot like Brighton to be fully qualified driving over every route plus each form of train would indeed be about 10 years after he started if not longer

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

it would be impossible to do, it's simply not feasible to train a completely new workforce. For a train driver at a depot like brighton to be fully qualified driving over every route plus each form of train would indeed be about 10 years after he started if not longer

there's a voice of experience
regards
DR

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Southern Failway have officially given up providing a rail service in Sussex tomorrow

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-38290260

 

[coagulantwolf]

Southern Failway have officially given up providing a rail service in Sussex tomorrow

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-38290260

'"We are sorry but the industrial action by Aslef leaves us no viable alternative, but be assured we will do all we can overnight," she said.'

If there is one thing in the world that I will NEVER be assured of, it is something coming from Southern.

 

[beorhthelm]

The thing is, I'm very much on the fence with regards the striking unions. I find it deeply worrying that the unions are getting slaughtered to an unfair degree when this train company were an absolute DISGRACE long before the strikes took affect. For example, my morning service was cancelled 14 times in 12 weeks this time last year. Nothing to do with the unions at all. Why isn't the company being held to account?

as i understand it, they were. they were told off and fined (probably not enough of either though) for failing to meet their targets and where supposed to be implementing measures to solve some problems. once the union action kicked in they just cried "force majeure" and get a pass. the unions are getting slaughtered for making the situation even worse, and distracted from the poor service provided. meanwhile the government seem to be accepting this, looking to bribe us with increase delay repay and compensation, neither which will address the problems.

 

[Lower West Stander]

I'm quite excited.

I'm trying Petersfield to Waterloo tomorrow. Never done it before........

 

[beorhthelm]

It would be impossible to do, it's simply not feasible to train a completely new workforce. For a train driver at a depot like Brighton to be fully qualified driving over every route plus each form of train would indeed be about 10 years after he started if not longer

seems technology should be used to solve that, using simulators to get the drivers learning the routes.

 

[albionite]

seems technology should be used to solve that, using simulators to get the drivers learning the routes.

Very funny

 

[beorhthelm]

Very funny

you'll have to explain the humor. airlines and shipping (and plenty other industries) use simulators for training, why not rail? you'd still want real track experience, but you could cover dozens of hours of route familiaristion in a simulator.

 

[carteater]

F***ng joke that's been told too many times and isn't funny anymore...

F*** them off and sell the franchise to somebody competent and with decent HR.

'sake.

 

[albionite]

you'll have to explain the humor. airlines and shipping (and plenty other industries) use simulators for training, why not rail? you'd still want real track experience, but you could cover dozens of hours of route familiaristion in a simulator.

They do wow.

There's me thinking they have months of classroom lessons then going onto a simulator, then co-pilot before being in charge of a passenger jet, but if you say they all do it by sim then I'll go with what you say.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Talk about something you know not about something you don't as it makes you look stupid.

These threads are getting to a point where you should not be allowed to post on them.

Yes you worked on the railways, so you have some insider knowledge. However the fact that all you ever do on the train threads is call people stupid, who do not agree with you, means you are contributing nothing.

 

[beorhthelm]

...if you say they all do it by sim then I'll go with what you say.

i didn't. they use technology to supplement real world training. see this is maybe why the rail industry you seem to represent are stuck in the past, because you aren't open to new methods.

to be clearer, im not suggesting they replace all training with simulators, but using it for the route learning to cut the 10 years Ernest reckons it takes to learn the routes.

 

[TheJasperCo]

I was due to travel home on Friday for Christmas. I booked the tickets well in advance of the strike days, but is it true other TOCs will endorse my fare on the day either side of the union action?

 

[albionite]

i didn't. they use technology to supplement real world training. see this is maybe why the rail industry you seem to represent are stuck in the past, because you aren't open to new methods.

to be clearer, im not suggesting they replace all training with simulators, but using it for the route learning to cut the 10 years Ernest reckons it takes to learn the routes.

Why don't you go back and read the rest of the thread