What does a train guard / conductor do ?

That certainly won’t be in this franchise and probably not the next. RMT are a bunch of reactionary class warriors with the subtlety of a JCB. See the Merseyrail dispute where the actual Labour council (Merseytravel) have bought the new driver only trains,yet still RMT are striking against Merseyrail,which is a concession awarded by the council and have nothing to do with new the new trains.

Arriva northerns latest fuckwittery came this morning.. i was attempting to get my ticket from the new machine but it appears it had been programmed only to accomodate locations in lancashire... you couldnt make it up..

Strip them off the contract and get it in public ownership. Shambolic performance in the past 12 months..its never been as bad.

Sent from my SM-J320FN using Tapatalk

You’re absolutely aware that all the woes are a direct consequence of Goverment intervention in rolling stock leasing? And you want them to take over? The worst performing part of the railway is Network Rail,remind me if that is privatised or not? I won’t even mention DRS being state owned,as it upsets the Kingmoor mafia.

Well, you have to take your hat off to the RMT, they obviously don't favour Jezza.

Teresa's team must be laughing all the way to the ballot box everytime these barmpots call a strike.

Due to the frequency, we're also getting a 'on-strike' train timetable, so as predicted, it's all about a few beaucoup days holiday, as they can afford it !!

Maybe shopping for summer holidays in the Caribbean, as this is making them the highest paid, and with around 50+ days a year holiday, that's what you call Socialism !!

Long live the RMT !!.......................(the Conservatives new slogan)

Passed them in the station car park as I was travelling through Carlisle.Sun shining,bright sunshine but .... hang on,it’s minus 7 and Baltic.Surely that wasn’t planned?

I really hope your appalling timing re today’s meaningless strike was rewarding for all who took a day off.

CCU wrote: Meaningless?

Playing a high risk game with so many strikes, the people around today are not the same as those in the 70's, most abhor strikes.

All it does is undermine the Labour party and play into the hands of the Conservatives come election time........

thesilentone wrote:

CCU wrote: Meaningless?

Playing a high risk game with so many strikes, the people around today are not the same as those in the 70's, most abhor strikes.

All it does is undermine the Labour party and play into the hands of the Conservatives come election time........

Nothing to do with undermining the Labour Party

Its a simple question " Do you think your train journey is safer if your train has both a driver and a guard than if there is no guard " ?

If you think it is then you should be doing everything you can to support these guys who are standing up for your safety

If you think not then you should be locked up in an asylum because you're clearly insane.

But it would be a good start if the train companies would actually come out and tell the truth about why theyre really pushing ahead with this hair brained scheme

I.ll give you a clue Has any company not promising to get rid of guards won a franchise since the Torys came to power ?

Yes-meaningless.

I travel this line every week and I can tell you it’s maybe 1 in 5 when I get asked to show my ticket-basically a chore for the conductor/guard-presumably busy with ‘safety’Last week,I asked to pay but his hand held machine was broken-previous week his internet access was down.Its the same on the Virgin train to Glasgow where the service is superb in my view.

All the conductor does on the Tyne Valley line is open and shut the door with his special key.

Is there a safety risk?Not with a proper camera in the driver cabin.Most busy stations have plenty of staff seeing the train in and out-only problematic at smaller stations on the Tyne Valley line.

Did the strike work for me?It reminded me of the chaos of previous socialist governments who cowtail to strikes.The train industry is far from perfect but it’s a lot better than 30 years ago.

Why not make the operators put the guard cash saving back into the mix by improving the wages of the driver taking on the responsibility and give him the relevant technology?I would be delighted with that

Many years ago,we had the same issue with firemen on trains-despite the fact that trains were moved to diesel from coal.

Striking doesn’t work anymore-particularly with relatively low skilled positions.

Laffy wrote: Yes-meaningless.

I travel this line every week and I can tell you it’s maybe 1 in 5 when I get asked to show my ticket-basically a chore for the conductor/guard-presumably busy with ‘safety’Last week,I asked to pay but his hand held machine was broken-previous week his internet access was down.Its the same on the Virgin train to Glasgow where the service is superb in my view.

All the conductor does on the Tyne Valley line is open and shut the door with his special key.

Is there a safety risk?Not with a proper camera in the driver cabin.Most busy stations have plenty of staff seeing the train in and out-only problematic at smaller stations on the Tyne Valley line.

Did the strike work for me?It reminded me of the chaos of previous socialist governments who cowtail to strikes.The train industry is far from perfect but it’s a lot better than 30 years ago.

Why not make the operators put the guard cash saving back into the mix by improving the wages of the driver taking on the responsibility and give him the relevant technology?I would be delighted with that

Many years ago,we had the same issue with firemen on trains-despite the fact that trains were moved to diesel from coal.

Striking doesn’t work anymore-particularly with relatively low skilled positions.

Well I’m in a relatively low skilled position and I’d like to think the one I’m involved in will have a positive outcome. It’s certainly brought about a much improved offer which also looks after the lowest paid workers considerably. I think they’re looking at a rise next year 4 times what they got this year.

Laffy wrote: Yes-meaningless.

I travel this line every week and I can tell you it’s maybe 1 in 5 when I get asked to show my ticket-basically a chore for the conductor/guard-presumably busy with ‘safety’Last week,I asked to pay but his hand held machine was broken-previous week his internet access was down.Its the same on the Virgin train to Glasgow where the service is superb in my view.

All the conductor does on the Tyne Valley line is open and shut the door with his special key.

Is there a safety risk?Not with a proper camera in the driver cabin.Most busy stations have plenty of staff seeing the train in and out-only problematic at smaller stations on the Tyne Valley line.

Did the strike work for me?It reminded me of the chaos of previous socialist governments who cowtail to strikes.The train industry is far from perfect but it’s a lot better than 30 years ago.

Why not make the operators put the guard cash saving back into the mix by improving the wages of the driver taking on the responsibility and give him the relevant technology?I would be delighted with that

Many years ago,we had the same issue with firemen on trains-despite the fact that trains were moved to diesel from coal.

Striking doesn’t work anymore-particularly with relatively low skilled positions.

Ok then Andrew how can you justify that they want to replace the guards with untrained customer service assistants who they are claiming will be paid almost as much as guards so if thats the case why bother if theres no or very little financial saving for them.Because getting rid of guards and breaking the RMT is clearly a political decision.

And maybe you could tell me when theres an incident on the train how is a camera in the drivers cab going to help with that ?

But you are right about one thing strikes have had their day industrial terrorism would be much more effective for instance on London underground its pretty well known how to disable the ticket machines and if i was the union leader there i.d just invest in paying a hundred kids to do that to as many machines as they could in a day companies today only listen to one thing and thats when something starts to cost them money.

What i dont get tho is why arent the RMT pIcketing the train depots in the evenings before the strikes if you persuade the maintenance guys not to cross the lines there.ll be no trains signed off to go out the next day same with the drivers i.m pretty sure ASLEF wouldn't instruct their members to cross an RMT picket line

Where does it end NS?Incidents happen all over the place.I frequently get hassle when out riding with my club but we don’t want a minder.Buses don’t have conductors or guards.What makes trains so special,particularly when the whole safety issue has been signed off by the Safety Exec.

If you are going to hit the train companies,best way is through passenger protest.They are getting away with murder on fares and rolling stock-look at how the bailout of the East line has been handled.Shocking.

I would basically remain privatised but put a cap and collar on profit levels-any surplus being ploughed back into the industry.

Laffy wrote: Where does it end NS?Incidents happen all over the place.I frequently get hassle when out riding with my club but we don’t want a minder.Buses don’t have conductors or guards.What makes trains so special,particularly when the whole safety issue has been signed off by the Safety Exec.

If you are going to hit the train companies,best way is through passenger protest.They are getting away with murder on fares and rolling stock-look at how the bailout of the East line has been handled.Shocking.

I would basically remain privatised but put a cap and collar on profit levels-any surplus being ploughed back into the industry.

And who do the safety Executive work for ?

I,d be pretty sure that if you recruited random panels of the public 99 times out of a hundred they would say keeping guards is a good idea.

The only place surprise surprise youd get the opposite result would be at the Tory party conference.

That would be the same buses that travel at 30 mph with a dozen or so on board not trains with 600 on and that travel at 125 mph like comparing mice with elephants that one.

What I cannot understand for the life of me is how (what appear to be) reasonable posters can support and defend the actions of the idiot, fat lazy Republican, bully boys at the top of the RMT.

What is wrong with people ?

If this about everyone's general concern about public safety and decency, then get shot of the Bully Boys, some of whom have a very questionable past.

Only then (and I mean only) will anyone pay the slightest bit of attention to anything remotely connected to the RMT.

The world has moved on.

thesilentone wrote: What I cannot understand for the life of me is how (what appear to be) reasonable posters can support and defend the actions of the idiot, fat lazy Republican, bully boys at the top of the RMT.

What is wrong with people ?

If this about everyone's general concern about public safety and decency, then get shot of the Bully Boys, some of whom have a very questionable past.

Only then (and I mean only) will anyone pay the slightest bit of attention to anything remotely connected to the RMT.

The world has moved on.

The only person who can see any bully boys anywhere is you

Maybe you could explain who the bully boys are ? and who exactly you think theyre bullying ?

Laffy wrote: Where does it end NS?Incidents happen all over the place.I frequently get hassle when out riding with my club but we don’t want a minder.Buses don’t have conductors or guards.What makes trains so special,particularly when the whole safety issue has been signed off by the Safety Exec.

If you are going to hit the train companies,best way is through passenger protest.They are getting away with murder on fares and rolling stock-look at how the bailout of the East line has been handled.Shocking.

I would basically remain privatised but put a cap and collar on profit levels-any surplus being ploughed back into the industry.

I.m presuming you mean the latest bailout? If so yes i agree a disgrace

Time to hand it back to the only people in the last 20 years who've made a success of it Yes Surprise Surprise thats its own workers.

Sadly you appear to have listening to Andrew Adonis. The East Coast ‘bail out’ is an arse covering excercise by HM Government. They have let the franchise on the basis of extra trains and paths to be provided by upgrade work by Network Rail,the nationalised part of the U.K. Railway. Stagecoach were happily going to take them to court to compensate the projected losses and breach of contract. The Government have shat themselves as they obviously have been advised they would lose,so have come up with the ‘partnership’ thing to start in 2020 and to prevent pretty much every other franchise holder from doing the same (TPE and the monster they’ve created on Great Western)

carolineleneghan.wordpress.com/2013/03/08/3/

allegedly

thesilentone wrote: carolineleneghan.wordpress.com/2013/03/08/3/

allegedly

Youre bleating to the wrong person about domestic violence mate as i believe everyone else should inc plod should keep there noses out and let the two adults just sort it out between themselves.just like they did for centuries till the do-gooders started to take over in the 1980.s.

But to claim the whole of the RMT are bullies just because two of its members who were in a relationship had a bit of a domestic dispute is quite clearly just as mad as getting rid of the guardians of public safety from the railways.

I agree NS

My view on the East Coast debacle is based on an FT article yesterday-not that chump Adonis.The fact is Branson has been let off the hook-just like the two previous franchises who overpaid and overegged their bids.

It’s unbelievably expensive to get to London and back on the East Coast-yet they still can’t make it work financially.

Laffy wrote: I agree NS

My view on the East Coast debacle is based on an FT article yesterday-not that chump Adonis.The fact is Branson has been let off the hook-just like the two previous franchises who overpaid and overegged their bids.

It’s unbelievably expensive to get to London and back on the East Coast-yet they still can’t make it work financially.

Have you not tried Grand Central Laffy i look at them before Virgin on either the East or West Coast but i suppose i.m lucky that when i need to go down to London i have the option of 4 different routes/operators.

I really dont understand the East Coast and how no one seems to be able to make it pay as it must be one of the simplest routes to run essentially one starting point and one finishing point and lots of places with large populations at which to pick up lots of fare-paying passengers inbetween and virtually no possible competition.

Laffy wrote: Where does it end NS?Incidents happen all over the place.I frequently get hassle when out riding with my club but we don’t want a minder.Buses don’t have conductors or guards.What makes trains so special,particularly when the whole safety issue has been signed off by the Safety Exec.

If you are going to hit the train companies,best way is through passenger protest.They are getting away with murder on fares and rolling stock-look at how the bailout of the East line has been handled.Shocking.

I would basically remain privatised but put a cap and collar on profit levels-any surplus being ploughed back into the industry.

Grenfell Tower was signed off by the Safety Exec.
A fat lot of good that did.

Indeed but we still don’t actually know the full outcome of the Grenfell enquiry either.Im guessing it will end up with the architects design which will no doubt reverse back to Building Control and HSE.Ultimately the government sets the rules and contractors build to those rules,bending them without breaking them to shave off costs.

I remember my friend Muriel Gray interviewing the architects who designed the flats in Glasgow Harbour on TV-she asked about the shelf life of the flats and the answer given was 25 years.Muriel noted that a standard mortgage lasts 25 years and pointed out that under the architects’ own analysis,the flats would be worthless just at the point when the owner had paid off his mortgage!

Laffy wrote: I agree NS

My view on the East Coast debacle is based on an FT article yesterday-not that chump Adonis.The fact is Branson has been let off the hook-just like the two previous franchises who overpaid and overegged their bids.

It’s unbelievably expensive to get to London and back on the East Coast-yet they still can’t make it work financially.

East Coast is 90% Stagecoach. And you should know what Souter is like. In fact it was their share that of the West Coast that persuaded the Virgin part to take the Government to court over the 2012 award to First Group. Virgin West Coast are now on their 21st year of a 15 year franchise award......

Laffy wrote: Indeed but we still don’t actually know the full outcome of the Grenfell enquiry either.Im guessing it will end up with the architects design which will no doubt reverse back to Building Control and HSE.Ultimately the government sets the rules and contractors build to those rules,bending them without breaking them to shave off costs.

I remember my friend Muriel Gray interviewing the architects who designed the flats in Glasgow Harbour on TV-she asked about the shelf life of the flats and the answer given was 25 years.Muriel noted that a standard mortgage lasts 25 years and pointed out that under the architects’ own analysis,the flats would be worthless just at the point when the owner had paid off his mortgage!

Ah Muriel Gray, takes me back to The Word and those lazy pre-football playing Sundays watching yoof shows like Network Seven and the likes where she would crop up in.

You mean The Tube-showing your age matey!

Laffy wrote: You mean The Tube-showing your age matey!

Yeah sorry I meant The Tube, The Word was pretty good as well though

You couldn't make it up, I would not like to stake my future in Sellafield. The site appears to suffer from a bad dose of Militant....

---

Another strike is planned at Sellafield in a dispute between a union and a contractor.

Staff employed by civil engineering company DSD Construction, based in Carlisle, voted for strike action after the company sacked a Unite shop steward - 26 days after he was elected to the post.

DSD Construction is currently undertaking work to improve security at the nuclear reprocessing site.

Unite said the strike was a direct result of DSD Construction sacking James Bainbridge, Unite's newly-elected shop steward.

A Unite spokesman said that within a day of being elected to the post Mr Bainbridge had been told to relocate to the Carlisle depot, 40 miles away from the rest of the workforce.

After Unite’s intervention Mr Bainbridge was reinstated to the Sellafield site and following a meeting of members he submitted a written grievance on their behalf to management.

Concerns included working in the rain, issues over personal protective equipment and weekend working.

The spokesman said Mr Bainbridge was relocated and meetings to resolve the situation were cancelled.

He added Mr Bainbridge was sacked at a meeting on November 22 without a full disciplinary process.

Three separate periods of strike action have been announced. The first walk-out is due to take place from 12am on Tuesday, January 23 to 7am on Wednesday, January 24.

Further strikes are planned on Thursday, February 1 from 12am to 7am on Friday, February 2 and from 12am on Wednesday, February 7 to 7am on Thursday, February 8.

Members will also refuse to do overtime from 12am on Thursday, January 23.

Unite warned that picket lines would be in place and other workers on the site could be reluctant to cross them.

Ryan Armstrong, Unite regional officer, said: "Unite will not allow a shop steward to be treated in this way simply for undertaking his normal trade union role.

"This strike action, which is entirely of DSD’s making, is set to cause widespread disruption throughout the entire Sellafield complex.

"If DSD wants to avoid these strikes and the disruption it will cause, then the company needs to immediately reinstate our shop steward and address the genuine concerns of our members."

A spokesman for Sellafield Ltd said: "This dispute does not involve Sellafield Ltd. It is a dispute between DSD Construction and their employees, and is unrelated to recent industrial action by Sellafield Ltd employees.

"As always, we will work with other agencies to try to minimise disruption for the public."

Nobody from DSD was available to comment.

The announcement comes soon after firefighters in the GMB union announced they would strike from 6am to 6pm on January 11 and 22.

The firefighters have previously held three 12-hour strikes - and rejected a new pay offer last month.

GMB official Chris Jukes said the new offer was not enough to resolve the row.

www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/More-Sellafie...aad4-d57d80857e60-ds

What could you not make up?. If theyve sacked him for becoming a union rep which is what the article says then id say the workforce have every right to strike

www.thecanary.co/uk/2017/01/09/transport...orkers-right-images/

For those great supporters of Nationalised Railways, at least you have solidarity in France (recently hailed as a great system) hehohehoheo !!

uk.reuters.com/article/uk-france-sncf/ma...reform-idUKKCN1GA0ZE

More rail strikes, due to the late delivery of bacon for the butties, and ashtrays for the tearoom, a representative of the delivery company said " bog roll, don't talk to me about bog roll. I've got chicken coming out of my ears "

It doesn't help when the lines are run by one company and the services by other companies. When the railways were built they were done so by the companies who were going to run trains on them.
The latest story is that the train companies are cancelling trains and blaming the bad weather so that they can claim compensation from Railtrack, rather than putting the customer first.

So how do we make it better? I can fly economy class to Moscow cheaper than I can train business class to London. There seem to be safety issues on trains and they are late all the time, are they even running today? What needs to be done?

CCU wrote: Railtrack ceased operations in 2002, mind the fact there’s so many companies involved show how easy it is to lose track...

Boom boom.

CCU wrote: Railtrack ceased operations in 2002, mind the fact there’s so many companies involved show how easy it is to lose track...

As you say easy to get derailed,
I should have said Network Rail

For starters, that’s a distant joke. Time to go home before the snow causes obstruction danger. 6,6

Another day of disruption for the Carlisle line-unhelpful to me and many others just trying to earn a living.

Why don’t you just talk to the management without pre conditions ie with an open mind?Thats what is being asked by Northern Rail

Laffy wrote: Another day of disruption for the Carlisle line-unhelpful to me and many others just trying to earn a living.

Why don’t you just talk to the management without pre conditions ie with an open mind?Thats what is being asked by Northern Rail

And why dont Northern Rail stop trying to do the Tory Governments bidding ?

Oh I forget they cant can they because otherwise, they wouldn't have won the franchise in the first place

But i don't know why they don't just put a couple of pickets at every maintenance depot overnight that way when the drivers don't cross the picket lines there.ll be no trains whatsoever running on strike days and Northern would soon realise it.ll be cheaper to repay their blood money than have a revenue-losing strike every week.

Why a clearly intelligent man and reasonable man would want to see a regime that would clearly see the traveling public.s safety put at serious risk on any number of levels is way beyond me Oh but then again wait a minute he.s a Tory so probably doesn't give a shit about public safety so long as the wicked old witch of Westminster gets her way.

I don’t think we need guards-put the right technology in the front like other operators.

Public safety is always a priority , how will technology handle a drunk passenger causing trouble, how will it handle a passenger if they fall ill etc .

Looks like the start of an argument - away to the arguments thread with you!

Laffy wrote: I don’t think we need guards-put the right technology in the front like other operators.

Well as the RMT have said when Northern have a complete fleet of trains specifically designed for DOO and Network Rail have eqpt every single station Northern serve they.ll be quite happy to come back and talk about it. Taking the Electrification fiasco as a guide that should be sometime around 2099.