Full Service Reinstatement

There just aren't enough drivers at Leytonstone or at the other depots to expand the W&C service. I was spare on Monday, we were running a Saturday service and I ended up covering a Hainault duty.

The current morning and evening "peak" 3 train service requires 14 drivers from Leytonstone, 6 running and 1 spare duties for each peak

The full pre-pandemic weekday 5 train service required 26 drivers, 21 running turns and 5 spares

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I've just been informed that tonight there is a joint retirement party for 10 Hainault TOps who have retired during the last two months. Guess we're going to be covering a lot more Hainault duties in future

I have heard many rumblings that a Train Op campaign is coming any day now! So that will certainly help boost some numbers up! I’m gonna go for it myself, so could even end up being one of those drivers if I’m lucky enough.

Let’s see what happens. Customers are constantly asking for the Waterloo & City whilst it’s shut.

At the risk of taking this thread on a bit of a drift off topic.....



I'm surprised but then again I'm not surprised as this is typical of LU.

We have only just finished training all those that were sent back part way through their training when Covid hit. We are now working our way through the night tuber's that have gone full time. Once they're done, there must already be a waiting list of people that were due to start their training from around March 2020 that we've not had enter the training system yet.

And they're starting another recruiting campaign? We're not even up to full speed on trains training and won't be for a while yet (see below for more on this point). It can only be to populate a list and it will be some time before anyone on that list get's called up for training.

The reason I say this is typical of LU is that I'm still waiting to finish the selection process for promotion to line controller. like everything it's been stalled since Covid arrived. I've now been told that I won't be progressed anytime soon as the business needs me in my current role; in the mean time they're apparently going to run a secondment campaign for line controller. Promotions etc is an utter mess at the moment.



Broadly speaking you're right, but I'd like to add a bit more meat to explain the difficulties involved....

We have to form a "bubble" by undergoing a PCR Covid test and cannot be in a train cab together till we get a negative result - that's essentially two training days lost though we can do classroom work or hiking round depots/sidings as we can maintain social distancing. Once the "bubble is formed" we have to carry out temperature checks every day when booking on and both must wear face masks in the train cab. Weekly PCR testing continues to maintain the bubble - those tests must be plus or minus one day from the last weekly test and are done at specific central London locations so that eats into training time too.

On the District we try to plan things around the I/O's annual leave so rolling stock, CBTC and Network Rail training can all be done together whilst the I/O is on leave for example. If two I/O's are involved, we'll try and arrange the PCR tests for the second bubble to occur the week before they get together - an example of this might be getting the trainee to have their PCR test at Hammersmith during their break whilst stock training as the rooms are literally next to each other. Of course it's not always possible to be this clever and so things can become a pain; for example if the stock training is at Upminster the PCR test can't be done till the following Monday - more training time lost!

We are also a number of I/O's down on the District for various reasons - probably around ten or twelve out of a total of 50 on the line, so training is certainly happening at a slower pace. Overall I'd suggest we're currently training at about 50% (or just under) of our normal rate pre Covid by the time you factor in annual leave etc.

Our problems don't end there though. All these recent issues with the "ping demic", service's being curtailed early due to lack of control staff and general delays due to train cancellations are making training extremely challenging as we can't get all the required moves done. Last week I had three midday stablers reformed on me whilst trying to complete a stabling move into Ealing Common depot. A morning starter from Upminster depot was cancelled which messed up the planned training day and last night we nearly missed out on some planned moves at Parsons Green as all the early stablers had been reformed & cancelled leaving us with no spare train to use.

Another tactic pre covid might be I/O's and trainee's using the same train to knock out some moves but because we must maintain our own bubbles only in a train cab we can't even do that - so if an I/O clashes plans with another, one must give way - more training time potentially lost!

So yeah, getting drivers trained is an uphill battle at the moment....

Knowing the effect 1 case had on my son's bubble at school in July, I can see why limiting the size of bubbles might be considered prudent.  Once the bubble goes into isolation, that is everyone in that bubble.

Where there's a will, there's a way.

Shortage of drivers in the road transport industry? Boost driver training as a priority.

Shortage of drivers on LU? Discuss why driver training can't be boosted...

Half of driver training is done with an Instructor Operator and a trainee on a train in passenger service so they can only train as many new drivers as there are IOps available.

As I mentioned (and confirmed by Colin) there are fewer IOps now than there were pre-Covid so obviously to "boost" driver training they need more IOps and there are adverts for new IOps at every depot.

I have no idea how long IOp training takes, how many of my colleagues have responded to the adverts or how many will meet the grade but a couple of weeks ago I overheard two of the IOps at Leytonstone discussing the shortage and they weren't optimistic.

For the record I have absolutely no intention of becoming an IOp, its boring driving a train so watching someone driving a train must be doubly boring.

I can't say that the prospect of having someone else to talk to is that attractive, I've had too many occasions when I've allowed a member of staff to ride in the cab and regretted it after a few stations so the idea that I'd have to spend several weeks with someone sounds ghastly.

Also I seem to recall that IOps have to stick to the roster or am I mistaken.  I have no desire to do earlies again and they wouldn't fit into my routine

We have scrapped bubbles in schools, so the fact that they are still being used on TFL is astounding. For 99% of people, Covid is no worse than a bad cold / flu, and even more so for the double-jabbed.

We need to be doing everything within our powers to get life back to normal, which includes being able to run full-strength train services.

The "bubble" training system was introduced after negotiations between management and the unions' senior Health & Safety reps, any changes would have to be negotiated.  ASLEF recently issued a reminder that we still aren't allowed to have anyone in the cab unless we are in an IOp/trainee bubble or in extreme circumstances.  If we need a train technician we are still supposed to get out the cab while they do their thing.

Around 20% of LU staff are aged 55 or over and while my experience is limited to the Central Line most of our IOps would certainly fall within that age range

Hospital admissions have been climbing for about a month and the effects of "long Covid" are yet unknown

Does this mean demand is climbing towards normal now? Available drivers also?

Before the covid 19 shutdown the Waterloo and City line needed 5 trains in service at peak times, so with only 4 trains available the timetable must be cut to suit this.

That ties in with Central Line night tube restart at end of that week, so new crew rosters.

Today was the first day I noticed T/Ops changing over at Bank which meant quicker turn-around times. I can also see the W&C line is currently open which suggests it has now fully re-opened. I didn't notice this on Tuesday 23rd so must've been very recent.