West Midlands Railway

[Tony]

Just thinking with the Works still at Aston you can't get from Walsall to Wolverhampton now without the use of a bus, so if possible couldn't they run a half hourly service direct Between Walsall and Wolverhampton using the direct line through Darlaston, I Don't think the 730's are approved for use on the line but the 350's are so maybe just 1 350 that would be used on that diagram usually to link the Walsall to Wolverhampton Passengers as opposed to crowding the Birmingham trains which should be for Walsall to Brum during these works. That is what the line is there for engineering works and freight. Would take about 12-15 minutes to do the line. When I caught 350406 to Hamstead the other day my carriage didn't seem to busy I was coach 3 but Platform 2 at Walsall was busy and the train seemed busy in the first 2 coaches due to the extra passengers at Bescot, Tame Bridge and Hamstead. If possible maybe have 1 of the direct trains serve Bescot then go down the line.

Walsall Wolverhampton is just as quick as before and you don't need a bus, just a change in Birmingham 

[mikestone]

323243 and 323207 have gone from Wolverton to Allerton - its not obvious what has been done to them.

[BlackCountryBusSpotter]

Walsall Wolverhampton is just as quick as before and you don't need a bus, just a change in Birmingham

Oh yeah I forgot that the International trains were still running. I was just thinking about the Tame Bridge to Birmingham bus for Wolverhampton passengers. But yeah I forgot 350406 stopped additionally at Bescot, Tame Bridge making the bus sort of pointless and Hamstead before using the Soho line to Birmingham

[Jay71]

WMR are claiming to be short staffed yet again.  I wonder how many staff are off watching the Euros

[karl724223]

WMR are claiming to be short staffed yet again.  I wonder how many staff are off watching the Euros

If it's there rest day so what 
Complain to there gaffer like you do to Simon at diamond 

[Jay71]

If it's there rest day so what
Complain to there gaffer like you do to Simon at diamond

A complaint has already been emailed.  I'll be expecting some bs response back

[Gareth]

A complaint has already been emailed.  I'll be expecting some bs response back

How exactly do you even start to compose an email about staff shortage? Are they supposed to deny holiday? Force sick people to come in?
You mention you expect a bs response, but what response would you actually like? How can they magic some staff into work?

[Jay71]

How exactly do you even start to compose an email about staff shortage? Are they supposed to deny holiday? Force sick people to come in?
You mention you expect a bs response, but what response would you actually like? How can they magic some staff into work?

Funny how the staff shortages are now coinciding with football matches.
Maybe it's wrong of me to expect a good service from a useless foreign owned company

[karl724223]

Funny how the staff shortages are now coinciding with football matches.
Maybe it's wrong of me to expect a good service from a useless foreign owned company

Which bit of you can't make staff work there rest days don't you understand 

[Tony]

Funny how the staff shortages are now coinciding with football matches.
Maybe it's wrong of me to expect a good service from a useless foreign owned company

West Midlands Trains have done far better than nearly every other company on sorting out the the staff problems caused by COVID which had large numbers of older staff retiring and new staff unable to do the required training in the small cab space. When I was in Manchester last week all of Northern, Cross Country, Avanti and Trans Pennine had multiple cancellations without football being played. It's a long time since I suffered a 'no staff' cancellation on the Chase line

[Gareth]

Funny how the staff shortages are now coinciding with football matches.
Maybe it's wrong of me to expect a good service from a useless foreign owned company

Ok, so a couple may or may not have pulled a sickie to watch a football match. What will your email do to resolve this and what response would you like from WMR?

I assume you either don't manage a team of staff or have ever been a member of staff?

[BK63 YWP]

Funny how the staff shortages are now coinciding with football matches.
Maybe it's wrong of me to expect a good service from a useless foreign owned company

First of all Sunday is not part of anyone's contract, it's an overtime day.
Second of all each depot can be allow up a certain amount of drivers off each day (it's the summer, most people go away) 
Thirdly the railway runs on overtime due to the government not allowing people enough people to be hired. It takes a while to get a trainee fully trained
Fourthly it's no longer owned by abellio, majority stake is a UK company.
Fifthly irony is it is a football game on a Sunday which is voluntary to work so people aren't going to work it!! 

[Bob]

Ive always wondered whats behind the closed doors next to the shelter at Witton Station, Public toilets? Same at Hamstead. Mad hos years ago even smaller stations would have probably had facilities and stuff ( even Hednesford did in 60s) but barely any do now

[mikestone]

December timetable popped up on RTT overnight - Snow Hill line services only showing three tph off-peak, possibly indicating some increase from the existing four back toward the pre-covid six?

[Sh4318]

December timetable popped up on RTT overnight - Snow Hill line services only showing three tph off-peak, possibly indicating some increase from the existing four back toward the pre-covid six?

I'm assuming you mean three tph off peak on the Birmingham to Whitlock's End/Dorridge end? You scared me for a moment as I live in the Birmingham to Worcester leg