Albert

Train Service Manager for @GWRHelp | 24 years old | Views are my own and do not represent those of my employer

[Steve White @SteveWhiteRail]

@therealRitchP @GazTheJourno @Telegraph ‘Bed bugs have infested trains across the South of England leading to cancellations’

is actually

2 cabs out of 800
0 passenger coaches
3 trains cancelled out of 10,000

Headline has unleashed an avalanche coverage undermining the work of 1000s of hard working people.

[Albert @ConductorAlbert]

@DaiBrake @GWRHelp If you use the GWR app normally it shows you how many carriages a train is as per screenshot attached. Then you can use it to help avoid the short formations. This does only show trains within the next 2 or so hours though. Just go to live times and select the train you want 😊

[Albert @ConductorAlbert]

@JamesRSC_Wilts @TheJemmaZone @GWRHelp It couldn't because the trolley was wedged and had disabled the train. Hence why it was unable to move.

[Albert @ConductorAlbert]

@TheJemmaZone @GWRHelp You're not wrong, but just letting you and others know why it wasn't a quick and easy fix to get trains running again 😊

[Albert @ConductorAlbert]

I think @AD3Trains has been hacked. Just had a dodgy DM from them for a voting thing. Please report it and don't fall for it everyone 🤞

[Albert @ConductorAlbert]

@asapkirsty @GWRHelp The air conditioning is on by default on all trains. The train I had today had 5 carriages and no working air conditioning when it really heated up in the afternoon. Because the system is not designed to work in extreme heat as the trains are over 40 years old in some cases.

[Albert @ConductorAlbert]

@rafthemaster @GWRHelp On our internal system it seems to be logged as a user worked crossing not working properly as the communication system for it was isolated. Therefore trains had to be cautioned to confirm the line was clear and safe for the train to continue.

[Albert @ConductorAlbert]

@Lfcaj86 @GWRHelp If the issues were caused by infrastructure, for example a signalling problem then what are you expecting to change under nationalisation? If the infrastructure breaks or goes wrong we just have to run trains around whatever Network Rail say we can run. Just to let you know 😊

[Albert @ConductorAlbert]

@GWRHelp @phillbirdradio Hi Gordon, 158's do have cycle storage. On that diagram you've used there are cycle spaces by the smaller toilet. Not sure why it isn't showing on that diagram but I can assure you they have cycle spaces. Only units that don't are three car 165's 😊

[Albert @ConductorAlbert]

@KymriskaDraken @obioneyouknowme @mitchell_hurd @GWRHelp @andrewredman I have only ever been told in extreme circumstances and with permission from the relevant people a door could be opened if say you were stranded somewhere and a door would be useful for air flow. But you also need a competent person nearby to ensure no one wonders out of it...

[Albert @ConductorAlbert]

@MGoddard2001 The class 16X fleet is very hit and miss. 166's you can nearly always guarantee won't be working. 165's generally are better because they use a different system to the 166's that seems to be more resilient. 158's are hit and miss too.

[Albert @ConductorAlbert]

@GWRHelp @andrewredman I can assure you we cannot adjust the temperature on those trains. The only ones where it can be looked at is on the IET fleet to my knowledge 😊

[Albert @ConductorAlbert]

@ChimeWhistle Interesting, my train I was working got diverted because of that incident. Good to know what caused it but frightening that it was that really. Could have caused a derailment if the wrong thing was left out on the track. As crew that is my worst nightmare having a derailment 😬😬

[Albert @ConductorAlbert]

@chriscollins462 Well wishing you the best of luck, keep up the positive vibes and you'll definitely get something I'm sure 😁

[Albert @ConductorAlbert]

@chriscollins462 Don't let it get you down, I have been applying for another role within the railway and I am on my third attempt at the moment. Once you're in you'll thrive just keep persevering with it and you will get there 😊 Best of luck with future applications!

[Albert @ConductorAlbert]

@crisandrews81 @BMLBod But you could argue this the other way around, if someone has been travelling all day to get here and then has to wait another hour thus disrupting their plans? It works both ways all the time that's the problem and hence why these awfully tight connections need to stop.

[Albert @ConductorAlbert]

@crisandrews81 @BMLBod But they are more frequent no? So rather than make a large group of people wait 1 hour you could make fewer people wait 30 mins? I also was advocating to retiming the trains as five or so minute connections just shouldn't exist in my view speaking as a mainline Guard 😅

[Albert @ConductorAlbert]

@BenDC_ Or they could just try thinking about I dont know, retiming the branch line to cope with this? As a Guard the number of times we miss a 5 minute booked connection at places is infuriating. 5 minute connections shouldn't be allowed if I worked in the planning area. 10 mins min imo

[Albert @ConductorAlbert]

@crisandrews81 @BMLBod Oh wait correction I just looked at RTT and it had a 5 minute turnaround at the other end of the branch. Upon return it has 16 minutes so by the time it goes to form the 2001 should easily be back on time unless more stuff had gone wrong. My bad.

[Albert @ConductorAlbert]

@crisandrews81 @BMLBod Not according to his other replies if you check his post. Pretty sure he said it had a 20 minute turn around so a 10 minute hold at best to allow customers across and to board wouldn't have caused a late backward working. He was dead right to call this out if that was the case.