We operate around 4000 trains every weekday, and train crews and drivers are integral to all services. We have 2000 drivers in our organisation, and our drivers are on duty 24/7 come rain or shine to keep trains moving across the network.
What can go wrong?
- A driver doesn't arrive to take the train and the train is either delayed or cancelled
- The train is running late but the driver doesn't make an announcement. This can be because some incidents are very complex and it can take time to get to an understanding of what is happening
- The train you are on could be a fair distance from the incident. The driver of your train may not know the tails of the incident, as the signaller and controller are dealing with the immediate incident and the trains locally, and may not immediately get to talk to the driver of your train
What we’re doing to help
- Like everyone, our drivers sometimes are poorly. We manage sickness levels and work with our drivers to put support in place, but now and again a driver is unable to come to work. We have drivers on standby and for most situations we can manage this without any impact to service. Sometimes however we have to make alternate arrangements
- We are trialling new technology that speeds up the information we share to keep everyone better informed
- We are using other mechanisms to share multiple messages, so drivers can keep you informed
- We keep our Twitter up to date and have a dedicated team ready to respond to your queries. Last year we responded to 54,000 tweets and we sent 2,000 tweets
- Our drivers do their best and we’re continuing to work to give our drivers up-to-date information on any delays. For safety reasons drivers are not permitted to use their phones or computers in the cab, as these cause distractions