South Western Railway (SWR) has said that getting cover for sick colleagues has been the reason behind the plethora of recent Island Line cancellations.
Back in April of this year, 4 new drivers joined the team now that the service runs twice an hour, more conductors were also hired.
As well as the conductors and drivers, 6 new members of signalling staff were also employed with hopes that the influx of staff could help eradicate the signalling-related issues that have plagued Island Line in recent months.
However, June – like the past few months – has been littered with staff-related cancellations with numerous services across the line being cancelled. Other than works to the line, technical issues have since reduced.
It was back on 16th September 2019 that major £26million upgrades will be coming to Island Line with new rolling stock – which are still in use today- and the passing loop at Brading.
Back then, Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris said:
“This investment in the Island Line means more punctual, reliable trains and better connections to ferry services, supporting local residents, businesses and tourism. This underlines our determination to provide passengers across the country with the modern rail network they expect.
Unfortunately though, it hasn’t all been plain sailing since then and many Islanders – including those who rely on the service daily to take them to work and or school – have had enough.
A SWR Spokesperson has told Island Echo:
“We would like to apologise to customers on the Isle of Wight for recent service issues on the Island Line which have mainly been caused by difficulties in getting cover for sick colleagues.
“Providing cover is likely to continue to be challenging for the remainder of June but colleagues will be doing everything they can to minimise the impact on our service.”
Island Line services will be suspended between 3rd-7th July whilst staff undergo refresher training ahead of the reopening of Ryde Pier to trains on 10th July. South Western Railway hopes that the correct level of staffing can be in place by then.
And yet whilst chatting to my usual guard on my journey they said”you do have the staff and drivers to cover, but it’s totally mismanaged! When they are constantly asked toi work their days off who wants to do that all the time?! When there were no trains for last strike the drivers were all in the station offices but “MANAGEMENT”! Forbade them to go out!! Wouldn’t be tryi g to get Joe Public cross at strikes now South Western would you?! It’s a small Island with family working on trains the truth will now always get out rather than your total guff!!!.
The railway has always relied on overtime to cover shifts. A driver can earn £300-350 a day by working a rest day, so there’s normally no shortage of volunteers during quieter months. However in the Sumner, less people want to work their rest days understandably, and generally more people tend to go off sick in nice weather. In a depot with 140 drivers, shifts are easily covered, in a depot with 15 drivers – it gets tricky!
‘More people tend to go off sick in nice weather’.
Look no further for the cause of the problem.
Was there a connection with the reduced service on the Island Line on the Monday following the Isle of Wight Festival weekend – perhaps many staff called in with sickness, which apparently was rampant on the Island that day ?
Apparently not according to the informative guard I spoke to they were there willing to work enough to cover half hourly departures it would seem once again South Western management are blaming everybody but themselves, if the work force is in and willing to cover why the cancellations and refresher course is all bunkum we have all seen the new raft of guards training on the job on the trains etc… More importantly South Western where is the disabled and buggy access to St John’s?? Telling customers they have to get on go down to Esplanade or when it’s open Pier Head, and come back again “totally ludicrous” I thought it was a, legal responsibility to have disability and buggy access to a station?
If there was an award for the worst run railway line the Island Line would win every year, what a shambles and one that will never be sorted because the whole operation is loss making. You would expect our great Isle of Wight MP Bob ‘the sausage’ Seely to be on the case but sadly without a train there is no photo opportunity so he is not interested.
Transpennine Express was the worst rail service and that is why they lost the franchise. One in six trains cancelled. It was abysmal. Island Trains is great by comparison and better than most services throughout the country.
Sausage Bob don’t give a ****
If he cared about the island he would live on the Island
He is just another unnessecary cost
look on the bright side we will two of them to support after the next general election!
Link it to Haven street they will run it properly and for a quarter of the price
I fully understand the issues with drivers and guards as others have identified however when the upgrade took place why wasn’t Island Line linked into a ROC (Railway Operating Centre). These operate on the mainland from hundreds of miles away so at least would have reduced the need for signal personnel.