There are times when I am so relieved not to be a daily commuter any more. I have just heard of the other side of the coin from this morning’s optimistic announcement about the Abbey Flyer service, which is of course part of the London Midland franchise.
Back in the topsy turvy world of the First Capital Connect franchise serving St Albans City and the route from Bedford, drivers at the Bedford depot are refusing to work on their rest days. This is causing real problems and it’s just been announced that today’s northbound trains out of St Pancras are likely to be replaced by buses after 11 pm – on what is a major night out for many London commuters.
It’s not just a much longer and less pleasant journey, there must be real questions as to whether they can physically move all the passengers likely to affected.
And from reading the stream of comments from drivers on the RailUK Thameslink web forum, it seems as though drivers from the Brighton and Blackfriars FCC depots will be refusing to work on their rest days next week, so that it looks like more days of misery for St Albans commuters.
Clearly there is a dispute over pay, and the drivers are leveraging the fact that FCC don’t employ enough of them and so depend on their working on their rest days – which of course is voluntary.
But it’s the poor bloody infantry of the St Albans rail commuter who is left picking up the pieces. It’s just not good enough. Both sides must settle their differences as soon as possible.
they keep blaming the drivers and also using the excuse that they are training drvers. i can assure everyone that they are not training everyone , today the shifts in are the least short staffed of all and even if the ones enjoing their rest days all pitched up for work they wouldn’t be able to cover all this cancelled work… see below !
they have been taking money from the government to fund driver training but have simply used it to run their service , at all our expenses first group are a disgarce and i urge nobody to believe the rubbish they put out anymore. the drivers have helped and co-operated with them for more than 2 years to deliver new trains and routes but they squandered all the good will and all the money us tax payers put in to fund it …
FCC tickets are being accepted on London Underground until the end of service.
SERVICE CANCELLATIONS SOUTHBOUND:
05:58 Bedford to Brighton,due 08:27, is Cancelled.
07:08 Luton to Sutton,due 08:46, is Cancelled.
07:16 Bedford to Sutton,due 09:05, is Cancelled.
07:28 Bedford to Brighton,due 09:54, is Cancelled.
07:44 Bedford to Elephant & Castle, due 08:52, is Cancelled.
08:06 St Albans to Sutton,due 09:36, is Cancelled.
08:20 Bedford to Brighton,due 10:49, is Cancelled.
08:54 Bedford to Brighton,due 11:17, is Cancelled.
11:14 Luton to Sutton,due 13:05, is Cancelled.
11:44 Luton to Sutton,due 13:35, is Cancelled.
12:14 Luton to Sutton,due 14:05, is Cancelled.
13:14 Luton to Sutton, due 15:05, is Cancelled.
13:43 St Albans to Sutton,due 15:06, is Cancelled.
15:13 St Albans to Sutton,due 16:36, is Cancelled.
15:26 Kentish Town to Sevenoaks, due 16:42, is Cancelled.
15:43 St Albans to Sutton,due 17:11, is Cancelled.
16:43 St Albans to Sutton,due 18:07, is Cancelled.
16:44 Luton to Sutton,due 18:31, is Cancelled.
16:46 Bedford to Ashford International, due 19:37, is Cancelled.
17:18 Luton to Sutton,due 19:04, is Cancelled.
17:34 Bedford to Brighton,due 19:59, is Cancelled.
18:02 St Albans to Sutton,due 19:39, is Cancelled.
21:48 Luton to St Pancras International, due 22:36,is Cancelled.
21:50 Bedford to St Pancras International, due 22:52, is Cancelled.
22:58 London Bridge to Sutton, due 23:43, is Cancelled.
01:10 (Thursday morning) Bedford to St Pancras Thursday morning, due 02:22, is Cancelled
SERVICE CANCELLATIONS NORTHBOUND:
06:22 Sutton to St Albans,due 07:50, is Cancelled.
07:24 Brighton to Bedford, due 10:08, is Cancelled.
08:47 Sutton to Luton, due 10:34, is Cancelled.
08:36 Brighton to Bedford,due 11:06, is Cancelled.
09:06 Sutton to Luton, due 11:00, is Cancelled.
09:37 Brighton to Bedford,due 12:06, is Cancelled.
10:06 Sutton to St Albans due 11:27, is Cancelled.
10:07 Brighton to Bedford due 12:36, is Cancelled.
10:07 Sutton to Luton, due 12:00, is Cancelled.
11:04 Brighton to Bedford, due 13:20, is Cancelled.
13:36 Sutton to St Albans,due 14:57, is Cancelled.
14:06 Sutton to St Albans,due 15:27, is Cancelled.
15:06 Sutton to St Albans,due 16:27, is Cancelled.
15:07 Sutton to Luton,due 17:02, is Cancelled.
17:00 Elephant & Castle to St Albans, due 17:49, is Cancelled.
17:35 Sevenoaks to Bedford,due 19:48, is Cancelled.
18:40 Sutton to Luton,due 20:30, is Cancelled.
19:37 Brighton to Bedford,due 22:06, is Cancelled.
19:40 Sutton to St Albans,due 20:59, is Cancelled.
20:34 Brighton to Bedford,due 22:50, is Cancelled.
22:48 St Pancras International to Bedford, due 00:01,is Cancelled.
23:04 St Pancras International to Bedford, due 00:06, is Cancelled.
02:38 St Pancras International to Bedford Thursday morning, due 03:52, is Cancelled.
SERVICE ALTERATIONS SOUTHBOUND
06:25 Bedford to Bromley South due 08:11 will run non-stop from Blackfriars to Bromley South.
08:22 St Albans to Sutton, due 10:05, will run fast from Streatham to Sutton via Mitcham Junction and will be 4 Coaches only, instead of 8 Coaches.
08:42 St Albans to Sutton, due 10:06, will terminate at Elephant & Castle.
10:06 St Albans to Sutton, due 11:27, will run as 4 Coaches only, instead of 8 Coaches.
11:43 St Albans to Sutton, due 13:06, will run as 4 Coaches only, instead of 8 Coaches.
17:18 St Albans to Sutton, due 18:39, will run fast from Streatham to Sutton, then terminate.
23:28 London Bridge to Sutton, due 00:12, will run as 8 Coaches instead of 4 Coaches.
SERVICE ALTERATIONS NORTHBOUND
05:09 Brighton to Bedford, due 07:36, will run as 4 Coaches, instead of 8 Coaches.
05:36 Brighton to Bedford, due 08:06, will run as 4 Coaches, instead of 8 Coaches.
06:07 Bearsted to Bedford, due 08:34, will terminate at Blackfriars.
06:09 Brighton to St.Albans, due 08:05, will run as 4 Coaches, instead of 8 Coaches.
09:37 Sutton to Luton, due 11:30, will terminate at St Albans.
10:04 Brighton to Bedford, due 12:20, will run as 8 Coaches, instead of 4 Coaches.
13:06 Sutton to St Albans, due 14:27, will start from Farringdon.
13:07 Sutton to Luton, due 15:00, will run as 4 Coaches only, instead of 8 Coaches.
13:34 Sevenoaks to Kentish Town, due 14:50, will terminate at Blackfriars.
16:37 Sutton to Luton, due 18:32,due 18:32, will start from Farringdon.
17:12 Sutton to Bedford, due 19:12, will start from Farringdon.
18:08 Sutton to Luton, due 19:58, will start from Farringdon.
18:22 Elephant & Castle to Bedford, due 19:38, will start from Farringdon.
18:32 Sutton to Bedford, due 20:40, will terminate at Luton.
19:06 Sutton to Bedford, due 21:10, will start up from Farringdon.
19:34 Brighton to Bedford, due 21:50, will run as 8 Coaches instead of 4 Coaches.