Far from the characteristics which the OP suggests, the people who have
developed LU's manning and rostering arrangements are

[a] quite bright
[b] successfully deploy a useful toolkit
[c] recognised for that by their peers

As Owain pointed out, basing a relief driver in mid-route makes obvious
sense. It is a practice widely adopted in the transport world, not a
mad LU invention.

When I had to look into rostering arrangements some years ago it was
interesting to see just how many factors have to be taken into account.
You don't just wave 'em out at dawn and back at bedtime! Or say 'OK,
we're working 12 trains on Wednesday, so let's have 13 drivers and tell
them to book on at 15 minute intervals from 0500hrsÉ'

Try a little exercise. You might find a pad of graph paper and a pencil
helpful. Or even one of those wonderful machines called computers,
which you might be surprised to discover can work out all manner of
mathematical and logical problems.

Plot the timetable - in elapsed time as well as clock time
Count the trains required
Do the maths on hours and breaks
Plot booking on and off times
Arrive at first-level daily and weekly crewing figure
Deduct for lieu days, CPD etc etc
Deduct for holidays
Deduct for sickness - do you assume constant at previous year or are
you improving?

É continue hard thinking until you arrive at a net figure

Review all above, particularly assumptions
Revise and repeat
Issue for consultation and review
Revise / repeat as required Ð welcome to the world of multiple iterations

É and as if by magic [or should that be more hard work] your roster appears.
Or not, in which case return to step 1 and start again.

Ken

On 2011-09-26 08:48:35 +0000, d said:

Heard on a centrali line train this morning at white city: "This train will be
delayed while the relief driver turns up. I'm told he's on the train behind."

What utter utter ****wit dreamed up that rostering?

B2003