Break in direct services due to unexplained "train faults"

[sefyllian]

(Sorry if this has come up before, not sure of the correct terminology to search for!)

I travel fairly frequently between north and south Wales/Birmingham on Arriva trains that are advertised as direct services. However on numerous occasions, I've had to change trains unexpectedly due to mysterious "train faults" that luckily always seem to occur just as we're approaching an interchange station such as Chester or Shrewsbury, were there is always, as if by magic, a replacement train and crew ready to take us on the next leg of the journey. None of the staff can ever explain what the actual fault is (I've tried asking), I've never noticed anything actually wrong with the train, and the frequency with which this occurs - and in exactly the same places - seems a bit odd to me.

My assumption is that this is just down to some logistical reason, such as getting the right rolling stock to the right place for the next day or whatever (the replacements are usually doubled up sets, so mostly empty), but if so why are we always given excuses about train failures?

Are they trying to dodge some legal obligation to not make passengers change trains unnecessarily if the service was advertised as direct? (eg. a requirement of the franchise or Welsh government funding?). Or could they conceivably avoid some penalty/compensation issues in this way?

I don't actually care that much about having to change trains –*though it's probably a pain for families or older people - but I do care a bit about being lied to, it that's what's happening. Or have I just been generally unlucky on Arriva services, and unduly suspicious/cynical?!

Any thoughts?

(For info, on Saturday 10:02 Bangor to Birmingham NS - forced to change at Shrewsbury; Monday 15:36 Newport to Bangor - forced to change at Chester).

 

[TEW]

It could well be faults which don't interfere with the train actually running but need attention on depot in the evening, or perhaps the unit is due an exam. Many diagrams will end stabling away from depot so it is often necessary to swap units to ensure units which need attention on depot get back there. It's quite possible the train crew wouldn't have been told what the fault is, they're probably just told they need to swap the sets to get one back to depot.

 

[PHILIPE]

Or had to be put into a Diagram due various circumstances and there is either insufficient fuel to complete the day or due to spend the night at a location with no fuelling facilities.

 

[LBSCR Times]

Yes, normally something along those lines.
The TOC's in the South East will usually change over stock at the London terminals or a few outer locations. It's a good way to catch out those who join a train before it is announced......

 

[sprinterguy]

(For info, on Saturday 10:02 Bangor to Birmingham NS - forced to change at Shrewsbury; Monday 15:36 Newport to Bangor - forced to change at Chester).

To add to what TEW and PHILIPE have said, any faults with the train will not have suddenly manifested themselves immediately prior to these stations as you correctly recognose, but will have been known about earlier in the journey (or on a previous journey), allowing the traincrew to contact control to get a replacement train in place.

In both of your named instances, the stations where you had to change trains are the ones closest to the trains' home depots (The class 158 units used on Holyhead to Birmingham are maintained at Machynlleth on the Cambrian line, and the class 175 units used on Cardiff to Holyhead have a purpose built depot at Chester), and are both major interchanges best set up to facilitate a passenger exchange.

 

[edwin_m]

The same thing happens with the EMT Liverpool-Norwich in Nottingham. If a train has some sort of fault it is usually swapped there so that (firstly) there's no risk of the fault getting worse and stranding the train somewhere distant, and (secondly) they have the train in the depot for longer to fix it.