Well today is a Sunday, and 'resource availability' on journey check usually means no available train crew. So it's not difficult to work out the cause. Although it could also be a lack of available 170s.
But that doesn't account for the weekday services, in the Middle of the day sometimes, which are replaced by coaches.
Frees up a path for class 196 unit training.
197s for TfW. But they are only in the North. No passenger paths have been sacrificed for 197 training.
The OP probably meant 231s, as they are fault free running and testing down there in those paths.
Its funny how there were people who assumed that when the Welsh devolved government took over, passengers would be the priority!
Whats funny is how someone thought replacing an entire fleet for the whole network at the same time was a good idea, and the training has barely started.
How is putting on a rail replacement bus worse than cancelling a service altogether and providing no alternative transport? If no drivers/guards are available, or a path has been taken by a training run, the only other alternative will be to cancel a service and provide no replacement transport at all.
Or they could employ sufficient traincrew, pay Network Rail for an additional path and run both trains?
Welcome to the nationalised railway where there are no penalties for underperformance.What a ridiculous idea! You'll be suggesting next that the railway should be run for the benefit of passengers instead of staff!
Since 2018, TfW has been on a massive recruitment drive to both replace retiring train crew and recruit extra crew. But unfortunately a global pandemic got in the way of training up those staff, whilst long serving staff continued to retire.
Yes. I'm rather bored of hearing about the reasons/excuses
So instead of running empty trains between Newport and Crosskeys train the crews on 231s
In fairness, a number of RRBs run and get overtaken by the next train anyway (TFW have one 20:52 off Chester to Manchester Picc and the 21:52 train overtakes the 20:52 bus at Newton Le Willows). For any stations which aren't covered by an overtaking train, in my experience, passengers prefer to wait for the next train if it is only an hour later if the delay is minimal. Therefore, in this instance, the only people who would benefit significantly from this 20:52 bus would be people travelling to stations between and including Chester and Warrington Bank Quay, beyond Bank Quay, it's easier to wait for the next train.
Halton Curve is reduced. Should be hourly, but it runs as 2 hourly with the other paths being used for supposedly training but those paths are rarely used. This line is actually used as well, good numbers using the Halton Curve trains.
These were reduced because of mix of shortage of train crew but mainly lack of units. The explanation of both goes on and on but unit wise think unreliable 769's and even worse 230's.
I'm pretty sure they are still doing mileage accumulation with other TOCs drivers on mainline routes. Any driver training will likely be on Valleys services as they will be running Rhymney line first, which mainline drivers don't sign.
unless the south wales main line around Cardiff is at capacity?