Is it just me or are there more rail replacement bus services running than usual?

[Joseph T]

In (and out of) my free time, I like to browse Google Maps for train routes, but recently there seems to be more rail replacement services running around the country such as Weymouth and Fort William, all for a whole month from around now and yesterday. What could be happening that's causing this nationwide? Could it be to do with the recent weather, or is this the time that has been set as when the tracks should be worked on, like an MOT but for railways?

 

[swt_passenger]

There’s a fairly recent change towards long blockades for major track work, rather than spreading it over multiple weekend work periods. The saving is in not repeating the significant time to set up and remove the worksites. But it’s been happening for a few years now.

 

[LittleRedTrain]

It seems that sometimes replacement buses are being used even though a through route would actually be available for diversion, because it's more operationally convenient for the TOC.

E.g. this coming Sunday, the Chiltern line is shut Wembley-West Ruislip, but rather than diverting Marylebone-Birmingham trains via Aylesbury and maintaining a through service (as happened regularly in the past), Chiltern are instead bussing Marylebone passengers between Bicester North/Village and Aylesbury.

The excuse they gave in response to my e-mail complaint is that although the rest of the route is open and the Oxford service is still running between Bicester Village and West Ruislip, they can't resource through Marylebone-Aylesbury-Princes Risborough-Bicester N-Birmingham trains because they can't access Wembley Depot and the other depots can't cope

From their response:

Whilst we do have access to facilities north of London Marylebone, these are small in comparison and the use of these for a full day service would add considerable pressure on to these facilities and because of this the planning team have faced some operational challenges when composing this amended timetable.

Personally, I think this is a bit of a cop-out, given that there are plenty of other stabling options and it's only a one day closure.

 

[Class93]

Possibly related to available drivers? We certainly had huge issues around PCV drivers (and lorry drivers) for a good year - perhaps this is just the trickling through of those trainees into full service. Not just a local bloke in a bus with his dog on a 51 plate Dennis Dart?

 

[Kingston Flyer]

[sic]rail replacement services running around the country such as Weymouth and Fort William[sic]

That would be quite the replacement bus!
Especially if it was one of the ones without a working toilet (I have had them about 50/50 over the last year, including the Heart of Wales without)