Cymru Coaches

[knutstransport]

Cymru Coaches
I notice they have were down to operate Rail Replacement services on the Chester to Manchester via Northwich line following the station building collapse and are down to operate them again today due to staffing issues at Northern. They seem to be registered in Swansea, do they have a more local depot to Chester or are they doing like Howards and running rail replacement services in a completely different part of the country where they are based?

[motormayhem1]

RE: Cymru Coaches

(30/05/2021 13:54)knutstransport Wrote:  I notice they have were down to operate Rail Replacement services on the Chester to Manchester via Northwich line following the station building collapse and are down to operate them again today due to staffing issues at Northern. They seem to be registered in Swansea, do they have a more local depot to Chester or are they doing like Howards and running rail replacement services in a completely different part of the country where they are based?

They have been operating the S320 school dupe between wigan and st helens monday to friday..

[Nwales Bus]

RE: Cymru Coaches

(30/05/2021 13:54)knutstransport Wrote:  I notice they have were down to operate Rail Replacement services on the Chester to Manchester via Northwich line following the station building collapse and are down to operate them again today due to staffing issues at Northern. They seem to be registered in Swansea, do they have a more local depot to Chester or are they doing like Howards and running rail replacement services in a completely different part of the country where they are based?

They are a large operator in the Swansea region, operating a number of DVLA staff shuttle services alongside school & college works. Although based in Swansea they have drivers based across the Valleys. Operating a large number of ex National Express Levante Coaches, alongside a number of former low floor buses from major operators

They are a major operator on the Rail Replacement Services, providing services for TFW, GWR & CrossCountry. At the moment they have drivers based in the Shrewsbury and Manchester area providing school duplicates services. Drivers based from Swansea. Knowing a number of the drivers they always go the extra mile and don’t mind additional days work on Rail Replacement.

With both TFW and Northern having issues this weekend and major works being in place e.g Shrewsbury - Machynlleth, Manchester - Chester, Preston - Carlisle. And as a result of social distancing a number of local operators have already been allocated works CMAC, Abellio and Arriva have had to seek buses from any operator. If Cymru had the buses in Manchester sitting idle and the driver willing to do the work they would have had it allocated

[Mrboo]

RE: Cymru Coaches
There no social distancing on buses or coaches in England. apart from forward seats and standing. I was loading this weekend with all seats used. and this was pre confirmed by higher management that they wanted this to happen. As I had to run full Deckers and coaches on the route I had. as my trains could carry over 700 passengers. so 24 passengers on a coach could not happen. even NX and Flexbus are now using all seats apart from just behind driver.

[knutstransport]

RE: Cymru Coaches

(31/05/2021 14:35)Nwales Bus Wrote:  They are a major operator on the Rail Replacement Services, providing services for TFW, GWR & CrossCountry. At the moment they have drivers based in the Shrewsbury and Manchester area providing school duplicates services. Drivers based from Swansea. Knowing a number of the drivers they always go the extra mile and don’t mind additional days work on Rail Replacement.

With both TFW and Northern having issues this weekend and major works being in place e.g Shrewsbury - Machynlleth, Manchester - Chester, Preston - Carlisle. And as a result of social distancing a number of local operators have already been allocated works CMAC, Abellio and Arriva have had to seek buses from any operator. If Cymru had the buses in Manchester sitting idle and the driver willing to do the work they would have had it allocated

I did wonder if they were TfW's partner for rail replacement buses whether that might be part of the reason they are able to pick up Chester-Altrincham-Manchester RRBs for Northern.

When I originally did a Google image search for Cymru Coaches it showed only coaches as the relevant results but changing the search terms I notice they also have standard double decker buses, which look like the kind of vehicles a coach hire company might use on a school contract.

[knutstransport]

RE: Cymru Coaches

(02/06/2021 14:29)Mrboo Wrote:  There no social distancing on buses or coaches in England. apart from forward seats and standing. I was loading this weekend with all seats used. and this was pre confirmed by higher management that they wanted this to happen. As I had to run full Deckers and coaches on the route I had. as my trains could carry over 700 passengers. so 24 passengers on a coach could not happen. even NX and Flexbus are now using all seats apart from just behind driver.

Some school dupes are still running to avoid school children being in close contact with those not attending their school. Some schools insist that the rows are divided up so each year group 'bubble' can sit together, that still does result in school children sitting next to someone (but someone from the same school in their year.)

[iMarkeh]

RE: Cymru Coaches
Just to clarify some things. Cymru Coaches haven't done any RRBs for TFW over the past few weeks in Chester (Chesters TFW RRBs are being Voel, Lakeside, Big Coach Company and Orion mainly. I think Cymru Coaches aren't on the TFW Rail Replacement Database. The only rail replacements which I can see that they have done is the emergency rail replacements for Northern on the Mid Cheshire Line the other day.


As for loadings, up until Sunday, TFW were trying to enforce a maximum capacity of 9 on a coach, 2 on a minibus. Needless to say, co-ordinators used discresion and were putting around 20 on a bus. Midday Sunday ish, it was changed to be 1/2 capacity, window seats only and/or bubbles sit together.


TFW are going off Welsh Govt rules/guidance even on buses which do not go into Wales hence the discrepancy.

[Nwales Bus]

RE: Cymru Coaches

(02/06/2021 18:51)iMarkeh Wrote:  Just to clarify some things. Cymru Coaches haven't done any RRBs for TFW over the past few weeks in Chester (Chesters TFW RRBs are being Voel, Lakeside, Big Coach Company and Orion mainly. I think Cymru Coaches aren't on the TFW Rail Replacement Database. The only rail replacements which I can see that they have done is the emergency rail replacements for Northern on the Mid Cheshire Line the other day.


As for loadings, up until Sunday, TFW were trying to enforce a maximum capacity of 9 on a coach, 2 on a minibus. Needless to say, co-ordinators used discresion and were putting around 20 on a bus. Midday Sunday ish, it was changed to be 1/2 capacity, window seats only and/or bubbles sit together.


TFW are going off Welsh Govt rules/guidance even on buses which do not go into Wales hence the discrepancy.

Social distancing rules are now different in Wales compared to England, any bus which travels through Wales to reach its destination, regardless of starting and finishing in England would have to comply with Welsh Regulations

You are correct that they don't normally do any rail runs in North Wales but I can assure you that Cymru Coaches is a major supplier of Rail Replacement across South Wales, however are not uncommon to also venture out to some interesting places

[knutstransport]

RE: Cymru Coaches

(02/06/2021 18:51)iMarkeh Wrote:  Just to clarify some things. Cymru Coaches haven't done any RRBs for TFW over the past few weeks in Chester (Chesters TFW RRBs are being Voel, Lakeside, Big Coach Company and Orion mainly. I think Cymru Coaches aren't on the TFW Rail Replacement Database. The only rail replacements which I can see that they have done is the emergency rail replacements for Northern on the Mid Cheshire Line the other day.

RRB providers seem to change quite regularly. It's been discussed before how companies like Selwyns and Bullocks used to do quite a bit of RRB work but now don't seem to bother.

On the other hand new providers can pop up, APH being one who have done work for Northern over the past 12 months but wouldn't have been someone you'd expected to see prior to the pandemic. Some can also be quite selective about which jobs they can take. Look at what's happened when the last Manchester to Chester train has been replaced by a bus (Mon-Thurs) due to planned engineering works and there are two RRBs pencilled in Manchester to Knutsford, then set down only to Chester and a second Knutsford to Chester. The latter has gone to D&G on more than one occasion, who normally don't seem to be interested in RRBs and don't exactly have many vehicles large enough for RRB work except when the RRB is part replacement for a quieter service.

As mentioned there's been 2 separate occasions when Cymru have been mentioned as the provider of RRB for the Mid-Cheshire line, once due to the Northwich station building collapse on a weekday and the other due to staffing issues on a Sunday.

[knutstransport]

RE: Cymru Coaches

(02/06/2021 14:29)Mrboo Wrote:  As I had to run full Deckers and coaches on the route I had. as my trains could carry over 700 passengers.

There's not many trains that carry 700 passengers and where services can be that busy there's quite often alternatives normally which can reduce the pressure on RRBs. For instance, the 17:46 London Euston to Crewe via Trent Valley appeared on the DfT overcrowded list with 754 standard class passengers. However, if all Crewe via Trent Valley services were suspended on a weekday evening it wouldn't be necessary for everyone to cram on replacement buses at Euston stations as other options would be available.