"more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time"

The Coffee Shop has 350 posts in 71 threads with cancellations, short formations or short runs reported "this is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time". So far this month alone, there are reports on five threads here each dealing with a different line.

My language-pedant mode (comes from many years of programming) suggests that an even notable enough to report 350 times is not "usual" and I wonder if we are short of trains, failing on repair time taken so they stay out of service longer, or running in a system with an interent shortage not designed to cope in total with the normal peaks and troughs of demand.

The modern information age is a nightmare for the train operator; we know about these things from far and wide, not just when the train fails to turn up, or turns up short - which is sometimes only a techical issue anyway as an comfortable 5 carriage trains in off peak is just as good as a sparse 9 coach train, some might argue better as the trolley can get through better, the energy use is lower, timekeeping better as it spends shorter times over speed restrictions, etc

We also have train specialisation. It may be boring to always have - say - class 150 trains on the Gunnislake line. But at least it means that they can be taken from a wider pool if there are lots the same, and the irritating "we don't have a train / locomotive of the right type ..." situations would be less. Interoperations and intercoupling ability seems to have fallen too - even in emergency use. And it gets worse. Looking at trains into Paignton - could be (165/166), (150/158), (800/802), (220/221). Not sure if class 175 ventures down there. Then you have the more unusual - specials with class 47, 50, 98 and others on the front (and/or read) , and Midland Pullman and others wedged between class 43 locos.

20 years ago, First took over Wessex trains and we were promised some interoperability and it HAS happened - station calls - routinely - at Keynsham in the peak with long distance expresses, and recently in very short term changes at Melksham too. On the Stroud Valley we have a mixture (though with VT0 lost, not as much of a mixture of services as would be welcome). And we have lost the ability to have a local train that runs routinely from London to Newbury or Didcot carry on to Bedwyn or Oxford. What should the next generation be? Common coupling? To an old standard that reduces development but aids recovery? To another new standard which adds yet another layer of complexity and options? Should every piece of motive power - whether built in to a carriage (DMU^▸ / EMU^▸ / DEMU^▸ ) have a fallback coupling / multiple operation capability - so if an IET^▸ is stuck behind a failed freight it can give it a shove?