Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how long before a planned train service is due to go ahead does Avanti West Coast know there will be a shortage of train crew.

Operators aim to understand and mitigate resource availability as far out as possible but circumstances such as training, sickness, other restrictions, and emergency releases as well as other external factors can change the position right up until the day of travel. Disruption is further exacerbated by inflexible working practices and terms and conditions, which is why workforce reforms are vital to build a better, more reliable railway for passengers.