Could someone explain to an idiot like me why the incorrect routing of a train into the wrong platform at 0730 today is STILL having an impact on service at 1820?
Because of the knock on effect of having services and Drivers out of place. It is also down to having a service so tight that it is already at the point of breaking so the slightest nudge just compounds throughout the day. As a personal example : My diagram today had no recovery time. I was +4 when changing ends and so my next set of trips all ran late. This was just a small 4 minute delay but I couldn't recover it. When I booked off and handed my unit to a relieving Driver it carried on to his next trip too. So until that Drivers diagram allows for a reasonable time to turnaround or where the unit can skip a station or two; it will run late.
Now imagine that with hundreds of trains being impacted and the delay being hours.