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Confusing train information on Thameslink

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70014IronDuke

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Last night (21/08) I trundled down to St Pancras Thameslink at around 21.30 to get a train to London Bridge. A Brighton-bound train - not sure of its origin - rolled in (I think it was to depart at 21.36) which had all stations to London Bridge listed on the platform indicator, followed I think by East Croydon.
To my surprise (and concern) the on-board train announcement did not mention London Bridge, nor did the train indicator. So at City Thameslink - which was also not mentioned - I alighted in some bewilderment to find London Bridge clearly listed on the platform system. So I jumped back on, moderately confident that the on-train system was awry because I thought everything stops at London Bridge.

Sure enough, a few minutes later we stopped there - whereupon the gent next to me at the door said: Oh good, we are stopping - so I was not the only passenger to be concerned.

Is this a regular occurence, does anyone know? If so, why? It must be very confusing to foreign vistors indeed.
 
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800002

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Rule of thumb would be
Sutton or Orpington - Go via Elephant and Castle
Rainham or Brighton / Gatwick or Horsham or East Grinstead - Go via London Bridge
 
westcoaster

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70014IronDuke said:
Last night (21/08) I trundled down to St Pancras Thameslink at around 21.30 to get a train to London Bridge. A Brighton-bound train - not sure of its origin - rolled in (I think it was to depart at 21.36) which had all stations to London Bridge listed on the platform indicator, followed I think by East Croydon.
To my surprise (and concern) the on-board train announcement did not mention London Bridge, nor did the train indicator. So at City Thameslink - which was also not mentioned - I alighted in some bewilderment to find London Bridge clearly listed on the platform system. So I jumped back on, moderately confident that the on-train system was awry because I thought everything stops at London Bridge.

Sure enough, a few minutes later we stopped there - whereupon the gent next to me at the door said: Oh good, we are stopping - so I was not the only passenger to be concerned.

Is this a regular occurence, does anyone know? If so, why? It must be very confusing to foreign vistors indeed.
Click to expand...

What was the destination on the front and side screens (not internal). If it said Check station screens the trains pis system is using a get me home code. London bridge is not listed on this special code as the station was not operational when the 700's were delivered.
 
transportguide

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800002 said:
Rule of thumb would be
Sutton or Orpington - Go via Elephant and Castle
Rainham or Brighton / Gatwick or Horsham or East Grinstead - Go via London Bridge
Click to expand...

Not necessarily. Late at night, there are a multitude of Thameslink 9Wxx services that are Brighton/ Three Bridges bound that go via E&C non-stop to ECR. However, as you stated, during the day this is (except for disruption) always the case.
 
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infobleep

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westcoaster said:
What was the destination on the front and side screens (not internal). If it said Check station screens the trains pis system is using a get me home code. London bridge is not listed on this special code as the station was not operational when the 700's were delivered.
Click to expand...
How fascinating. How easy would it be to update the listbto include London Bridge? Would there be any benefit in doing so?
 
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800002

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transportguide said:
Not necessarily. Late at night, there are a multitude of Thameslink 9Wxx services that are Brighton/ Three Bridges bound that go via E&C non-stop to ECR. However, as you stated, during the day this is (except for disruption) always the case.
Click to expand...
Indeed - thanks for the correction. I did overlook those.
Last STP / Blackfriars - London Bridge is the 2322 (St Pancras) / 2331 (Blackfriars) 9T73 - which looking at it, now, is comparatively early.

From the 2351 (St. Pancras) / 0002 (Blackfriars) 9W17 till close of play are fast Blackfriars - East Croydon (via E&C).
 
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70014IronDuke

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westcoaster said:
What was the destination on the front and side screens (not internal).
Click to expand...

You mean of the stock? I didn't look. If the platform indicator says London Bridge, I don't - or didn't - expect to have to look for more info on the train. I only noticed the anomaly because it was flashing in front of me on the ... what do you call them - flashing screen?

westcoaster said:
If it said Check station screens the trains pis system is using a get me home code. London bridge is not listed on this special code as the station was not operational when the 700's were delivered.
Click to expand...

Oh. Nice to know. I wonder how Thameslink staff explain that to a group of Japanese visitors who've just detrained from a train they actually should have stayed on.
 
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70014IronDuke

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800002 said:
Rule of thumb would be
Sutton or Orpington - Go via Elephant and Castle
Rainham or Brighton / Gatwick or Horsham or East Grinstead - Go via London Bridge
Click to expand...

If the entire world understood this rule of thumb, fine. But a significant proportion of passengers will not know this and not feel the need to know - they will expect the platform indicators and on-train information panels to both provide accurate information that tallies. Even myself, who knows a fair bit about railways (but not especially about the new Thameslink set up) was only confident it would stop at LB because I detrained at City Thameslink, and that station not listed as a stop on the on-board systems.
 
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