Availability of paper timetables

[Waddon]

Has anyone noticed that many major stations no longer display paper timetable sheets any more? This must surely make things very difficult for travellers unfamiliar with the railway or who don't have some sort of mobile app.

At my local station East Croydon for example, the ticket hall has an electronic display with many principal destinations listed on a big board, but the big paper timetables which were previously on prominent display have been removed.

If you are travelling to a station not listed on the board, how do you know what time the train departs, unless its one of the few trains listed for imminent departure? I'm sure it must create a lot of extra work for the rail staff, always having to look up train times for people when they used to be able to do it themselves.

 

[tsr]

I've never really seen that many people use them at the larger Southern stations in comparison with just asking staff, but I believe they are still available at East Croydon on temporary boards around the refurbished waiting rooms. If not, they're probably not gone for very long, although they could admittedly be in a more useful place pre-gateline use, if they are to have them!

 

[route:oxford]

The people who don't have a mobile app are probably the very people that a paper timetable with relatively small point size and a myriad of exceptions and exclusions is most unsuitable for.

 

[Be3G]

I have on one or two occasions used them when for some reason or another it's been difficult to get the times using my phone. I think, or at least was always under the assumption, that all stations had to have them posted somewhere.

 

[Waddon]

I was just using East Croydon as an example. Many stations do not have them posted any more. (ECR does have them in the waiting shelters on the platform, but you have to go through the barriers and down onto the platforms to see them, not much good if you just want train times)
Unfortunately, if we were in continental europe, where trains are numbered, it wouldn't be such an issue. But in the UK, you need to know that you get the xx:13 or whatever to go to such-and-such, and if that information is not on display (and the queues for the information are huge) then you are kind of stuck.

p.s a lot of people don't have smart phones, its not only because they are stupid, old or blind, it is just that they maybe choose not to?

 

[Hadders]

I've not come across a station that hasn't got paper timetables on display.

While you rarely see anyone using them I do think they're extremely useful. Apps are great but they don't always show all services, especially if services are overtaken.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

p.s a lot of people don't have smart phones, its not only because they are stupid, old or blind, it is just that they maybe choose not to?

A lot of people will only have a smartphone only because someone else has one. I don't want to use them as they're too fiddily and are easily broken. I prefer my first gen WAP job myself, as I've had it on the go for the past decade with no problems.

 

[Freightmaster]

p.s a lot of people don't have smart phones, its not only because they are stupid, old or blind, it is just that they maybe choose not to?

I'd say I'm a pretty 'tech savvy' person (I make a living out of running a website,
after all!), but I don't own a smartphone, nor have any desire to, so not its not
just technophobe pensioners who are not able to access the internet/apps
when they are out and about, and FOCs/other large companies shouldn't
assume everyone has access to the internet 24/7... :-x

MARK

 

[SouthStand]

A lot of people will only have a smartphone only because someone else has one. I don't want to use them as they're too fiddily and are easily broken. I prefer my first gen WAP job myself, as I've had it on the go for the past decade with no problems.

Nothing fiddly about using the Train Tickets app on an iPhone. Keep enjoying your 56kbps modem connection and WAP lol

 

[Class377/5]

Has anyone noticed that many major stations no longer display paper timetable sheets any more? This must surely make things very difficult for travellers unfamiliar with the railway or who don't have some sort of mobile app.

At my local station East Croydon for example, the ticket hall has an electronic display with many principal destinations listed on a big board, but the big paper timetables which were previously on prominent display have been removed.

If you are travelling to a station not listed on the board, how do you know what time the train departs, unless its one of the few trains listed for imminent departure? I'm sure it must create a lot of extra work for the rail staff, always having to look up train times for people when they used to be able to do it themselves.

They have them on the platforms last time I was there.

As for extra work, well people ask even when they are on the board so it comes with the turf.

 

[Greenback]

I'd say I'm a pretty 'tech savvy' person (I make a living out of running a website,
after all!), but I don't own a smartphone, nor have any desire to, so not its not
just technophobe pensioners who are not able to access the internet/apps
when they are out and about, and FOCs/other large companies shouldn't
assume everyone has access to the internet 24/7... :-x

MARK

I agree. My phone has broken down during my travels too many times (maybe it's just a crap one!) for me to be reliant on it to access information while on the go.

 

[bnm]

Train Operating Companies are obligated to provide timetables in booklet form (or in another similar form) at staffed stations as part of their franchise agreements.

Covered in nearly all franchise agreements by, Schedule 1.4 - Passenger Facing Obligations. Some longer running franchise agreements, such as Chiltern's, don't refer to Schedule 1.4, but still have a requirement written into the agreement to provide timetable booklets at all staffed stations.

 

[Be3G]

And I bet there're still numerous stations in the country which lack a usable mobile phone signal for one or more of the networks.

 

[bicbasher]

LOROL still have them at Forest Hill in the ticket hall, which is a surprise considering it's a turn up and go station unless you're waiting for a 2tph Southern service to Caterham or Victoria.

 

[hassaanhc]

And I bet there're still numerous stations in the country which lack a usable mobile phone signal for one or more of the networks.

That is even the case in parts of London Zone 3; I struggle to get signal (TalkMobile who use Vodafone) between Wandsworth Town and Barnes, and then Mortlake to Richmond which ends up in Zone 4. The north end of the Metropolitan line, shared with Chiltern, is like that too (both run 2tph each).
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

LOROL still have them at Forest Hill in the ticket hall, which is a surprise considering it's a turn up and go station unless you're waiting for a 2tph Southern service to Caterham or Victoria.

Probably including something along the lines of "and at these minutes past the hour until" for at least the frequent stations?

 

[GatwickDepress]

I was just using East Croydon as an example. Many stations do not have them posted any more. (ECR does have them in the waiting shelters on the platform, but you have to go through the barriers and down onto the platforms to see them, not much good if you just want train times)

Hastings has them at the foot of Platforms 1/2 and 3/4, curiously Southeastern used to have them also in a stand in the concourse entrance but they've been replaced by generic safety/publicity posters. Given the barriers are open so frequently it's hardly an issue to most though.

 

[Smethwickian]

I've not come across a station that hasn't got paper timetables on display.

Not been to Birmingham New Street, one of the naton's busiest stations, recently, then! Not a timetable poster or departures poster anywhere to be seen and only a single set of departures screens showing all stations. There are a couple of electronic screens where you can look up imminent direct departures, but only staff seem to use them most of the time when quizzed by bewildered passengers.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

Nothing fiddly about using the Train Tickets app on an iPhone. Keep enjoying your 56kbps modem connection and WAP lol

I have broadband for my PC, everything else is from about 5 to 10 years back.

 

[Mitch in Notts]

I noted yesterday when arriving at Worksop for a Mansfield train that the main entrance displays only have northern rail timetables and advertising & no Robin Hood Line times. I walked the length of platform 1 to the ticket office and saw no timetable until I actually got to platform 2 to catch my train where there was 1 copy on display. There were no Robin Hood line leaflets at the ticket office.
I often use them to find out my arrival time at my destination!

 

[richw]

All of my local stations still have them on display - On the platform. Not the best location in my opinion, but none the less they are still present.
I think they'd be better situated in the booking office or on the external wall where there is some other A1 size rail marketing adverts instead.

 

[bradders1983]

Dont know if they still have, but Leeds used to have a set of display boards that listed every single destination and the time of the next train to it, along with the platform if available at that time.

 

[northernrail14]

I collect timetables so that isn't a good sign.

 

[davetheguard]

There seem to be several things being discussed here under the generic heading "timetables".

I'm assuming that the OP was referring to what are often known as "A to Z's" i.e. the list of major destinations in alphabetical order on one or more posters. Departure time; arrival time at destination; platform (usually); where you have to change if required; and operator are shown. These are generally easy to read, but will only show a selection of destinations available - you couldn't physically show times to every other station in the U.K.; you'd need a bigger station to fit all the posters in! By their very nature, these sheets only apply to departures from the station at which they are displayed.

Then there are the more old-fashioned "line of route" timetable posters. These show all the stations along a given railway line, and train times at all of them. No platform numbers are given. Identical sheets can be put up at every station along the route, so are cheaper to produce. Some people who don't travel by train very often find these hard to understand, and you often have to read down through a long list of unfamiliar places to find where your station is listed.

Finally, some posters have been referring to the availability of pocket timetable booklets and cards.

Aside from the fact that a timetable is a marketing tool (it tells customers about your services), I would have thought that there would be a contractual requirement on the TOC that leases the station to ensure that an up to date timetable poster is displayed at every station, either of the "A to Z" or "line of route" type; perhaps others here can confirm whether or not this is the case.

 

[Be3G]

I'm assuming that the OP was referring to what are often known as "A to Z's" i.e. the list of major destinations in alphabetical order on one or more posters. Departure time; arrival time at destination; platform (usually); where you have to change if required; and operator are shown. These are generally easy to read, but will only show a selection of destinations available - you couldn't physically show times to every other station in the U.K.; you'd need a bigger station to fit all the posters in! By their very nature, these sheets only apply to departures from the station at which they are displayed.

This is what I'm assuming too, although I would add that the A-Z timetables don't include only major destinations: they contain an entry for every station that has a direct scheduled service from the station in which they are posted. For that reason they can be quite interesting to peruse if at a larger station, as in amongst all the big entries for destinations with frequent services one might find smaller stations listed with only a couple of direct trains.

 

[rg177]

Dont know if they still have, but Leeds used to have a set of display boards that listed every single destination and the time of the next train to it, along with the platform if available at that time.

Yes, there are still at least 2 from what I remember.

 

[Deerfold]

Yes, there are still at least 2 from what I remember.

There are but they no longer list platform numbers. I suspect this is due to the large number of changes which often happen.

 

[LLivery]

Loads of people use them at Clapham Junction, to be honest its probably the only station where I've used them.

As for Birmingham New Street, its lucky to get departure screens showing all the stations! Have you been to Stratford? Only terminal stations shown in the booking halls, if you don't have a timetable/app you just have to guess when your next train is, while on the platforms it only shows the next train. When there are platform alterations it is chaos because its not clearly displayed in the booking halls, even Clapham Junction is easier for newcomers.