Best Way to Determine Platform Number

[SA_900]

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[DanTrain]

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced

This is a pretty good website for train times an platform number. I believe it gets its information from the 'mainframe', it is certaintly very accurate and up to date as to a train's position. I reckon it's the best you'll get, probably just as good as the boards in stations, but as with everything not perfect, things can be changed at the last minute. Hope this helps anyway

 

[SA_900]

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[TwistedMentat]

If you put your destination in the Calling At? Later text box you don't need to know the actual final station of the service.

 

[PHILIPE]

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced

This is a pretty good website for train times an platform number. I believe it gets its information from the 'mainframe', it is certaintly very accurate and up to date as to a train's position. I reckon it's the best you'll get, probably just as good as the boards in stations, but as with everything not perfect, things can be changed at the last minute. Hope this helps anyway

If there are alterations from the booked platform, especially in the case of STP schedules, they cannot be relied on.

 

[Domh245]

If there are alterations from the booked platform, especially in the case of STP schedules, they cannot be relied on.

At which point live maps like Traksy and opentraintimes become quite useful, provided you know what headcode it is that you need.

 

[Emmsie]

Real time trains always had the platform number before the boards at Victoria so very useful getting a seat on the journey home

 

[Dai Corner]

This one may also be worth trying
http://iris2.rail.co.uk/tiger/

 

[louis97]

If there are alterations from the booked platform, especially in the case of STP schedules, they cannot be relied on.

At which point live maps like Traksy and opentraintimes become quite useful, provided you know what headcode it is that you need.

If the platform number on RTT is bold that means there is data to support the train going from that platform. Certainly you should not get any different information from Traksy or Opentraintimes as the sources are the same. (Except in the rare case where data isn't being correctly interpreted by RTT.) If it isn't bold that means it is showing the booked platform number in the timetable, something which is well known to be totally different to what the train will actually use at a number of location.

RTT has recently had its background data updated, a combination of over 2 years work by myself and the team, if you do spot an error please drop us a line - either by using the email address on the website or dropping me a PM.

 

[theironroad]

If there are alterations from the booked platform, especially in the case of STP schedules, they cannot be relied on.

+1

Sometimes the platform alterations are very last minute, (the signaller may have to use a different platform to booked) I wouldn't recommend walking to the front of a 12 car at Waterloo as it could be a frantic walk back and possibly miss the train.

However, using the maps can reduce the risk.

 

[bramling]

If there are alterations from the booked platform, especially in the case of STP schedules, they cannot be relied on.

This can be worked around to a point. If one looks in advance at the timetabled platform and then trace the corresponding incoming service, it then becomes a matter of following the incoming service on something like the Open Train Times maps. Again this isn't infallible as reformations and set/unit swaps can and do happen, however it's more reliable than simply relying on the booked platform and hoping for the best.

Remember the working timetables are nowadays in the public domain.

 

[mirodo]

Perfect - have bookmarked the mobile site. You do have to know the ultimate/rather than intermediate destination but that's easy enough to learn.

You can save a specific URL specifying your start and destination stations to save having to load the site and input the info each time, e.g:

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/basic/VIC/to/ECR

 

[yorkie]

Realtimetrains is not always correct; I recall once it said my train arrived into platform 19 at EDB. We went through P19 but finished on P1 or P2 (can't remember which now).

If you know the headcode, then I find Opentraintimes (or Traksy , which is less detailed but has wider coverage) is very accurate.

 

[47550]

I use RTT also to get ahead of the Euston dash, though as other posters have pointed out things could still change. I was caught out by a last minute platform change last week from platform 3 to 15 which was not fun !

 

[GBRailfreight]

Same, I'm also Short Sighted, Sometimes i don't even Know what Platform im on.

 

[BlueFox]

This one may also be worth trying
http://iris2.rail.co.uk/tiger/

Seems to have a very limited number of stations. Even some large busy stations are missing.

 

[IanXC]

There are, ultimately, two sources of information on platform allocations.

TRUST (and by extension RealTimeTrains, Opentraintimes etc) which is principally based on the planned lines through junctions and station approaches, and the planned platforms.

Darwin (and by extension CIS, National Rail Enquiries, Apps etc) which starts off with the TRUST information but which is updated by staff who are managing the operation of the station on the day, and in some areas by routes set in and information received from the signalling system.

 

[Peter0124]

If you know headcodes or interested in what trains are where and at what platform, the railcam diagrams will be very useful and 99.99% accurate although you have to pay for them.

 

[gordonthemoron]

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced

This is a pretty good website for train times an platform number. I believe it gets its information from the 'mainframe', it is certaintly very accurate and up to date as to a train's position. I reckon it's the best you'll get, probably just as good as the boards in stations, but as with everything not perfect, things can be changed at the last minute. Hope this helps anyway

Do the railways still have mainframes? Although, I guess TOPS is/was a mainframe application

 

[cactustwirly]

The platform numbers on realtime trains are usually wrong for Paddington.
It's a bit easier for the Thames Valley stoppers, since an ex Didcot Service forms a "Twyford" service and an ex Reading service forms a "Cholsey" service, you then use the arrivals board to work out the platform.
There isn't an easy way for the long distance services, I normally use the process of elimination.
I take a note of all the HSTs in the station and their platform numbers, as platforms are allocated for other services, I cross them off the list, I then can make an educated guess at which one is mine.

 

[Dhassell]

I normally check my trains headcode on Real Time Trains, and then keep an eye on Traksy until it appears on the map, and then loiter around the gateline of the platform until the platform either chances or the train is announced.

 

[PHILIPE]

According to RTT, 2O94 1709 Weston-super-Mare to Weymouth last Sunday used Platform 1 at Bristol TM. Work that one out.

 

[Bletchleyite]

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced

This is a pretty good website for train times an platform number. I believe it gets its information from the 'mainframe', it is certaintly very accurate and up to date as to a train's position. I reckon it's the best you'll get, probably just as good as the boards in stations, but as with everything not perfect, things can be changed at the last minute. Hope this helps anyway

Once the platform number goes bold it is accurate at most stations BUT not all. In particular, it is not accurate at all for London Victoria. Before it is bold it is an educated guess based on the most-used platform by that train in the past however-long.

 

[A Challenge]

Before it is bold

Once it is it is accurate though

 

[duffield]

Do the railways still have mainframes? Although, I guess TOPS is/was a mainframe application

Yes. TOPS/TRUST is alive and well on an IBM mainframe in [location redacted].
You will frequently see the 'old-fashioned' mainframe TRUST screens in the background on TV documentaries etc.

 

[43096]

Once the platform number goes bold it is accurate at most stations BUT not all. In particular, it is not accurate at all for London Victoria. Before it is bold it is an educated guess based on the most-used platform by that train in the past however-long.

Educated guess? AFAIAA it shows the booked platform. Certainly at Waterloo trains stick to the booked platform unless there is good reason to change it. Even with the current situation where platforms 19/20 are blocked on weekdays and 21/22 are being used instead, there are VAR schedules in the system for trains affected.

 

[louis97]

According to RTT, 2O94 1709 Weston-super-Mare to Weymouth last Sunday used Platform 1 at Bristol TM. Work that one out.

The service was most likely involved in a set swap and the platform displayed will be where the new train left from.

Once the platform number goes bold it is accurate at most stations BUT not all. In particular, it is not accurate at all for London Victoria. Before it is bold it is an educated guess based on the most-used platform by that train in the past however-long.

Should be accurate at Victoria, especially since the new data was activated. If its not then please report it, otherwise it won't get fixed. The platform number before it goes bold, as I already stated up thread, is the booked platform number as per the timetable. Not a "educated guess" you speak of.

 

[GBRailfreight]

The service was most likely involved in a set swap and the platform displayed will be where the new train left from.



Should be accurate at Victoria, especially since the new data was activated. If its not then please report it, otherwise it won't get fixed. The platform number before it goes bold, as I already stated up thread, is the booked platform number as per the timetable. Not a "educated guess" you speak of.

My Local Station has the Same Platform numbers on both sides, it has 6 platforms, there's a bit of Platform Which is never used.

 

[PHILIPE]

The service was most likely involved in a set swap and the platform displayed will be where the new train left from.



Should be accurate at Victoria, especially since the new data was activated. If its not then please report it, otherwise it won't get fixed. The platform number before it goes bold, as I already stated up thread, is the booked platform number as per the timetable. Not a "educated guess" you speak of.

Open Train Times shows Platform 5, more logical. There was another train in Platform 1, a Beach Line turnround, throughout this time and as 2O94 was worked by a 3 Car Turbo there would have been no room to put another one in the Bay.

 

[louis97]

My Local Station has the Same Platform numbers on both sides, it has 6 platforms, there's a bit of Platform Which is never used.

Can you provide more detail than that, not much I can do without a station name at least.

Open Train Times shows Platform 5, more logical. There was another train in Platform 1, a Beach Line turnround, throughout this time and as 2O94 was worked by a 3 Car Turbo there would have been no room to put another one in the Bay.

Interesting, I shall look into that. Something in the underlying data must be incorrectly interpreting something. Not that it will matter in a months time when the station is re-signalling and the data will have to be updated.

Update: Have not looked at the data itself yet, but having looked in a bit more detail it looks like there was a set swap. The arrival from Avonmouth arrived on 1 at 1721, and the next Avonmouth departed from 5 at 1753. OpenTrainTimes agrees that this left from 5, so looks like the arrival from Weston-super-Mare went onto Avonmouth and the arrival from Avonmouth at 1721 went onto Weymouth from Platform 1.

Having done some more digging, definitely was a set swap with the purpose of getting a SDO Class 166 down to Weymouth. 166207 from Avonmouth went on to Weymouth and 166214 from Weston-super-Mare went onto Avonmouth.