Next fastest train from Clapham Junction to Southampton Central is a Southern service?!

[dastocks]

The majority of passengers have a good idea of what they are doing

Indeed, and anyone who is actually going to Southampton and has purchased a ticket will be aware that there is more than one route, and fare, available. Real Passengers (rather than pedantic trainspotters) will know they are expecting to catch a train that says Southampton on the front of it from a specific platform at a specific time, even if their actual destination is one of the many stations the train calls at on the way there. The real value of the display is to confirm the expected platform and departure time of the train. There aren't examples in the pictures that have been posted but I'm pretty certain delays, cancellations and platform changes (rare, but they can and do happen) would appear there.

 

[BRX]

Indeed, and anyone who is actually going to Southampton and has purchased a ticket will be aware that there is more than one route, and fare, available. Real Passengers (rather than pedantic trainspotters) will know they are expecting to catch a train that says Southampton on the front of it from a specific platform at a specific time, even if their actual destination is one of the many stations the train calls at on the way there. The real value of the display is to confirm the expected platform and departure time of the train. There aren't examples in the pictures that have been posted but I'm pretty certain delays, cancellations and platform changes (rare, but they can and do happen) would appear there.

I don't think that's the way the displays are intended to be used.
Firstly, they show a wide array of intermediate stops, not just places that are the ultimate destination of a service.
Secondly, if you are looking for the train that stops at your station, with ultimate destination of X, then information on the next fastest train to the ultimate destination is not really useful to you.

Seems pretty clear that the intention of these displays is: you are wanting to go to X, you find X on the board and it tells you which platform & train to head for, in order to get to your destination ASAP. For anyone using the displays in that way, being directed to a train that will get you to your destination 2 hours later than you otherwise could have, is actively harmful.

it appears now that people have the expectation for information to be provided without them doing anything. To me that is a sad state of affairs. Mini rant done!

People have the expectation for accurate, not misleading, information to be provided. If it's not possible to do this in the space available on the boards, then just don't show it, and people will ask someone or use a journey planner on their phone.

I don't see why it's in any way controversial to point out that a public information display is likely to cause people to make a bad decision through no fault of their own.

 

[hermit]

I don’t know whether this was one of the displays at Clapham Junction that prompted the OP to raise this, but I did notice on alighting from a Southern train at platform 15 this morning that the indicator showed the next fastest trains to both Portsmouth and Southampton as being the SWR ones. As in my view it should.

 

[infobleep]

Yet again , I get the feeling that some rail enthusiasts really don't get that many people don't want complex journeys with multiple changes. They just want to know 'when is the next train I can get from A to B which I can get on, and switch off until I get there?'

The problem is the next direct train is much slower and might not be for another 58 minutes. The government were very keen to trumpet how electrifying the line to Wales would save 20 minutes in travel time, as I think it was. Well getting a slower service to Southampton won't save any travel time.

Travelling by train takes no more than looking up the National Rail website (or Trainline or similar) and putting an origin and destination in then looking at the times.

Some people even use Google Maps for both car and train navigation.

People follow incorrect routeings on their SatNav as well.

Looking it up on National Rail Enquiries may direct you onto the 17:39 to London Waterloo. The ticket most people buy, save if it's an advanced purchase one, probably wouldn't be valid that way.

Exactly and I wouldn't expect a non rail enthusiast to do any research for a run of the mill journey like this. As someone else said the best option is probably to go to Waterloo and get the Southampton train which doesn't stop at Clapham Junction but most ordinary passengers wouldn't know that.


Just put please enquire next to Southampton.

When you say spoon-fed do you mean given the correct information?

I agree with Please Enquire.

Surely at 1646, the next fastest train to Southampton Central is indeed the 1742 Southern service, as the next SWR train calling at Southampton Central wouldn't be until later at 1912.

Get that quicker journey opportunities may at times be possible by changing at one or more intermediate stations on the SWR route; and so it would certainly be interesting to see what the Clapham Junction departures board would be showing at say 1830 when the next train for Southampton Central would be the 1842 (Southern service) but waiting around for the later 1912 (SWR service) would most likely mean a sooner (faster) arrival at Southampton Central.

Well, they don't list a time against Winchester and surely the next fastest train is 19:12 by this logic.

Unfortunately, the system just isn't clever enough to do that.

Well, it needs to be. Perhaps it could be added to the development plan for a future enhancement.

 

[Deepgreen]

If people have planned the journey in advance, then not much point in a next fastest sign to Southampton, because they will be looking for a specific train, or fastest train to a connection.

Would be better if it said change at Woking (or whatever station) rather than offering a through train via very slow routing

What about those who plan their journey retrospectively?

 

[infobleep]

Does this issue occur at other stations? If this is the wrong place to raise this, I can start a new thread.

I was at Clapham Junction this evening, at 20:04.

The listed next fastest trains to:
Guildford 20:12 (a slower stopping service).
Havant 20:42 (a slower via Gatwick Airport
Haslemere 20:52 (fast service also stopping at Guildford)

If one waited for the 20:52, two fast services to Portsmouth will have passed through the station.

I imagine this occurs every hour of the day, save when more than 1 train an hour departs particularculae destination via Woking.

Does it occur elsewhere in the country?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Does this issue occur at other stations?

Maybe at Edinburgh Waverley when travelling down to Birmingham New Street. Usually a lengthier journey via the ECML compared with the WCML, but a more frequent hourly service, as opposed to one train per two hours.