Piccadilly line information/destination screens

[class303]

Find it particulary annoying why these often display the "default" tfl screen instead of displaying the next few trains. Noticed this at a lot of north london stations.This is in contrast to the Victoria Line screens that always have the next few destinations (which are usually either Brixton, Seven sisters or Walthamstow). Seems crazy to me that on a much more complicated line the next train is sometimes not displayed for a few mins before the train rolls in!

 

[317666]

I think it has something to do with the signalling system on the Piccadilly not being nearly as up-to-date as that on the Victoria line. Many stations on the eastern end of the District line are the same, not showing the next train until it has left the previous station.

 

[Nym]

I think it has something to do with the signalling system on the Piccadilly not being nearly as up-to-date as that on the Victoria line. Many stations on the eastern end of the District line are the same, not showing the next train until it has left the previous station.

This is very correct...

You have also mentioned two lines that will shortly be receiving new signalling systems

Victoria has the 'newest' signalling system...

 

[DavyCrocket]

This is very correct...

You have also mentioned two lines that will shortly be receiving new signalling systems

Victoria has the 'newest' signalling system...

Shortly?
Lol!

There is a more modern system on the Piccadilly line that could be piggybacked to the DMIs but isn't which still works from the old Train Description feex

 

[bicbasher]

Whitechapel has the modern DMI's on the eastern section of the District/H&C, which replaced the old boards, yet still will only display the next train. Frustrating when waiting for a H&C train.

 

[causton]

At least they show a train! The north end of the Met (between North Harrow and Moor Park?) have DMIs which just show "Metropolitan line" and the direction of travel!

 

[Daniel]

Going on the example that causton gives, of the Metropolitan Line north of North Harrow - trackernet does not guarantee train numbers north of Preston Road, (where the signalling system changes from the control of Baker Street SCC to the signalboxes of the Met. Train descriptions are passed from Wembley ("Next train from Northbound Local/Fast") to the Harrow signaller, where they can be altered. The next TD point is Northwood for the local lines, or Rickmansworth box for the main line.

 

[Mojo]

I am sure someone told me once that the reason for information on the DMIs being poor on the Sub-surface railway is something to do with the frequency of junctions. For example, a train will only show up on the DMIs at Great Portland St/Euston Sq/Kings + Eastbound when it has cleared the junction at Baker St.

The Northern line also has a special system although I cannot describe how it works. I know there are strategically placed antennas which pick up the trains as they pass certain points. I asked about this as I often see trains in the wrong order, eg. at Leicester Sq earlier in the week I saw:
1 Kennington 11 mins
2 Kennington 3 mins
Which corrected itself a few min before the train arrived.

The new DMIs were installed at Picc stations by Tube Lines when they were upgraded in the past few years, with the intention of them to be fully working when the new signalling system arrives. Given all the comments from people (this isn't aimed at you personally) I wonder if they'd have been better off waiting until it happened (although the collapse of the PPP and the consequential delays was unfortunate).

There was a problem with all DMIs on the Westbound Picc earlier in the week; none were showing any predictions or destinations! (Even those in the Central area that normally work)