Realtime Trains - 'VAR' indicator?

[hst43053]

Hello, can someone please clarify the meaning of the 'VAR' indicator on realtime trains? The website defines it as 'VARiation, a train that is in the working timetable but has been altered for the requirements of the railway', but what does that actually mean? What does a service have to do to be classified as a variation to the working timetable?

The reason I find it a little confusing is because I have been just looking at departures from Bromsgrove, between Worcester and Birmingham. It lists an XC service from Cardiff to Nottingham (not calling at Bromsgrove) as being 'VAR', but looking at the route the train takes I cannot see how it is any different from the route the train takes on any other day, and therefore I do not see how the service is classified as a variation to the working timetable? Could it be down to a short notice platform change somewhere, and thus this is a change to the originally planned working timetable? I have noticed that the 'VAR' classification is most common on a Sunday.

I hope this is easy enough to understand.
Thanks.

 

[Rich McLean]

Hello, can someone please clarify the meaning of the 'VAR' indicator on realtime trains? The website defines it as 'VARiation, a train that is in the working timetable but has been altered for the requirements of the railway', but what does that actually mean? What does a service have to do to be classified as a variation to the working timetable?

The reason I find it a little confusing is because I have been just looking at departures from Bromsgrove, between Worcester and Birmingham. It lists an XC service from Cardiff to Nottingham (not calling at Bromsgrove) as being 'VAR', but looking at the route the train takes I cannot see how it is any different from the route the train takes on any other day, and therefore I do not see how the service is classified as a variation to the working timetable? Could it be down to a short notice platform change somewhere, and thus this is a change to the originally planned working timetable? I have noticed that the 'VAR' classification is most common on a Sunday.

I hope this is easy enough to understand.
Thanks.

Sometimes it can be just a timing change at certain locations, due to a TSR (Temporary Speed Restriction) or Engineering work allowance, ie, using a loop or relief instead of the mainline for example

 

[PHILIPE]

Hello, can someone please clarify the meaning of the 'VAR' indicator on realtime trains? The website defines it as 'VARiation, a train that is in the working timetable but has been altered for the requirements of the railway', but what does that actually mean? What does a service have to do to be classified as a variation to the working timetable?

The reason I find it a little confusing is because I have been just looking at departures from Bromsgrove, between Worcester and Birmingham. It lists an XC service from Cardiff to Nottingham (not calling at Bromsgrove) as being 'VAR', but looking at the route the train takes I cannot see how it is any different from the route the train takes on any other day, and therefore I do not see how the service is classified as a variation to the working timetable? Could it be down to a short notice platform change somewhere, and thus this is a change to the originally planned working timetable? I have noticed that the 'VAR' classification is most common on a Sunday.

I hope this is easy enough to understand.
Thanks.

Occasionally, the times have to be tweaked slightly due to other re-timings due to various reasons and which have nothing to do with the VAR train you are referring to.

 

[hst43053]

Sometimes it can be just a timing change at certain locations, due to a TSR (Temporary Speed Restriction) or Engineering work allowance, ie, using a loop or relief instead of the mainline for example

Thanks for your reply.

So the working timetable is the route/timings etc. a train is originally scheduled to run to, and then if these become altered due to the reasons you give (TSR for example) the train then becomes classified as VAR as it has deviated from it's original running agenda?

 

[Rich McLean]

Thanks for your reply.

So the working timetable is the route/timings etc. a train is originally scheduled to run to, and then if these become altered due to the reasons you give (TSR for example) the train then becomes classified as VAR as it has deviated from it's original running agenda?

Yes