• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

RealTimeTrains website

stephen rp

Member
Joined
25 Jun 2016
Messages
186
I'll probably get used to it but having the info about the type of unit etc upfront so having to scroll down for times isn't good.

Interesting blip at Selhurst last Saturday after football. Eastbourne to Victoria stopped additionally but showed as passing.
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

Jamesrob637

Established Member
Joined
12 Aug 2016
Messages
5,207
I'm adapting to it. The colours may be slightly unnecessary but it's still good.
 

duffield

Established Member
Joined
31 Jul 2013
Messages
1,301
Location
East Midlands
I prefer "0000-2359" to "all day". Also what is the point of the "0200-0159" and "0600-2000" time range options? They just seem to be arbitrary time ranges to me.
I often use 0600-2000 because I almost never travel before 0600 or start back after 2000 so it cuts out some irrelevant information. It is a bit arbitrary but probably represents a fairly popular time range.

I'm pretty happy with the redesign apart from one thing - In the detailed view of a single train I'd love to have an option to switch to the single line per passing/calling point view on a narrow screen (where 2 lines per entry is currently forced), with a smaller font used to fit it all in. This would get a lot more calling/passing points on the screen at once and I think the one line per entry format is a lot clearer. Modern mobile screens are getting higher and higher resolution so they can display small fonts well. (The default would still be as it is now, for lower resolution screens and less acute eyesight so it wouldn't affect anyone who likes the current view).
Anyhow, maybe this would over complicate things. Anybody else got any views on this?
 
Last edited:

Ianno87

Veteran Member
Joined
3 May 2015
Messages
15,215
I often use 0600-2000 because I almost never travel before 0600 or start back after 2000 so it cuts out some irrelevant information. It is a bit arbitrary but probably represents a fairly popular time range.

0600-2000 is "standard hour plus peaks", basically. Gives a good snapshot of the overall service.
 

theironroad

Established Member
Joined
21 Nov 2014
Messages
3,692
Location
London
Not sure if it was in old RTT, but noticed a 2Bxx and a 1Wxx on the Bournemouth line showing 'reservations available' in the train info, which as SWR don't do seat reservations is a tad confusing.
 

Kite159

Veteran Member
Joined
27 Jan 2014
Messages
19,153
Location
West of Andover
Not sure if it was in old RTT, but noticed a 2Bxx and a 1Wxx on the Bournemouth line showing 'reservations available' in the train info, which as SWR don't do seat reservations is a tad confusing.

That will be for advance tickets where you will get given a counted place reservation
 

theironroad

Established Member
Joined
21 Nov 2014
Messages
3,692
Location
London
That will be for advance tickets where you will get given a counted place reservation

That did cross my mind, but don't imagine the paper timetables show that reservations are available.

Maybe it's a data issue, because of the advance/counted issue the data system thatt RTT gets its info from...
 

jawr256

Member
Joined
15 Apr 2017
Messages
131
That did cross my mind, but don't imagine the paper timetables show that reservations are available.

Maybe it's a data issue, because of the advance/counted issue the data system thatt RTT gets its info from...
SWR might not show it in their own timetables, but the National Rail Timetable (https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/the-timetable/electronic-national-rail-timetable/ - Table 158) shows the "reservations available" diamond symbol for services like these. I would guess the timetable data doesn't distinguish
whether counted place or specific seat reservations are available.
 

aal7

Member
Joined
16 Oct 2013
Messages
59
It would be great if "today" was marked on the calendar somehow when you're selecting a date.
 

Tom

Member
Joined
19 Jan 2008
Messages
550
Location
35,000ft
Much as I prefer E and L and always struggle to figure out +/- on foreign sites, I would say one of the most common questions I get on Traksy is "what do the E, L and OT" things mean. As far as I can tell neither option is even remotely obvious to most users, and most people just ignore the bits they don't understand, often forever
Small things generate such strong feelings. My view remains that it is a column that shows delay, so mathematically it makes sense.

The biggest frustration for me, which doesn't appear to have changed, is the requirement for a train to stop at a location when using the from/to options. I often wish to view a list of all trains running over a line of route in a specific direction. This is impossible in RTT, as far as I am aware.
This is a deliberate system constraint due to the database size. On a typical M-F there are around 38,000 services, let's say that they have around 25 locations each (which is probably about right on average) - that's almost a million things it has to filter, per day. It will probably change when the backend changes.

On the detailed view I see that the route/path info and also platform number has been moved from the right side and that is a massive improvement to making it look less cluttered on the right.
Platform number was never on the right side! Allowances were.

Going forward, in terms of performance times, my suggestion would be :

On time - green (maybe dark green) dot.
Late - all in red even 1 minute
Early - blue (or other colour) - even 1 minute
Dark green dot doesn't look great in all honesty. I think the grey dot is good for being neutral.


do TOCs/NR release booked stock formation in terms of length , for example data that could be portrayed in the drop down detailed info section to differentiate between say a 4 car and 12 car etc according to the daily plan.
Nope.

One thing that i have a problem with, is that for simple view on my mobile, it cuts out the time column, which I'd argue is the one column that under no circumstances should it be trying to not show
Fixed in tomorrow's update.

I noticed that if you type "York" into the Location, Previously or Subsequently box in Detailed search, you get a lot of options, none of which is York. To get York to show you have to type "YRK". This is on Chrome on a Windows 10 PC.
I see the same behaviour on Firefox 70 under Linux.

In simple mode, York station is displayed as the fifth option of five when "york" is typed into the search field. In detailed mode, it's bumped off the list by York Siemens TransSystems.
I've also noticed this and, whilst mildly irritating, I do find that typing York in the location box and ignoring the drop down list does work when you submit your enquiry.

The only way I can see to bring up a full list of the many York locations is to force a deliberate "typing error", such as "York." Interestingly, that full list doesn't include the irrelevant locations like "Bentley (South Yorkshire)", that are suggested in the drop down list!
Fixed in tomorrow's update.

I'll probably get used to it but having the info about the type of unit etc upfront so having to scroll down for times isn't good.
It's in no different place to where it was before in the detailed mode, and is now hidden by default on mobile.

Not sure if it was in old RTT, but noticed a 2Bxx and a 1Wxx on the Bournemouth line showing 'reservations available' in the train info, which as SWR don't do seat reservations is a tad confusing.
That will be for advance tickets where you will get given a counted place reservation
That did cross my mind, but don't imagine the paper timetables show that reservations are available.

Maybe it's a data issue, because of the advance/counted issue the data system thatt RTT gets its info from...
No different to old RTT, just more visible. I have a list of operators that operate on a counted-place only basis but I need to work out the right wording.

It would be great if "today" was marked on the calendar somehow when you're selecting a date.
Fixed in tomorrow's release.
 

ainsworth74

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Global Moderator
Joined
16 Nov 2009
Messages
27,536
Location
Redcar
Small things generate such strong feelings. My view remains that it is a column that shows delay, so mathematically it makes sense.
It's definitely growing on me as time goes on! I do however really like the dot as the replacement for "RT".
 

Tom

Member
Joined
19 Jan 2008
Messages
550
Location
35,000ft
Yes, I wasn't sure on the dot at first but it's definitely growing on me. It feels like 'it's fine you can ignore me' while also being 'this means something' ...
 

D6700

Member
Joined
13 Mar 2010
Messages
649
This is a deliberate system constraint due to the database size. On a typical M-F there are around 38,000 services, let's say that they have around 25 locations each (which is probably about right on average) - that's almost a million things it has to filter, per day. It will probably change when the backend changes.

Thanks for answering with the reason for this. It's good to know there's a technical reason behind it. That said, I am most grateful that TRUST hardly ever struggles when a complex query is requested.
 

Tom

Member
Joined
19 Jan 2008
Messages
550
Location
35,000ft
Thanks for answering with the reason for this. It's good to know there's a technical reason behind it. That said, I am most grateful that TRUST hardly ever struggles when a complex query is requested.
TRUST has the funding of the entire industry and a considerably fewer number of locations within each schedule, as RTT adds more to it. I have... whatever the ad revenue brings in. ;)
 

D6700

Member
Joined
13 Mar 2010
Messages
649
TRUST has the funding of the entire industry and a considerably fewer number of locations within each schedule, as RTT adds more to it. I have... whatever the ad revenue brings in. ;)

To be blunt, I feel the recent spate of "home made" websites, such as RTT and Traksy Maps, genuinely puts to shame some industry software!
 

ainsworth74

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Global Moderator
Joined
16 Nov 2009
Messages
27,536
Location
Redcar
To be blunt, I feel the recent spate of "home made" websites, such as RTT and Traksy Maps, genuinely puts to shame some industry software!

Isn't it GBRF who have unscrambled headcodes because their staff use RTT officially? Which is surely something of an indictment of the industry software!
 

D6700

Member
Joined
13 Mar 2010
Messages
649
Isn't it GBRF who have unscrambled headcodes because their staff use RTT officially? Which is surely something of an indictment of the industry software!

Not sure - maybe someone can confirm if that was the reason, or if they simply recognised the pointlessness of the scrambling. If their staff are using RTT officially, they could be doing it because it saves them paying the very high prices associated with official industry products.

I've seen plenty of on-duty operational staff making use of the various free online resources. Sometimes, of course, it will be because they aren't provided with any industry software at all!

Last week, I was on a train calling at Wakefield Westgate, when I saw what very much looked like an OpenTrainTimes map on a screen on the Leeds bound platform!
 

theironroad

Established Member
Joined
21 Nov 2014
Messages
3,692
Location
London
Small things generate such strong feelings. My view remains that it is a column that shows delay, so mathematically it makes sense.

This is a deliberate system constraint due to the database size. On a typical M-F there are around 38,000 services, let's say that they have around 25 locations each (which is probably about right on average) - that's almost a million things it has to filter, per day. It will probably change when the backend changes.

Platform number was never on the right side! Allowances were.

Dark green dot doesn't look great in all honesty. I think the grey dot is good for being neutral.


Nope.

Fixed in tomorrow's update.

Fixed in tomorrow's update.

It's in no different place to where it was before in the detailed mode, and is now hidden by default on mobile.

No different to old RTT, just more visible. I have a list of operators that operate on a counted-place only basis but I need to work out the right wording.

Fixed in tomorrow's release.

If you get a second, have a look at the screenshot(from my mobile) I posted in post #145, where it shows the platform number meshed in with allowances. Maybe it was a bug, but was definitely there for a day or so. As I say, looking fine now.
 

ainsworth74

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Global Moderator
Joined
16 Nov 2009
Messages
27,536
Location
Redcar
Last week, I was on a train calling at Wakefield Westgate, when I saw what very much looked like an OpenTrainTimes map on a screen on the Leeds bound platform!

Oh yes that seems to be very common! I've been on at least one LNER service where the TM was using Traksy to work out why were being held outside a station as well various other staff using the various free products!
 

Tom

Member
Joined
19 Jan 2008
Messages
550
Location
35,000ft
To be blunt, I feel the recent spate of "home made" websites, such as RTT and Traksy Maps, genuinely puts to shame some industry software!
I wouldn't say RTT isn't recent given it's 7 years old and has now accounted for over a fifth of my life! :lol:
Isn't it GBRF who have unscrambled headcodes because their staff use RTT officially? Which is surely something of an indictment of the industry software!
Not sure - maybe someone can confirm if that was the reason, or if they simply recognised the pointlessness of the scrambling.
I don't know whether it's use of RTT, I was told it was open data sites in general, but yes that is what happened.
If you get a second, have a look at the screenshot(from my mobile) I posted in post #145, where it shows the platform number meshed in with allowances. Maybe it was a bug, but was definitely there for a day or so. As I say, looking fine now.
I think that's the platform number meshed in with the line codes on that screenshot, but otherwise looks as was expected for that design.
 

Condor7

Member
Joined
13 Jul 2012
Messages
1,023
Location
Penrith
Tom, I liked the new design from the start, and expected there would be tweaks after it went live no matter how much testing is done previously. The one thing I would like to see, which is more a whim than a problem, is the inclusion of titled train names, i.e The Master Cutler. They always add that bit of extra romance to train travel, and these days timetables are often the only place to find out which these trains are. Inclusion in RTTs would not only be useful but help keep the tradition of premium services alive.
 

palmersears

Established Member
Joined
20 Sep 2011
Messages
1,482
Why do you think that?
Someone else upthread mentioned something similar.

I think it's entirely on topic.
Because it's outside of RTT's control. It comes from the NR data feed, and is merely used to help create broadly appropriate timing points for said path. As has been mentioned on the forums many, many times before, the timing loads should not be used as a definitive guide as to what traction is operating said service/working.
 

Tom

Member
Joined
19 Jan 2008
Messages
550
Location
35,000ft
Summary of updates released today and over the last week available here: https://blog.realtimetrains.com/2019/10/whats-new-this-week-27-october-2019/

Because it's outside of RTT's control. It comes from the NR data feed, and is merely used to help create broadly appropriate timing points for said path. As has been mentioned on the forums many, many times before, the timing loads should not be used as a definitive guide as to what traction is operating said service/working.
Quite. Garbage in, garbage out.
 

Strat-tastic

Established Member
Joined
27 Oct 2010
Messages
1,362
Location
Outrageous Grace
Because it's outside of RTT's control. It comes from the NR data feed, and is merely used to help create broadly appropriate timing points for said path. As has been mentioned on the forums many, many times before, the timing loads should not be used as a definitive guide as to what traction is operating said service/working.
Thanks for the helpful response :)
 
Last edited:

Top