RealTimeTrains website

[Freightmaster]

Yes thank you @Tom you really excelled yourself with this years April Fool!

TomFoolery?





MARK

 

[hexagon789]

I was trying to remember - what was last year's RTT April Fool?

 

[Strat-tastic]

TomFoolery?





MARK

Kindly leave the stage

 

[BRX]

Something that bugs me on RTT



Shouldn't it be "Service passes another here" rather than "Service passed another here"?

 

[Watershed]

Something that bugs me on RTT

View attachment 112488

Shouldn't it be "Service passes another here" rather than "Service passed another here"?

Yes, it's not quite grammatically right, whichever way you read it. The text for reversals more correctly says "service reverses here".

Activity code A is used to denote a stop which exists for pathing reasons. That could mean waiting for another train to arrive off a single line (though that should really be denoted by activity code X, but in practice...), or a dwell or unadvertised stop which exists (or is lengthened) to allow a train to be overtaken or to reduce the amount of pathing in the schedule. It doesn't mean that the train is necessary passed by another service at that location.

 

[py_megapixel]

Has anyone else noticed a bug today with a lot of Northern EMU cars appearing in nonsensical orders (i.e. with two driving cabs at one end and none at the other)?




I wonder what could be causing this? It's rather strange!

 

[MP393]

Has anyone else noticed a bug today with a lot of Northern EMU cars appearing in nonsensical orders (i.e. with two driving cabs at one end and none at the other)?


View attachment 113721

I wonder what could be causing this? It's rather strange!

It’s been happening for a couple of days now with Northern allocations, a comment from the website owner on Facebook said it uses the data thats inputted from Northern, so if the numbers are given to the “system” are wrong, then it appears wrong on RTT.

 

[BeccaOnATrain]

Not sure if this is a RTT specific question or just a general question about how trains are signalled through station or something but thought I'd ask here first!

I've noticed some stations don't list trains going past - despite them doing so. So for example.. at Ambergate Junction you can see all these services -

Realtime Trains | Departures from Ambergate Jn all day on 29/04/2022

Train information at Ambergate Jn all day on 29/04/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

And every train going through there has to also go through Belper.. but they don't show as passing when I look at Belper on RTT?

Realtime Trains | Departures from Belper all day on 29/04/2022

Train information at Belper all day on 29/04/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[spark001uk]

Not sure if this is a RTT specific question or just a general question about how trains are signalled through station or something but thought I'd ask here first!

I've noticed some stations don't list trains going past - despite them doing so. So for example.. at Ambergate Junction you can see all these services -

Realtime Trains | Departures from Ambergate Jn all day on 29/04/2022

Train information at Ambergate Jn all day on 29/04/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

And every train going through there has to also go through Belper.. but they don't show as passing when I look at Belper on RTT?

Realtime Trains | Departures from Belper all day on 29/04/2022

Train information at Belper all day on 29/04/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Quite normal, not every schedule that gets entered into the system has every intermediate station listed, hence some appearing to be missing when you search a certain station. What I do for my location is pick a nearby junction, which happens to be included in all schedules on my line. The times will be slightly out obviously, but at least all services are there.
Hopw that helps.

 

[Watershed]

Not sure if this is a RTT specific question or just a general question about how trains are signalled through station or something but thought I'd ask here first!

I've noticed some stations don't list trains going past - despite them doing so. So for example.. at Ambergate Junction you can see all these services -

Realtime Trains | Departures from Ambergate Jn all day on 29/04/2022

Train information at Ambergate Jn all day on 29/04/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

And every train going through there has to also go through Belper.. but they don't show as passing when I look at Belper on RTT?

Realtime Trains | Departures from Belper all day on 29/04/2022

Train information at Belper all day on 29/04/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

This is down to what's known as 'mandatory timing points', which are typically either important junctions or intermediate/major stations where there's a longer stretch without any junctions. Trains are normally only timed at mandatory timing points and locations where they stop - it would be impractical to time them at every intermediate station and junction (one factor is the data limitation of 150 timing points per train).

In this particular case, Ambergate Junction is a mandatory timing point as it is the junction for the Matlock branch, whilst Belper is not a mandatory timing point. Therefore trains which don't stop at Belper aren't timed there. Around a day or so in advance, RTT interpolates timings for all schedules at all intermediate timing points (stations, junctions etc.). In the schedule, these are marked in grey rather than black to indicate this is the source of the timing (rather than the timetable data).

So on the day, you can generally rely on RTT to see all services regardless of whether they call somewhere or whether it's a mandatory timing point. But more than a day or so in advance, you can only see trains which are timed at that location.

 

[BeccaOnATrain]

Quite normal, not every schedule that gets entered into the system has every intermediate station listed, hence some appearing to be missing when you search a certain station. What I do for my location is pick a nearby junction, which happens to be included in all schedules on my line. The times will be slightly out obviously, but at least all services are there.
Hopw that helps.

This is down to what's known as 'mandatory timing points', which are typically either important junctions or intermediate/major stations where there's a longer stretch without any junctions. Trains are normally only timed at mandatory timing points and locations where they stop - it would be impractical to time them at every intermediate station and junction (one factor is the data limitation of 150 timing points per train).

In this particular case, Ambergate Junction is a mandatory timing point as it is the junction for the Matlock branch, whilst Belper is not a mandatory timing point. Therefore trains which don't stop at Belper aren't timed there. Around a day or so in advance, RTT interpolates timings for all schedules at all intermediate timing points (stations, junctions etc.). In the schedule, these are marked in grey rather than black to indicate this is the source of the timing (rather than the timetable data).

So on the day, you can generally rely on RTT to see all services regardless of whether they call somewhere or whether it's a mandatory timing point. But more than a day or so in advance, you can only see trains which are timed at that location.

Thank you both! That makes sense to me now.

 

[BRX]

There are also places where a timing point (and I guess it can potentially be a "mandatory" one?) exists somewhere where there are multiple tracks in parallel, but the timing point only applies to some of the tracks. So you can look up that location but you'll only see some of the trains that actually pass. The examples I know are junctions on a 4 track line, with two pairs of running tracks, and the junction diverges only from one of those pairs.

 

[Watershed]

There are also places where a timing point (and I guess it can potentially be a "mandatory" one?) exists somewhere where there are multiple tracks in parallel, but the timing point only applies to some of the tracks. So you can look up that location but you'll only see some of the trains that actually pass. The examples I know are junctions on a 4 track line, with two pairs of running tracks, and the junction diverges only from one of those pairs.

Or for example Thornhill LNW Junction, which is only a timing point for trains that use the Up Huddersfield/Down L&Y - therefore trains towards Dewsbury or from Horbury won't be timed there.

 

[xotGD]

There are also places where a timing point (and I guess it can potentially be a "mandatory" one?) exists somewhere where there are multiple tracks in parallel, but the timing point only applies to some of the tracks. So you can look up that location but you'll only see some of the trains that actually pass. The examples I know are junctions on a 4 track line, with two pairs of running tracks, and the junction diverges only from one of those pairs.

Knottingley doesn't include trains on the station avoiding line. You need to use Knottingley West Jn to pick them up.

 

[pdeaves]

Has there been a recent change 'behind the scenes' in the RTT system? Last week, I could use the site without issue. This week, on two different browsers on my home system (Mac), I get the standard 'accept cookies' message after every click. It's fine on Windows. I can still use the site, but it's very frustrating!

Something's changed and as of today, I no longer get the cookies message after every click. Yay! So, if the developers have solved the issue, thank you. If it's something else about which I know nothing, well, the site is easier to use so still smiles all round.

 

[TheSel]

RTT is a great resource - many thanks for providing it. I don't want to seem churlish, but one little bug seemes to have crept in recently (or have I only just noticed?) - with regard to some train formations. Example below, showing the two driving coaches at positions 3 & 4:



Of course it may be that this new formation is the root cause of the Northern 769's appalling availability?!?

 

[Andy Pacer]

RTT is a great resource - many thanks for providing it. I don't want to seem churlish, but one little bug seemes to have crept in recently (or have I only just noticed?) - with regard to some train formations. Example below, showing the two driving coaches at positions 3 & 4:

View attachment 114520

Of course it may be that this new formation is the root cause of the Northern 769's appalling availability?!?

This has been mentioned a few times now, apparently something wrong with the data.

 

[stantheman]

Waiting at my local station to photograph a freight and on my phone it showed it had passed the station 1 min before it actually did . Is this normal .

 

[swt_passenger]

Waiting at my local station to photograph a freight and on my phone it showed it had passed the station 1 min before it actually did . Is this normal .

Yes, it’s not that unusual. The time shown will usually be the time the train enters the signalling section containing the station, which depending on the exact signal layout may be well before the station. Another possibility is the freight train doesn’t have a timing point at your station, so RTT have interpolated it from other information.

 

[Watershed]

Yes, it’s not that unusual. The time shown will usually be the time the train enters the signalling section containing the station, which depending on the exact signal layout may be well before the station. Another possibility is the freight train doesn’t have a timing point at your station, so RTT have interpolated it from other information.

There will be an offset, but this will always be an estimate at the end of the day and won't be 100% accurate. Particularly so for freight services.

 

[swt_passenger]

There will be an offset, but this will always be an estimate at the end of the day and won't be 100% accurate. Particularly so for freight services.

I remember Tom explaining the necessity to sometimes work out his own offsets for passenger trains, but am not really sure if he would have done the same for freights?

 

[Freightmaster]

I remember Tom explaining the necessity to sometimes work out his own offsets for passenger trains, but am not really sure if he would have done the same for freights?

This. If you want accurate and consistent reporting of freight services (particularly vSTP workings),
you should always try to use mandatory timing points if possible rather than picking a random station
where freights are not officially timed to pass in TRUST.



MARK

 

[Western 52]

This amused me today - 1L74 1417 Carmarthen to Paddington appears to be 14 coaches from Swansea! 800008 + 802101. A mistake of course, but amazing if it did run like that! No platforms long enough.

 

[StephenHunter]

Would there be precedent for one IET pushing another that had broken down?

 

[Western 52]

800008 is working fine as it just passed my house on the way to Carmarthen. The 5 car sets work in multiple regularly of course, but can a 5 car actually work with a 9 car? Hate to think how the seat reservation system would cope!

 

[swt_passenger]

800008 is working fine as it just passed my house on the way to Carmarthen. The 5 car sets work in multiple regularly of course, but can a 5 car actually work with a 9 car? Hate to think how the seat reservation system would cope!

They have definitely operated in 14 car ECS formations prior to entry into service. Occurred regularly back when the ECML and TPE units were having their liveries etc applied at Eastleigh TRSMD. So you’d have to assume it’s at least possible for rescue, even if the reservation systems throw a fit.

 

[spark001uk]

There's been a few 24 car 700s, both when being ferried around new, and the odd failure rescue since.

 

[greatkingrat]

Been changed on RTT now, looks like they are doing a set swap at Swansea, hence why two different units are being shown.

 

[JN114]

Been changed on RTT now, looks like they are doing a set swap at Swansea, hence why two different units are being shown.

9s not permitted West of Swansea, so that will be why the set swap occurred

 

[Kite159]

I've noticed there seems to be a timing entry for "Waterloo West Crossings" on trains from Waterloo which is causing the mileage data to not auto fill, guess it's due to no mileage data being assigned to that location. Similar to Reston on the ECML & the "Cvl East Boundary" (plus West).

Although those are 1st world problems, and simply takes time to use the mileage engine on Rail Miles