Timetables at Stations

[enfield250]

Hello!
I am presently on holiday at Dawlish Warren, I went to the station when we arrived to try and get a copy of the current timetable.
Dawlish Warren is now an unmanned halt with notice frames but no timetable in any of them, there was however a QR code which I scanned. It asked me to download an app that turned out to be an advert for a clothing company.
Last Tuesday we walked into Dawlish and decided to get the train back. At the station, the booking office was unmanned, all the timetables in frames had large stickers in the centre obliterating most of the timetable.
We purchased tickets from the machine by the platform. The train descriptor screen on the platform is very small and takes what seems an age to give you the relevant information. There was another screen relatively well hidden under the station canopy where we did find the time of the next train to stop at Dawlish Warren, which was over an hour's wait.
If a timetable had been available we could have had a coffee in the town, instead of just having to sit on the platform.

I have now managed to download a timetable from Network Rail, but contrary to popular belief not everyone has a smartphone.
Very disappointing!!!

 

[AnyFile]

Quite disappointing. Not only a timetable is not provided at the stations, but it look like the do not inspect the station too much (at least for this aspect)

You should write a complain at GWR Help & Support , and, if possible, also to someone above them (DfT maybe)

 

[route101]

Not seen a Railway timetable in a long time. Scotrail stopped printing them before Covid.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Given how frequently timetables have been changing since the onset of Covid, and lead times associated with the production of printed material, most (if not all) TOCs have only been producing PDF timetables.

 

[route101]

Given how frequently timetables have been changing since the onset of Covid, and lead times associated with the production of printed material, most (if not all) TOCs have only been producing PDF timetables.

Scotrail don't even publish PDFs now, just to use journey planner.

 

[Steve Harris]

Scotrail don't even publish PDFs now, just to use journey planner.

Thats poor.

 

[Jamie Price]

As poor as that is from GWR, if you had over an hour, you surely could've gone for a coffee anyway? Dawlish station is surrounded by cafes and shops? No need to stay on the platform as I said, that doesn't excuse lack of information or communication on the TOC's part though!

 

[DarloRich]

I have now managed to download a timetable from Network Rail, but contrary to popular belief not everyone has a smartphone.
Very disappointing!!!

Life is on line these days. I know that can be hard for many older people to deal with but it is fact of life. There should be timetables posters on the platforms though if only as a fall back.

 

[YorksLad12]

Life is on line these days. I know that can be hard for many older people to deal with but it is fact of life. There should be timetables posters on the platforms though if only as a fall back.

Oi, who are you calling old, I'm only 54! Mind you, I remember when all this was trees...

More seriously: the "do it online" argument never washed with me, and I was in the vanguard of web site development, having started in the mid-1990s. The named line approach of Metro/WYPTE was useful as it would integrate different types of service into one timetable; to do that now you need an online planner, a large screen and really good eyesight as they don't even do the pdf versions any more. Trains from Leeds to London are included in the same LNER pdf as trains from London to Lincoln, York, Newcastle, Edinburgh, etc. so you have to scroll through pages of stuff you don't want to find the stuff you do.

So it's left to enthusiasts to fill the gap... my next design project, I suspect

To be honest, if I pitched up at a station and there were no timetables or real-time screen I'd wonder if it was actually open.

 

[WesternLancer]

Hello!
I am presently on holiday at Dawlish Warren, I went to the station when we arrived to try and get a copy of the current timetable.
Dawlish Warren is now an unmanned halt with notice frames but no timetable in any of them, there was however a QR code which I scanned. It asked me to download an app that turned out to be an advert for a clothing company.
Last Tuesday we walked into Dawlish and decided to get the train back. At the station, the booking office was unmanned, all the timetables in frames had large stickers in the centre obliterating most of the timetable.
We purchased tickets from the machine by the platform. The train descriptor screen on the platform is very small and takes what seems an age to give you the relevant information. There was another screen relatively well hidden under the station canopy where we did find the time of the next train to stop at Dawlish Warren, which was over an hour's wait.
If a timetable had been available we could have had a coffee in the town, instead of just having to sit on the platform.

I have now managed to download a timetable from Network Rail, but contrary to popular belief not everyone has a smartphone.
Very disappointing!!!

Do they not even have a 'help point' button (to connect you to some sort of offshore call centre where the person who answers can not seemingly tell you anything of any use at all....that's if anyone answers of course).

Sounds truly poor. Even if you had smart phone you may have a flat battery for example...

assume it was not possible to ring National Rail Inquiries? (who again occasionally seem to be unable to understand what you want to know I seem to recall)

 

[Old Yard Dog]

Northern have not displayed timetables for their very limited services at Ellesmere Port for a couple of years now. Our local MP is now on the case.

 

[Deafdoggie]

There are helpline displays and call points at both Dawlish & Dawlish Warren. Dawlish Warren has been unmanned for very many years indeed.
Usually at Dawlish Warren there are timetables in the frames at the bottom of the access road (up platform) and footpath (behind kiosk) down platform. With constantly changing covid timetables these are, however, out of date. Better no timetables than incorrect ones. There are electronic displays on both platforms.
Dawlish station also usually has printed timetables, but again, due to Covid, they're out of date as fast as they're printed. But, again, each platform has electronic displays and call points.
You can look for timetables online, or phone NRES.
Dawlish station is well placed for shops and takeaways if you have a while to wait, Dawlish Warren isn't too bad either, but there is obviously less choice.

 

[Johnny Lewis]

GWR have already dispatched timetable posters to all their stations for this Sunday's timetable change.
However, events of the last four days may well put paid to them going up on display.

 

[Llandudno]

Northern have not displayed timetables for their very limited services at Ellesmere Port for a couple of years now. Our local MP is now on the case.

A cunning plan to discourage usage, so the parliamentary type service can run at a totally useless time of the day so as not to cost a ‘peak time’ unit or crew.

 

[leytongabriel]

A cunning plan to discourage usage, so the parliamentary type service can run at a totally useless time of the day so as not to cost a ‘peak time’ unit or crew.

Yes just what I was thinking when at Greenford the other day. Some years ago I complained here and there that the only timetable in the whole station was one hidden by a TfL movable notice board in the entrance hall. That was luxury. Now there are enamel signs indicating that there is a rail service to West Ealing but no indication on the platform or in the entrance as to when these might run, if at all. Wasn't this an old BR trick in the run-up to closure, remarked on in the Colne Valley railway story amongst others?

 

[WesternLancer]

Yes just what I was thinking when at Greenford the other day. Some years ago I complained here and there that the only timetable in the whole station was one hidden by a TfL movable notice board in the entrance hall. That was luxury. Now there are enamel signs indicating that there is a rail service to West Ealing but no indication on the platform or in the entrance as to when these might run, if at all. Wasn't this an old BR trick in the run-up to closure, remarked on in the Colne Valley railway story amongst others?

Is that TfL / underground station? Don't think they have ever been very forthcoming on actual timetables have they, for some time. I seem to recall Barry Doe in his Rail column being critical of their approach.

 

[Jan Mayen]

Three Bridges hasn't had timetable posters for years.

 

[calopez]

... but no indication on the platform or in the entrance as to when these might run...

The help point at the buffer stop end of the bay platform is supposed to show forthcoming departures but sometimes it (a) isn't working or (b) lies.

 

[leytongabriel]

Is that TfL / underground station? Don't think they have ever been very forthcoming on actual timetables have they, for some time. I seem to recall Barry Doe in his Rail column being critical of their approach.

Yes. Enquiries tend to provoke that answer that either it's a TfL station (so not us) or a GWR service (so not us).

 

[Old Yard Dog]

Northern have not displayed timetables for their very limited services at Ellesmere Port for a couple of years now. Our local MP is now on the case.

Despite a request from our local MP, there are still no posters at Ellesmere Port station giving the times of the very few Northern trains. To make matters worse, the platform used by Northern services does not have an electronic departure board. This is a nuisance in the evening when the ticket office is closed and the TV monitor listing departures is out of sight.

At Ince & Elton, there is a poster saying

"Due to compressed publication time frames, we are unable to produce our normal timetable posters for this station.

Visit northernrailway.co.uk/timetables for your new train times or call our Customer Experience Centre on 0800 200 6060."

A poster saying we cannot put up posters - you could not make it up!

Could somebody please confirm whether the absence of timetable posters is commonplace across the Northern network - or whether it is confined to little used lines like Ellesmere Port - Helsby?

 

[Peterthegreat]

Despite a request from our local MP, there are still no posters at Ellesmere Port station giving the times of the very few Northern trains. To make matters worse, the platform used by Northern services does not have an electronic departure board. This is a nuisance in the evening when the ticket office is closed and the TV monitor listing departures is out of sight.

At Ince & Elton, there is a poster saying

"Due to compressed publication time frames, we are unable to produce our normal timetable posters for this station.

Visit northernrailway.co.uk/timetables for your new train times or call our Customer Experience Centre on 0800 200 6060."

A poster saying we cannot put up posters - you could not make it up!

Could somebody please confirm whether the absence of timetable posters is commonplace across the Northern network - or whether it is confined to little used lines like Ellesmere Port - Helsby?

It is. The same excuse is in use at all Northern stations.

 

[Llandudno]

Despite a request from our local MP, there are still no posters at Ellesmere Port station giving the times of the very few Northern trains. To make matters worse, the platform used by Northern services does not have an electronic departure board. This is a nuisance in the evening when the ticket office is closed and the TV monitor listing departures is out of sight.

At Ince & Elton, there is a poster saying

"Due to compressed publication time frames, we are unable to produce our normal timetable posters for this station.

Visit northernrailway.co.uk/timetables for your new train times or call our Customer Experience Centre on 0800 200 6060."

A poster saying we cannot put up posters - you could not make it up!

Could somebody please confirm whether the absence of timetable posters is commonplace across the Northern network - or whether it is confined to little used lines like Ellesmere Port - Helsby?

Probably a plan to deliberate kill off any passenger demand from Ellesmere Port - Helsby line so that they will be able to get away with running a one train per week parliamentary service in the the near future similar to Stockport-Stalybridge

 

[frodshamfella]

Northern have not displayed timetables for their very limited services at Ellesmere Port for a couple of years now. Our local MP is now on the case.

That's true, and neither did Arriva Trains Wales at Helsby until some pressure was applied. Not see what TFW are showing there.

Probably a plan to deliberate kill off any passenger demand from Ellesmere Port - Helsby line so that they will be able to get away with running a one train per week parliamentary service in the the near future similar to Stockport-Stalybridge

Let's hope Merseyrail take over it in the future, and something useful is provided.