Great Western Coffee Shop

I posted this little tip on the Save The Train forum a few months back, but given that this is a more 'customer involved' forum I thought I'd pass it on in the hope that some of you didn't know about it and find it useful?

There's several advertised ways of finding out information on current train running via the Internet/Mobile phones. Principally there's the 'TrainTracker' mobile phone text service, and the National Rail Enquiries 'Live Departure Boards' service.

Live Departure Boards is a website which lets you view scheduled trains (and replacement buses) at any station in Great Britain for the following two hours from your enquiry. It tells you how your train is doing with reports of any delays - using the same technology that powers the automated CIS screens. The trouble is that the website is a little on the slow side if you're not lucky enough to have a broadband connection available.

There is a version, sponsored by Virgin Trains, that has the bare minimum of graphics and, in my opinion, is far easier to read than the 'official' version. This makes it very suitable for use with modern mobile phones that come complete with proper web-browsers (not the WAP type which are quickly dying a death). I frequently use my Nokia N73 when stood at 'desolate' locations to check how my train is running when there is no CIS system or I suspect that it isn't working correctly.

To view times for your chosen station visit http://www.livedepartureboards.co.uk/virgintrains/summary.aspx?T=SWI&R=1 (http://www.livedepartureboards.co.uk/virgintrains/summary.aspx?T=SWI&R=1) - you should only need to type it in once and then bookmark it for future use. The example shown is for Swindon, the three letter station code SWI towards the end of the URL can be changed to whatever station you want to see - OXF for Oxford, RDG for Reading, PAD for Paddington, BRI for Bristol Temple Meads, etc. You can usually guess the station code quite easily, but if anyone is struggling then you can access a full list here: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/codes/a.html (http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/codes/a.html)

Of course there are times when this still doesn't give you everything you need to know, during major disruption for example, but I find it very useful and have come to trust it far more than the official information on the screens at stations!

Bristol Temple Meads is BRI

Thanks. My mistake - sorry.

Good tip, I prefer the London Midland version though: http://www.livedepartureboards.co.uk/londonmidland/summary.aspx?T=SWI&R=1

There is a much better version of LDB listed on that domain!!

I find the live departure boards on the National Rail Enquiries website excellent.

I think it's fair to point out that they all use the same source for their information, so it's more a case as to your personal preference in terms of page design.

Indeed. I use the National Rail one, the updating one for Exeter St Davids is below;

http://www.livedepartureboards.co.uk/ldb/station.aspx?T=EXD&R=1&A=0

Anyone who has an iPhone can now download an app from the Apple Store which is an official program from National Rail Enquiries. There's a cost of ^5 I think, but it's really useful as it'll quickly give you train enquiries and live departure boards as well as a host of other quick and easy to use features - it'll even use the iPhone's GPS to work out what the nearest station to you is and the next train from that station home! One of the highest customer rated applications on the iPhone and well worth the expense in my opinion.