Trains declared as 'arrived' when they are nowhere in sight

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

But trains arriving from the sidings to P1 or P3 at Oxford dont show this behaviour, and on approach this train shows the correct  destination on the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System), it only changes from Great Malvern to Not for public use when the train gets to the end of the platform. It does catch a lot of people out especially on a friday afternoon when you get lots of weekend travellers.

The reason it doesn't usually happen on platforms 1/3 at Oxford is that the signaller doesn't input the headcode into the system until it is in the platform.  The sidings are not track circuited so they don't have specific berths where that would be done, hence all the PIS^▸ (Passenger Information System) sees is the trains proper passenger headcode suddenly popping up in the platform.  If an ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) working was coming from, say Worcester, to form an outgoing passenger departure then exactly the same would happen on platform 1 or 3 as does with the 17:31 to Worcester's, but that is very rarely the case.

At other locations, such as Reading, there are signals between the sidings and the station so they have to be set-up into the signalling system as a Class 5 for their progress into the station and that is where the system gets confused (as it does with your example at Platform 2, Oxford) as a Class 5 headcode enters that signal berth as it passes the previous signal.

[bobm]

I assume it's the same issue where a train enters a bay platform and the Auto Announcement warns people "to stand clear as the approaching train is not due to call at this station. "

[phile]

There was the case a few years ago at Bristol temple Meads when a passenger missed a Severn Beach line train.   CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) said 1st train terminates (from Avonmouth), 2nd train to Avonmouth/Severn Beach.   So the 1st train came and disappeared back along the Branch with the person still waiting for the 2nd train. 

[IanL]

Thanks all for the extra explanation, makes sort of sense now, but still a pain in the neck.

[jdw.wor]

No doubt there is a sound operational reason why it can't be done but why can ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) entering service and coming from sidings within the control of one signal box not be described as the passenger train from the outset? The signalman knows what train it is, it is effectively the passenger train when travelling to the starting station and will have the priority (in effect) of its passenger status. It will allow the information become more "passenger friendly"and help rid us of all the confusions and errors that can and do take place. As far as passengers are concerned it only matters what the train is when it arrives at the platform not the technicalities of where it has been sourced from.

[Super Guard]

I assume it's the same issue where a train enters a bay platform and the Auto Announcement warns people "to stand clear as the approaching train is not due to call at this station. "

Correct.