Much improved explanations on Journey Check

[whole diary]

[grahame]

I noted the move towards fuller and more human explanations late last year - and I thoroughly endorse the move and thank the people at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) who are making it so much more informative / friendly.  At the same time, I would love GWR and NR^» (Network Rail - home page) to get their various acts together so that you have fewer incidents to report on!

Alterations to services between Weymouth and Westbury
Due to a fault with the signalling system between Weymouth and Westbury all lines are blocked.
Train services running to and from these stations may be delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.
Customer Advice
We are sorry for the delay to your journey today.


Can you tell me more about the incident?
A track circuit failure is blocking the single line between Castle Cary and Yeovil Pen Mill. To run trains there will need to be a Network Rail Engineer on site to pilot trains through the affected area safely.

Due to this incident all trains (bar the 21:38 departure from Westbury to Weymouth) between Weymouth and Westbury will be cancelled.


More information will follow as we have it.


What are my alternatives?
We appreciate that this will have disrupted your travel plans, especially those on Advance purchase tickets, please note that you will be able to use your ticket on a later train today.

We are running limited replacement road transport but your journey may be significantly delayed.

If you require any further assistance or information please speak to a member of Train Crew or Station Staff. Alternatively please use station help points where provided.

Cancellations to services between Exeter St Davids and Okehampton
Due to flooding at Crediton all lines are closed. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.
Train services between Exeter St Davids and Okehampton have been cancelled.
Customer Advice
Following further flooding on the railway near Crediton, our Exeter to Okehampton line is shut for the rest of the day and no train services will run.

Road transport is operating along the route; please speak to staff at Exeter St. David's for further information, or if boarding at an unstaffed station, please make use of the Help Points available to speak with an advisor.
We apologise for the obvious disruption this evening.

[Trowres]

Am I right in thinking that the first part of the message is automatically generated? - The manual additions are very welcome, but of course they don't always tell the same story as the first paragraph.

As I have hinted on the HoW^‡(resolve) thread, speaking to the staff on a cancelled train, or the station staff at an unmanned station, could be challenging. 

[Richard Fairhurst]

I noted the move towards fuller and more human explanations late last year - and I thoroughly endorse the move and thank the people at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) who are making it so much more informative / friendly.  At the same time, I would love GWR and NR^» (Network Rail - home page) to get their various acts together so that you have fewer incidents to report on!

I would like GWR to try to give notice further in advance of known problems.

The 1845 Paddington–Worcester Foregate Street and 1945 Paddington–Worcester Foregate Street were both cancelled tonight (as I write, Mrs F is at Oxford awaiting a taxi or bus to Charlbury).

That pretty much guarantees we will not have a full Cotswold Line service in the morning. At least one, probably two, of the morning up trains will be cancelled. But GWR's "Check Your Journey" function is currently showing all three of the early IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) as running.

It would be really helpful if GWR could say which is going to be cancelled. Otherwise I'm waking up at 5.30am on the likelihood that the 0612 from Charlbury will be the only one to run. :|

[grahame]

Ah yes - just because it's improved doesn't mean it's perfect - far from it.  My personal view is that IT information systems remain embryonic giving us the best they can at least something and I am inclided as I did in this case to thank / encourage those who seek to better the information flow that's available.

Over the last few days, I have been using our upcoming 18th Birthday (which is a pretty darned artificial celebration!) to promote remind social media of the Coffee Shop and it's very interesting indeed to read the comments - even people who know all the sources are commenting things like "the Coffee Shop ... often explains things better than official sources ..." and that's both great for us and depressing news about the official flows.  To this people - here as guests - (a) you are welcome and (b) we would love you so sign up and post  your knowledge to help us!

But we, too, remain embryonic / slow at informing / incomplete etc at times - "could do better" - maybe - but the industry data flows constrain us - our map, for example, can only repeat what the industry source gives us.    Numerous are the occasions when I've been down at Melksham station and have been able to read and interpret the runes and make educated guesses better than the official systems are doing - perhaps AI will help because at times the I - "intelligence" - is missing and there is an application of algorithms that are basic and fall short of what they should.

Example / case in point.  As I went to sleep, the sleeper was showing on JourneyCheck as 19 late off Paddington with predicted times 19 late all the way to Penzance.    What a load of tosh - there's so much slack in the schedule that it made that time up and JC (and as a result our map) are giving incorrect projections this morning.   For the absence of doubt, the sleeper made up time by Didcot, passed through Melksham on time, got held up again on The Mule, made that up again and as I write is on time in deepest Cornwall. 

[GBM]

Example / case in point.  As I went to sleep, the sleeper was showing on JourneyCheck as 19 late off Paddington with predicted times 19 late all the way to Penzance.    What a load of tosh - there's so much slack in the schedule that it made that time up and JC (and as a result our map) are giving incorrect projections this morning.   For the absence of doubt, the sleeper made up time by Didcot, passed through Melksham on time, got held up again on The Mule, made that up again and as I write is on time in deepest Cornwall. 

Oh no its not!
Lost 8 at Truro. 15 down at Camborne.
At time of posting (0818), 17 down at St Erth, but not yet arrived at Pnz.

[ChrisB]

Just arrived @ 0811 +17