Oxford station - facilities, improvements, parking, incidents and events - merged posts

[whole diary]

[thetrout]

Next HST^▸ (High Speed Train) Service To

that would work except if a cotswold service was turbotutioned

[IndustryInsider]

Well, the new departure boards are starting to go wrong already. Last night waiting at 1720 on P3 for the 1731 stopping train to Worcester. Departure board shows the 1731 as the 1st train to depart, with the second the 1754 to Bicester.

I think we should expect and accept the odd error here and there from a new system that has only been in operation a week. The previous system got off to a far worse start and never recovered (some would say got much worse) over the 12 years it was in use.

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) should be praised for not scrimping on the number of displays either. Far more than previously provided and at more sensible locations. The large displays mean it is impossible to be stood anywhere on a platform and not be able to see what will be the next three trains at it will be.

I also hope the staff at Oxford don't continually interrupt the automated announcements now either. It sounds very unprofessional, and was being done even when the automated announcements were correct!

Slough's system is also now operational and with a similar mix of LED and LCD screens. Hopefully more will follow as soon as possible, with priority given to Ealing Broadway, Maidenhead, Twyford, Newbury and the Cotswold Line stations.

[inspector_blakey]

I think we should expect and accept the odd error here and there from a new system that has only been in operation a week. The previous system got off to a far worse start and never recovered (some would say got much worse) over the 12 years it was in use.

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) should be praised for not scrimping on the number of displays either. Far more than previously provided and at more sensible locations. The large displays mean it is impossible to be stood anywhere on a platform and not be able to see what will be the next three trains at it will be.

I also hope the staff at Oxford don't continually interrupt the automated announcements now either. It sounds very unprofessional, and was being done even when the automated announcements were correct!

Slough's system is also now operational and with a similar mix of LED and LCD screens. Hopefully more will follow as soon as possible, with priority given to Ealing Broadway, Maidenhead, Twyford, Newbury and the Cotswold Line stations.

I wholeheartedly agree with all of that. Make no bones about it, the old system was dire, and had been for as long as I have been using the station (since 1999).

As far as I know all such CISs^▸ (Customer Information System) use information derived from the signalling system, so when thing start going awry they won't necessarily notice until the train passes its next "monitoring point": that's why if a train has conked out in section, for example, it'll just flash "delayed" (because, just like the traincrew in all probability, it doesn't know yet when the train is expected!)

I think with any system at Oxford the originating trains may continue to present a bit of a problem because they're not recognized until the set hits the relevant track circuits on its way out of the carriage sidings.

[IanL]

Agreed the implementation of the new system looks much better in terms of legibility and number of screens/displays.  But it was my understanding that this was implemented at Oxford by copying from Reading and other stations so why are errors creeping in already. As for not being able to cope with originating trains then that is rather surprising given the number of trains that start at Oxford.

Sorry but I go back to my earlier statement, this system however swish it looks on the platforms will only be as good as the input information, if it is still relying on trains passing signal points and has no knowledge of train locations/speeds when things start going wrong then it is not going to provide useful information to passengers.

[IndustryInsider]

Agreed the implementation of the new system looks much better in terms of legibility and number of screens/displays.  But it was my understanding that this was implemented at Oxford by copying from Reading and other stations so why are errors creeping in already. As for not being able to cope with originating trains then that is rather surprising given the number of trains that start at Oxford.

It is based on the system at Reading. Errors creep in there on occasions too! The situation you first described is probably solvable with a tweak to the software set-up. Hopefully that will be done. Though Oxford's system will always struggle to be as accurate as Reading's due to the signalling nearby on the Cotswold Line and Bicester line. Until GPS is fitted to all trains and the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) interfaces with it, then those routes will always be less accurate as they continue to rely on manual input from Signallers or sometimes unrealiable trackside based monitoring equipment. With Reading being surrounded by relatively modern track circuit signalling that helps the system keep on top of things.

Being able to cope with originating trains is a much more difficult nut to crack. As with the previous system, manually entered delayed departure times can be entered by the controlling staff if they know a train starting at Oxford is going to be delayed in the sidings by, for example, a driver being on his/her break. However, if that train is being delayed in the sidings because of a train fault then nobody (including the driver/maintenance staff frantically trying to fix it) will know how long that delay will be. Similarly if there is a signal or point failure leading from the sidings, again nobody is going to know exactly when it will be fixed.

[Btline]

This is a comment about PIS^▸ (Passenger Information System) in general:

I wish the software would link terminating trains to new "starts here" trains. So often the PIS says "On time" to a new "starts here" service, but when you look at the arrivals board, it says that the incoming "terminating" train will be late! It can't be difficult to modify the software. Just give every train diagram a code, and feed it into the computer so it can make the links.

Or if this is beyond the software, why can't staff check the arrivals, and change the PIS themselves?

[Phil]

why can't staff check the arrivals, and change the PIS^▸ (Passenger Information System) themselves?

They are obviously too busy taking the PIS.

[Btline]

why can't staff check the arrivals, and change the PIS^▸ (Passenger Information System) themselves?

They are obviously too busy taking the PIS.

Oh.... 

But....

[Not from Brighton]

This is a comment about PIS^▸ (Passenger Information System) in general:

I wish the software would link terminating trains to new "starts here" trains. So often the PIS says "On time" to a new "starts here" service, but when you look at the arrivals board, it says that the incoming "terminating" train will be late! It can't be difficult to modify the software. Just give every train diagram a code, and feed it into the computer so it can make the links.

Or if this is beyond the software, why can't staff check the arrivals, and change the PIS themselves?

Yes I also would like to know the answer to this question.  I often board trains near to a terminus and am always having to check online the arrivals board of the terminus station to figure out what time my train might arrive (if at all).

[devon_metro]

But that theory would go to pot if a set is stepped up to work another train and would require behind the scenes staff that could be customer facing.

Departure boards run by signals and TRUST^▸ (Train Running System TOPS) so diagrams are not important.

[Not from Brighton]

I suppose trying to predict knock-on delays such as this is rather fraught with problems.

[Btline]

But that theory would go to pot if a set is stepped up to work another train and would require behind the scenes staff that could be customer facing.

Departure boards run by signals and TRUST^▸ (Train Running System TOPS) so diagrams are not important.

Rarely happens in my area, but I take your point.

Basically - they need something so that I can look at the Dep screen only!

[John R]

Let's face it, the improvements in passenger information over the last few years have been huge. I can imagine it would be a major job to try and allow for this, and as has been noted, would be prone to error. You'd be the first to complain if your service was predicted to be 20 down, but turned up on time because unbeknown to the system a unit had been stepped up or similar.

You do need to be careful. One morning a very late running HST^▸ (High Speed Train) missed Weston. But the predicted arrival time at Nailsea failed to take into account it using the avoiding line. So it suddenly made up 10 mins once it arrived at Worle. I was expecting that to happen, but many passengers would not have and may have then missed it (which would have been even more galling since it was 30 down).     

[Not from Brighton]

Late running LM^▸ (London Midland - recent franchise) trains into Worcester Foregate Street freqently make up lots of time at Shrub Hill where they reverse, it's caught me out before just like that!
It would be nice if the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) as Worcester was also improved.

[Btline]

Let's face it, the improvements in passenger information over the last few years have been huge. I can imagine it would be a major job to try and allow for this, and as has been noted, would be prone to error. You'd be the first to complain if your service was predicted to be 20 down, but turned up on time because unbeknown to the system a unit had been stepped up or similar.

You do need to be careful. One morning a very late running HST^▸ (High Speed Train) missed Weston. But the predicted arrival time at Nailsea failed to take into account it using the avoiding line. So it suddenly made up 10 mins once it arrived at Worle. I was expecting that to happen, but many passengers would not have and may have then missed it (which would have been even more galling since it was 30 down).    

I think that is why NR^» (Network Rail - home page) live boards are so optimistic. It means there is no chance of you missing a late running train because it has made up even more time.

It would be nice if the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) as Worcester was also improved.

Yes, there are several software glitches! At least the staff have a button to shut Digital Doris up! (when she is speaking..... rubbish)