Cancellation map - what it's showing

[whole diary]

[grahame]

The map at the top of the pages on this site, showing services cancelled / running short / skipping stops is currently out of date due to a failure in the feed that we use to generate it.  I suspect it's been overwhelmed by the volume of issues today.  I have temporarily changed the "current running" link to point to a text based service that does apepar to be functioning as I write, and I'll review the situation if our regular feed doesn't return overnight

[grahame]

Feed now appears correct.  Temporary glitch, I think.

[grahame]

Sorry about the "outage" on cancellations map from 02:52 to 06:10 this morning.   Our "back" server had overnight issues - running again now, and I am analysing what happened.

[TerminalJunkie]

What's the problem now? Did you not apply for a token?

[grahame]

What's the problem now? Did you not apply for a token?

The problem appears to be a disc that's 98% full on a shared server, which is failing to pick up the regular updates.  If I had time, I would switch this element onto one of our own systems ... now that it looks like it's a recurring issue.  Once I'm back at base (end of week), I may get this done, or I may decide that the experiement that I did 3 years ago in setting this up has already outlived its useful life and just put a link back in to the text system it takes the feed from.  The other alternative is to come up with a more robust system, but as we're a free site without resources I don't know how / who by for that.  Thoughts welcomed - but please don't suggest that I try to provide a 100% reliable system completely for free ... if you can provide a system yourself, please do so, and  please let me know and I'll replace the URL to my system with the one to yours 

[Mookiemoo]

I for one do find it useful - quick visual on any problems before an intended journey - if it looks like my line is affected I can get more details if needed

[grahame]

The server that generates the image will now add a "flag" line if it suspects feed problems, and that flag line will be removed when it thinks things are cleared.

Bear in mind, please, that "thinking servers" are a bit of an untried concept ... so there may be some odd results.   Will take a further look when I get back.

[grahame]

I'm doing some playing around with this;  it's "tagged" a cancellation map, but with new feeds available I can start adding in planned engineering works:



Would this sort of thing be a useful extra, or would it clutter?

Note - I have a feed that will tell me about things like Par -> Newquay and we can add that.  Interestingly, planned engineering to Falmouth has not (yet) shown up.   I also wonder about showing individual stations where trains aren't stopping at times due to engineering;  there's some stuff at Tilehurst or Pangborne this weekend, for example.

[Mookiemoo]

Useful

[grahame]

OK ... I noticed no thick lines across the map at all - and it's the middle of the day.  Turns out that our feed is working - simply that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are not reporting any issues.   Looks like good news all around!

[Lee]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) dont appear to have reported any Live Updates for a couple of days. Are they having a particularly good weekend, or is something amiss?

[bobm]

I had noticed that. I couldn't find any cancellations on the live departure boards. I did have a FGW^▸ (First Great Western) text yesterday about a failed train affecting services between Exeter and Reading but I couldn't find any evidence of it.

[grahame]

Whenever I see a clear map, I check back to FGW^▸ (First Great Western) site and indeed it has been clear.   I also over the weekend checked the JourneyPlanner and that had no reports either.   They never have reported absolutely everything, I don't think ... not delays, etc, so the failed train may simply have been running very late but still with its regular calling pattern.

No reports as I write, but then I wouldn't expect them at this hour.   I'll keep an eye open in the morning peak.

[Lee]

Still nothing..and we are now into morning peak territory.

I wonder if they have temporarily suspended Live Updates due to significant diagram re-working as part of the cascade of more Class 150 units into FGW^▸ (First Great Western)?

[Worcester_Passenger]

The NRE^‡(resolve) Oxford live departures board has a warning

Service updates

    Trains between Reading and Oxford are being delayed by up to 30 minutes. More details available from the Service Disruption area of the National Rail Enquiries website.

... but there's nothing about this on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website.