Trains missing from Journey Planners.

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

As has been mentioned on a couple of other topics, there are currently trains running across the network for which it is impossible to book tickets on. This is apparently due to problems with Network Rail's train planning system. The details of these missing trains appear to be known within the industry, but information to passengers has been almost non-existent.

The ones I have been made aware of in FGW^▸ (First Great Western)-land are:

0647 Worcester Shrub Hill - Weymouth (Mon-Sat)
1140 Penzance - Paddington (Sun)
1615 Newquay - Paddington (Sun) [This one is missing 11/07, but no obvious reason]

Can some of our 'insiders' add to this list?

I have e-mailed FGW asking why they are not informing the travelling public. It is particularly worrying for the long distance services as passengers are being denied the opportunity to buy cheap advance tickets.

[amiddl]

The 17.45 Plymouth - Paddington is not there. In fact do  a search for late afternoon trains tomorrow Plymouth Paddington and all options are via Bristol until the 19.55.

[readytostart]

There were a lot of FGW^▸ (First Great Western) services missing in Avantix^▸ (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains) today, I had one passenger with a print out from an SWT^▸ (South West Trains) station advising travel to Didcot from Winchester by changing at Oxford into a bus to Abingdon and then another bus to Didcot!

[JayMac]

'Industry Insider' wrote in recent article in RAIL magazine:

People working at the existing (train planning) centres at Leeds, Paddington and Birmingham were expected to transfer en masse to Milton Keynes but, of course, this has not happened. And to add to the woe, deficiencies in a new Integrated Train Planning System has required manual intervention.

As a result, TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) will be unable to produce timetables for the May timetable change if more than one operator is involved on the route, as the automated arrangements do not take account of the fact that trains operating in different parts of the network have the same reporting number. This seems to have been overlooked, with the result that what appear to be duplicate paths are deleted.

The procedure for short-term planning also does not work, as these additional trains have been found to override the permanent timetable.

Full article here.

[Timmer]

As we are constantly told to 'use the journey planner' or 'print your own timetable' rather than publish online or in print revised weekend timetables this needs to be sorted out. It's concerning when even rail staff aren't even able to access timetables because hard copies of revised timetables are no longer made available to staff or passengers.

So much for progress.

[Mookiemoo]

W&S^▸ (Wrexham and Shropshire (Open Access Operator)) never show unless going to MYB^▸ (London (Marylebone))

[Ollie]

As we are constantly told to 'use the journey planner' or 'print your own timetable' rather than publish online or in print revised weekend timetables this needs to be sorted out. It's concerning when even rail staff aren't even able to access timetables because hard copies of revised timetables are no longer made available to staff or passengers.

So much for progress.

Staff can use TOPS^▸ (Total Operations Processing System)/TRUST^▸ (Train Running System TOPS)(Where available) but not everyone knows how to use or access it..

As an edit: advised by a colleague that Trust/Tops still has stuff missing too, I think I've just been fortunate so far..

[Timmer]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have acknowledged that there is a problem and have now posted the following on the front page of their website:

Due to an issue with the timetabling system, some train services are incorrectly advertised on the First Great Western website and other electronic timetable systems. Customers who wish to check their journey times are advised to contact National Rail Enquiries on 08457 484950.
Network Rail are working as fast as possible to rectify this issue.

The potential problem with ringing NREs^▸ (National Rail Enquiries) is that if they use the same electronic timetable system that supplies the FGW website, trainline etc, then unless NREs is supplied revised timetables directly from the TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) affected then they will say the same as what you found out yourself online.

[JayMac]

Useless notice. Thougt I'd see what NRE^▸ (National Rail Enquiries) had to say about the 0840 BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains)-WEY. Still doesn't exist according to them!

[JayMac]

I see the notice didn't stay up very long on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website. Here's hoping that my call to Customer Services advising of the pointlessness of contacting NRES^▸ (National Rail Enquiry Service) was partly repsonsible. Although I would rather they posted details of all the 'ghost trains' currently missing from OJPs^▸ (Online Journey Planner), 'Live Departures', TRUST^▸ (Train Running System TOPS), etc. FGW are running these 'missing' trains, so someone at Swindon knows about them!

[Super Guard]

The 1954 EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains)-PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) was not anywhere to be found in my Avantix^▸ (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains), however on checking NRE^▸ (National Rail Enquiries) App on my iphone it was listed as departing Platform 6 at EXD as per normal 

[JayMac]

It appears that Network Rail are beginning to get a handle on the 'missing' trains. The 0647 WOS^» (Worcester Shrub Hill - next trains)-WEY appeared on 'Live Departures' today, but not on Journey Planners. However the timings and final destination were all to cack and two different services appeared to be running in the same path!

See http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=7126.msg70975#msg70975

[Mookiemoo]

The 072X from nailsea to BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI) but BTM is a commonly used alternative)) on saturday  does not appear on any planner

I got it last week and plan to get it tomorrow.  I was on it last week as I missed the 0645 and was shocked when it stopped at temple meads

[Worcester_Passenger]

I think that this is not so much a phantom train as one with an important stop missed out in its electronic version. My copy of the RailPlanner software has it running non-stop from Bedminster to Lawrence Hill:

First Great Western
From: Exeter St Davids
To:   Bristol Parkway

Exeter St Davids               ---   06:00 
Weston-super-Mare              07:06 07:08 
Weston Milton                  07:11 07:11 
Worle                          07:16 07:16 
Yatton                         07:22 07:22 
Nailsea and Backwell           07:27 07:28 
Parson Street                  07:35 07:35 
Bedminster                     07:38 07:38 
Lawrence Hill                  07:50 07:50 
Stapleton Road                 07:52 07:52 
Filton Abbey Wood              07:58 07:59 
Bristol Parkway                08:05 ---   

[Mookiemoo]

The problem is if you need to be in aston for 10am the 0727 is perfect - you connect with the 8am CX service which gets you into new street perfectly for the walk to aston