Realtime Trains blocked by ScotRail WiFi

[47271]

All good theoretical stuff, but returning entirely to topic let's use the example of the 1811 Queen Street-Inverness. If anyone wants ahead of the crowd I'll let you in on a secret. RTT says it leaves from Platform 3, but sometimes it leaves from Platform 4.

The stock, a 170, generally arrives in service from Grahamston via Cumbernauld no earlier than 6pm, and sometimes no more than five minutes before it needs to be away again. The inbound isn't a particularly busy train but there's a bit of litter to clear, the WCs rightly need close attention before a three hour plus journey (they have particularly large professional mops at Queen Street) and coaches A and B need reservations laid out.

The 1811 is all stations Larbert to Perth so is full and standing to Stirling. If everyone wishing to board this train knew its likely departure platform 15 minutes out:

1. They would line the platform and all cram on as the hapless arriving passengers tried to alight. Lock the doors? The train would be full before they got the chance, don't make me laugh.

2. Reservations would be a shambles since every seat would be occupied by short distance commuters before they got marked.

3. No chance of litter picking as the hordes engulf the train preventing cleaners from doing their work.

I'm sure this has got nothing to do with RTT getting blocked on their station wifi, but I can easily see why Scotrail don't want to announce platforms until they're good and ready!

 

[Clip]

I'm sure this has got nothing to do with RTT getting blocked on their station wifi, but I can easily see why Scotrail don't want to announce platforms until they're good and ready!

No one should be boarding a train till its good and ready as you say. The main problem with this 'scum' that gets talked about on here is the intensive diagrams that trains run on especially at peaks and as you showed in the bit of your post I didn't quote, sometimes these are very tight indeed.

Its not ideal, granted, but it is what it is.

 

[scotraildriver]

It seems unlikely that they'd want to block it - at the end of the day the information is widely available.

It's more likely that the third party has blocked it by accident (as part of a blanket block of many websites, including for example adult content, that it doesn't want people to be using for various reasons). It should be a relatively easy thing to unblock - should take an IT professional about 2 minutes.

There have been a few apps "accidentally " blocked recently - Calmac and Stena line to name a couple. These were also blocked from staff tablets and phones too for unknown reasons.

 

[PaxVobiscum]

All good theoretical stuff, but returning entirely to topic let's use the example of the 1811 Queen Street-Inverness. If anyone wants ahead of the crowd I'll let you in on a secret. RTT says it leaves from Platform 3, but sometimes it leaves from Platform 4.

I find the platforms listed on RTT are wrong, or at least changed at short notice, fairly frequently at some stations so I tend to regard them a bit like a weather forecast.

Anyway, since I rarely travel at peak times, the issue of a scrum doesn't arise for me. When a train is running late, trying to work out which platform is actually going to be used can be an amusing way of passing the time, and strangely gratifying when correctly anticipated.

 

[najaB]

I find the platforms listed on RTT are wrong, or at least changed at short notice, fairly frequently at some stations so I tend to regard them a bit like a weather forecast.

The clue is in the name - Realtime Trains. RTT will initially show the booked platform, but on the day there may be changes based on how previous services have run - one late departing train in the morning can mean platform changes all day. RTT can't show the actual platform until the assignment has been made and then will update in real-time, usually a good 30 seconds to couple of minutes before the station monitors.

 

[amcluesent]

When I was commuting, it was very much the norm to use smartphone apps to check the platform - this was a Kings X mind - before the 'Boarding' came up on the concourse displays. I used to stand on the footbridge, get the platform, then get on when the doors were unlocked. A few minutes later, you'd see the tsunami of pax come running from the concourse.

 

[47271]

No one should be boarding a train till its good and ready as you say. The main problem with this 'scum' that gets talked about on here is the intensive diagrams that trains run on especially at peaks and as you showed in the bit of your post I didn't quote, sometimes these are very tight indeed.

Its not ideal, granted, but it is what it is.

I've just come back to this thread and speed reading was a little taken aback by the word you used to describe the genteel - albeit keen to be seated - commuters of Larbert, Bridge of Allan and Dunblane. That's a bit strong I thought. Then I realised it was a typo. Please don't edit it out, anyone familiar with these places should be allowed to enjoy it!

 

[PHILIPE]

You should have experience of Paddington with masses of people waiting outside the barriers for the HST and platform No to show up on the screens which is often at the last minute resulting in a mini stampede. The train can be at the platform there but of course, station duties such as cleaning are taking place. I'm just commenting on a thread here and realise it has nothing to do with Wifi

 

[fairysdad]

You should have experience of Paddington with masses of people waiting outside the barriers for the HST and platform No to show up on the screens which is often at the last minute resulting in a mini stampede. The train can be at the platform there but of course, station duties such as cleaning are taking place. I'm just commenting on a thread here and realise it has nothing to do with Wifi

In that circumstance, I've found that loitering on the footbridge is the best bet - there's only ever one or two passengers and the gateline staff up there are usually quite a friendly bunch, and you can get to the front end of the HSTs (which I find usually emptier than the back bits) before the hoard does!

 

[miami]

There was a thread on this recently and I mentioned then that as its the station wifi this will come under the blocks that they will put on to stop staff from accessing stuff like booking holidays and such like on their work phones, all they need to do is take this off the exemptions list.

So passengers can't book their holidays either?

 

[Class 170101]

When I was commuting, it was very much the norm to use smartphone apps to check the platform - this was a Kings X mind - before the 'Boarding' came up on the concourse displays. I used to stand on the footbridge, get the platform, then get on when the doors were unlocked. A few minutes later, you'd see the tsunami of pax come running from the concourse.

I use this bridge too to avoid the hordes. the gateline for it is usually unmanned as well.

 

[richw]

There was a thread on this recently and I mentioned then that as its the station wifi this will come under the blocks that they will put on to stop staff from accessing stuff like booking holidays and such like on their work phones, all they need to do is take this off the exemptions list.

That is ridiculous and petty, shows a lack of trust in their staff. Saying that apparently holidays is a common thing to look at.
My employer allows us to use the Internet when we aren't dealing with customers or other tasks. Since they brought in allowing us this productivity has increased and Internet usage decreased! The only things blocked is adult content, gaming and web based mail due to an analysis of the level of viruses opened on wbms

 

[Clip]

So passengers can't book their holidays either?

They can but how many would do so whilst waiting for a train? Not many I would hazard a guess, however, as I said up thread its a common theme amongst most workplaces as to their internet policy.

That is ridiculous and petty, shows a lack of trust in their staff. Saying that apparently holidays is a common thing to look at.
My employer allows us to use the Internet when we aren't dealing with customers or other tasks. Since they brought in allowing us this productivity has increased and Internet usage decreased! The only things blocked is adult content, gaming and web based mail due to an analysis of the level of viruses opened on wbms

You may think its petty but others may think its not - especially with frontline staff who should be doing their front line job. I never said it was common either I gave that as an example given that 'Travel' websites are being blocked by their wifi.

 

[PaxVobiscum]

I see that it is not blocked in Bonapartes in Queen Street. That has wifi from _TheCloud but it is accessible on the concourse within a radius r of Bonapartes but unfortunately only until about the 10th of March (definitely closed by the 17th) because of the tunnel work/station refurb.

 

[TUC]

I'll recommend using a Proxy/VPN server. Use Ultrasurf for the laptop and VPN Master for the phone

Why resort to needlessly complex solutions? Just use your phone's data package. A quick look at RTT isn't going to use much data.

 

[Frontera2]

Yes, they could also abandon the archaic practice of cleaning and reserving trains during a turnround, and while there are no passengers in the way.

Exactly... Platform numbers should be shown when the operator wants them to be shown, there are perfectly valid reasons for suppressing them until the train is ready...

 

[XC90]

If I were Scotfail I'd be blocking everything that showed Joh Public how bad things are!

How bad are they?

 

[mbreckers]

How bad are they?

Some services are poor at times. As usual anything negative gets blowing out of proportion. Especially when it comes to signalling problems.

The main issue on some lines is overcrowding. Borders Railway and Aberdeen/Inverness to Glasgow come to mind

 

[XC90]

Some services are poor at times. As usual anything negative gets blowing out of proportion. Especially when it comes to signalling problems.

The main issue on some lines is overcrowding. Borders Railway and Aberdeen/Inverness to Glasgow come to mind

Hopefully when the HST's arrive that will sort the overcrowding.

I suppose when network rail infrastructure fails, SR customers pay the price for having such frequent services through the likes of Patrick and Rutherglen.

Single tracking the majority of the borders line was a mistake (although doesn't affect overcrowding). I suppose as more diesels are freed up by electrification SR can increase train lengths.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I give them a lot of slack when its an NR issue but certain things, including overcrouding and unsuitable stock for the journey being made erk me and again, not all the TOCs fault but we've had so many years of being ignored when mentioning it that its begun to get anoying!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Exactly... Platform numbers should be shown when the operator wants them to be shown, there are perfectly valid reasons for suppressing them until the train is ready...

In which case a proper means of queueing for each train needs to be established. The "scrum" approach to boarding is not passenger friendly in the slightest. It was rubbish for low-cost airlines, it is rubbish for trains. Luton Airport is a much more civilised place now there is no need to leg it to the gate and be first in the queue.

It's a real shame that at some Scottish stations, Inverness most notably, the installation of ticket barriers has introduced the "Euston scrum". Previously, when each platform had an independent manual barrier, people would queue in a civilised manner for each train.

FWIW, Manchester Piccadilly and Liverpool Lime St do not suppress platform numbers, and this does not appear to cause problems. At Picc, people are capable of seeing that locked doors mean you can't get on, while at Lime St a sort-of queueing system is implemented for VTs.

So for Euston - train in, let passengers off, close access doors, put platform up. Passengers without reservations would queue on the ramp (no need, obviously, for passengers with them to queue anywhere as their seat is already assured); Tensabarriers could be used to create sufficient queueing room. Far more civilised.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Inverness have had for a while now a reputation for starting loading late and the barriers make it that bit worse

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

I fail to see how looking at RTT means staff are booking holidays

 

[najaB]

I fail to see how looking at RTT means staff are booking holidays

It doesn't. The problem is that RTT has been listed as a 'travel site' and needs to be removed from that category.

 

[trainmania100]

Probably blocking it because they dont want you to see how late their trains are running

 

[miami]

It doesn't. The problem is that RTT has been listed as a 'travel site' and needs to be removed from that category.

Or they need to stop blocking travel sites from passengers.

 

[kieron]

Or they need to stop blocking travel sites from passengers.

They really need to stop using a web filter designed for employees on a Wifi system intended for use by the general public.

Incidentally, I have seen a "delayed platform announcement" thing at Manchester Picadilly, with the platform only being displayed 6 minutes before departure in the waiting room for platforms 13 & 14. As trains can be 4 minutes apart there, this meant that most people went down the stairs while the crowd for the train in front was still there.

I don't know if including platform numbers for all trains would work better, though.

 

[kkong]

Why resort to needlessly complex solutions? Just use your phone's data package. A quick look at RTT isn't going to use much data.

Quite. I have no idea why this is even being discussed as an issue.

It will be a few kB at most to view RTT.

 

[najaB]

Quite. I have no idea why this is even being discussed as an issue.

For my part I found it an interesting choice to be on a block list, but switched to mobile data. It was originally posted in a different thread, the mods split it out to its own thread as it was off-topic.

 

[Clip]

I fail to see how looking at RTT means staff are booking holidays

I fail to see how anyone couldn't understand that I was using it as an example. As I may have already said.