There are Aberdeen to Glasgow Queen Street trains that have "via Perth" on the display despite that being the only direct route.
That is, however useful for people who are unfamiliar with routings and may not know that. The examples above are simply incorrect.
Yes it's often used, helpfully in my view, to help identify a major station that isn't the destination. I think, from memory, LNER to say Harrogate are advertised as "Via Leeds" at Kings Cross for example. Clearly on this occasion however it's deeply unhelpful!
The point is that it is not only unhelpful, it is untrue. Each time someone sees a message that they know is untrue the less likely they are to believe ones which are (and may be safety relevant).
More a problem going the other way but there has been many a Perth bound traveller caught out by accidentally boarding the one Dundee train that goes via Fife
Technically there are three other routes
Certainly that now at Euston is next to useless. It just shows where the trains are coming from, and their expected arrival time. No platform numbers. No indication of the scheduled arrival times. So if you are waiting for someone coming in on a train from Birmingham due in at a particular time, you can take your pick of the various trains coming from Birmingham around about that time - and even if you do guess the correct train, still be none the wiser which platform.
I suspect that each train has the same "via xxxx", where it would make sense.
I think you misunderstand, so proving the OP's point. The trains shown as arriving "via Birmingham" haven't come from Birmingham at all - that is where they are headed to!
The younger of the two staff members I spoke to at Derby appeared not to realise that Doncaster and Reading were in opposite directions (is there no basic Railway Geography training/testing?) The older staff member seemed to be of the opinion that it wasn't confusing because he knew what it meant.
Have you raised a complaint to EMT? If no-one does, it's probably never going to be fixed.
That’s what I wondered. If it’s a southbound XC early in its journey, ie north of York, it might make sense to deal with the via Leeds or via Doncaster option as the ‘route displayed’, as getting the wrong train is a hassle, but it’s going to be covered in the detailed calling points list anyway.
Good point - I have now done so. Previous experience of raising issues with EMR does not fill me with hope that they will take the trouble to understand the issue, let alone fix it - but perhaps this time will be different.
I've never understood the point. I personally couldn't care less when my train arrives.
Back when I was younger, I often used to wait for my grandparents to arrive at Euston. The arrivals board was a godsend, as I told me how late their train was due in, and what platform to wait at.
They're not, although they are often not placed in the suitable position for where people should wait to meet people arriving off trains.
Useful to do what with the information on them though? I genuinely don't know what they're useful for. If you're meeting someone, "everyone" has a mobile phone nowadays so they'll let you know if they're delayed. It's mainly larger stations only which (sometimes) have an arrivals board, and they're more likely to have barriers or otherwise prevent you from access to the arrival platform to give assistance.
It is (or should be) the a business’s responsibility to provide information to the public in a way that does not rely on anyone being in possession of, or with the skill to use any device or technology (beyond things like glasses). I accept that smartphones are on the way to being in the same category, but we’re not there yet.
The person you're meeting may not know they're running late, or may be told it's only a few minutes so not mention it, or may have put their phone in their bag or pocket while getting ready to alight at their stop. Also, many people live a decent drive away from their nearest major station (especially if it's in a city centre with one-way traffic systems) and may choose not to connect their phone to their car so can't take a call. Most stations only give 20 mins free parking for pick up and drop off, so having an arrivals board visible from the pickup area lets people know if they will need to pay for parking (or leave and return in 10 mins time) rather than getting caught out by waiting for 22 mins because the train was just that little bit later.
Whatever next? Do away with all station departure boards as well on the basis that "everyone" has a mobile phone nowadays?!
Even if you assume "everyone" has a mobile phone (they don't, of course), mobile coverage is pretty patchy on the rail network, and often non-existent when you are in some of the black spots for congestion delays, such as the approach through a city to a major station.
Where does it say 'Birmingham via Leeds'?
And whilst it doesn’t say Birmingham via Leeds, every single ‘via’ point shown in the image is wrong due to the issue the OP describes.
My stepson when to Perth via Dundee recently.
The whole ‘via…’ is quite unnecessarily unless there is more than one route. It’s ok for
