Compensation for early running?

[MadCommuter]

With Dalmarnock temporarily closed for refurb, I am frequently on eastbound trains that leave Bridgeton before the displayed departure time showing on the platform info screen.

 

[D1009]

I regard it as the railway's responsibility not to deny me access to a train more than 40 seconds before it is due to depart. I regard my responsibility to be on the platform at the door of my train at least 40 seconds before it is due to depart. How I achieve that is no-one's business but mine, and if I get there late and miss the train it's my own stupid fault.

 

[p123]

With Dalmarnock temporarily closed for refurb, I am frequently on eastbound trains that leave Bridgeton before the displayed departure time showing on the platform info screen.

Really? Interesting.

I've always wondered if there was something up with the timetable on that route. Eastbound trains are always - always on time (this may explain your early, however, Dalmarnock is after Bridgeton?)

Westbound trains are pretty much consistently two or three minutes late at Central/Partick. I've often wondered if Virgin, TPE and XC are being given priority by signalers causing this.

 

[Flamingo]

I regard it as the railway's responsibility not to deny me access to a train more than 40 seconds before it is due to depart. I regard my responsibility to be on the platform at the door of my train at least 40 seconds before it is due to depart. How I achieve that is no-one's business but mine, and if I get there late and miss the train it's my own stupid fault.

Fair enough!

 

[Sadsmileyface]

A few people seem to be unaware of the difference between a connecting service and a train you're using before getting on another train later on.

 

[Marvin]

There are so many things that could delay your way to the train, by even the smallest amount of time, that arriving a minimum of 5 minutes - realistically closer to 4 minutes - before your trains scheduled departure time is, surely, plain common sense?

OK. What if you plan to arrive at the station at least five minutes before your train, and then one or two of those many things that could happen actually happen meaning you only get to the platform with a minute to go, and you see the train sailing off early when if it was on time you'd have caught it? Would you accept that someone in that position has every right to be angry?

 

[Lewisham2221]

OK. What if you plan to arrive at the station at least five minutes before your train, and then one or two of those many things that could happen actually happen meaning you only get to the platform with a minute to go, and you see the train sailing off early when if it was on time you'd have caught it? Would you accept that someone in that position has every right to be angry?

Yes. I wasn't trying to suggest that early running was acceptable, simply stating that allowing a few extra minutes in the first place is a sensible idea. Of course, it's entirely possible to think your arriving early/on time, only to find that the time on your phone/watch(how many people still wear one of these? ) differs from railway time. Doh!

 

[dcsprior]

Except in certain very rare circumstances authorised by control, trains running early are invariably because of human error on the part of dispatch staff and / or traincrew, and a very dim view is taken of it by management.

Trains leaving early do not do so deliberately.

I have been informed by a member of staff at Derby that trains do regularly and intentionally leave early.

I was travelling from Leicester to Edinburgh, the times shown online included a wait of over 30 mins for connection at Derby - however when I arrived I could see a Cross-Country train on another platform and ran for it. I found that it was indeed an Edinburgh train, but despite the fact is was not yet its departure time (according to the display board next to the train itself) the doors were locked.

I went to complain to the member of staff in the platform and had no joy whatsoever; he said they were allowed to depart early (I think he said up to one minute). This really annoyed me, as he made it sound as though train companies could re-write what time means. I would've thought that e.g. a 5:00pm train departing at 4:59pm was false advertising, but didn't pursue it further

 

[Greenback]

I have been informed by a member of staff at Derby that trains do regularly and intentionally leave early.

Members of staff don't always give out correct information, or say things in the correct way.

I was travelling from Leicester to Edinburgh, the times shown online included a wait of over 30 mins for connection at Derby - however when I arrived I could see a Cross-Country train on another platform and ran for it.

Journey planners will not show journeys where the minimum connection time at a station is not met. It sounds like this is the case here. It has also happened to me at Cardiff, where I stepped off one train and boarded another across the platform which was not shown on my printed itinerary because it did not allow for the connectional time at Cardiff. I was expecting to wait for 40 minutes, but on this occasion I spotted the train and managed to get aboard before the doors closed.

I won't always make it though. A slight delay on the incoming service would render it impossible.

I found that it was indeed an Edinburgh train, but despite the fact is was not yet its departure time (according to the display board next to the train itself) the doors were locked.

This looks to be a case where the train doors are locked in advance of departure, rather than the train leaving a minute early. Both can be very vexatious topics though!

I went to complain to the member of staff in the platform and had no joy whatsoever; he said they were allowed to depart early (I think he said up to one minute). This really annoyed me, as he made it sound as though train companies could re-write what time means. I would've thought that e.g. a 5:00pm train departing at 4:59pm was false advertising, but didn't pursue it further

The member of staff is wrong. But most TOC's do advertise that train doors will be closed and locked in advance of the departure time to ensure a prompt despatch. I suspect that is what they were trying to say.

The times quoted by TOC's do seem to vary. My local one, Arriva Trains Wales, states 30 seconds, but a previous thread on here mentioned 2 minuites for Virgin Trains.

 

[Wath Yard]

Trains do deliberately depart early. I witnessed one departing 3 mins early recently. There was a PIS with a clock on the platform next to where the train stopped. It is not possible to accidentally depart 3 minutes early.

I had a claim for an early departure rejected a few years ago. The train departed 2 mins early but SWT claimed it departed on time. Unfortunately, unless you take a photo of the train departing next to a clock there is no way of proving it.

 

[Greenback]

Trains do deliberately depart early. I witnessed one departing 3 mins early recently. There was a PIS with a clock on the platform next to where the train stopped. It is not possible to accidentally depart 3 minutes early.

It is quite possible, as Flamingo explained. Most frequently this is due to human error, either with a misread diagram, or with there being a clerical error between the WTT and PTT.

Both of these things are more likely to happen when a timetable has been amended at short notice.

I had a claim for an early departure rejected a few years ago. The train departed 2 mins early but SWT claimed it departed on time. Unfortunately, unless you take a photo of the train departing next to a clock there is no way of proving it.

SWT will base their response on the data in the internal systems. What if there is a discrepancy between those and the clock on the platform?

 

[455driver]

I have seen drivers and guards schedules with different times on for the same train, never more than a minute though.

It seems strange that, despite all these claims of trains regularly departing early nobody has sent me details so I can check it.