Does Northern's own app contain accurate timetable information?

[TUC]

Searching on Northern's app for journey times from London KX to Halifax on 12 December, after the December timetable change, I was intrigued to see the following warning: 'Northern's timetables changed on Sunday 11 December. You may need to replan your journey, especially in the North West'.

By using the app I am by definition planning my journey. Are Northern saying that the details in their own app for after 11 December are not yet accurate?

 

[py_megapixel]

If I had to guess, I'd say it's just an extremely unclearly worded message. (For one thing, why is it in the past tense, and for another, why is the website URL missing?)

It should be "Northern's timetables will change from Sunday 11 December. If you intend to travel on or after this date, you may need to replan your journey closer to the time of travel, especially in the North West. Find out more at www.northernrailway.co.uk/december22"

 

[TUC]

If I had to guess, I'd say it's just an extremely unclearly worded message. (For one thing, why is it in the past tense, and for another, why is the website URL missing?)

It should be "Northern's timetables will change from Sunday 11 December. If you intend to travel on or after this date, you may need to replan your journey closer to the time of travel, especially in the North West. Find out more at www.northernrailway.co.uk/december22"

It surely should also be set to exclude the message if the journey being searched for is for December 11 onwards?

 

[py_megapixel]

It surely should also be set to exclude the message if the journey being searched for is for December 11 onwards?

No, it should be excluding dates before December 11 (which I think is what it's doing). It's warning people that the journey planner may have incorrect data for dates after the timetable change.

 

[TUC]

No, it should be excluding dates before December 11 (which I think is what it's doing). It's warning people that the journey planner may have incorrect data for dates after the timetable change.

But that's my point. Surely the journey planner should be set to reflect f
the differential information from 11 December onwards? No warning should be needed.

 

[py_megapixel]

But that's my point. Surely the journey planner should be set to reflect from the differential information from 11 December onwards? No warning should be needed.

I agree, but it's not much of a surprise to me that it isn't set properly. Unfortunately the impression the railway gives across the board is that it doesn't really care in the slightest about offering reliable information in advance of travel.

 

[Stephen42]

I think it's more likely that the copy hasn't been appropriately updated. Using National Rail Enquiries you get the same message for 12th December of "Northern timetables changed on Sunday 11 December. You may need to replan your journey, especially in the North West. Find out more at ...". The same search for 5th December gives "On Sunday 11 December Northern timetables will change and you may need to replan your journey, especially in the North West. Find out more at ..." where the second half makes more sense.

What's in journey planners should be correct aside from the unhelpful "As we adjust our resources to the new timetable, a small number of trains may be temporarily removed up to 48 hours before the date of travel. We encourage everyone to check on the day of travel." statement on the link in the message.

 

[Watershed]

The information on the Northern app is no more or less reliable than the information on any other journey planner. They all ultimately derive their data from the Network Rail data feeds in an automatic fashion (there's nobody manually inputting each train!). In turn, this feed shows schedules that have been set to publish, following a process of operators bidding and being offered them.

At this stage, the information is likely to be accurate insofar as it represents what Northern intend to run. But there will always be on the day cancellations, as well as those done the day before (usually by 10pm).

Unscrupulous operators claim (unlawfully, in my view) that trains falling into the latter category "aren't part of" the timetable and thus their cancellation doesn't qualify you for Delay Repay.

Coming back to the message - I suspect this is simply something they have put there to try and alert people to the fact that many train times are changing in the December timetable. But as with so many things in the industry, Northern clearly don't "get" the need for attention to detail, hence why you end up with this kind of dreadfully vague and unhelpful message.

 

[TUC]

Even more bizarrely, if I extend my search to Tuesday 13 December, I get a whole list of 'this train is sold out' notices. (The journeys listed are a mixture of West Coast and East Coast ones, so it isn't just the Avsnti seat reservation effect.)

i think it's safe to say that that these journeys are not sold out. Sometimes I wonder if TOCs actually want any business...

 

[skyhigh]

Even more bizarrely, if I extend my search to Tuesday 13 December, I get a whole list of 'this train is sold out' notices. (The journeys listed are a mixture of West Coast and East Coast ones, so it isn't just the Avsnti seat reservation effect.)

i think it's safe to say that that these journeys are not sold out. Sometimes I wonder if TOCs actually want any business...

The 13th is a strike day so trains will have been taken off sale until the amended timetable is confirmed.

 

[TUC]

The 13th is a strike day so trains will have been taken off sale until the amended timetable is confirmed.

Doh! Of course, although it would be helpful for the app to say that rather than 'this train is sold out'.