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Fastjp
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Adam Williams
Established Member
I'm glad the journey planning API has better uptime than the public site.
tfw756rider
On Moderation
I had never even heard of FastJP until now. Seems to stand for "Fast Journey Planner":
www.fastjp.com
Home Page - FastJP
www.fastjp.com
tfw756rider
On Moderation
Thanks
You forgot to mention that it is absolutely brilliant. My biggest pro is that it will suggest the fastest route even if it is quite indirect. Ipswich to Ely at 07:00 is an example, with the Greater Anglia app suggesting the 07:58 direct train (arrives at 08:59), and FastJP suggesting the 07:07 to Norwich, followed by the 07:55 to Ely (arrives at (08:49).
Freightmaster
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Not sure if I'm missing something, but the 'via Norwich' you quoted takes almost twice
as long as the direct train, rather than being the "fastest route"?
MARK
AlexRail575
Member
It's clearly "fastest" in the meaning of "reaching the destination the soonest".
Although if you're willing to start just before 7:00 and take a risk with the connection at Cambridge, you could take 2W04 (06:56 Ipswich-Cambridge, arrives at Cambridge P5 08:15) and have a stroll to the adjacent platform 6 to catch 2K60 (08:19 Cambridge-Norwich, arriving at Ely at 08:37).
Vexed
Member
Which the Greater Anglia app won't suggest because Norwich is not on a permitted route for a Ipswich-Ely ticket. TrainSplit will offer this quicker journey but at a significant premium due to the combination of tickets to make it valid, something the GA app can't do.
Depends on the ticket held. The route is certainly valid on an Anglia Plus Day Ranger
Vexed
Member
Good point!Depends on the ticket held. The route is certainly valid on an Anglia Plus Day Ranger
Just had a play on FastJP to see what it offers. I tried Basingstoke to Bristol Temple Meads. This was one it came up with. A mildly bonkers (but harmless) extra change of trains.
This is a screenshot of the output, showing a change at Reading West, before the expected change at Reading.
This is a screenshot of the output, showing a change at Reading West, before the expected change at Reading.
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Vexed
Member
Sure, but it also offers a second itinerary with the same arrival and departure times with only one change at Reading.
And a third with a useless change at Swindon; this change might involve a train with cheaper Advance tickets available on it than the through train, so it might not be as pointless at it seems at first glance.
Google Maps also takes the latter approach of the 0707, changing at Norwich.
PG
Established Member
Depends on the ticket held. The route is certainly valid on an Anglia Plus Day Ranger
However, in the context being discussed of a departure around 0700, it is not valid due to the morning peak restriction.
PG
Established Member
Your point still stands - it is a valid route
Belperpete
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The fastjp site is really useful in finding all the various journey options, including the different options of where you can change. And the advanced search options are particularly useful, such as being able to specify that you need a train that stops (not just go via) a particular station. You just need to be a little careful, because it can come up with options that your ticket may not be valid for.
duffield
Established Member
Although I've used it successfully in the past, I just can't get the "Extra Time" at change/via stations to have any effect, either with negative or positive times. I've tried clearing site data, I've tried both Chrome and Firefox and I've tried all sorts of options and variations. But it seems to have no effect whatsoever.
Is this feature currently broken or (maybe more likely) am I just doing something stupid?
Is this feature currently broken or (maybe more likely) am I just doing something stupid?
Adam Williams
Established Member
It only works for "Must change here" mode.
The site is poorly designed and offers the input regardless as to the selection, but it is doomed not to work unless you have picked "Must change here".
duffield
Established Member
Thanks, but that was what I was using, "Must Change Here". However, I've just realised what the problem was when adding extra change time. It doesn't work if you specify e.g. "+10", you need to just specify "10".
But I still can't get negative times to work at all, which is what I really wanted, specifying (e.g.) "-10" doesn't seem to work even though I've used it in the past.
I've never found a journey planner that will plan a realistic cross London journey. Fastjp is great for finding what a valid connection is but since the minimum connection time between Euston and Liverpool Street is 45 mins and it actually takes 20 this is not hugely useful for actually travelling.
Accredited journey planners like FastJP are required to use official minimum connection times as specified by RDG. These are excessive for most London termini but a journey planner would not get accredited if it made up its own values.
There are plenty of non-accredited journey planners out there, such as Google Maps and CityMapper. They often generate more realistic times, even verging on tight for some Underground stations Euston or London Bridge where it takes a long time to get to/from some of the platforms.
Trainbike46
Established Member
Frankly, a better solution would be if minimum connection times were reduced to a more sensible level - the massively excessive MCTs make rail journeys appear longer than they actually take, making rail less attractive than it should be.
Though obviously ticket retailers and journeyplanners should follow the rules that apply to them, even when the rules are unfortunately a bit stupid.
Though obviously ticket retailers and journeyplanners should follow the rules that apply to them, even when the rules are unfortunately a bit stupid.
Google maps is frankly awful for journeys involving Liverpool street because it's been confused by the moorgate Elizabeth line situation. Typing Liverpool street as a destination includes moorgate so Euston to Liverpool street always suggests the northern line rather than walking to Euston square and taking the circle line (which I'm fairly certain is quicker although I haven't tested it!)
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Unfortunately there is an incentive to have these ridiculous MCTs: it means a delay to the first leg of your journey won't result in a missed connection and hence delay repay.
Adam Williams
Established Member
Raileasy have indeed asked FastJP about commissioning support for such a thing.
That's good news!
Out of interest is there a way to see the accreditation requirements anywhere? As far as I can tell RDG only publish the "accreditation guide" which talks a lot about the process but has no detail on the technical requirements of the TIS. How is one supposed to know if they have a feasible idea for a new TIS when they can't see what the requirements are?
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