Help understanding realtimetrains

[trainmananthon]

Hi all,
Can anybody help me with this please

I usually go onto realtimetrains before I go out trainspotting, but most of the freight which shows up doesn't run

Is there a way to tell which ones are running or not?

Thanks in advance

Kind regards
Anthony

 

[Eagle]

If you look at the "real time" column, you can see if there are actual times appearing there or not.

 

[at60]

The format on the mobile version has changed recently. It's front page is now much simpler, with a cleaner look & basic (location) search. After you search the location & get the listing of trains for that location, you can usually tell straight away which trains are actually running, but if you click a particular one, and it's not running, straight away you see a message like this, in red type;

'Runs as required: this service only runs when it is required. This warning will disappear if it is activated in the railway computer systems'

The new version is great, more user friendly, whilst retaining in depth search features for those that need them.
I don't know if the PC version has changed as I only ever check it on my mobile now, as its that good & instant too (as long as a 3G signal is available ……)

 

[Freightmaster]

but most of the freight which shows up doesn't run...

That's the nature of freight trains, I'm afraid!!

Is there a way to tell which ones are running or not?

During the day in question: see the advice above

In advance: You should consider subscribing to Freightmaster Online;
I have spent the past 19 years finding out which trains run and which
don't so my subscribers don't have to!

MARK

 

[Condor7]

That's the nature of freight trains, I'm afraid!! In advance: You should consider subscribing to Freightmaster Online;
I have spent the past 19 years finding out which trains run and which
don't so my subscribers don't have to!

MARK

I have used Freightmaster for years, and it is so accurate most trains that it says run do in fact run.

Where Realtimetrains comes in is telling you (once it starts running) if it is running early or late, or if it is cancelled.

Both together and you can't go much wrong.

 

[Paul Kelly]

I can't imagine it would be that hard for realtimetrains (or a similar site) to show some kind of colour-coded percentage likelihood of a train running on a given day of the week based on past performance, how likely it is to be early or late etc.? Surely somebody is working on this? All it would require is to maintain an archive of past real-time running data.

 

[Freightmaster]

I can't imagine it would be that hard for realtimetrains (or a similar site)
...
Surely somebody is working on this? All it would require is to maintain an archive of past real-time running data.

People on here seem worryingly keen to put me out of a job?! hock:

Seriously, while what you describe might work for a few WTT paths,
the lack of headcodes on RTT means that the 'history' of many services
is very difficult to follow automatically as many trains run to (slightly)
differing schedules from day to day and/or week to week.

The sheer complexity of WTT/VAR/STP/vSTP schedules, cancellations,
as required paths, constant retimings, etc, make it one of those situations
where even the most powerful computer algorithm would struggle to make
any meaningful predictions, so ironically, the only trains that it would be
possible to get accurate running predictions for would be the few freights
which run daily anyway!

...likelihood of a train running on a given day of the week based on past performance, how likely it is to be early or late etc.?

That describes exactly what the Freightmaster Online timetables do,
albeit achieved by good old fashioned knowledge and experience,
rather than relying on a computer algorithm...


MARK

 

[Tom]

Seriously, while what you describe might work for a few WTT paths,
the lack of headcodes on RTT means that the 'history' of many services
is very difficult to follow automatically as many trains run to (slightly)
differing schedules from day to day and/or week to week.

This is not a problem