Inconsistent platform updates

[enginedin]

This afternoon at Bristol Temple Meads, the departure boards showed that the 1446 service to Severn Beach was going to be at Platform 3, and it did indeed use Platform 3 (as in my photo below, which shows the train at the "This is Platform 3" sign). RealtimeTrains showed it was going to use Platform 4 (the platform number being in Red which I think means it was a platform change), as shown in my screenshot. However, RealTimeTrains now shows it did use platform 3: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:P32498/2026-02-22#allox_id=0

So: was there a very quick (mistaken?) change (and change back) of platform number that RTT showed, or just a gremlin in RTT's data source? Or something else? I know Platforms 3 and 4 are just on the same platform edge but the slight inconsistency interested me

 

[43055]

Just a guess but maybe RTT picked up it passing platform 4 first so alters the platform number thinking it's stopping there before it actually stopping at platform 3.

 

[louis97]

So: was there a very quick (mistaken?) change (and change back) of platform number that RTT showed, or just a gremlin in RTT's data source? Or something else? I know Platforms 3 and 4 are just on the same platform edge but the slight inconsistency interested me

This is just the nature of the data, you just happened to look at the train whilst it was still on the approach to Platform 4, once it passed the signal and entered Platform 3 it would have updated.

Unfortunately there is limitations in the data source where platforms are split like this, the aim on RTT is to show the correct platform when the train is at the platform.

 

[enginedin]

This is just the nature of the data, you just happened to look at the train whilst it was still on the approach to Platform 4, once it passed the signal and entered Platform 3 it would have updated.

oh that's interesting to know, thanks

 

[800001]

This afternoon at Bristol Temple Meads, the departure boards showed that the 1446 service to Severn Beach was going to be at Platform 3, and it did indeed use Platform 3 (as in my photo below, which shows the train at the "This is Platform 3" sign). RealtimeTrains showed it was going to use Platform 4 (the platform number being in Red which I think means it was a platform change), as shown in my screenshot. However, RealTimeTrains now shows it did use platform 3: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:P32498/2026-02-22#allox_id=0

So: was there a very quick (mistaken?) change (and change back) of platform number that RTT showed, or just a gremlin in RTT's data source? Or something else? I know Platforms 3 and 4 are just on the same platform edge but the slight inconsistency interested me

This is why I would always use the station customer information boards as a true source of information rather than apps.

 

[Tom]

This is why I would always use the station customer information boards as a true source of information rather than apps.

To be fair, every system has a different case of point in time for use. For apps, the majority of usage occurs before the station or upon arrival at the station. From that point forward, apart from in perturbed conditions, the station CIS takes over.

In this case, the train would have shown platform 4 for 68 seconds, between 14:41:50 and 14:42:58, as it makes its passage through from the home signal to platform 3. When a passenger is at the platform, the likelihood is that they'll be using the local CIS rather than anything else. We made trade-offs for accuracy and this is one of those.

 

[800001]

To be fair, every system has a different case of point in time for use. For apps, the majority of usage occurs before the station or upon arrival at the station. From that point forward, apart from in perturbed conditions, the station CIS takes over.

In this case, the train would have shown platform 4 for 68 seconds, between 14:41:50 and 14:42:58, as it makes its passage through from the home signal to platform 3. When a passenger is at the platform, the likelihood is that they'll be using the local CIS rather than anything else. We made trade-offs for accuracy and this is one of those.

Oh I'm not knocking the App Tom, i use it myself to beat the crowds at terminus stations to gain a seat before the mad dash.

 

[enginedin]

the train would have shown platform 4 for 68 seconds, between 14:41:50 and 14:42:58, as it makes its passage through from the home signal to platform 3.

amazing, thanks for the info! (I wasn't criticising anyone, I was genuinely just intrigued why the difference )

 

[The exile]

This is why I would always use the station customer information boards as a true source of information rather than apps.

Or in the case of major GWR stations, the staff info screens - which tend to be correct sooner than the “public” ones.