I used to swear by the NRT, but now find it much easier if I want a whole route timetable just to find a printed or PDF timetable produced by a TOC.
Combine that with NRE, RealTimeTrains (and its app to aid on-the-go journey planning) and OpenTrainTimes and I find I've got all the information I need in something much less unwieldy than the NRT book.
In my view, the NRT is an anachronism that is only produced-because-that's-the-traditional-way-we've-always-done-it-and-because it-says-we-have-to and for no other real reason.
I'm really not sure what the problem is with the NRT. In principle it is a logical distillation of the WTT and, were that to exist only in some other format, could be derived from that format. Somewhere along the way the automation of the interface from WTT to NRT has been neglected and the resulting (part-)manual process become unwieldy. In other words an electronic version of the NRT ought to be a simple (free) spin-off from information required to manage the railway - I suppose we could envisage a railway where pathing was arranged on a real-time demand based basis and not by a WTT planning process but not in my lifetime!
The advantages of the traditional format are obvious to me. Among these are the ability to plan my own connection allowances, interpret what is going on with the service in general and change plans on the move. All of this can be done without the frustrations of flat mobile phone batteries etc.
Were the NRT to cease to be available in a single book version then I'd be left printing PDFs, which wouldn't be anywhere near as good. Then, if the PDFs ceased to be available, I'd struggle to make effective use of the service on offer.
Whether or not NR were to divest itself of the role the following might be worth consideration:
1. Regional timetables: basically to make the document less bulky (at the expense of some duplication). Even pulling Scotland and the old Southern Region out of the National Book into separate volumes would help. It might be practicable to go further (possibly some PTE areas?) but I'm not absolutely convinced. The comprehensiveness of the set would be important.
2. TOCs to have standards set for their timetables to improve usefulness. Great Western (I'm told) and SWT (certainly) produce single volumes for their services. The SWT document is excellent and, were each TOC to publish to their standard would go a very long way to meeting my needs. I actually live on the Southern/SouthEastern TOC border and this illustrates current problems. SET publish a series of eight booklets which together provide comprehensive and comprehensible information. Were they to be bound together they would go close to the SWT standard and meet needs. Southern, on the other hand, are a mess, with thirty-three timetable documents which are almost useless for real-time use. For example, if were travelling from Hastings to Barnham and discovered there to be a problem at, say Falmer, I'm left with questions such as should I travel via Wivelsfield, Haywards Heath, Three Bridges, Gatwick or keep going via Falmer. I defy anyone whose train is now approaching Lewes to discover the best option from those thirty-three leaflets and in time!
3. TOC timetables should also be comprehensive for sections of line. This used to be a problem with Northern, in the Manchester area (and possibly elsewhere). Things may have changed but understanding the complete six TOC operation between Piccadilly and Stockport used to be a major challenge (without the NRT). West Yorkshire PTE produces a pocket-size book which appears to be decently comprehensive for its area, though the presentation standard isn't up to SWT levels.
4. Where timings vary, but by
very little, between one day and another, set standards should be applied to present a single timing which neither risks departure times being missed nor arrival times being anticipated. This would de-clutter many of the current timetables and cut down on volume size. Naturally I would expect that this could, in time, be automated and the criteria applied be openly explained.
Anyone travelling abroad, in a country where comprehensive paper timetables have been withdrawn, will appreciate the difficulties that can be caused. I really do hope that we avoid a similar fate. After all the times at which trains are scheduled to travel is not a state secret but rather is vital information for the traveller and, we are told,
the customer is king!
