Retail Service ID

[plikma]

What is a "Retail Service ID"? I saw this on the National Rail Journey Planner. It looks a bit like those numbers VT print in timetables and put on the Voyager displays, except with two seemingly purposeless zeroes added. However the Journey Planner gives them for all TOCs.

 

[rail-britain]

This is the number issued to the service by ATOC before it is given a headcode by Network Rail for that timetable

 

[91101]

I would have thought that the retail service ID was factored in long after a trains headcode had been decied, and that it was to do with providing a unique ID for seat reservations, as headcodes are duplicated all over the place. There are several 1A04's all over the country for example.

 

[rail-britain]

Other way round
The TOC prepare their timetable and submit it to the timetabling conference
At this stage the trains don't have haadcodes and are given unique IDs, to allow them to be individually identified
Once the timetable is approved, Network Rail issue headcodes

 

[Ascot]

Other way round
The TOC prepare their timetable and submit it to the timetabling conference
At this stage the trains don't have haadcodes and are given unique IDs, to allow them to be individually identified
Once the timetable is approved, Network Rail issue headcodes

Sure?

Looking on the Draft Timetables for Govia, see link below, they have headcodes for the first.

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/pi/wcml/wcms2008timetables/wcmsgoviatimetable

 

[djw1981]

The first Govia service on that link is labelled "2N71WS" - what do the last 2 letters mean? Depot code or what?

 

[Ascot]

T-Speed I think AFAIK, so frequency etc..

 

[rail-britain]

The timetables on the DfT website are after the timetabling conference
By this stage Network Rail has issued headcodes