RRB timings

[AndrewE]

I notice that https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:S36502/2025-08-03/detailed 0830 RRB Stafford via Stoke to Crewe has 10 minutes pathing time! (and the one the other way.)

I have not noticed this before, just buses having very slow schedules which I assumed included recovery time.
What would be the reason for this? Apart from allowing 80 minutes for a 2-stop journey of just 17 and 15 miles, how can it need pathing time?

 

[Watershed]

Probably been done either to prevent it from showing up on journey planners instead of the direct train, or because they think the timings (yes, replacement buses have SRTs!) are too tight given modern volumes of road traffic.

 

[Teds]

It seems a sensible way to deal with traffic issues. RRB tend to have standard timings which, depending on who produced them, allow for traffic delays. I worked in Cambridge a lot and the variation in actual journey times between 1000 on Saturday morning and 2000 Saturday night could be up to 15-20 minutes. Pathing time seems a good solution but it plays havoc with connections.

 

[Earle Grey]

RRB point to point timings are supplied by the TOC as part of their bid to Network Rail for that particular week. These SRTs... can vary by what Network Rail historical has in B Plan as it depends on which bus company is working these services.

So what should happen is when uploading the schedules in TPS any difference +/- should go in the squiggle/fudge/adjustment column to match the bid for timings. The only validation that is done should be to ensure their is sufficient time between the train terminating and bus departing; again this value is dictated by the TOC.

 

[AndrewE]

Probably been done either to prevent it from showing up on journey planners instead of the direct train

An interesting thought, thanks.

 

[LA50041]

I notice that https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:S36502/2025-08-03/detailed 0830 RRB Stafford via Stoke to Crewe has 10 minutes pathing time! (and the one the other way.)

I have not noticed this before, just buses having very slow schedules which I assumed included recovery time.
What would be the reason for this? Apart from allowing 80 minutes for a 2-stop journey of just 17 and 15 miles, how can it need pathing time?

Pathing time in RRB's can be if there is a known road closure or level crossing closure etc. that would affect timing of the buses that wouldn't be reflected in the SRT

 

[Earle Grey]

Pathing time in RRB's can be if there is a known road closure or level crossing closure etc. that would affect timing of the buses that wouldn't be reflected in the SRT

True but as I explained above, however it was the practise this was shown in the adjustment column in Trainplan... now TPS... so wouldn't be visible in downstream systems.

 

[Class 170101]

It should be noted that different TOCs might have different timings for the same route within their systems.