Southerns 377 PIS system

[pompeyfan]

With all the disruption last night, a couple of services were diverted from Southampton to Portsmouth for R/T running (including the last one of the night, naughty!). I noticed that the system was showing the amended calling patterns on the trains PIS. I was always under the impression the system worked on codes entered into the train which would in turn announce a pre-programmed selection of stations.
After last night I’m led to believe that the driver enters the head code into the system, and the train will automatically pick up any calling pattern remotely using 3G/4g etc? Is this correct?

 

[aleggatta]

I can't remember being told the system could work in that way, not to say that it can't, but it is quite easy for a driver to change PIS code mid journey, and those drivers doing the pompey/southampton runs would probably know off the top of their head a code that would fit the requirements(as it doesn't have to cover the whole route, just the route from point of calling pattern change and the GPS should do the rest). it might also be the case that someone in control was on the ball and giving the relevant codes at the time of service alteration(Crazy thought I know )

 

[Fincra5]

With all the disruption last night, a couple of services were diverted from Southampton to Portsmouth for R/T running (including the last one of the night, naughty!). I noticed that the system was showing the amended calling patterns on the trains PIS. I was always under the impression the system worked on codes entered into the train which would in turn announce a pre-programmed selection of stations.
After last night I’m led to believe that the driver enters the head code into the system, and the train will automatically pick up any calling pattern remotely using 3G/4g etc? Is this correct?

On MITRAC you simply, at a station, go back to the Login; Enter the PIS code desired, Click the 'X' for the stations you wish to skip, then press Send. Done.

 

[Skoodle]

On 378s if we have a change of destination, diversion, run fast etc, I'll just pop in a new route code that and "X" out stations I've already called at or not stopping at.

 

[pompeyfan]

On MITRAC you simply, at a station, go back to the Login; Enter the PIS code desired, Click the 'X' for the stations you wish to skip, then press Send. Done.

Interesting, so how did they then manage to add 2 extra stations that wouldn’t have originally been on that line of route?

 

[aleggatta]

Interesting, so how did they then manage to add 2 extra stations that wouldn’t have originally been on that line of route?

they would use a different route code, thats one of the limitations of MITRAC, you can't add stops but you can remove/skip them.

 

[pompeyfan]

Just to clarify, the particular train had Swanwick, Fareham and Cosham omitted but called additionally at Southsea and Fratton. Is the general feeling that the driver would have just entered a suitable route code that they either knew/found/had been given by someone?

In this day and age, why is it so difficult to get PIS systems that tie in with TRUST or Genius or whatever the correct system is?

 

[Aictos]

On MITRAC you simply, at a station, go back to the Login; Enter the PIS code desired, Click the 'X' for the stations you wish to skip, then press Send. Done.

700s don’t have this ability, they just display please check station screens which is great if you’re already onboard...

 

[tsr]

With all the disruption last night, a couple of services were diverted from Southampton to Portsmouth for R/T running (including the last one of the night, naughty!).

The last train was diverted to allow a connection with a ferry which was desperately required by passengers who had been delayed. It was most definitely not for performance reasons.

it might also be the case that someone in control was on the ball and giving the relevant codes at the time of service alteration(Crazy thought I know )

Happens all the time.

they would use a different route code, thats one of the limitations of MITRAC, you can't add stops but you can remove/skip them.

That will probably change soon, if not already.

Is the general feeling that the driver would have just entered a suitable route code that they either knew/found/had been given by someone?

That is exactly what would have happened. Electrostar PIS systems don’t just change destination depending on where the train thinks it is.

In this day and age, why is it so difficult to get PIS systems that tie in with TRUST or Genius or whatever the correct system is?

Train alterations are often posted direct to station CIS systems or even simply given to the train crew on a bit of paper - or verbally. With the current IT arrangements (or not), you wouldn’t ever get close to the information reliably appearing on the trains as well.

 

[pompeyfan]

The last train was diverted to allow a connection with a ferry which was desperately required by passengers who had been delayed. It was most definitely not for performance reasons.

sorry that was me making an unfair assumption, I didn’t realise red funnel weren’t 24 hours.

That is exactly what would have happened. Electrostar PIS systems don’t just change destination depending on where the train thinks it is.

I didn’t assume it had, I assumed that because the PIS was correct that there may have been some sort of remote intervention in the manner I explained above

Train alterations are often posted direct to station CIS systems or even simply given to the train crew on a bit of paper - or verbally. With the current IT arrangements (or not), you wouldn’t ever get close to the information reliably appearing on the trains as well.

Agreed that changes on the ground can take a while to appear on systems such as NRE, but the opposite is also true, with online systems showing the change before crew know about them.

 

[jon0844]

I thought GTR had done an update for 377s recently so stopping patterns can be properly edited without the need for a new code? Meanwhile 700 and 717s need a code but the driver can edit the next stop (to delete it) when running fast but only station by station, which I can't see them doing. There's the 'get me home' code that seems to be used instead, which isn't ideal but works.

 

[swt_passenger]

Southern ran a 2 train Portsmouth to Southampton service over a whole weekend of engineering works a few years back, (can’t remember exactly when), stabling overnight in Fareham P2 IIRC.

I suppose it’s possible they had a calling pattern set up for that?

 

[cjmillsnun]

The last train was diverted to allow a connection with a ferry which was desperately required by passengers who had been delayed. It was most definitely not for performance reasons.

So taxi them in from Havant. It would probably have been quicker than having calls at FTN and PMS through to PMH. Other passengers wouldn’t have been inconvenienced

 

[Fincra5]

I thought GTR had done an update for 377s recently so stopping patterns can be properly edited without the need for a new code? Meanwhile 700 and 717s need a code but the driver can edit the next stop (to delete it) when running fast but only station by station, which I can't see them doing. There's the 'get me home' code that seems to be used instead, which isn't ideal but works.

News to me. MITRAC has a database of PIS Codes. We have a list of most - of various stopping patterns. The Driver probably had this to hand and therefore chose a suitable code (possibly knocking out stations to fit) for the new destination/ stopping pattern.

 

[tsr]

I thought GTR had done an update for 377s recently so stopping patterns can be properly edited without the need for a new code?

There were strong rumours, but I have yet to hear of anyone using such a feature.

So taxi them in from Havant. It would probably have been quicker than having calls at FTN and PMS through to PMH. Other passengers wouldn’t have been inconvenienced

Havant unstaffed... passengers made to rely on an additional mode of transport when they’d already been turfed off a previous Portsmouth train... trying to get taxis on a Thursday into Friday night in Portsmouth (which tend to be really busy)... can’t see that going wrong at all.

By contrast, arrangements were made in good time for (relatively few) Southampton route passengers to be provided with transport, mostly from stations with multiple staff.

 

[physics34]

Annoying you can't add a station to the already selected PIS code, ie Trains to Dorking yesterday were calling additionally at Boxhill &Westhumble because of the SWR strikes. There wasnt a relevant correct PIS code with that updated calling pattern on the system, until i found one that became useable when id got to Epsom.