train last reported

[strange6]

On the national railway enquiries website in 'LIVE departures and arrivals' you can track a service 'live' by following its progress along the route. At some stations the train does not report back but does so at others regarding if it's late or not. How does this system work? Does each train carry some kind of satellite system?

 

[seagull]

As far as I know this tracking system just used information contained in TRUST, which is auto-updated at some locations and at other locations, signalmen have to manually input the passing time.

Only trains with 'satellite' (GPS) tracking live at the present time I would think are the ERTMS fitted 158s when operating in Level 2. Even then they send their location report direct to TRUST, from which I imagine the NR site gets its info.

 

[swt_passenger]

There is an attempt to explain the limitations of the LDB system on the site, but it basically comes down to the different signalling systems around the country, and how often they are updating a trains location:

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/live_departure_boards/limitations.html

 

[driver9000]

Several Northern 156s have been fitted with GPS for trialling a departures board system in the Whitby area.

Live departures takes it's feed from TRUST which in turn takes it's feed from the signallling system. I don't think the Welsh 158s use GPS for transmiting locations.