Why times and not train numbers in UK?

[JackTheLad]

I used to find it useful when the 465s in the South East London Metro area displayed route codes on the front of the train and on the scrolling PIS onboard the train... e.g I always knew that:

24 was Hayes to Charing Cross (all stations via Lewisham except St Johns)
34 was Hayes to Charing Cross (fast from Ladywell to London Bridge)
25 was Hayes to Cannon St (all sations via Lewisham inc St Johns)
35 was Hayes to Cannon St (fast from Ladywell to London Bridge)

Just by looking at the route number you would know the destination and the calling pattern. I know that now with more detailed platform information screens and the advent of mobile phone apps mean it's not needed anymore, but in my opinion there's no harm in bringing route codes back.

 

[30907]

I used to find it useful when the 465s in the South East London Metro area displayed route codes on the front of the train and on the scrolling PIS onboard the train... e.g I always knew that:

24 was Hayes to Charing Cross (all stations via Lewisham except St Johns)
34 was Hayes to Charing Cross (fast from Ladywell to London Bridge)
25 was Hayes to Cannon St (all sations via Lewisham inc St Johns)
35 was Hayes to Cannon St (fast from Ladywell to London Bridge)

Just by looking at the route number you would know the destination and the calling pattern. I know that now with more detailed platform information screens and the advent of mobile phone apps mean it's not needed anymore, but in my opinion there's no harm in bringing route codes back.

And so did many SR travellers. However, you still had to know the variations which route codes couldn't cover - where did a train from Orpington to Victoria (70) stop? Was it all stations, fast from Beckenham Jn, fast from Kent House, also stopping at Herne Hill...? (Not to mention the one that stopped at West Dulwich for yours truly and many others...)

 

[jopsuk]

VTWC have for a while but don't tend to use them that heavily.

Virgin have had the "VT" route numbers for a long time- the VTXC routes were included in the numbering scheme, when they were determined to blue the line between the franchises. it didn't all make sense though, here's the 2002 map - look at VT2 in particular.

 

[JackTheLad]

And so did many SR travellers. However, you still had to know the variations which route codes couldn't cover - where did a train from Orpington to Victoria (70) stop? Was it all stations, fast from Beckenham Jn, fast from Kent House, also stopping at Herne Hill...? (Not to mention the one that stopped at West Dulwich for yours truly and many others...)

http://www.semgonline.com/headcodes/eheadcodes/eheadcodes03.html

 

[Clip]

Have you actually read anything on this thread other than your own views? Several people have suggested good reasons why including unique train IDs would be beneficial to some customers. Just because you wouldn't find it useful, and assume that everybody travelling on trains in the UK has the same level of understanding as you do, doesn't mean that nobody would and that there is no reason whatsoever to do it.

Lets be honest here though there is simply not that many people who travel on our rail network who do get confused by it - they simply read their itinerary and get on the train and go to where they are meant to be going.

So why would you waste all the time and effort and inevitable cost to implement such a system ill never know.

 

[Esker-pades]

I used to find it useful when the 465s in the South East London Metro area displayed route codes on the front of the train and on the scrolling PIS onboard the train... e.g I always knew that:

24 was Hayes to Charing Cross (all stations via Lewisham except St Johns)
34 was Hayes to Charing Cross (fast from Ladywell to London Bridge)
25 was Hayes to Cannon St (all sations via Lewisham inc St Johns)
35 was Hayes to Cannon St (fast from Ladywell to London Bridge)

Just by looking at the route number you would know the destination and the calling pattern. I know that now with more detailed platform information screens and the advent of mobile phone apps mean it's not needed anymore, but in my opinion there's no harm in bringing route codes back.

24/25 never specified if they were stopping at St Johns. I've been on trains with both route numbers that have stopped there, and those which don't.
The tedious thing was (as someone who is a user of St Johns) when the driver put up the "all stations except St Johns" option on the idicator on a service that was advertised to stop at St Johns. Lead to many a panic on my part.