Neil
Junior Member
Posts: 54
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Post by Neil on Jun 24, 2008 8:41:07 GMT
This really doesn't make much difference at all but I am slightly intrigued
My timetable says that my train 6.30 Ramsgate to London Vic arrives at 8.34. The timetable at the station says 8.33 and two guards last week said arrival time was 8.32
Weird. How does that work exactly!!!??
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Post by Richard Trevithick on Jun 24, 2008 9:42:22 GMT
I have just checked 2 sources of information. Both say the timetabled arrival time is 08:33.
Which timetable do you have that says 08:34? Without wanting to offend, is it definitely current and in date?
Richard
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Neil
Junior Member
Posts: 54
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Post by Neil on Jun 24, 2008 9:55:01 GMT
No problem and absoultely no offence taken. I am just intrigued I have timetable 12 (18 May 13 December 2008) which I got from Ramsgate station. That definitely says 8.34. Maybe it's been corrected at some stage - but there is still the (slightly interesting I suppose) fact that two guards, separately, said 8.32 I am no way making a big issue on this - just that there seems to be different information flying around which doesn't always give confidence in the more important things!!
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Post by chapelwood on Jun 24, 2008 10:03:13 GMT
The current United Kingdom Rail Timetable also gives 0834, while the National Rail Journey Planner (for tomorrow) gives 0833, so it seems that an alteration or correction has been made at some stage. Rail staff are supposed to operate to the Working Timetable, though to quote times in the public timetable to the public. Times can vary slightly between the Working and Public timetables, so I suspect that 0832 is the arrival time in the Working Timetable.
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Post by trainplanner on Jun 24, 2008 10:13:58 GMT
Gents, i think i can answer this one.
The difference in the timetabled arrival time may be due to the way the working timetable has been prepared. One of the options available to us typically to make the service easier for the general public to remember is to print a different arrival time in the public timetable than the one found in the working timetable. This is usually used to allow services to have standard hour arrivals into terminal stations so passengers traveling into London always see that the inbound journey takes XX minutes when in reality it could be plus or minus 2 or 3 minutes depending on the train.
Note though that the published passenger times are those used for the performance regime, so any time added here is extra over and above the padding that has already taken place.
It's not something that is done often, and in many cases is a left over from the old slam door timetables.
Hope this answers the question.
Regards TP
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Neil
Junior Member
Posts: 54
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Post by Neil on Jun 24, 2008 10:53:58 GMT
Thanks for the replies. It all seems a little bit strange that different information comes out from different sources even if it is only a minute or two. 8.33 or 8.34 does give them a better chance of keeping to their performance targets than 8.32 I suppose.
Come to think of it the same applies to my journey home. I get the 17.12 Charing X Ramsgate which is timetabled (in my book anyway) to arrive at 19.20. It's usually earlier than that and I have heard the conductor say it's due at 19.18
Oh well - ... it's only a minute or two!!
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Post by jumpedup on Jun 24, 2008 12:09:13 GMT
I think they changed some times of trains after reprinting the timetables for the Summer. I think I spotted a poster at Faversham last night but did not stop to read.
The one I'd noticed was that the Victoria departure at 17:49 which was changed to 17:48 in May still shows as 17:49 in the printed timetable, but not online (or in practice!)
I would hazard a guess that your train is on this list.
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