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Looking on Real Time Trains (http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C26592/2015/03/14/advanced) for main line trains there do not appear to be any timing points between Reading High Level Junction and Didcot.  There are plenty East of Reading and West of Didcot.  Is there a reason for this?

The line 'DD' more than likely avoids all of the local stations. I'm sure someone else with more route layout knowledge could confirm that though.  :)

The down and up main lines continue to pass through Tilehurst, Goring & Streatley (with its newly lengthened down platform) and Cholsey. Pangbourne lost its main line platforms in 1975 when the curve was eased for higher speed.

I too find it frustrating that these timing points have been removed from the fast lines as the subtleties of some of my potential connections lie in those details. It is something to do with routing over the Reading viaduct (Didcot Lines) because down fast trains diverted via platform 12 and the relief lines to Tilehurst East, crossing back on to the main line, continue to time the detailed passing points.  Must be a Trust thing!

Before the flyover opened in January all trains that passed through Tilehurst East Jn used to have a timing point regardless of what line they were on, now it only shows those that will physically use the crossover itself. (This is beforehand anyway, on the day/after the event however RTT will show all trains that have passed on the reliefs as well.

Didcot East has all trains that use the reliefs or crossover to/from the reliefs whereas there's no timing point for those that stay on the main. (However rather oddly any train that has crossed over at Tilehurst East Jn does then have an entry at Didcot East on/after the day.)

From May 2015, Goring & Streatley will become a mandatory timing point between Reading and Didcot.


The line DD is just a bit of Trust Data for the down line, not very reliable. Once the TD data for the area is up-to-date and I have finalised it for the area the line and path indications on RTT will be more appropriate, accurate and reliable.

RTT  normally adds in intermediate timing points between all the mandatory points, however the reason intermediate timing points have not been added by RTT for trains through Reading High Level junction is because its a new junction and the mileage data for it needs to be added into the database - all in good time.

Would be interesting to see how this is all done. I'm guessing something along the lines of mapping data obtained from the TD for the area and the latest sectional appendix?

It is done using a database containing the mileage data for each bit of track between the vast majority of the intermediate timing points on the network. The mileage data is the key as that is how it knows how to work out the times for each of the intermediate timing points - only mandatory timing points are included in the open data, RTT fills in the gaps. Each time a new intermediate timing point is created, it needs to be added into the database, such as Reading High Level junction.

TD data is simply the movements of train describers in the different train describer areas (http://"http://nrodwiki.rockshore.net/index.php/List_of_Train_Describers"), it contains no geographical data for where the move took place within the area. Although the mileage data can be gathered from the Sectional Appendix.