Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 08:35 29 Mar 2024
- Bus plunges off South Africa bridge, killing 45
- Easter getaway begins with flood alerts in place
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]
 02/06/24 - Summer Timetable starts
17/08/24 - Bus to Imber
27/09/25 - 200 years of passenger trains

On this day
29th Mar (1913)
Foundation of National Union or Railwaymen (*)

Train RunningCancelled
07:20 Reading to Gatwick Airport
08:13 Newbury to Bedwyn
08:46 Bedwyn to Newbury
09:00 Gatwick Airport to Reading
09:54 Bedwyn to Newbury
10:22 Newbury to Bedwyn
11:29 Newbury to Bedwyn
11:57 Bedwyn to Newbury
12:52 Bedwyn to Newbury
Short Run
04:54 Plymouth to London Paddington
05:33 Plymouth to London Paddington
05:55 Plymouth to London Paddington
06:37 Plymouth to London Paddington
07:03 London Paddington to Paignton
07:24 Exmouth to Paignton
08:35 Plymouth to London Paddington
08:41 Westbury to Bristol Temple Meads
09:45 Bristol Temple Meads to Salisbury
10:35 London Paddington to Exeter St Davids
Delayed
05:03 Penzance to London Paddington
06:05 Penzance to London Paddington
07:10 Penzance to London Paddington
08:03 London Paddington to Penzance
08:15 Penzance to London Paddington
09:04 London Paddington to Plymouth
09:37 London Paddington to Paignton
10:04 London Paddington to Penzance
11:03 London Paddington to Plymouth
PollsOpen and recent polls
Closed 2024-03-25 Easter Escape - to where?
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple MeadsBath SpaChippenhamSwindonDidcot ParkwayReadingLondon PaddingtonMelksham
Exeter St DavidsTauntonWestburyTrowbridgeBristol ParkwayCardiff CentralOxfordCheltenham SpaBirmingham New Street
March 29, 2024, 08:42:06 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[77] would you like your own LIVE train station departure board?
[72] West Wiltshire Bus Changes April 2024
[70] Reversing Beeching - bring heritage and freight lines into the...
[63] Return of the BRUTE?
[56] Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption el...
[44] 2024 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury...
 
News: A forum for passengers ... with input from rail professionals welcomed too
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: [1]
  Print  
Author Topic: Another bad day for evening Down Trains in Cornwall.  (Read 3975 times)
Jamsdad
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 201


View Profile Email
« on: January 16, 2020, 20:19:47 »

January has not been a good month for punctuality in Cornwall, in particular evening down trains leaving Plymouth between 1630 and 1800. Repeated problems with signals at Par and this week, failure of track circuits and the new signals at Menheniot. Evening trains yesterday up to 90 minute late at Liskeard, and again today 20-30 minutes late. Yesterday no one seemed to have a clue what was going on, my reliable local contacts said that track circuit failures meant they didnt know where trains were!
 It does seem a pity after all the investment in extra signals that we now have a rather unreliable service.
Logged
alexross42
Full Member
***
Posts: 78



View Profile
« Reply #1 on: January 17, 2020, 08:54:27 »

January has not been a good month for punctuality in Cornwall, in particular evening down trains leaving Plymouth between 1630 and 1800. Repeated problems with signals at Par and this week, failure of track circuits and the new signals at Menheniot. Evening trains yesterday up to 90 minute late at Liskeard, and again today 20-30 minutes late. Yesterday no one seemed to have a clue what was going on, my reliable local contacts said that track circuit failures meant they didnt know where trains were!
 It does seem a pity after all the investment in extra signals that we now have a rather unreliable service.

In my simplistic view the use of track circuits as a means of detecting the presence/location of a train in this age of advanced telecomms/GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)/RFID/Beacon technology, etc, does seem rather archaic and proven to be prone to failure.

If each train was fitted with a device that transmits a unique RFID pulse and each signal (and/or other trackside objects) fitted with devices to receive these pulses, isn't that a more resilient and accurate way of tracking trains?
Logged
stuving
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 7156


View Profile
« Reply #2 on: January 17, 2020, 09:11:05 »


If each train was fitted with a device that transmits a unique RFID pulse and each signal (and/or other trackside objects) fitted with devices to receive these pulses, isn't that a more resilient and accurate way of tracking trains?

ETCS (European Train Control System) does that, but differently. It relies on the train knowing where it is along the track, and communicating with network control. It uses several sources of position data, because using any single system is a risk. In the case of ETCS it's GNSS (GPS etc.), balises in the track, and a high integrity odometer.

Of course ETCS doesn't use the latest technology - this  is the railway! And one known gap in all such systems to date is being unable to directly check which track you are on, except at a balise. I think that leads to extra balises being needed - and they are expensive to install. I think adding new sensors to ETCS is in theory quite possible, though the bureaucracy involved might make it a lot less so. Though note that anything installed in large numbers on the track, even if you think it is inherently cheap, has a high cost both initially and in maintenance (including checking its presence and operation).
Logged
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: [1]
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules (email link to report). Forum hosted by Well House Consultants

Jump to top of pageJump to Forum Home Page