Southeastern joining trains at Ashford International

[sbf kent]

My journey to work involves me commuting from Tunbridge Wells to Canterbury West and back via Tonbridge and Ashford International (not sure why it is still called international?)

I come back leaving Canterbury West at about 16:30, Both the National and South Eastern Journey planner show a 16:23 to Ashford International and then change to the 17:02 Ashford International to Tonbridge.

In fact there is a 16:35 Canterbury West to Charing Cross, which joins a Dover Priory section at Ashford International, leaving at 17:02, ( the indicated connection from the 16:23) but the 16:35 in reality a direct train from Canterbury West does not show on either planner.

When I get the 16:35 from Canterbury West to Ashford International the announcement says this train terminates here all change at Ashford, which of course it does not - it joins the front Dover section and continues to Charing Cross.

Is this common that joining services are not shown as through services on planners - if not why not?

Apparently it might be because they have sperate train numbers? but I can't see why that is an issue?

 

[jnjkerbin]

Weird - searching for tomorrow, both SE and NRE show the 1635 for me. Same on the SE Android app.

 

[david737]

The 1635 from Canterbury West is shown in the public timetable as a join up at Ashford, that's the National rail electronic time table (table 189) I don't know what SE's own timetable booklet shows though.

 

[izvor]

I have noticed this too on these evening peak services from Ramsgate via Canterbury West. The CIS on the platforms usually shows Charing Cross, but the PIS on-train often (usually?) shows only Ashford. Sometimes a guard will announce that the train in fact goes through, but if not a lot of pax bale out at AFK then get back on again when they find out that their train is the same one. Surely the driver can override this, if incorrect, when setting up the train?

The timetables correctly show the join-up, don't know about journey planners.

 

[Farigiraf]

This might be an example of showing an earlier stop to discourage going on the slower train, e.g. the Leeds to York via Harrogate-s show Poppleton as the end point - Since getting off at Ashford you would likely want to get to London via HS1, not via Tonbridge, earning them more money.
Kent to Kent journeys are less common than to London, so they don't mind confusing a few passengers over it.

 

[izvor]

This might be an example of showing an earlier stop to discourage going on the slower train, e.g. the Leeds to York via Harrogate-s show Poppleton as the end point - Since getting off at Ashford you would likely want to get to London via HS1, not via Tonbridge, earning them more money.
Kent to Kent journeys are less common than to London, so they don't mind confusing a few passengers over it.

Interesting point, but I suspect cock-up rather than conspiracy in this case.

(Similarly to above, the Ramsgates via the coast generally show Sandwich as the last station, at least at Ashford, as it's generally quicker to go via Canterbury)

 

[ThisIsSurbiton]

Is this common that joining services are not shown as through services on planners - if not why not?

I've seen this happen when the "association" between the two parts of the train is missing from the timetable data, so they appear like two completely separate trains, and if the time between the parts arriving and departing is less than the interchange time required at Ashford - 5 minutes - then you'll be waiting for the next one. Assuming that the long-term timetable is correct, this is more likely when timetables are altered at short notice