At present, Realtime Trains uses data only from the Network Rail Open Data platform. The operational systems which underpin this platform have various issues but in summary during disruption, particularly when trains are altered rather than completely cancelled, the data can be wrong. The “solution” to this problem is using information from Darwin.
Darwin is used as a centralised source of data for multiple systems including customer information on stations, on board passenger information and many mobile phone apps. It takes data from a multitude of sources including TRUST and Train Describer but allows alterations including adjusting calling patterns, diversions, partial cancellations from systems such as Tyrell or through direct input. This isn’t a complete list but gives you an idea of what it does.
Using alteration data from Darwin is a fantastic idea on paper as it means we are all agreed as to what is supposed to be happening. I would love to use this data and integrate it into Realtime Trains… I wrote the code to do it about three years ago. There is, however, a critical problem: using any data from Darwin means that
you must use their prediction forecasts and their time-bound data. I was informed last year, by someone at NRE/RDG, that they allow some people to ignore that; up to now I have been unable to get the same permissions.
I don’t really trust Darwin and it’s one of the reasons that RTT exists. For many years I commuted for my education and found numerous instances where it was wrong back then. More recently, I’ve started travelling weekly to London for some work I’m personally doing to diversify my interests away from rail: there are still instances I find where the forecasts are wrong, and some instances where they disagree between screens and apps!
