Where did the 1201 from Redditch go today (09/05/2024)?

[trainJam]

Note: This is something I have randomly stumbled across whilst searching for something else today - I was not physically at Redditch so I can't be certain of the following.
I don't know much about how timetabling works or what is shown on sites like RealTimeTrains. I am just confused as to what is going on.

All media below accessed 09/05/2024.

Here is an extract of the WMR timetable for the cross city line timetable:


Figure 1: Extract of the WMR timetable - Monday to Friday Northbound, RDC 1201 is my highlighting. Available at https://www.westmidlandsrailway.co.uk/media/4328/download?inline.

There are services departing Redditch at, for instance 1101, 1131, 1201, 1231, ... every half an hour.
Except today, I have a look on RealTimeTrains today and it the 1201 is not there:



Figure 2: RealTimeTrains: where is the 1201? https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/se...4-05-09/0000-2359?stp=WVSC&show=all&order=wtt


For comparison, I had a look at Tuesday 07/05/2024:



Figure 3: RealTimeTrains: The 1201 exists - I thought I was going crazy. https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/se...4-05-07/0000-2359?stp=WVSC&show=all&order=wtt

Searching 2U30, it is showing as starting from Birmingham New Street, although it was cancelled in any case.

Realtime Trains | 2U30 1246 Birmingham New Street to Four Oaks | 09/05/2024

Real-time train running information for 2U30 1246 departure from Birmingham New Street to Four Oaks on 09/05/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Looking at Birmingham New Street:

Figure 4: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:BHM/2024-05-09/1246

What does "VVR" mean?
Where was the 1201 today?
If it isn't running, why doesn't it show something like "cancelled" at Redditch?

Actually, I would like to add another similar one today:
Where was the 1250 from Birmingham New Street to Hereford?


WMR timetable for Birmingham to Hereford.

Realtime Trains | Departures from Birmingham New Street all day on 09/05/2024

Train information at Birmingham New Street all day on 09/05/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[800Travel]

Note: This is something I have randomly stumbled across whilst searching for something else today - I was not physically at Redditch so I can't be certain of the following.
I don't know much about how timetabling works or what is shown on sites like RealTimeTrains. I am just confused as to what is going on.

All media below accessed 09/05/2024.

Here is an extract of the WMR timetable for the cross city line timetable:
View attachment 157872

Figure 1: Extract of the WMR timetable - Monday to Friday Northbound, RDC 1201 is my highlighting. Available at https://www.westmidlandsrailway.co.uk/media/4328/download?inline.

There are services departing Redditch at, for instance 1101, 1131, 1201, 1231, ... every half an hour.
Except today, I have a look on RealTimeTrains today and it the 1201 is not there:

View attachment 157873

Figure 2: RealTimeTrains: where is the 1201? https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/se...4-05-09/0000-2359?stp=WVSC&show=all&order=wtt


For comparison, I had a look at Tuesday 07/05/2024:

View attachment 157874

Figure 3: RealTimeTrains: The 1201 exists - I thought I was going crazy. https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/se...4-05-07/0000-2359?stp=WVSC&show=all&order=wtt

Searching 2U30, it is showing as starting from Birmingham New Street, although it was cancelled in any case.

Realtime Trains | 2U30 1246 Birmingham New Street to Four Oaks | 09/05/2024

Real-time train running information for 2U30 1246 departure from Birmingham New Street to Four Oaks on 09/05/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Looking at Birmingham New Street:
View attachment 157875
Figure 4: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:BHM/2024-05-09/1246

What does "VVR" mean?
Where was the 1201 today?
If it isn't running, why doesn't it show something like "cancelled" at Redditch?

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/realtimetrains-website.189152/post-5160606

VVR is to VSTP as VAR is to WTT. In other words a schedule created on the day by Control, but which has since been altered.

So possible perhaps it was cancelled from Redditch to begin at Birmingham New Street instead (could be due to a variety of reasons that hopefully someone knows), and then subsequently cancelled. RTT says 'This service was cancelled due to an issue with the train crew (TG) (https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C74805/2024-05-09/detailed) so maybe overtime ban problems?

Note: This is something I have randomly stumbled across whilst searching for something else today - I was not physically at Redditch so I can't be certain of the following.
I don't know much about how timetabling works or what is shown on sites like RealTimeTrains. I am just confused as to what is going on.

All media below accessed 09/05/2024.

Here is an extract of the WMR timetable for the cross city line timetable:
View attachment 157872

Figure 1: Extract of the WMR timetable - Monday to Friday Northbound, RDC 1201 is my highlighting. Available at https://www.westmidlandsrailway.co.uk/media/4328/download?inline.

There are services departing Redditch at, for instance 1101, 1131, 1201, 1231, ... every half an hour.
Except today, I have a look on RealTimeTrains today and it the 1201 is not there:

View attachment 157873

Figure 2: RealTimeTrains: where is the 1201? https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/se...4-05-09/0000-2359?stp=WVSC&show=all&order=wtt


For comparison, I had a look at Tuesday 07/05/2024:

View attachment 157874

Figure 3: RealTimeTrains: The 1201 exists - I thought I was going crazy. https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/se...4-05-07/0000-2359?stp=WVSC&show=all&order=wtt

Searching 2U30, it is showing as starting from Birmingham New Street, although it was cancelled in any case.

Realtime Trains | 2U30 1246 Birmingham New Street to Four Oaks | 09/05/2024

Real-time train running information for 2U30 1246 departure from Birmingham New Street to Four Oaks on 09/05/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Looking at Birmingham New Street:
View attachment 157875
Figure 4: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:BHM/2024-05-09/1246

What does "VVR" mean?
Where was the 1201 today?
If it isn't running, why doesn't it show something like "cancelled" at Redditch?

Actually, I would like to add another similar one today:
Where was the 1250 from Birmingham New Street to Hereford?

View attachment 157876
WMR timetable for Birmingham to Hereford.

View attachment 157877

Realtime Trains | Departures from Birmingham New Street all day on 09/05/2024

Train information at Birmingham New Street all day on 09/05/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C72414/2024-05-09/detailed 1V27 (12:50 Birmingham New Street to Hereford) seems to run altered timings between 07/05/2024 till 10/05/2024. Again, unsure why

 

[MCR247]

Could it be due to the overtime ban this week?

 

[Watershed]

It'll be an on-the-day cancellation due to the current ASLEF overtime ban. They probably initially thought they didn't have a driver to cover the Redditch to New Street section, but later also couldn't find a driver for the New Street to Four Oaks section.

The reason it doesn't show up is that WMT, like many train companies, engages in the highly dishonest practice of "P-coding", whereby trains are cancelled or amended on (or very close to) the day of travel in a manner that suggests they were never planned to run. This manipulation of the data is intended to increase their official performance statistics and to reduce their liability for Delay Repay, as they will no doubt gaslight any customers who had planned to take the 12:01 from Redditch, claiming it was "never planned to run" - thus they haven't been delayed.

 

[trainJam]

As for the reason - the overtime ban reason makes sense at the moment. Understandable.

The reason it doesn't show up is that WMT, like many train companies, engages in the highly dishonest practice of "P-coding", whereby trains are cancelled or amended on (or very close to) the day of travel in a manner that suggests they were never planned to run. This manipulation of the data is intended to increase their official performance statistics and to reduce their liability for Delay Repay, as they will no doubt gaslight any customers who had planned to take the 12:01 from Redditch, claiming it was "never planned to run" - thus they haven't been delayed.

1. What does 'P' in 'P-Code' mean?
2. To the extreme, why don't companies 'P-code' everything that gets cancelled? Too blatantly obvious? Is there some sort of limit on what they can get away with?
3. Can anything be done to stop this practice? Are there any genuine uses for 'P-coding"?
4. What is the point of the published passenger timetable on the WMR website if it can be pulled from under our feet? If it is cancelled (regardless of reason) we should know about it. (Perhaps cliché, but it sounds like disappearing buses.)

 

[Robski_]

Cancelled due to a shortage of train crew.
https://railchecker.app/service/2024-05-09/C74805/detailed/
Link will expire 14/05/2024 due to data retention limitations.

1. What does 'P' in 'P-Code' mean?
2. To the extreme, why don't companies 'P-code' everything that gets cancelled? Too blatantly obvious? Is there some sort of limit on what they can get away with?
3. Can anything be done to stop this practice? Are there any genuine uses for 'P-coding"?
4. What is the point of the published passenger timetable on the WMR website if it can be pulled from under our feet? If it is cancelled (regardless of reason) we should know about it. (Perhaps cliché, but it sounds like disappearing buses.)

1. It comes from the cancellation codes used - anything beginning with "P" is a planned cancellation and therefore not subject to the usual reporting requirements.
2. P-coding has to be done a certain time in advance, so for example it can't be used if there is a fault on a train as that isn't likely to be known about on the day prior. I have attached a list of planned delay/cancellation attribution codes below, sourced from here.
3. There are genuine reasons - for example, a landslip/flooding requiring an emergency timetable to be introduced.
4. According to the National Rail Conditions of Travel, the timetable can be changed up to 10pm the night before. In this case, the cancellation was advertised on Darwin/National Rail Enquiries along the whole route from Redditch (link above) and therefore will have shown on passenger information screens and on most apps/websites.

Code	Reason	Abbreviation
PA	Published TSR associated with Planned Engineering Works where time loss is within Engineering Allowance	PLANND ENG
PB	Published TSR due to condition of asset (not associated with Engineering Work) where time loss is within Engineering Allowance	PLANND CON
PD	System generated cancellation (NOT to be attributed to manually)	SYSTM CANC
PF	Planned engineering work where a published diversion/SLW is not provided for in the schedule but where time loss is within Engineering Allowance	DIVRSN SLW
PG	Planned cancellation where that cancellation is identified and agreed prior to 22.00 the day before the schedule runs	PLAND CAPE
PJ	Cancellation of a duplicate or erroneous schedule or an identified duplicate, false or erroneous delay (NOT berth off set related)	DUPLICATE
PL	Exclusion commercially agreed and documented between Network Rail and Train Operator	AGREED EXC
PN	VSTP service delays of under 5 minutes caused by regulation and or time lost in running (VSTP Schedule delay ONLY where that delay causes no reactionary delay)	VSTP DELAY
PT	Authorised TRUST reporting anomalies or inaccuraciesrelating to berth off sets	TRUST ANOM

 

[Watershed]

To the extreme, why don't companies 'P-code' everything that gets cancelled? Too blatantly obvious? Is there some sort of limit on what they can get away with?

They are generally only measured on cancellations "on the day", so a lot of TOCs do indeed use P-code for any cancellation that qualifies under the (IMHO poorly written) industry rules. Others use it for cancellations they consider "unavoidable" or "outside of their control", such as due to industrial action or problems with the availability of trains or the infrastructure.

There isn't really any limit to what they can get away with. The ORR have asked TOCs to keep better records of P-coding so that they can make their published statistics more accurate - but they haven't intervened to stop this dishonest practice.

Can anything be done to stop this practice? Are there any genuine uses for 'P-coding"?

It can only really come from either a regulator or consumer body (but none are interested in addressing this issue), or alternatively from the relevant funding body such as the DfT or Welsh Government, since they are in charge of all TOCs except for the handful of open access operators.

In my view, it is difficult to imagine many circumstances under which "P-coding" could be considered a legitimate practice. Even if there are circumstances truly outside an operator's control (such as severe disruption due to weather), ultimately the statistics should still reflect what is actually delivered, and customers shouldn't be gaslit into believing trains were never planned to operate.

What is the point of the published passenger timetable on the WMR website if it can be pulled from under our feet? If it is cancelled (regardless of reason) we should know about it. (Perhaps cliché, but it sounds like disappearing buses.)

Nothing, essentially. In fact, a lot of operators stopped publishing printed/PDF timetables during Covid with the excuse that constant timetable changes rendered them redundant. That seems to have been a rather convenient excuse for abolishing them permanently, thus removing any semblance that the timetable is something people can rely on.

The NRCoT were first updated in 2022 to introduce the concept of the "Published Timetable of the Day", which was defined to essentially mean 'whatever trains NRE shows as running at 10pm the night before', i.e. attempting to legitimise the (by-then-widespread) practice of P-coding. This was then abolished in April's update to the NRCoT - perhaps having become too blatantly nonsensical of a term, revealing the intention of the TOCs to only operate whichever services suit them on any given day.

It was however replaced with the phrase "the timetable in place on the day that you travel", which is probably worse as it's so ambiguous and open as to be almost meaningless. When "on the day [of] travel" does this timetable become set? What does "in place" mean - what reference is used? No real definition is given.

 

[trainJam]

Cancelled due to a shortage of train crew.
https://railchecker.app/service/2024-05-09/C74805/detailed/
Link will expire 14/05/2024 due to data retention limitations.

1. It comes from the cancellation codes used - anything beginning with "P" is a planned cancellation and therefore not subject to the usual reporting requirements.
2. P-coding has to be done a certain time in advance, so for example it can't be used if there is a fault on a train as that isn't likely to be known about on the day prior. I have attached a list of planned delay/cancellation attribution codes below, sourced from here.
3. There are genuine reasons - for example, a landslip/flooding requiring an emergency timetable to be introduced.
4. According to the National Rail Conditions of Travel, the timetable can be changed up to 10pm the night before. In this case, the cancellation was advertised on Darwin/National Rail Enquiries along the whole route from Redditch (link above) and therefore will have shown on passenger information screens and on most apps/websites.

Ah thanks for explaining the delay code meanings and where it comes from!

A whole new emergency timetable for a large scenario like a closure makes sense and I would agree be a sensible use (otherwise I imagine there would be lots of cancelled services displayed on information systems).

However, for everyday small scenarios, I would prefer to see it as it is - a train in the passenger timetable which hasn't turned up ie 'cancelled' (whether a curtailment or full cancellation). Having a timetable that is set in stone (and only changes a few times a year - I would not mind necessarily if it changed slightly more or less frequently) gives certainty and confidence, even if some trains understandably are delayed or cancelled. I do not like the uncertainty of not knowing what to expect until "10pm the night before."

I was using RTT as I didn't know how to find historic information for just the regular public facing NRE information. Going by your source of railchecker and assuming it is the same as what was shown yesterday in public, I am happy that it would have at least been shown on e.g. the station dot matrix or NRE.

This manipulation of the data is intended to increase their official performance statistics and to reduce their liability for Delay Repay, as they will no doubt gaslight any customers who had planned to take the 12:01 from Redditch, claiming it was "never planned to run" - thus they haven't been delayed.

However, I still find the removal of delay repay poor service in this scenario.

 

[Falcon1200]

1. P-coding has to be done a certain time in advance, so for example it can't be used if there is a fault on a train as that isn't likely to be known about on the day prior.

P-coded cancellations have to be agreed by 2200 the preceding day, which is presumably because passengers are expected to check, between that time and actually travelling, whether their train is running.