Which real time train running website or app is best?

[AY1975]

Unfortunately it seems that most if not all sites and apps only let you access train running information for the past seven days, although on RTT if you know the webpage address for the train in question you can manually alter the date in the webpage address to view the same train at an earlier date. As far as I can see the webpage address for a particular train often ceases to be valid at each timetable change, though?

Does anyone know if there is a site or app that allows you to look up the details of a particular train that ran more than seven days ago?

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Unfortunately it seems that most if not all sites and apps only let you access train running information for the past seven days, although on RTT if you know the webpage address for the train in question you can manually alter the date in the webpage address to view the same train at an earlier date. As far as I can see the webpage address for a particular train often ceases to be valid at each timetable change, though?

Does anyone know if there is a site or app that allows you to look up the details of a particular train that ran more than seven days ago?

You can use recenttraintimes, which I don't have much experience with it but it seems good.

Home Page - Recent Train Times

 

[MrJeeves]

Unfortunately it seems that most if not all sites and apps only let you access train running information for the past seven days, although on RTT if you know the webpage address for the train in question you can manually alter the date in the webpage address to view the same train at an earlier date. As far as I can see the webpage address for a particular train often ceases to be valid at each timetable change, though?

Does anyone know if there is a site or app that allows you to look up the details of a particular train that ran more than seven days ago?

Feel free to use Timetable History (or TrainSplit's proxy for it): https://timetables.trainsplit.com/

Not the best UI to find a service (choose the date, then a station it calls at, wait however long it takes to load, then scroll through the whole day's services to find the one you want), but it does what you want it to I believe.

 

[AJM580]

http://www.charlwoodhouse.co.uk/ has train running data for more than 7 days ago.

 

[Warrior2852]

Personally I use a combination of systems, I use RTT for journey planning and detailed information about planned timings or rolling stock, Traksy for finding out where trains physically are, and NRE for checking for delays, cancellations, and confirmed platforms.

 

[karlbbb]

Traksy is good for maps.

I like that Traksy has the whole of the Merseyrail network in one view, but the signalling and route data is an absolute mess. OTT is unbeatable in this regard.

 

[AY1975]

Feel free to use Timetable History (or TrainSplit's proxy for it): https://timetables.trainsplit.com/

Not the best UI to find a service (choose the date, then a station it calls at, wait however long it takes to load, then scroll through the whole day's services to find the one you want), but it does what you want it to I believe.

Thanks, that's very useful. However, there still doesn't seem to be any way of looking up which loco or unit worked a particular train more than seven days ago if it wasn't in the current timetable period.

When you look up a train on the TrainSplit site, the webpage address includes a five-digit number with an L prefix, and on Real Time Trains it has a five-digit number with a Y prefix. I tried looking it up by manually keying in the same L prefixed number on TrainSplit in place of the Y prefixed number on RTT, firstly with an L prefix and then with a Y prefix, but RTT still didn't recognise that train ID.

http://www.charlwoodhouse.co.uk/ has train running data for more than 7 days ago.

I can't work out how to get that information on there either.

 

[Gaelan]

Thanks, that's very useful. However, there still doesn't seem to be any way of looking up which loco or unit worked a particular train more than seven days ago if it wasn't in the current timetable period.

When you look up a train on the TrainSplit site, the webpage address includes a five-digit number with an L prefix, and on Real Time Trains it has a five-digit number with a Y prefix. I tried looking it up by manually keying in the same L prefixed number on TrainSplit in place of the Y prefixed number on RTT, firstly with an L prefix and then with a Y prefix, but RTT still didn't recognise that train ID.

RTT unfortunately doesn't keep data for trains more than 7 days ago, and nobody else (that I'm aware of) has data on unit allocations, certainly not historical ones.

 

[Class15]

RTT unfortunately doesn't keep data for trains more than 7 days ago, and nobody else (that I'm aware of) has data on unit allocations, certainly not historical ones.

Railcam?

 

[davews]

Raildar - https://raildar.co.uk/
You need to create an account. Not sure how far it goes back, maybe even a year, just looking at trains from September.
But as far as I can see doesn't hold train id.

 

[Robin Procter]

As a railway photographer rather than traveller I use RTT which is very good at home on my desktop but isn't as precise as I would like it when out trackside with my iPhone and camera.

Can anyone recommend an app please which accepts headcodes including freight and railtours and is live? Thanks

[I am a respectful railway enthusiast, not an irresponsible trainspotter]

 

[zwk500]

As a railway photographer rather than traveller I use RTT which is very good at home on my desktop but isn't as precise as I would like it when out trackside with my iPhone.

Can anyone recommend an app please which accepts headcodes and is live? Thanks

If you put the headcode into RTT's search box it usually finds it - I have had problems before though especially with Freight and Charters where it doesn't return a search result but if I go to the station lineup it's there.

I personally like SignalMaps as it has delay colour coding and the headcodes link to RTT very nicely. It's also got an app, although I don't think it'll search for headcodes. It's main problem is it doesn't have that much coverage of the network so I use Traksy or OTT for those areas.

 

[crosscity]

I use the paid-for version of Railcam all the time when out and about and at home.
Allocations are added by other users (occasionally by me), and there is at least two weeks-worth of train history.
At home seeing the trains on the various webcams before going out to get photos can be a real boon.
The diagrams work well too.

You just need to watch out if you are used to RTT. Railcam doesn't interpolate times at places between timing points.
RTT is good if you want to find trains that run between two places on the day.

I use openrail/charlwoodhouse to find when particular freight trains have run in the past. It's not the easiest system to use, but the data goes back at least a couple of years.

 

[Tom]

If you put the headcode into RTT's search box it usually finds it - I have had problems before though especially with Freight and Charters where it doesn't return a search result but if I go to the station lineup it's there.

Add detailed to the end of your query - it'll only search freight and charters if you're in a detailed mode page. e.g. "5Q23 detailed"

 

[zwk500]

Add detailed to the end of your query - it'll only search freight and charters if you're in a detailed mode page. e.g. "5Q23 detailed"

Thanks very much for that tip!

 

[Robin Procter]

Add detailed to the end of your query - it'll only search freight and charters if you're in a detailed mode page. e.g. "5Q23 detailed"

.... I discovered that the hard way (in other words, eventually by trying it) but I am not complaining and I like and value RTT and appreciate it is complex and so has limitations.

Those limitations are largely controlled by the rail network not updating train movements quickly enough rather than RTT being at fault. A very typical example are the yellow Test Trains whose timetables can vary very wildly and of course engineering trains etc - Anything yellow!

I rely on railway insider friends feeding me the headcodes of trains they know I will be interested in shooting. Otherwise I select a spot (as if starting there) and do a RTT detailed search with a custom timeframe and then select individual trains from the list it loads. Entering ZZ narrows it down to freight and engineering by omitting all the standard passenger train stuff. Sometimes RTT doesn't load a headcode directly via Detailed Search but does show it in the list I have just described.

Consequently I am seeking an additional app to be able to see a train's live progress towards me and my camera on a signal by signal section basis. It must be iOS (Mac) friendly. I don't think that RTT offer an app so I use my Safari browser.

Traksy looks the best so far and so a one month trial (paid) looks worth it. Others such as OTT and Signal Maps look a nightmare due to no filters and a black background on a mobile phone.

 

[Freightmaster]

Consequently I am seeking an additional app to be able to see a train's live progress towards me and my camera on a signal by signal section basis. It must be iOS (Mac) friendly. I don't think that RTT offer an app so I use my Safari browser.

Traksy looks the best so far and so a one month trial (paid) looks worth it. Others such as OTT and Signal Maps look a nightmare due to no filters and a black background on a mobile phone.

It probably isn't what you are looking for as I also use a dark background (proven to reduce eyestrain),
but Freightmaster also has over 120 unique Realtime Maps which have an emphasis on lines/areas with
decent amounts of freight traffic.

My maps definitely work on iOS, as I test them all on an iphone, iPAD and Mac!

The reason I posted is because in addition to the maps, Freightmaster also features constantly updated
lists of upcoming test train workings which you mentioned being interested in...



MARK

 

[David Burrows]

I use Signal Maps ( https://signalmaps.co.uk/ ) whenever possible for current running - good clear maps and just hover over train description to see what train is and click on description to get details of it. Doesn't cove whole country but most main lines.

 

[Silver Cobra]

One website I have recently begun using for real time train information is Avanti West Coast's live running page (powered by SignalBox):

Signalbox

www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk

This page shows on a map exactly where any train is on the network (not just Avanti's services), and updates the positions in real time. Very useful for lines where there can be large gaps between signals or reporting points.

 

[Annetts key]

I just wish to point out that all the real time web sites and apps obtain their data from the Network Rail data feeds, hence they can only be as accurate and up to date as the information that Network Rail has.

Where modern signalling systems exist (PSBs/Panels/Workstations/IECC/computerised etc.) there will be a train describer (TD) system that automatically updates the position as the train moves from one signal (or equivalent) to the next.

However, elsewhere, the Network Rail system only knows about a change when a human enters new information or "steps" the train description (headcode) forward.

Further, apart when a train is stopped at a signal, station or certain other locations, normally most of the time, the train description steps ahead of the train. Where the signal or block section is long, the train can be miles away from where the system shows it.

Certain failures can cause various weird data faults. Including trains being shown in places where they are not.

I just wanted readers to understand the limitations.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

One website I have recently begun using for real time train information is Avanti West Coast's live running page (powered by SignalBox):

Signalbox

www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk

This page shows on a map exactly where any train is on the network (not just Avanti's services), and updates the positions in real time. Very useful for lines where there can be large gaps between signals or reporting points.

Signalbox looks good, but whenever a train stops moving (e.g. if it breaks down) it just keeps moving, it's quite clear when this happens as the train starts flying through houses.
I'm pretty sure it uses the same data feed as Realtime trains or Traksy.

 

[Robin Procter]

It probably isn't what you are looking for as I also use a dark background (proven to reduce eyestrain),
but Freightmaster also has over 120 unique Realtime Maps which have an emphasis on lines/areas with
decent amounts of freight traffic.

My maps definitely work on iOS, as I test them all on an iphone, iPAD and Mac!

The reason I posted is because in addition to the maps, Freightmaster also features constantly updated
lists of upcoming test train workings which you mentioned being interested in...

MARK

.... Thank you Mark. However, I have looked at Freightmaster before and it offers much more information than I need and which I already get fed by messages and I expect that is why it is so highly priced compared with the others.

I find that white backgrounds are not a problem on iPhones because the display brightness can be user-set to suit or even to behave automatically. Personally I find white text on black backgrounds uncomfortable to read on any device including a 27-inch desktop.

RTT works mostly very well for my needs except when I want to see live more than one train getting as close as two signal sections to where I am waiting with my camera. I manage but am keen to improve my aids.

Traksy looks favourite so far (in addition to viewing RTT).

 

[Freightmaster]

.... Thank you Mark. However, I have looked at Freightmaster before and it offers much more information than I need and which I already get fed by messages and I expect that is why it is so highly priced compared with the others...

Just for clarification, the reason why Freightmaster is "highly priced" is because it is my full time job
(and has been for the past 30 years) whereas the other websites are run as a hobby/side project of
people who have a highly paid 'proper' job to pay their bills and subsidise their pro bono railway work.



MARK

 

[Robin Procter]

Just for clarification, the reason why Freightmaster is "highly priced" is because it is my full time job
(and has been for the past 30 years) whereas the other websites are run as a hobby/side project of
people who have a highly paid 'proper' job to pay their bills and subsidise their pro bono railway work.
MARK

.... I do understand and respect that Mark. It is only "highly priced compared with the others" (as I originally wrote). I guessed that it was your main source of income and also because of the obvious huge amount of work you put into it to make it as comprehensive as it is.

I think that if I was much better off financially I would subscribe fully to Freightmaster without any thought for its price, but those days are now over for me unfortunately. At least I have experienced such a lifestyle.

I can only say that for what it would offer me personally it doesn't justify me paying its price in my circumstances. That's not a criticism at all but just me controlling my spending.

 

[meld3]

Why is RTT the only one to identify unit numbers, or does someone else also add them?

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Why is RTT the only one to identify unit numbers, or does someone else also add them?

RTT has made deals with the TOCs to get that information.

 

[Robin Procter]

Why is RTT the only one to identify unit numbers, or does someone else also add them?

.... Traksy identifies the class of motive power on standard paths. I don't know yet if the same applies to non-standard paths such as railtour charters.

RTT has made deals with the TOCs to get that information.

.... Info for standard service MUs yes, but not for locomotive hauled trains. Independent locos are very subject to change anyway.

EDIT : RTT sometimes identifies the loco - I was sent this one (Class 57 311) this morning :

Realtime Trains | 5Z58 0955 Eastleigh Arlington (Zg) to Crewe H.S. | 04/04/2024

Real-time train running information for 5Z58 0955 departure from Eastleigh Arlington (Zg) to Crewe H.S. on 04/04/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Robski_]

I just wish to point out that all the real time web sites and apps obtain their data from the Network Rail data feeds

Most make use of National Rail feeds, which uses a variety of sources (a mix of Network Rail data as well as data coming from the TOCs).

Why is RTT the only one to identify unit numbers, or does someone else also add them?

RTT has made private agreements with the operators. The data for this does exist (it's even mentioned in the code for the open data portal!), but some train operators are blocking attempts to make it public due to unfounded "security concerns". It isn't even an issue of cost AIUI - the system has been running quietly in the background since 2019!

I hold out some hope that this will change soon though - Network Rail seems to be testing some data feeds on Rail Data Marketplace which could be used to link vehicle numbers to services, this feed isn't accessible as open data yet though. DfT has also recently started pushing TOCs to provide more open data.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

.... Info for standard service MUs yes, but not for locomotive hauled trains. Independent locos are very subject to change anyway.

GBRF are part of the system too, although there's no easy way to filter their services from the other FOCs.

It gets loco info from TfW (67s), Chiltern (68s), Swanage Railway, Caledonian Sleeper (many classes) and I think one or two more.

 

[DarloRich]

A question: Why the concern with head codes?