It is now possible to create alerts for a specific train ID within a signalling area. Defauling to 1Z99, 0Z99 and 1X99, members can also set custom headcodes to be alerted about within a signalling area.
This somewhat goes hand in hand with the pre-movement alerts that can be set on a train schedule. Where the pre-movement alerts would only be available for freight services and would be triggered by any matching headcode across the network, the new TD alerts via the member area enable you to target by signalling area as well.
You can either leave the headcode default as 0Z99, 1Z99 and 1X99, or you can set a custom headcode to match. Some use cases:
- Its intended purpose, to get notified about rescue trains
- To get notified about trains that don’t have a schedule…
- Instead of the train schedule TRUST change of ID, so you don’t have to set alerts on lots of different schedules. So if you wanted to get notified that 6V00 is now running back LE, you’d put 0V00 in for the X7 area.
While the use cases of this feature are relatively minor and not particularly of interest for most users, they may come in handy for some people, just like the VSTP alerts. One set, you may not even get a notification for weeks.
Alerts can be set for SMS and email.
Push notifications are not supported, because these do not link to schedules.
SMS contains a message with the TD and berth, whilst email will attempt to include a location name where possible.
Alerts will be triggered when the requested ID is found in a TD area. If the alert is set to recurring, Rail Record will then wait until the train moves again, plus your set wait period – a time which you can set to deter further alerts (to avoid repeated alerts for the same match).
List of Train Describers and Areas
The member area alert set requires you to put in the train describer ID. You can use the below table to look by TOPS location code, or use the TD areas that you think are most relevant to you.
Further Ideas for This Feature
Ideally i’d like to link these to Traksy, Railcam or Opentraintimes maps. Unfortunately none of these sites support a URL structure for direct linking.
Above: Screenshot of an email alert received
Author: matt
Owner of Rail Record