Rail Record now shows train allocations for passenger services on live train times for C2C. The train operator runs services out of London Fenchurch Street to the East Thames area including Shoeburyness and Grays.
C2C opted to share their train allocations on the Rail Data Marketplace as part of their live train formation and capacity data set. Other train operators share capacity and planned train classes, but it is not live formation information.
The C2C allocation information is Rail Record’s first proper usage of the products made available through RDM, but going forward the move by C2C shows promise in a drive to better open up the information around train numbers.
Train signalling map website Traksy has announced on its Bluesky profile, that it is also adopting the data set and is showing it to subscribers already.
Currently the data is only available for WTT and VAR schedules, for passenger trains (1 and 2 classes). It is not yet available for ECS workings or VSTP/STP.
New Member Features
The C2C train allocations are shown on train schedules in the “Expected Traction” field. Units in consist are shown on location results for C2C called stations such as Upminster and Barking.
Rail Record website also intends to push the following features once more operators utilise this format of sharing data, or the availability of Connecting Train Identifiers becomes available to public.
Schedule Allocation Alerts
Members can get notified when a train schedule gets an allocation assigned to it. This is in addition to the following other alert triggers:
- Activation
- Movement
- Cancellation, Reinstate
- Change of ID, Change of Origin
- Presence on Signalling Diagrams (OOT, Traksy etc.)
The concept will let members know of the train assigned to the service they are following.
Train Tracker Alerts
In a similar manner to the above, this concept will alert members based on their rolling stock preference rather than schedule preference. An alert is sent when an asset is assigned to a service.
The potential is huge – especially if freight operators were to utilise sharing their allocations on the Rail Data Marketplace.
Start Tracking C2C Train Allocations
You can check train allocations on a new page on the Rail Record website. This page enables you to enter a unit number in the search and see today’s and past day’s running history of that particular vehicle.
Put either a class 357 or class 720/6 number in to the search bar.
The search bar will also show if a unit is “out” as in, has future workings from the time that the query is made. Out will only show if a train as a service that is due to depart its origin in the future. It doesn’t show if a train is on its final journey of the day – after all, if you’re making a trip out for it and it goes to depot in 45 minutes what’s the point.
The Difference Between Sightings and Expected Traction
The Expected Traction line on schedule info has been around for a few months, showing on track plant which is commonly associated with its own running headcode. This field now shows the booked traction for C2C trains as sent by the TOC on their allocations and capacity API.
However Rail Record lets members add their own contribution to the website in the form of sightings. No data set is perfect and even other websites get allocation information wrong from time to time. User added sightings and allocations can therefore contradict each other, but may also compliment and aid information for members.
Train allocations are not shown on the member area – at least not yet. Just user added reports / sightings. You can find allocations via the new page on the live train times site instead. This helps to differentiate the two sources.
Booked train allocations are shown in green on schedule pages in the footer.
What’s Next?
C2C isn’t the only operator to have shared train allocations on the Rail Data Marketplace. Other operators have made theirs available in the form of spreadsheets. This data isn’t feasible to work with, especially if it is uploaded late in the day.
Efforts are being made to make train allocation information more widely available. Could 2025 will be the year for numbers?
Author: matt
Owner of Rail Record