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| Accurate Timetable Data 25/12/2014 at 15:57 #67010 | |
leigh
51 posts |
There is an app available for iOS called "Embark CTA" which has reasonably accurate timetable data for all trains operating on the CTA network. This means that reasonably accurate timetables can be created for this sim. I say reasonably accurate because I have just been comparing the CTA website PDFs and the Embark data and found some discrepancies. However I have also found discrepancies between 2 different PDFs on the CTA website. It also seems the Trip Planner on the CTA website agrees with the Embark data and not the PDFs. I'll look further into these discrepancies in the next few weeks. I'll probably have a crack at creating a full day timetable for this sim early in the new year, if no one else beats me to it. I'm also happy to help validating a timetable that is created for this sim using real data. Log in to reply |
| Accurate Timetable Data 25/12/2014 at 19:50 #67022 | |
GeoffM
6376 posts |
The timetable that comes with the sim comes from the CTA's website. There are two types of schedule there: absolute timings (if that's the right phrase) where there are booked departures from station X at specific times, and then there are "every 4-8 minutes" kind of timings. For the former, the timetable has those times in (interpolating the intermediate stations approximately). For the latter I tended to average so there would be a train every 6 minutes, for example. So the former should be more or less realistic; the latter I don't know how they decide whether the next departure will be in 4 minutes or 8 minutes - demand, availability of train/crew, an actual schedule, or what? I believe train running numbers stay with the train all day so train 123 might run 10 times around the loop during the course of one day, for example. Thanks for the pointers. SimSig Boss Log in to reply |
| Accurate Timetable Data 25/12/2014 at 21:10 #67026 | |
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Jan
906 posts 
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They do have a complete schedule - if you open the system guide for a line and then click on "Web-based Text Timetables (via Goroo)", you can get departure times for all lines at all stations, including those periods where the PDF timetable leaflet is only indicating "every 3 to 6 minutes" or whatever. The only thing missing are obviously non-revenue services - you'd have to ask somebody with local knowledge about that. Two million people attempt to use Birmingham's magnificent rail network every year, with just over a million of them managing to get further than Smethwick. Last edited: 25/12/2014 at 21:14 by Jan Log in to reply The following user said thank you: leigh |
| Accurate Timetable Data 26/12/2014 at 01:08 #67038 | |
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leigh
51 posts |
Thanks Jan. I was sure the data would be available on the website somewhere, but couldn't find it when I looked earlier. The CTA seems to have an enormous amount of datasets on their website for developer use, ranging from live train and bus location information, to passenger ridership data, to a list Bus Garage Locations, so I was sure the timetable data would be there somewhere. I was just looking in the wrong place. I'm going to audit this data via Goroo against the Embark data, CTA pdf timetables and trip planner info to try to find the most accurate source of timetable data. Since this data you have pointed to is quite easy to access and filter I may even try knocking up a full day timetable in the next day or so. Log in to reply |
| Accurate Timetable Data 26/12/2014 at 18:05 #67068 | |
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GeoffM
6376 posts |
Thanks - I must admit I didn't even look at that link before as you'd expect the full schedule to be in the, well, full schedule - but obviously not! Looks like there may be a couple of people interested in fixing the TT so please feel free to use the existing one as a base if you like. The intermediate timings may need to be altered too, based on that web schedule.
SimSig Boss Log in to reply |
| Accurate Timetable Data 27/12/2014 at 13:12 #67090 | |
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Danny252
1461 posts |
" said:The intermediate timings may need to be altered too, based on that web schedule.They're pretty awkward to work out, mainly as the web TT doesn't show half minutes which are pretty obviously vital, given that several adjacent station times are identical or flip-flop between N and N+1 minute differences (due to xx:00 -> xx:01H showing as 1 minute, and xx:00H -> xx:02 showing as 2 minutes). This is made even more awkward by the fact that the WTT adds variable amount of slack up to 3 or 4 minutes around the loop, depending on how busy the service currently is! Log in to reply |
| Accurate Timetable Data 27/12/2014 at 14:57 #67100 | |
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guidomcc
246 posts |
" said:" said:Regarding the timetable I have uploaded, I did encounter these problems with the variation and lack of half minutes - some trains are even booked at the same station 'at the same time' (because half minutes are not displayed) on Goroo. I did my best to make my timetable a realisation of the information on Goroo, but this may mean it is not exactly true-to-life and sometimes it is difficult to zero in on a small variations because of the way the information is presented.The intermediate timings may need to be altered too, based on that web schedule.They're pretty awkward to work out, mainly as the web TT doesn't show half minutes which are pretty obviously vital, given that several adjacent station times are identical or flip-flop between N and N+1 minute differences (due to xx:00 -> xx:01H showing as 1 minute, and xx:00H -> xx:02 showing as 2 minutes). This is made even more awkward by the fact that the WTT adds variable amount of slack up to 3 or 4 minutes around the loop, depending on how busy the service currently is! Log in to reply |
| Accurate Timetable Data 28/12/2014 at 13:53 #67147 | |
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leigh
51 posts |
" said:The timetable that comes with the sim comes from the CTA's website. There are two types of schedule there: absolute timings (if that's the right phrase) where there are booked departures from station X at specific times, and then there are "every 4-8 minutes" kind of timings. For the former, the timetable has those times in (interpolating the intermediate stations approximately). For the latter I tended to average so there would be a train every 6 minutes, for example. So the former should be more or less realistic; the latter I don't know how they decide whether the next departure will be in 4 minutes or 8 minutes - demand, availability of train/crew, an actual schedule, or what?There is an actual schedule, and it is available online in a number of forms (although we have since discovered some are more reliable than others) and train crew are rostered to work particular services at specific times. How that schedule is determined is generally based on demand, but limited to number of available trains. The closest frequencies tend to be in the usual peak times (8-9am and 5-6pm) but the ramp up can occur earlier and finish later. For example, the base frequency might be every 10 minutes, then around 7am ramp up to 8 minutes, and then go up to 4 minutes around 8am, then dropping back down to 8 minutes around 9am, and back to 10 minutes at 10am. Since the service is so frequent, it is simply provided to the customer as "every 4-8 minutes". Generally, the frequency is closer spaced in the AM peak but for a shorter period, and the PM peak has a more spaced out frequency for longer, which matches the demand profile of the different peaks. One thing I found interesting about Chicago, is that they have a high ratio of train sets to timetable, which tends to lead to a higher cancellation rate when a number of sets fail. In these cases the supervisor at the terminal station will actually deliberately delay or depart early a train to provide an even frequency as opposed to maintaining the timetable. For example, there may be a 3 minute service frequency scheduled to depart at :00, :03, :06, :09 and :12, but 1 train is removed or doesn't enter service due to failure. Rather than have a 6 minute gap where the missing train is, they will change the service frequency to 4 minutes for a short period of time and have departures at :00, :04, :08 and :12. This apparently is quite a common occurrence, which probably explains why they seem to have no issue tabling 2 services to be on the same platform in the loop at the same time, or in some cases 3 services within a 2 minute period. " said: I believe train running numbers stay with the train all day so train 123 might run 10 times around the loop during the course of one day, for example.The run number stays with the crew, not the train. So the run number is more realistically a crew diagram or schedule number. Train 123 might run multiple times around the loop during the course of one day, as you suggest, but it is likely to be a different train each time. I know on the Blue line a crew can do 3 return trips from Forest Park to O'Hare in one shift, which is 7 hours driving time. The Pink line return loop is about 65 minutes, so it's possible that 1 driver could do about 5 or 6 trips around the loop in one shift. Log in to reply The following user said thank you: BarryM |
| Accurate Timetable Data 29/12/2014 at 00:17 #67159 | |
belly buster
368 posts |
" said:If you must take the 123 train, avoid any passengers with moustaches going to Pelham. Log in to reply |