It has long amazed me that Auckland has had real-time bus information signs for a number of years, but not real-time information signs at any of our trains stations. Logically, when one thinks about it, creating a real-time system for buses should be much more complicated than doing the same thing for trains. A bus can theoretically go anywhere and the time it takes to get from A to B is theoretically a lot less predictable than a train. Trains don’t have to contend with congestion, they pass along a fixed right of way and it would be pretty easy to know where they are in the system at any given time. In fact, for signalling purposes it’s critical to know where the trains are. But for some reason the various organisations that operate Auckland’s rail system have never bothered to do some as simple as relaying this information to the general public.

Until now that is. At very long last Auckland Transport has announced the good news that from late next month we will see real-time information signs at a number of train stations – and the hope that over time that will be rolled out throughout the entire rail network:

From late July, Auckland Transport will be making improvements to service and disruption information across the board to Auckland Transport passengers.

To achieve this for rail, bus and ferry, Auckland Transport are tracking the vehicles and providing true real time information to passengers regarding the location and predicted timings for services at each stop, which will be updated as things change, including if there are disruptions effecting services at your stop.

You will also see that Auckland Transport are adding more electronic signs for bus and rail around Auckland, including new solar powered bus signs specially designed for lower patronage stops. Auckland Transport are also making changes to all the existing electronic signs, to accommodate new information that will be displayed.

There’s a useful Q & A section too:

Q. When will we be seeing new these new electronic signs?

A. Rail:

We have initially scheduled two waves of installations of new electronic signs:

  • The first wave is scheduled to be installed between 25 July and 5 August 2011
  • The second wave is scheduled to be installed between 5 October and the end of November 2011

Bus:

We are planning to start the roll out of electronic signs from June this year. This will continue through the Rugby World Cup.

Q. Where will the new signs be installed?

A. Rail:

The first wave of seven stations to have new electronic signs will be:
Kingsland (Eden Park)
Morningside
Henderson
Swanson
Papatoetoe
Manurewa
Ellerslie

Bus:

New signs are initially being installed around the new CBD and surrounding suburbs loop services that are being introduced by Auckland Transport this year.

Q. When will “Real Time” take effect for trains?

A. The system will be live at the end of July, in time with the commissioning of the first wave of new signs being installed at train stations.

Q. What will the train station signs look like? What’s new about the display?

A. The following is a mockup of the new layout for the train station signs (not to scale). Q. What do the abbreviations mean on the signs?

A. All the following abbreviations are explained in white decals at the bottom of signs:

* (asterisk) – Once the train is predicted to be departing from the platform within two minutes (one minute for bus), the “Due” column will show this as an asterisk.

C – Cancelled. This will display on all signs displaying a service that is cancelled.

Bus Only:

X – Express service.

Rail Only:

/N – Via Newmarket. This will only be used if the number of characters for the destination of a service exceeds the number that can be displayed on the train station signs.

/GI – Via Glen Innes. This will only be used if the number of characters for the destination of a service exceeds the number that can be displayed on the train station signs.

/LS – Limited Service. This will only be used if the number of characters for the destination of a service exceeds the number that can be displayed on the train station signs.

Q. What will this mean for Auckland Transport passengers?

A. When you are at a bus stop with an electronic sign, or at a train station, or if you just look online at www.maxx.co.nz or check via your mobile phone, you will see:

  • For each service, in addition to the details about the route, you will see the scheduled time for that service to be arriving at or departing from your stop.
  • You will see in the “Due” column a countdown of the minutes to go until the bus, train or ferry is predicted to arrive/depart, based on its current location, speed & direction.
  • When a service is cancelled, you will see a “C” instead of a countdown for that service.
  • Where we have lost track of a vehicle, and cannot currently predict its arrival or departure time, you will only see the scheduled time for that service – the “Due” information will be blank.
  • When the arrival / departure of the bus, train or ferry is imminent (typically within the next one to two minutes) the minutes to go displayed in the “Due” column will be replaced with an asterisk (*).
  • You will no longer see a long list of all the stops where the train is stopping. In its place you will see whether the service is via Glen Innes or Newmarket, and if it is a Limited Stops service this will be indicated.
  • Destination names and abbreviations are being standardized, so for example, you will no longer see some bus services advertised as going to “MIDTWN” and some “MDTOWN” and some “MIDTOWN”.

I do hope the rail system is more reliable than the bus real-time tracking system – which seems to lose buses quite regularly into the “DLY” abyss. Let’s hope there are real-time signs on all stations by the end of November – which will be about the time the HOP card launches on the rail network. Those two things will represent another pretty big step forwards for Auckland’s rail network.

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6 comments

  1. Glad they are continuing through the WC it seems like every other project will be halted during that time.

  2. “You will no longer see a long list of all the stops where the train is stopping.”

    YES. GOSH, that was always SO annoying.

  3. It will also be something to see when Auckland train platforms are finally fitted with these newfangled gadgets called “clocks” that can actually portray the current time as it passes. Dare we expect such a technological upheaval from our rail operators with breath unbated? I am cautiously optimistic.

    1. I’ve not had an issue with the clocks on train platforms. Always seemed to show the right time (+/- around 1 minute) for me. Is there any particular station you have problems with?

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