Timetables & Route Finder

[Deleted]

I think the solution is even simpler. What's needed is a place on each station to display an extremely simplified, "Temini & Interchanges" diagram, like this:

dl.dropbox.com/u/51034087/DLR-T%26I.pdf

This is so that when people see each of the DLR termini listed on the DMIs, they can quickly equate it to interchange opportunities to the other DLR termini (where the one they want is NOT displayed because it requires a change).

Each station's version would have platform numbers and, where split level, directional indication. As an example, Page 2 of the above file shows the version that would be displayed at Canning Town.

[Chris M]

That's fine if you know the terminus of the branch your train is on and the trains are running the full length of the line.
The other day I was at Shadwell and there were a couple of very perplexed looking people trying to work out whether the train to Gallions Reach would take them to Prince Regent.

[Deleted]

The square Route Finder is their best bet then Chris, either the existing version or (preferably) my remix of it.

I'd be interested to know if they were perplexed because they couldn't understand the mapping provided, or perplexed because they didn't even know where to find it, or weren't looking at it, just looking at the DMIs waiting for "Prince Regent" to appear.

Maybe they were more familiar with NR-style DMIs and were expecting to see a list of intermediate stations scrolling underneath the destination name. That, in fact, wouldn't be a bad idea. Or at least, a "via..." with Frequently-Requested Stations shown.

[Chris M]

Basically the directions they had been given were to change at Shadwell for a Beckton train and alight at Prince Regent but there was no Beckton train showing on the DMI.

The "via..." is used frequently on the eastern branches - every train to Woolwich is shown as "Woolwich Arsenal via London City Airport" (or an abbreviation thereof) and most Beckton trains are described (but never shown) as "Beckton via Custom House for ExCeL" (which is itself confusing as Prince Regent is also for ExCeL and the recommended station for events held at the eastern end). I don't know whether this reduces confusion or not.

My point is that I don't really see how a diagram showing only the termini and principle interchanges will add anything when everyone who isn't already knowledgeable about the system (who don't need such a diagram anyway) needs to read it in conjunction with another diagram.

[Deleted]

Apr 1, 2013 23:06:10 GMT Chris M said:

The "via..." is used frequently on the eastern branches - every train to Woolwich is shown as "Woolwich Arsenal via London City Airport" (or an abbreviation thereof)

Yes - even at King George V when the train is no longer going to go via LCY! I once saw a guy at KGV, looking as if he was headed to the airport, rush on to the platform and jump on a train because he heard the "via London City Airport" over the public address system.

[Chris M]

Yes, they need to sort that. I remember commenting on here about an announcement I heard at Royal Albert advising passengers for ExCeL to take a Beckton train.

[Deleted]

A couple of little extras for no reason other than curiosity:

* My take on this weekend's closures:
dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/51034087/DLREWPoster_20130413.pdf
dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/51034087/DLREWPoster_20130511.pdf

* A totally different map, modified from a version originally put together as a joke (using horrid fonts and colours, which were changed to the proper fonts and colours). It's bizarre but somehow kind of works:
dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/51034087/DLR-S3.pdf

[Deleted]

Apr 3, 2013 16:14:11 GMT @lthrtim said:

Apr 1, 2013 23:06:10 GMT Chris M said:

The "via..." is used frequently on the eastern branches - every train to Woolwich is shown as "Woolwich Arsenal via London City Airport" (or an abbreviation thereof)

Yes - even at King George V when the train is no longer going to go via LCY! I once saw a guy at KGV, looking as if he was headed to the airport, rush on to the platform and jump on a train because he heard the "via London City Airport" over the public address system.

The aural description should indeed be adapted to not include "via"s already passed. However, the DMIs on the platform do not show "via"s which is what I was referring to - not what is on the train, since we were talking about passengers who were confused *on the platform*. Maybe I should have said PIDs. And to clarify, I was advocating that they only show the "via"s that are applicable at each respective station - i.e. KGV's PID wouldn't show "W'wich Arsenal / via London City Airport", only at stations west of LCA.