How do trains know?

Question

Why is it my train runs more or less on time every day except when I have an appointment? When I'm trying to be somewhere at a specific time they're always late. How do they know?

Also as an additional, what actually is a "points failure" as that almost always seems to be responsible? Is it a genuine excuse or do they just say that whenever they run a bit late.

Answer 1

A points failure covers a lot of sins on the railway. This could be as nasty as a road lockout, where trains can only run in one direction onto one specific line (had one of these a couple of days ago and made my life hell), which will mean the trains either can not run on that line or need to reach a certain point and then set back over a different set of points and line to get to there destination. Others could be a frozen set of point switches, failure of the point switch to detect the points are set, obstruction in the points contact ot trailing rails, failure of the safety bars or equipment, a wrong road set for the points by the signalman or shunter in some cases, a failure of the signal system associated with those points, Permanent Way staff fixing a problem with the set of points, or routine maintenace of the same and hand signalling all trains past the area, submerged points due to heavy rainfall which shorts the system, all sorts of things can happen.
No company will just give an excuse made up of why a train is late and service disruption, too many Railwaymen be it Driver, Guard, Conductor, Platform Workers, Ticket Clerks know exactly what is going on and would quite happily tell you what it means, we just dont want to complicate things and confuse you.
After all next time you are on your local station and you see a group of rail workers talking listen to the conversation and see if you can follow it if they are talking about an incident or rail buisness.

As for the first part of the question, do you mind not travelling by train, they would run fine then, lol. Just bad luck I am afraid.

Answer 2

We don't acually know...we just guess when you're traveling.

Points failures happen all the time on such a complicated system as we have in Britain.
But at the moment the worse failure we can have is when signalling cable is stolen for the copper wire it contains.
A visit from "the wire fairy" can impact over a lot larger area than just where the wire was stolen and can last for a few days at a time.
Most "points failures" are caused by wire being stolen ,as it can disable other parts of the signalling system causing the points to become locked towards just one route.
So if you see a van or pick up with large coils of dirty used wire driving away from the railway.... just think that scrote who's gonna get a couple of hundred quid for it ,is costing hundereds of thousands of pounds damage and delay to you.

Answer 3

Points are used to move trains from one rail to another, to check that they are correctly in position they are electrically detected. If they are not in the correct position trains fall of the rails.There is a 2mm tolerance so as you can imagine there are many reason that the may not make such as
Dirt and oil between the blades, rubbish I.E. drink cartons, newspapers causing obstructions. Points take a heavy pounding by the trains causing components to wear or become loose, any of these can contribute to points not making detection.
So to sum it up they are a valid excuse. Don't forget some of these points can go over and back 100s of times a day but we don't worry until they break

Answer 4

It's called sods law.

A points failure more often than not is a defect in the sensor which tells the system that the point blade is in the correct position. This failure will automatically put the signal(s) which protect the points back to danger causing huge delay until the problem is fixed.

Answer 5

Not sure about the points failure thing.
There are indeed switch points that help move trains form one track to another but the failure may be somehting else altogether.
The scheduling thing is all a cosmic joke by some very perverse space aliens, they are the very same bastids that make sure everyone with a car and no destination is in MY WAY whenever I am trying to go somehwere.
They get such a laugh out of it, they are sooo easily amused.
You should see what they do to politics, disgusting.

Answer 6

A 'points failure' means that the device which switches trains from one track to another has ceased to operate for one reason or another. I don't think it is an excuse, it is a reason. One set of points failing, say near London Bridge in the rush hour, has knock on effects everywhere. A railway system is the sum of its parts - if one of those parts goes wrong, the whole system suffers. Also, a points failure at the exit to a depot in the early morning can be catastrophic if it means stock cannot get out to provide that morning's services.

As to your point about them always being late when you are trying to be somewhere, I'm sure you exaggerate a little. However, if something is important, you will tend to remember that and any hitches surrounding that event. But are you sure you don't have an enemy who is causing you problems!!!

Answer 7

They just know. It's the same when your driving and running late. You hit every red light between home and where you need to get.

Answer 8

Its called "Sods Law" or "Murphy's Law" after a gentleman who first described it in print

Answer 9

Its the conspiracy theory and you would be surprised how often points fail, with this heat the rails tend to break, thats why you see so many on the track on sat/sun.

Answer 10

There's also O'Rourkes Corollary which states that Murphy was an optimist.