All station departure boards

[Tadman]

Last week I had an interesting occurrence. While waiting for an hour-late 8/28 in MSP, I looked at the departure board in the sleeper lounge. The time was 7:50am, the train was noted for it's usual 8am departure time, the status was "departed", and the actual physical train was nowhere near even approaching the station.

Who controls these? How do you show a train as "departed" when the scheduled arrival time hasn't happened yet, and the actual train is nowhere near?

Is there some degree of national control given the app can advise of train location and status?

[daybeers]

This happens on the Springfield Line from New Haven, CT to Springfield, MA. The rebuilt stations have LED train information boards, and sometimes a train's status switches from "Last Call" to "Departed" as the train is pulling in but still several hundred feet from the platform. Not sure how this is controlled. Signal blocks?

[Suburban Station]

this happens at 30th and with the new automated announcements following the board, it is confusing. the automated announcement says last call just as a train begins to board, the live announcements are constantly correcting for the automated announcements.

[rcthompson04]

Saw this today at 30th Street when a Northeast Regional was still boarding and the digital sign and announcement were calling for the next Keystone already.

[JoeG]

I notice that when things are not going well at NYP, the signs, and the Amtrak app train status screen, are often messed up. The departure boards change and are not always useful. As for train status, once recently where there was some problem on the NEC, my wife told me that my train, which hadn't left NYP, was listed as having arrived in Harrisburg. I have no idea what needs to be fixed but fixing this kind of screwup can't be that hard. As usual, Amtrak's interest in customer service, or satisfied passengers, is execrably low.

[R36 Combine Coach]

this happens at 30th and with the new automated announcements following the board, it is confusing. the automated announcement says last call just as a train begins to board, the live announcements are constantly correcting for the automated announcements.

Saw this today at 30th Street when a Northeast Regional was still boarding and the digital sign and announcement were calling for the next Keystone already.

Most Regionals are scheduled for 3 or 5 minute stop at PHL, which can be short. Easy to miss if not playing attention.

[rcthompson04]

I notice that when things are not going well at NYP, the signs, and the Amtrak app train status screen, are often messed up. The departure boards change and are not always useful. As for train status, once recently where there was some problem on the NEC, my wife told me that my train, which hadn't left NYP, was listed as having arrived in Harrisburg. I have no idea what needs to be fixed but fixing this kind of screwup can't be that hard. As usual, Amtrak's interest in customer service, or satisfied passengers, is execrably low.

I am not sure what the exact problem is here, but I have not seen it on commuter rail nor with the airlines. If SEPTA can make something work more often than not, Amtrak should be able to do so as well.

[rcthompson04]

this happens at 30th and with the new automated announcements following the board, it is confusing. the automated announcement says last call just as a train begins to board, the live announcements are constantly correcting for the automated announcements.

Saw this today at 30th Street when a Northeast Regional was still boarding and the digital sign and announcement were calling for the next Keystone already.

Most Regionals are scheduled for 3 or 5 minute stop at PHL, which can be short. Easy to miss if not playing attention.

Yep... it seems like every couple times I ride the Keystone someone mixes it up with a Regional often due to the tight dwell times at 30th Street.

[Acela150]

So the system that is in place in 30th Street, NY Penn, etc. is called "PIDS" Passenger Information Display System.

The system does have an issue with showing trains as "Departed" when the train is pulling in. No idea what they're waiting for on as far as a fix though.

On a more humorous note, the automated announcements that play at 30th Street for Keystone Trains announces boarding for those with "Sleeping Car tickets" under the Priority boarding announcements. Of course it's a standard announcement. But it's a good laugh.