VSTP and Stp Indicator

[Chris Bailiss]

Hello,

Could I have a quick sense check please re: VSTP messgaes and Stp Indicator.  Last year I received the following:

VSTP Message 1

Time:  2015-09-24 13:44:18.000

Transaction Type:  Create

Train Uid:   28400

Schedule Start Date:  2015-09-24

Schedule End Date:  2015-09-24

Stp Indicator:  N

VSTP Message 2

Time:  2015-09-24 13:44:45.000

Transaction Type:  Create

Train Uid:   28400

Schedule Start Date:  2015-09-24

Schedule End Date:  2015-09-24

Stp Indicator:  O

For a CIF schedule, Stp Indicator "N" would take precedence over "O".  Does the same apply to VSTP here?  If so, the second message would seem to have little value.

Or can only one VSTP schedule exist for a given Train Uid, Schedule Date combination?  (In which case the "Create" in the second message should be interpreted as an update).

Thanks

Chris

[Chris Bailiss]

Also, the information on the wiki is a little confusing in the context of this example:

From http://nrodwiki.rockshore.net/index.php/SCHEDULE

• N - STP schedule: similar to a permanent schedule, but planned through the Short Term Planning process and not capable of being overlaid

Does "overlaid" here mean a CIF schedule cannot overlay a VSTP "N" schedule (which makes sense).  But can a VSTP "N" schedule be overlaid?

Thanks

Chris

[Peter Hicks]

Hi Chris

That's right - a CIF 'N' cannot overlay a CIF 'P' (or an 'O' or 'C') - they're planned through separate processes.  You can have, and I've seen this once or twice, a UID used for a set of STP trains which, at the next timetable, become a WTT (P) schedule, but speaking to some Train Planning people, it appears this isn't the way it's usually done.

With VSTP entered directly in to TRUST, there's very little validation done.  When you create a variation schedule from another schedule, you see a screen with the timings for the original schedule which you can alter, and I think, enter whichever STP indicator you like.  I'll try this out on Tuesday and see what happens.  It's annoying that there isn't stronger validation of VSTP schedules entered directly to TRUST.

To help you work out which of the two VSTPs applies, look back and see if you had an activation and what the STP indicator on that was.  For some reason (I've never been able to get to the bottom of it), the STP indicator on activation messages isn't always right.

Peter

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[Chris Bailiss]

Hi Peter

Thanks for the reply.  In this example, the Stp Indicator in the activation message was "N".

Another similar example below, this time the Stp Indicator in the activation contradicts the Signalling Id.  It seems the best approach is to process the VSTP Transaction Types (Create, Update, Delete, etc) then if multiple VSTP messages remain, take the most recent and ignore the Stp Indicator.

VSTP Message 1

Time:  2014-11-30 19:01:31.000

Transaction Type:  Create

Train Uid:   51870

Schedule Start Date:  2014-12-01

Schedule End Date:  2014-12-01

Signalling Id:  5D22

Stp Indicator:  N

VSTP Message 2

Time:  2014-11-30 19:09:45.000

Transaction Type:  Create

Train Uid:   51870

Schedule Start Date:  2014-12-01

Schedule End Date:  2014-12-01

Signalling Id:  5J22

Stp Indicator:  O

Activation Message:

Received:  2014-12-01 06:25:57.090

Train Uid:   51870

Schedule Start Date:  2014-12-01

Schedule End Date:  2014-12-01

Schedule Wtt Id:  5J222

Stp Indicator:  N

Chris

[Chris Bailiss]

Sorry, correction to my previous message.  The activation message had Stp Indicator P (which, due to the known bug in activation messages is actually O).  So the activation does match up to the most recent VSTP message.

VSTP Message 1

Time:  2014-11-30 19:01:31.000

Transaction Type:  Create

Train Uid:   51870

Schedule Start Date:  2014-12-01

Schedule End Date:  2014-12-01

Signalling Id:  5D22

Stp Indicator:  N

VSTP Message 2

Time:  2014-11-30 19:09:45.000

Transaction Type:  Create

Train Uid:   51870

Schedule Start Date:  2014-12-01

Schedule End Date:  2014-12-01

Signalling Id:  5J22

Stp Indicator:  O

Activation Message:

Received:  2014-12-01 06:25:57.090

Train Uid:   51870

Schedule Start Date:  2014-12-01

Schedule End Date:  2014-12-01

Schedule Wtt Id:  5J222

Stp Indicator:  P