S-class data missing?

[Tim H]

I've been taking another look at writing some code to process S-class messages: after much staring at my code to debug it seems like S-class data is incomplete at the moment, at least for the Cambridge area?  Looking at OpenTrain maps for this area the signal states are also not showing changes as I would expect.

Thanks for any update!

[Matthew Burdett]

Isn't the Cambridge area undergoing a resignalling work?

On Thu, 8 Jan 2026, 14:11 Tim H, <timb...@gmail.com> wrote:

I've been taking another look at writing some code to process S-class messages: after much staring at my code to debug it seems like S-class data is incomplete at the moment, at least for the Cambridge area?  Looking at OpenTrain maps for this area the signal states are also not showing changes as I would expect.

Thanks for any update!

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[Tim H]

Yup, ha - I actually meant to add that as a question at the end of my post:  "is this related to the re-signalling work in the area?"

My follow up question is 'when might we know when the S-class data appears to be intact again?'

[Mark Rawlinson]

On Thursday, January 8, 2026 at 2:43:10 PM UTC Tim H wrote:

Yup, ha - I actually meant to add that as a question at the end of my post:  "is this related to the re-signalling work in the area?"

Yes - the reason for the recent changes to the Cambridge (CA) Train Describer S-class data is because

the final sections of the old Cambridge PSB panel, which controlled from Elsenham and Meldreth

through to Coldham Lane Junction north of Cambridge, were abolished over the Christmas period,

replaced by two brand new workstations.

In addition to this 'recontrol', a dozen or so extra signals have been commissioned in the Cambridge South

area in preparation for that station's delayed opening this summer, and along with associated new routes

and track circuits, has meant that the entire S-class data for CA has had to be renumbered from scratch

to be able to fit all the new data in. 

 

My follow up question is 'when might we know when the S-class data appears to be intact again?'

As far as I'm aware, the data is already fully complete (aspects are working on signalmaps and Railcam),

although as a disclaimer I must explain that I only deal with the signal aspect part of the data for Railcam,

as I have to work them out 'the hard way' using trial and error and to do that for routes and track circuits

too would be way beyond my capabilities!  

So if you need any assistance for the signal aspect part of the data, feel free to contact me by email,

but for routes, track circuits, TRTS, etc, you're on your own, I'm afraid!!

MARK

[Peter Hicks]

Hi Tim

On Thursday, 8 January 2026 at 14:11, Tim H <timb...@gmail.com> wrote:

I've been taking another look at writing some code to process S-class messages: after much staring at my code to debug it seems like S-class data is incomplete at the moment, at least for the Cambridge area? Looking at OpenTrain maps for this area the signal states are also not showing changes as I would expect.

I haven't updated the underlying data or the maps for Cambridge yet as I'm working on other projects.  I'm also interested to see who is inconvenienced by me not​ having updated the site, as I know there are several people out there who are just stealing the substantial work I do to build their own 'signal diagrams' websites or projects.

Peter

[Tim H]

Thanks all, very interesting and appreciated.

Peter: just to clarify I was only looking at the (fantastic) OpenTrain map's signal status with my eyes (mostly just to actually look for my trains for travel to work/Ely) when I noticed that S-class message issues must be in play there too because of the unchanging red/green signals.