On 22/05/2021 08:47, martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk wrote:
> To be precise the first ad is for trainline and the first TWO results is for the trainline using Google.
>
> SWR and LNER were the only ToCs in the first two pages of results.
>
> Others may get different results depending on how much google knows about you.
>
> It is of great concern to me that the ToCs are featuring so far down in the result as that is were you get the most useful information, particularly delays and cancellations.

One separate but related question is how the links to the TOCs are chose by nationalrail.co.uk in their journey planner. Often, perhaps usually, they make a sensible choice using the operator of the service. But not always.

I just tried a search for trains from Harrow on the Hill to Amersham on a weekday mid-morning next week - the only mainline rail operator is Chiltern, obviously. But the results are as follows:

dep 11:39 arr 12:02 Buy from LNER
dep 12:09 arr 12:32 Buy from Thameslink
dep 12:39 arr 13:02 Buy from Avanti West Coast
dep 13:09 arr 13:32 Buy from Hull Trains

The ticket seller I've shown above is the default - it is of course a drop-down list with all the others shown as well. But one wonders how the default can possible be chosen? And if I were running Chiltern Railways I'd wonder why my company was never the default. Another bit of inscrutable AI I suppose.

--
Clive Page

Clive Page <usenet@page2.eu> wrote:
> On 22/05/2021 08:47, martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk wrote:
>> To be precise the first ad is for trainline and the first TWO results is
>> for the trainline using Google.
>>
>> SWR and LNER were the only ToCs in the first two pages of results.
>>
>> Others may get different results depending on how much google knows about you.
>>
>> It is of great concern to me that the ToCs are featuring so far down in
>> the result as that is were you get the most useful information,
>> particularly delays and cancellations.
>
> One separate but related question is how the links to the TOCs are chose by
> nationalrail.co.uk in their journey planner. Often, perhaps usually,
> they make a sensible choice using the operator of the service. But not always.
>
> I just tried a search for trains from Harrow on the Hill to Amersham on a
> weekday mid-morning next week - the only mainline rail operator is
> Chiltern, obviously. But the results are as follows:
>
> dep 11:39 arr 12:02 Buy from LNER
> dep 12:09 arr 12:32 Buy from Thameslink
> dep 12:39 arr 13:02 Buy from Avanti West Coast
> dep 13:09 arr 13:32 Buy from Hull Trains
>
> The ticket seller I've shown above is the default - it is of course a
> drop-down list with all the others shown as well. But one wonders how
> the default can possible be chosen? And if I were running Chiltern
> Railways I'd wonder why my company was never the default. Another bit of
> inscrutable AI I suppose.
>

Yes, that really is a weird set of results! Even Chiltern's parent
company, Arriva, other franchise isn't there.