A new GEMINI system feed was recently made available over at RDM which supplies train unit allocation data including the actual allocation unit numbers and of course we had to include them our boards!
What are unit allocations? and why would I care about them?
Unlike virtual train headcodes which can be assigned to different trains, the unit allocation number is the physical number of the train. They are particularly popular with rail enthusiast who can tick off a certain train on there list or look forward to seeing certain unit coming through the station. They’re especially pleased if an unusual type turns up to work a train or route when it is normally something else. Having unit numbers on their boards or on apps allows them to say “oh I’ve seen that” or know in advance if something more exotic is coming along. They bring an extra layer of detail to the real time data and just make it more exciting. London Overground and Caledonian Sleeper are currently not supported.
Its also very useful to know what type of train is coming before it arrives, You might decide to wait for a longer or more comfy one!
We can also use this data to populate more “This train is formed of 5 coaches” service information which was quite lacking on certain feeds in the past. As more and more data is added to this feed we will be able to start showing train formation diagrams detailing coach letters, toilet, bike and first class locations and much more.
How do I enable the unit allocation numbers?
This feature is only supported by our Darwin18, RTT & Tiger data feed, so make sure one of those is selected first. You can enable them using the web config, go to the “Service options” section and toggle on the new “Show unit allocation numbers” option. They will appear after the calling at list on the board itself.
We hope you enjoy this new feature, we have many more new exciting features to come!