ALERT: TxC update to SchemaVersion 2.4 (30th July) & Journey Planner platform migration [UPDATED: 30 July '24]

[UPDATED TUES 30 JULY 2024: The first batch of timetables in TxC v.2.4 are now available! If you encounter any issues with these, please let us know (add a comment below).
FYI: The replacement bus files and bus route 208 will be in 2.1 format, should be changed next week.]

ALERT: for users of TransXChange and/or Journey Planner open data.

Please be aware, the migration of our Journey Planner environment has been scheduled for w/c 22nd July 2024. There will be a couple of small impacts to open data users, which are outlined below…

1. Journey Planner data release (w/c 22/07/24) will be delayed until at least Thurs 25 July 2024

To allow us to perform the platform migration - we will need to delay releases of Journey Planner data until this has completed successfully.

2. Upgrade of TransXChange from v.2.1 to v.2.4:

As part of the migration, we will need to upgrade support for our TransXChange (TxC) data from SchemaVersion 2.1 to SchemaVersion 2.4 - planned dates for this below:
  • Mon 22/07/24 or Tues 23/07/24: first release of TxC data in v.2.1 format;
  • Tues 30/07/24: first release of TxC data in v.2.4 format
    NOTE: TxC data will only be available as v.2.4 after this date

Sample data - TxC v.2.4

As the jump between TxC v.2.1 and v.2.4 is relatively small, we do not anticipate users experiencing any issues with indigesting the upgraded version.
However to provide some reassurance, some sample timetables in TxC SchemaVersion 2.4 can be downloaded in case you would like to test in advance.

We will update this post with any further information or if there are changes to dates outlined here, as soon as it becomes available.

1 Like

[UPDATED TUES 30 JULY 2024: The first batch of timetables in TxC v.2.4 are now available! If you encounter any issues with these, please let us know (add a comment below).
FYI: The replacement bus files and bus route 208 will be in 2.1 format, should be changed next week.]

1 Like

Concretely what does change in the 2.4 version in comparison with the 2.1 version? Thank you!

Hi,

You can find a description of changes made in the 2.4 in Section 1.7 (Page 24) of the Schema Guide:
http://www.transxchange.org.uk/schema/2.4/doc/TransXChangeSchemaGuide-2.4-v-52.pdf
Further details are available in the Delivery Notes:
http://www.transxchange.org.uk/schema/2.4/doc/TXC-v2-4a-deliveryNotes-01.doc

2.4 isn’t radically different to 2.1, so you may not notice much of a change, but this should allow us to provide files that are more consistent with those available from the Bus Open Data Service.

I’ll try to share more specifics soon.

One change that I have noticed with the new release is that rail replacement buses are now included. However, the RouteLinks for these do not include a Direction. I’m aware that it is possible to extract the direction from the RouteId, but this is a less than ideal kludge, as these are supposed to be for internal use only.

@LeonByford
I have just been asked to complete a questionnaire by TNDS which is essentially about the choice between TxC 2.1 and 2.5 formats.

In passing it states that “TIL doesn’t consume TXC v2.1 itself and so produces the data solely for open data user” which might suggest that they are unaware that TfL has as I understand it just migrated to 2.4.

I am probably misunderstanding but it does seem odd that they are talking about 2.5 and TfL about 2.4.

Hi, I haven’t seen this questionnaire, but you may or may not be aware that TIL stands for Traveline Information Limited, who operate both traveline.info and TNDS.

I don’t think they’re commenting on TfL, but rather saying that TIL themselves only use TxC 2.5 (to power traveline.info) but also provide TxC 2.1 for open data users.

I realise the variety of versions provided by different data sources complicates things. That said, over the past few years there has been a push across the sector to standardise on TxC 2.4, which is the version used by the Bus Open Data Service.

@LeonByford
Ah! As you may well have guessed I misread TIL for TfL. They look very similar in some fonts.

I have been using the TxC 2.1 South East file for a long time (and occasionally the London one) but there is a TxC 2.5 set of files as well. They do say that most of their data suppliers send data in 2.4 form.

That begs the question as to why they present data in 2.5 form when open data generally is standardising on 2.4. To quote from their email,
“We currently use the v2.5 output in the Traveline journey planner and there are a number of reasons why we chose this version:
• We apply a deduplication process to the v2.5 output for cross boundary services provided by more than one region.
• Possible inclusion of additional elements such as DepartureDayShift and accessibility information in the form of a LowFloor flag indicator”

The first bullet is irrelevant for TfL, I guess. Haven’t got a clue about the second.

I cannot speak for Traveline, but I’d just mention that DepartureDayShift and LowFloor are already present in TxC 2.4 so I suspect they’re explaining the reason for choosing 2.5 over 2.1, rather than 2.5 over 2.4.

1 Like