(26 Jul 2014, 1:10 pm)aureolin wrote Two completely different solutions. Buses need to use a combination of GPS and mobile data. GPS obviously for the vehicle to work out it's position, and mobile data to transmit it to a central control centre. I don't pretend to know an awful lot about rail, but I believe the rail system tracks the unique identifier of a registered train passing different 'check points' throughout the network rail infrastructure. Metro does the same, as you'll notice the next stop announcement always triggers at the same point.

But the same system can work with buses too.

All it takes is a TPE (Nexus) to take control of the system in that specific region and use a bus stop as a check point.

Instead, the bus operators go off on their own, developing and utilising their own system - which like ticketing, has numerous flaws along the way.

More or less each toc has their own app now, using Network Rail systems to show live running times.

I see no reason why it can't work with the bus companies.