Station and on board train announcements - merged topic, ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[Oxman]

It would be wise for the Minister to remember that some of the messages are a requirement laid down by an agency for which he is responsible.

Security announcements (like the one about reporting anything strange to a police officer) are mandated by Transec. TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) must ensure they are broadcast at the Transec recommended intervals. On a large station, that is twice every hour, and the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) system is programmed to do this. I don't know what the required frequency on trains is, but you can be sure TOCs will do all in their power to comply with a Transec requirement. Transec regularly conduct unannounced inspections of station and train security, and have draconian powers if a TOC is seen to be failing. Its inspections are treated very seriously by responsible managers - those who don't, do not remain in their jobs for very long. So, Physician Baker, go heal yourself.

Some of the other announcements, like remember to take all your belongings and mind the gap as you step down to the platform, are probably wasted on the vast majority of passengers, particularly the regular ones. But, if it prevents a few people from leaving luggage, or having an accident, then it has to be worthwhile. The hassle or, indeed, serious injury that might be avoided make it well worthwhile.

And as for smoking announcements, well, as the Minister says, everyone knows that smoking is banned throughout the railway network. So, how come so many people try to smoke on stations and trains? Its a good idea to remind passengers - airlines do it on every flight!

Why does ATOC^» (Association of Train Operating Companies See - here) have to be so woolly about this? TOCs don't harass passengers with announcements for fun - they would love to reduce the number of non-service related announcements. Getting Transec off their back would be a start!

[Super Guard]

I think the security announcement is supposed to be every 30 mins on long-distance... every 20 mins on local services, before departing origin station and arriving at the terminating one.

As Oxman says, if he wants to blame someone speak to Transec! 

Never any police on trains?  Occasionally there are... 

Some stink too much of the nanny state and I feel quite insulted when being told how to alight from a train as though I can't be trusted.

In this day and age of every trip/fall being someone elses fault and ending in a lawsuit, you can be sure "I was given no warning about the gap..." would come out pretty quickly.

In my view, no-one may listen, some such as yourself find them insulting (thanks for listening though), but it may end up covering me and my employer from a ridiculous lawsuit.

[trainer]

I agree that the fear of a lawsuit is the main driver for the 'safety' announcements and that is led not only by the Law industry, but those people who believe they have a right not only to blame someone else for their own genuine errors, but that every accident must be financially valuable.  The 'security' announcements may be something that the minister can do something about.  They are so frequently heard that they've even stopped creating paranoia.

One point I failed to make earlier: I enjoy the personalisation of announcements most times, especially when I can tell the speaker is sharing our pain or has a dry sense of humour.

[paul7575]

"Please remember to take care in these adverse weather conditions" really annoys me especially when used for light drizzle somewhere else on the network (probably near Waterloo in SWT^▸ (South West Trains)'s case).  They must think no-one has ever been out of their house before, and secondly they must not realise how localised the weather can be - so using the 'all stations' option on the PA^▸ (Public Address) is ridiculous...

Any PA announcement to do with no smoking enforcement, either on trains or stations, is a waste of time - the people who still blatantly smoke on station platforms are clearly not doing it because they are unaware - as can be seen by the attempts to try and hide out of sight... 

Paul

[grahame]

In my view, we're overannounced and overregulated and oversignposted - there's scope for a lot of things to be swept out leaving the important stuff more prominent, and more room for useful announcements / signs ... and perhaps a change for a bit of peace and quiet too.  The current set's made worse inmy pedants' mind at times - I'll tell you what I think (I ashamed to admit) when I hear the standard announcements

Keep your luggage with you at all times
   - Hard if going to the buffet or loo and travelling alone
   - Hard if using end of carriage luggage racks

Coaches A and G are the quiet carriages
   - So why are YOU making a noise announcing that in those carriages?

Please take all your belongings with you
   - I can't; I left some of my belongings at home

Please report anything suspicious to a police officer or ...
   - Is there a police officer even on this train?

Please show tickets for your entire journey
   - I can't; I have yet to buy my Chippenham to Melksham bus ticket when I get onto the bus at Chippenham

[swrural]

Any PA^▸ (Public Address) announcement to do with no smoking enforcement, either on trains or stations, is a waste of time - the people who still blatantly smoke on station platforms are clearly not doing it because they are unaware - as can be seen by the attempts to try and hide out of sight... 

Paul

Perhaps some of you are too young to remember this, but the tube trains used to have one smoking coach one removed from the driving end (each end? I can't remember).  Although I was a smoker then, I never smoked while travelling. So i sought out the NS coaches in the middle that smelt of perfume and after shave and in any case was where any eye candy was likely to be sat....

Anyway those smoking coaches were an absolute pigsty.  Not just from smoking paraphernalia but an all-out stinking tip.

 

 

[IndustryInsider]

I'm all for cutting down on some of these bloody annoying announcements.  Alter the Transec guidelines, so that the information only has to be displayed on the internal information screens where trains have them (which will soon be the vast majority of those in service), and limit announcements to calling points, delay information and occasional general service information.

One that annoys me is the habit some staff have of announcing that the train is arriving at Reading and then waffling on for ages about changing there for just about anywhere.  If you're travelling to Gatwick, Twyford, Basingstoke, the west country etc. etc. etc., you likely know that you have to change trains at Reading anyway!

[ellendune]

Who are Transec?

[grahame]

Who are Transec?

I think this particular Transec is probably the one described at http://wiki.intellectuk.org/sr/index.php/TRANSEC (took a bit of finding!)  "TRANSEC is the Department for Transport's Transport Security and Contingencies Directorate"

[JayMac]

They are a bit secretive and I struggled to find any primary legislation that forces TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) to make the security announcements. It seems to be guidelines only.

[phile]

Imagine going into a John Lewis store and hearing all the time:-
  Take care round the cosmetics counter in case any liquid has been dropped on the
   floor

  Take care when stepping on and off the escalators

  When leaving the door please note the doors are automatic

   Do not stop breathing to avoid dead bodies in the store

 Thet would soon lose customers.   

[swrural]

Imagine going into a John Lewis store and hearing all the time:-
  Take care round the cosmetics counter in case any liquid has been dropped on the
   floor

  Take care when stepping on and off the escalators

  When leaving the door please note the doors are automatic

   Do not stop breathing to avoid dead bodies in the store

 Thet would soon lose customers.   

If that's the John Lewis in the Patchway Mall, then there is no chance of my ever giving them the trouble. 

[ray951]

One of the many annoucements that  I find annoying is "Please note that train doors will close 40 seconds prior to departure".

Which seems reasonable if it ensurse that a train departs on time.

But it is meaningless as it is pretty much impossible to know when 40 seconds prior to departure is as trains rarely depart at exactly 0 seconds past their alloted time.

[phile]

A passenger could turn up at 12 29 and 50 seconds to catch the 12 30 because that is the time the train is ADVERTISED to depart.   The timetable does not tell them they must be aboard by 12 29 and 20 seconds.

[chuffed]

A train company will cut the amount of "tosh" announced on board after passenger research deemed it irrelevant.

First Great Western (FGW^▸ (First Great Western)) said 40% of content was not useful, according to its survey of rail users.

"Mind the gap" will go, followed by no smoking announcements and informing people where first class is.

It comes after Transport Minister Norman Baker urged train operators to curb "excessive" announcements.

The changes will come into effect in May.

David Crome, FGW general manager, said: "Some of the things we do not need to say anymore - we have been through the announcement guide to rid it of all the tosh, the redundant, the irrelevant and the repetitive."

Continue reading the main story
^
Start Quote
Some of our colleagues have been saying the same thing for 20 years. It may take a little while for them to change habits^
End Quote
David Crome
 
FGW general manager
 
Research suggested passengers had psychologically trained themselves to tune out to all announcements.

"Change here for connecting services to ..." will be replaced with relevant information on departure times and platform numbers.

Mr Crome said: "Some of our colleagues have been saying the same thing for 20 years. It may take a little while for them to change habits."

But David Sidebottom, director at Passenger Focus, said the announcements were "vital".

He said: "On board announcements are important to many passengers to ensure, for instance, that they are aboard the correct train, have a valid ticket, or know when to prepare to alight.

"This repetitive information may be annoying to some passengers, but it is nevertheless vital for others."