Great Western Coffee Shop

I had the honour of spending an hour or so at Reading this evening. Turns out the main escalators from the overbridge to the concourse are being replaced and will be out of action until late March. This leaves only the narrow staircase, which as anyone who knows the station will testify, will cause massive congestion problems. The (entirely logical) plan is to divert as many punters as possible arriving at Platforms 5-10 down via the subway and along Platform 4 - just like they used to have to do until the overbridge was open.

However, they have chosen to advertise this problem with some incredibly loud, repetitive, automatic localised announcements at the bottom of the steps on Platforms 5/8 and 9, and again at the top of the steps.

I'll be amazed if they're still in use in a weeks time. They are FAR too loud. They repeat constantly - not even 5 seconds respite between. The voice used is an irritating one (a South African female I believe - I have nothing against South African females, but it is surely only second to the Dutch accent in terms of getting on your nerves!?). And they were still constantly barraging the platforms with noise at 11pm this evening when congestion really won't be a problem. You really do have to hear them to believe them!

Surely a better idea would have been to use electronic signage at the base of the steps, human presence to direct people, and instructions to Traincrew to make announcements alerting people to the diversion as their trains arrive at Reading.

I can only assume that the escalator work is being sponsored by Nurofen.  >:(

To be fair plenty of notice was given about the escalator works.
Plus the repetitive announcement will only become annoying for those that have to be near it all the time.

Are the elevators not working?

Perhaps they should bring in Firstco to sort it out (link below.)
http://www.railway-technology.com/contractors/project/firstco/press13.html

After a while I imagine the cleaner will pull the pug to operate their vacuum cleaner and forget to plug it back in.

Of course it could always be reported to Reading Council's noise abatement section and they can come along with decibel meters. Aren't public announcements limited to a certain volume?

Yes, Ollie. But they are SO loud. I was stood adjacent to platform 7 (at the other end of the platform) last night, and I could still clearly hear them. You can hear them queuing up for a coffee or Subway on the overbridge. You can even hear them in the waiting rooms with the doors closed. And, from what I could see, most people weren't actually heeding the advice they are giving. I heard one punter ask a member of the platform staff on Platform 9 "How the hell do you put up with that all day!?"

Common sense has partly prevailed as the announcement on platform 9 and the overbridge were switched off on a visit to Reading I made yesterday. The 'Ickcident Hotsput' announcement at the bottom of the steps on platforms 5/8 was still bleating out constantly. Repeating itself every 15 seconds. Or 4 times a minute. 240 times an hour. 5760 times a day... etc..  :o