Great Western Coffee Shop

I'm currently travelling on the 15:06 out of Paddington to Tiverton Parkway, and just wanted to come on here to praise the train manager, he was very helpful in telling me I was getting on in the right area of the carriage while he helped another less able bodied customer on, and I've also found him very cheerful - he even said he was working in "the best office in the country" - meaning the train of course!

So nice to have cheerful staff on the train... not that I have ever had any problems with FGW staff, but this man (I haven't managed to get his name yet) seemed to stand out.

Also, on a previous journey, I noticed a very helpful customer host, again helping a less abled person with her walking frame to ensure it was out of the way (I think the train manager must've been busy) but it was nice to see that the customer host took the time to ensure she got off the train safely.

Now onto the criticisms, both involving aspects of today's journey; the information screens at Acton Main Line seem to have gone haywire yet again (this happens all too often, and needs to be sorted out!) - and I don't know if anyone on this board has noticed, but the PA system at Paddington seemed a LOT LOUDER today than normal - and it wasn't the recently introduced automated voice lady (same one they have at Liverpool Street). I don't know if it was under human operation or was jusut a different automatd voice today but it just seemed excessively loud!

I love those search for a star forms - there are a few I'd love to nominate however I fear the reasons I would nominate would not be approved of by head quarters.

Nominations have closed apparently.

Paddington needs Phil to sort the PA out!

Paddington needs to rid itself of all those noisy Diesels so we can hear the PA....

Perhaps, but I'm afraid that Digital Doris is just NOT suited to busy concourse stations like Padd, CX, Liverpool S etc.

Phil has the edge here - just go to Birmingham New Street. Imagine DD (or Celia Drummond) trying to cope there!

Good job "Digital Doris" isn't to be found at Paddington then, isn't it!

im not having a major go at fgw as its not a major issue however i find it interesting how more money has been spent on whimple station than exeter central which is frankly becoming a dump

Well my day was going well with FGW, until that is, I got to Tiverton Parkway - found the station locked up and empty - notices on the windows saying the station building and facilities had closed early (15:00 apparently!) due to staff shortage!

No wonder I saw them advertising for tickiet office staff at Tivvy on the FGW site recently - perhaps I should have applied... would have got me out of London!

Not that I really needed to use the station as you can exit without going through the station building, but it would have been nice to read a Western Morning News during my 20 minute wait for a bus into Tiverton!

Yes she is! ??? Unless FGW have drafted in Ceila when I wasn't looking...

DD as in Liverpool Street, Charing Cross, Worcester, etc.

the digital doris I know is the one at ex Wessex stations. She certainly is not at Paddington. Doris doesn't say something along the lines of the train being ready to leave, please board now.

Sorry, but I agree with devon_metro.

We still have the ex-Wessex Digital Doris, wittering away, at Nailsea & Backwell ...  ::)

We're getting our Dorises mixed up. I consider the Pad voice to be DD.

Have you got a link for the "proper" DD? Was she the old voice at Paddington before Ditra (Phil & Celia)?

Hmm ... we've had this debate on the forum before, but I'm not sure we ever reached a conclusion: see http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=4296.msg35773#msg35773 for example?

Last time I was up in Paddington on a course I heard DD for the first time there... It is the same ex-Wessex DD.  Trust me, I cannot stand her!*

Apologies to all Phil lovers but when I rule FGW and the World, Celia will be on every platform across the country  ;D

*I'm sure she's a lovely person in real life, but has a voice for solitary confinement.

OK WITH DORIS  is she the one at exeter st davids or the younger sounding one at central?

As far as I'm aware there are two Dorises and a Dave...

Doris #1: ex-Wessex on FGW, also all ATW stations (the English voice of the Welsh announcements). Younger, weirdly sarcastic voice. Agree completely with Donkey Guard, she gets right on my t*ts. Also does the "Welcome aboard, please listen to the following announcement for your safety" on the ex-Wessex units when the guard feels like torturing the passengers.

Doris #2: older voice, slightly posh. Frequently found working in tandem with Dave (aka shouty Phil - "a buffet service............is available........onthistrain) but has some stations to herself. Habitats include Bristol TM, Bath Spa, some platforms at Reading, the down platform at Oxford and many others. There's a clip of her chattering on about the London Stock Exchange at http://www.celiadrummond.com/lse.ram (http://www.celiadrummond.com/lse.ram) - sure you'll recognize the voice when you hear it.

relex, I'm guessing that #1 is the one at Exeter Central and #2 is the one at EXD.

Now then, I'd better post a link to a clip of Phil Sayer just to stop Btline flaming me after I've posted a clip of Celia Drummond  ;) ...

http://www.sayerhamilton.com/phil/phil_corporate.mp3 (http://www.sayerhamilton.com/phil/phil_corporate.mp3)

...although I really don't understand the obsession Btline. Much prefer Celia, it doesn't feel like I'm having instructions barked at me.

You are correct... Celia Drummond resides on platform 1,2,5&6 at EXD and Phil sits in the middle on 3/4.

As for the safety announcment on ex-Wessex, that is preprogrammed, and short of breaking the auto-announcer, you can't shut her up (and yes i've tried  ;D)

The problem I have with Ceila is that she mispronounces most stations. e.g. London Waterloo as Landon Waterloooooooo.

Phil is clear, assertive and mangages a sense of importance whilst staying calm. On busy stations like New Street he is needed.

Just try Celia at New Street - if they put her there, the place would turn to chaos! :D


I, too, hate this DD!


When I rule the word, every platform will be Phil a la Birmingham New Street.

Are we to take it from your name DG that when you rule FGW and the world you will replace all existing rolling stock with 142/143s?

But alas, do the residents of the Donkey Sanctuary even have auto announcers?

Upon reflection, do 143s?

Time to clear up some confusion about the four Dorises...

The older, posher "Doris" is a professional voice over artist called Celia Drummond, who provides the female voice for the Ditra System - which is the same system that Phil Sayer provides the male voice for. These systems are employed on South West Trains stations, and also at the original FGW stations such as Plymouth, Exeter St Davids, Swindon, Reading, and more recently Oxford and Slough.

The middle aged, extremely posh "Doris" is an unknown voice over artist who can be heard on the ex-Thames Trains stations (she was recently replaced at OXF and SLO) such as Newbury, Maidenhead and Ealing Broadway. The likelihood is that she will be replaced if and when new CIS screens are installed at the smaller ex-Thames stations. I don't know who manufactures this sytem, but it wasn't particularly successful.

The younger, sarcastic sounding "Doris" is/was an employee of Wessex Trains called Ruth, she provides the voice for the ATOS/SEMA System used at ex-Wessex Trains stations.

The last Doris is the one heard at Paddington, known as "Sarah" although I do not know if that's her real name. She runs on the same system as Ruth; there is a male version also (although only used at London Bridge, Cannon Street and Gatwick Airport).

Both Sarah and Ruth need to go!

Are FGW planning a Ditra roll out?

Question: What is the system where Phil is on his own, like at Bham New Street? (and Charing X until "Sarah" invaded)

I think it would be a little scary to hear just one voice booming out the automated announcements at all stations and on all trains. Otherwise it would be Phil/Celia who ruled the world, and not Btline or Donkey Guard!

Btline gets my vote....oh, hang on, you don't get a vote in a dictatorship ;D

The 143s that ply the Severn Beach Line most certainly do have auto announcements. Safety and security blah blah that, I believe, kicks in after a set number of door open/closing cycles.

Who does the random voice overs at reading station.

- the escalator warnings (some harridan of a woman)
- the engineerign warnings (some bloke)

This is also a Ditra System (just only has one voice enabled). Phil and Celia are now both at Birmingham New Street following some changes to the system there. Charing Cross had, and Victoria has, a very old version of the Ditra System dating back to 1988.

Some clips of the various announcers:
Celia (http://jsphotography.swlines.co.uk/Announcements/1227-Crewkerne&BristolTempleMeads.mp3)
Ruth (http://jsphotography.swlines.co.uk/Announcements/1228-ExeterStDavids-Standing.mp3)
Thames (http://jsphotography.swlines.co.uk/Announcements/0821-LONDONPADDINGTON.mp3)
Sarah (http://jsphotography.swlines.co.uk/Announcements/1515-Greenford1.mp3)

I expect the old Thames systems will be replaced by Ditras soon-ish. I imagine the SEMA systems used on the ex-Wessex stations will be remaining in play for now.

WHAT?!!! No no no. :'( :'( :'(

Why? How? In what way?

Is the Victoria system going to be replaced by the new Ditra or the Sarah system? (prays for Ditra)

Announcements are no longer played across all platforms, but merely to the platform they apply to. "Birmingham New Street, this is Birmingham New Street" has returned. As far as I know no technical changes have been made.

If the systems at Victoria are replaced (there are two, one for each side), they will mostly like be ATOS Sarah, as at Charing Cross. Although, when Waterloo had its system replaced last year, it got a brand new Ditra system.

That's ridiculous. The whole greatness of the BMH system was the fact that all announcements were played everywhere, making sure everyone got the message. it is a vast station, and there are lots of platform alterations, meaing people catching one train can be spread on several platforms and the concourse!

What's the point of playing the announcement only to the platform? If you're there already then it is not needed!

What will happen at the concourse?

This is a travesty. BMH was renown for Phil...

Are there any non Northern Phil only stations anymore?


Why? Sarah is hopeless at big stations!! Obviously they understood this for Waterloo. Why not Charing X?

they both mispronounce 'sampford courtnay' as crediton

Quick, someone call the Mail...

It really is time to reconsider the whole notion of station announcements...they are not necessary, except in emergencies.
Let people seek out the information via boards and staff.

Just consider how calm a station would be without irritating repitition of irrelevent platform and "calling at" info...I personaly, as a seasoned traveller, never ever listen. I read boards, sus out where the platforms are and get on with it. Occasional travellers will ask staff several times over...they will not listen to the inaudiblae burble from the roof.
Anyway, in York, even yesterday, I have heard announcements for a train that has alraedy left, which given that there are signs announcing that the doors close 30 seconds before departure is odd.

I recall the line manager, back in the early 90s, in York, suggested that there was no need for stsation signage as there was always on-train announcements...oh yeah,.,..sorry that's an aside, but it shows very closed thinking. ::)

What do you propose partially visually impaired passengers do?

What a stupid idea. They are useful for tourists and visually impaired passengers.

They are usual clear and precise, in fact those which aren't are usually made by staff and not a computer.

At a station like Birmingham New Street, there are frequent platform alterations, so you'd be mad to ignore the announcements!

It is a must that clear and authoritative announcements are made - you can't expect hundreds of people to stay staring at the screen until their train arrives!

At Reading - there is so much noise - I'm sure the visually impaired get sensory overload!

How about:

1. Seasoned travellers - they do what they do
2. Occasional travellers - they ask the staff anyway - even as far as the board says what the next train is, the window stickers confirm it - but they STILL ask the despatch staff to confirm where the train is going despite the audible announcements
3. The visually impaired USUALLY have some form of assistance or ask like (2)

Slough has had no announcements a few times recently - there was no mass panic!

They should just cut down on the please don't leave parcels unattended and weekend engineering work at weekends

Actually here is a Q - about the visually impaired argument........

Announcements are not made in the ticketing areas so.......... how do they know which platform to go to  in the first place.  As I've been told - you cannot rely on the fact that your train always went from plat X means its going from plat X today.  So you must check with a human being - o knowing there is a visually impaired person - I would see it as remiss of station staff not to make sure they go the right way

ergo - no need for announcements for their benefit alone!

Agree, along with: no smoking, don't run as there's "inclement" weather, and stand behind the yellow line. They are ALL POINTLESS.


They were at BHM, but obviously the bright idea was to stop this. New Street will be madness! - don't they realise how long it takes for a family of four with luggage to get from platform 4c to 11a when the service is switched at - literally - the last minute? The fact it - you don't go onto the platform in advance, so you need the announcements on the concourse (like they were)!

I'm not visually impaired, I'm rarely travelling in a family group with lots of luggage but I still find it bloody annoying when trains are re-platformed at very short notice at BHM. Of course as long as a train departs on time then from an operational point of view, that's fine. Sod the inconvenience to the passengers.
I'm reminded of an article published in "The Book of Heroic Failures" by Stephen Pile:

Can any bus service rival the fine Hanley to Bagnall route in Staffordshire? In 1976 it was reported that buses no longer stopped for passengers.
This came to light when one of them, Mr Bill Hancock, complained that buses on the outward journey regularly sailed passed queues of up to thirty people.
Councillor Arthur Chollerton then made transport history by stating that if these buses stopped to pick up passengers they would disrupt the timetable

Don't have too much issue with the annoucements about engineering work except they give you no detail whatsoever of the work taking place but I ask this question how many passengers go round carrying parcels????

Seems a very dated word to use and that annoucement does annoy me because at the start Phil makes it sounds like he is about to say something (may I have your attention please) very important like your train is delayed or cancelled. Just say "please don't leave luggage or personal belongings unattended anywhere in the station."

Announcements preceded by "May I/we have your attention please" are nearly always gubbins. You need to listen out for "I'm/we're sorry to announce that the".

But we all know that there are engineering works across the network on weekends, there network is that big that there always are so what is the point in reminding us

We all know, but I think it's still worth repeating for the occasional traveller (of which there are many, particularly at weekends).

Potential disruption can never be overstated to my mind. The more people are made aware there might be a problem with their journey, the better it is for everyone concerned.

Then again, coming from Melksham I suppose I would say that, given the fact that if my train is ever delayed or cancelled it's pretty likely I'll have a 24 hour wait until the next one....

Sorry, but platform alterations are often "May I have your attention please...?"! ::)

My experience (since 1973) is that BR-WR/GWT/FGW staff have always been a cut or two above those on other routes, on training, attitude, helpfulness etc etc. Well done !

My only continuing grouse is the poor diction of the Paddington annonuncers. They should listen to themselves in various parts of the station. Not all parts are drowned out by Diesel noise. They need to speak slowly, without letting their voice drop and giving emphasis to all the consonants. Regional vowel sounds are still clear... a bit of Wessex is quite in place on the Western.

Archbishop Cranmer summarised it in his 1552 PB;

 "Then shall be read.... distinctlye wyth a loude voice, that the people maye heare...".

The RC's now do the same, albeit waiting till Vatican II in 1966, so there's no excuse.

OTC

but if its the ''occasional traveller'' why would they be there for the announcement, a while ago and i mean years ago i bought tickets to milton keynes on a sunday... noone told us that there weree engineering works and we could only get to oxford, whats the point in the messages if they dont tell you where and the person selling the tickets doesnt bother to tell you that the line is closed

Must have been a very long time ago if you were trying to get from Oxford to Milton Keynes on a Sunday. Come to think of it,  I think the line from Oxford closed 15 years before MK station opened.....

By the way, Archbishop Cranmer was burned at the stake in 1556, so his opinion wasn't universally popular, apparently.  :-X

Chris  ;) :D ;D

then why did the bas***** sell me the ticket, grr lol (i dont know that area that well and when i asked i got told to change at oxford) we got to oxford and, im gunna shut up now

Dont know how many years ago you tried to get to MK from Oxford, but until about 2 years ago, it was a valid route using a stagecoach bus service from Oxford station to MK. It was provided by Virgin Trains, which at that time ran Cross Country. It became a bit of a problem. Stagecoach moved the Oxford stop to the Gloucester Green bus station, about half a mile from Oxford station. That didn't help. Then there was a problem with ticket acceptance and routing. Stagecoach apparently stopped accepting the rail tickets, although journey planners were still showing it as a valid route.

It was a major problem when there was engineering work North of Oxford. Journey planners always show the quickest route, and often this was via Oxford to MK. Result was passengers turning up with rail tickets routed Oxford to MK, despite the fact that Stagecoach were not accepting them and the buses were half a mile from Oxford station. Fortunately. most of the bus drivers accepted the tickets, but it did create some tricky moments for FGW staff at Oxford. Virgin recognised the problem, and eventually started to put on coaches between Oxford and MK, and vice versa.

Not a problem now, as the route appears to have been withdrawn.

in the end a largeish group of us all in the same situation shared a minibus.... the return journey was via birmingham new street over night.... looking back i dont even think the tickets were valid... actually this is the trip where i purchased the tickets online and the machine at the station broke and i was unable to get my tickets printed by staff at the station,,,, i had to pay for 3 of us at walk up fairs... thats the day where i decided i was going to read up on fairs and journeys before i made them

Ah - another improvement !   ;)

On Ditra they are preceded by "Attention please, this is a platform alteration", on ATOS/SEMA by "This is a platform alteration", on Funkwerk "Here is a platform alteration", and TOA by "This is a change of platform announcement" / "This is a platform change".

Now I understand. Incomprehensible announcements are all a Popish plot to make Proddy-Dogs miss their trains home.

Tonight however, the lassie (synthesizer?) announcing the 1922 to Oxford was wonderfully clear, getting me from my coffee on the Lawn to Platform 1 in time for a seat in the quiet coach. Thank you.

OTC

So relaxed!

you were still in the lawn when announced!

I'm chomping at the bit when the cleaners get on!

Chill! you'll be dead by 50 if you carry on like that!

Its easy, trip out & in the PACB (Comms CB on 143s)

Or just navigate through the Menu on the Auto Announcera and Stop the announcment (if you can see the screen, as most have been vandalised by idiotic TRAIN CREW!  >:( >:( >:( )

Sorry, but I am digging this topic up again.

What have they done to the announcements at Birmingham New Street? :o >:(

There are now 'NO' announcements on the concourse. (except Phil's smoking and parcels which are a waste of time and don't count)

They seem to announce on the platforms, but only on the relevant plaftorm, which defeats the object: if you are on the platform, you don't need an announcement telling you to go there! Who designed this system?

As well as this, two announcements can go off at the same time (something which seems to be common on Southern stations), with Phil and Celia having a shouting contest, the result being that no-one hears either announcement!

What was wrong with the old system? NB: This isn't [totally] about me preferring Phil, but the overall system being flawed.

The new system will mean people will miss their trains. If they are not on their platform they won't know what's going on! I can no longer wait in Smith's for the platform to be announced. I have to stare at a screen for ages, and then descend into the depths to wait lest there is a platform alteration. Before I could save myself the run by waiting upstairs. These changes will cause congestion on chairs during platform alternations, and people on the stairs won't hear what's going on!

To whom would I direct an email of complaint about this matter?

Birmingham New Street is a Network Rail managed station so best contacting someone there.

Thanks Ollie! :)

So NR are responsible for the new CIS?

I'd assume so.

Try calling the Station Reception sometime. (staffed by Network Rail)

Tel: 0121 654 4288

Opening hours: 7.00am-10.00pm.

Might not definitely know, but they could at least put you in contact with Station Manager so your comments are known.

Edit: Could also try the 24hour Network Rail - Helpline: 08457 11 41 41