My grandson wants to work on the railway and would really enjoy this show, but unfortunately the uncensored swear words and unnecessary pictures of half of a dead rat makes it a bit out of his age range! Here's hoping for a family suitable cut they could show earlier in the day.

Interesting responses - I am glad that I am not the only one who has been left confused by the announcements!

Funnily enough, a few days after posting this thread I boarded the 1307 Edinburgh to Plymouth Cross County train at Birmingham New Street and fell victim to another variation of automated announcement. For those who don't know (I didn't!) this particular train goes as far as Gloucester as two four-car units, where it splits into two separate units with only one of those units continuing onto Plymouth. The New Street automated announcement stated that passengers wishing to travel beyond Gloucester should be in the rear four coaches, which was of no use to me as a newbie to the station. Alas, I waited at the wrong end and enjoyed a coach almost to myself to Gloucester where I had to transfer onto the other, rear, set.

It was then that a 'helpful' conductor announced over the tannoy that only the front four carriages were continuing onto stations towards Plymouth. Fantastic I thought - the automated announcement must have been wrong and I won't have to give up my seat. Wrong. Luckily a different conductor walked through the carriage, and informed me that the train reverses upon leaving Gloucester, so the 'front' is now at the other end. I made it onto the other set in time (and got a seat) thanks to the other conductor, but was left surprised that the original conductor would make such a confusing tannoy, assuming it to be common knowledge that the train reversed at Gloucester.

Hello, long time reader but new member here. Apologies if I am posting this on the wrong forum.

When I am getting on a HST^▸ (High Speed Train) from my local station I like to listen out for the "First class is at the rear", or "This train is in reverse formation" announcement as I then know which side of the platform to be on to embark onto my preferred domain - the quiet coach. When I am at a station I regularly use these announcements are useful as I know which ends of the platform the front and rear of the train will be.

Recently I found myself making a connection at Reading station, a station which I am not at all familiar with having previously only passed through it on a train. A few moments before my train arrived, the familiar announcement sounded signifying that I needed to be at the front of the train for the quiet coach; it was only then that I realised that being unfamiliar with the geography of the station, I had no idea which direction the train would be coming from and therefore where the front or rear of the train would be.

I couldn't see a member of staff, so I took a chance and went to the left side of the platform and that happened to be the right decision.

So, the reason for my post is that the announcement was not actually that useful to me as a fairly regular train user. If the automated announcement said "First class passengers should be on the left hand side of the platform" that would have been useful, which I have heard station staff themselves announce in addition to the automated announcement at stations such as Truro.

I am curious if:
a) I am alone in this particular experience,
b) If I am not alone, who would be the best person or company to bring it up with?

I’m not naïve enough to expect the announcements to change off the back of one letter, but it would be nice to make somebody aware that the automated announcements are not always that helpful.

Thanks,