Telent were at Westbury today installing the new displays and starting to remove the old orange CRT^▸ (Canal & River Trust, Critical Rail Temperature or Cathode Ray Tube, depending on context) monitors.

I expect they'll be removing the old ticking digital clocks next :-(

I've just tried it for Thornford and she informed me that the 18:06 to Bristol Temple Meads is delayed by approximately 60 minutes due to industrial action!

Yeah, I've heard him, he sounds like Phil Sayer junior!

As for the female voice, I expect it will be that Anne women.

Hi Chris,

I believe that newly installed post at your station is for one of the new help points.

The points recently installed at Maiden Newton and Castle Cary each have a solar panel mounted on the top!

I've noticed changes recently to the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) at Westbury.  For example...

'The train now approaching platform x' and 'The train at platform x' announcements are now far more consistent than they were before - activated automatically?

A through train warning announcement was given - first time I've ever heard one broadcast at Westbury.

Advance warning announcement of disruption to services because of weekend engineering works.

Delays of 1, 2 and 3 minutes to services now being advertised on the screens - was always 4 minutes and greater previously.

If this is the 'software' side of the new CIS completed at Westbury and is the system to be rolled out across the rest of the network, I wonder how Digital Dorris will cope at large stations like Temple Meads and Reading!!!

They could have disabled that feature, although I never heard it when Wales and West were in existence or have heard it on the Arriva Trains Wales network.

Was the voice the same?

It sounds as if the announcement aspect of the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) has been upgraded - from what I've learnt, the 'ex-Wessex system' didn't have the capability to announce the warning of through trains.

The blue boxes are still in place between Westbury and Dorchester West and as unreliable as ever.

The system at Westbury keeps crashing.  When it does, passengers are left with no automated announcements and only a First Great Western screensaver on the monitors.

Liam

I've noticed that the new information 'flatscreen' at Westbury, in the new waiting room, has completely different software (which looks ten times better and shows more train services), than the rest of the screens on the station.

Will this new style of software be rolled out to the rest of the station?

Regards

I've noticed over the last couple of weeks that the announcements at Westbury are a lot more 'punctual' and 'regular'.

'The train now approaching platform', and 'The train at platform' announcements seem to be more widely 'in use'.

For the first time ever, I heard the 'will passengers intending to travel on this service, please join the train now, as it is ready to leave' announcement, when a train was standing at a platform.

Out of interest, does a member of staff have to operate the announcement system at stations, or does it work automatically?

And finally, for the first time in months, I heard a delay reason given to a train - 'This is due to a shortage of serviceable trains'!!!

I use Westbury station daily, which I believe still has the old 'Wessex Trains' announcement system.  Along with the screens, I think the system is very poor and unreliable.

For example...

1. Delayed trains just seem to 'disappear' from the announcments and screens, leading people to be believe that their train has been cancelled, when in fact, it is just running late.

2. Platform alterations announcements aren't announced at all, or are announced very late (usually as the train is approaching the 'altered to' platform).

3. Incorrect train information displayed on a screen (e.g. I've seen a Penzance service displayed as the 'Portsmouth Harbour' service, leading to mass confusion).

4. No 'reason for the delay', via the announcements, why a train is running late (Wessex did a very good job of doing this).

5. Announcement system seems to be incapable of announcing any delays over '99 Minutes'.  There was once a 2 hour late running Cardiff Central service, although she kept announcing 'delayed by approximately 99 minutes.  First Great Western APOLOGISES for this late running, and the inconvenience this may cause you'.