Unusual CIS announcments at Reading 6/7/12

[whole diary]

[BerkshireBugsy]

A couple of things I have noticed at Reading recently in relation to the 1736 from Reading to Bristol TM^‡(resolve)

The first thing is that pre-olympics this services was announced on the platform with a destination of Broadford on Avon although its true destination was BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI)). My understanding was that this was to remove route confusion so passengers didn't confuse it with a Didcot/Swindon service. It is now announced, and shown on the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) as BTM

The second thing is that the automatic PA^▸ (Public Address) announcments say something like "the next train at P7 etc is the 1736 for Bristol TM calling at Theale...today this service will not call at ....but will call at..." I didn't realise that the CIS announcmements were that flexible!

[phile]

During the Olympics the 17 06 is diverted to Westbury thence ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) to Weymouth to act as a Standby to Bristol after the sailing events.

[BerkshireBugsy]

During the Olympics the 17 06 is diverted to Westbury thence ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) to Weymouth to act as a Standby to Bristol after the sailing events.

That makes sense - many thanks

[Southern Stag]

But most days it has been diverted back to Bristol because loadings on the morning services to Weymouth have been low enough not to warrant the use of an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) in the evening.

[BerkshireBugsy]

But most days it has been diverted back to Bristol because loadings on the morning services to Weymouth have been low enough not to warrant the use of an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) in the evening.

That explains the other part of my question which is why the routing changed at the last minute - ta SS

[Louis94]

The second thing is that the automatic PA^▸ (Public Address) announcments say something like "the next train at P7 etc is the 1736 for Bristol TM^‡(resolve) calling at Theale...today this service will not call at ....but will call at..." I didn't realise that the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) announcmements were that flexible!

And that's not even a quarter of what it can do, you've seen nothing, it can do loads - a lot more than what people would expect! That is automatically put in as well, soon as the calling pattern is changed that happens.

Never underestimate the power of the CIS - shame the passengers never listen to it, and then blame staff for their own failings...

[IndustryInsider]

Never underestimate the power of the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System)

Just a shame that they usually collapse into nonsense and inaccuracy whenever there's serious disruption...

[Louis94]

Just a shame that they usually collapse into nonsense and inaccuracy whenever there's serious disruption...

That's not the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System)'s fault, after all it isn't designed to operate on its own during disruption, if the correct information is input into it, it can and will operate. It can only display the information it is given at the end of the day.

During disruption the CIS needs to be operated manually either locally at the station or within control if they want it to operate with the correct information - but it seems staff don't care and just insist on doing manual announcements, which conflict with the auto PA^▸ (Public Address), because they don't turn it off - which in the end causes more problems because everyone gets confused on which source is correct.

[phile]

Severe dusruption at Cardiff today due to collapsed retaining wall preventing trains running between Queen St and Central.   The Valley trains from platforms 6 and 7 are amended and will be for up to 10/14 days.   Now my point.  The CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) Screens and associated announcements for these platforms are switched off.  If there is disruption on the Cardiff Valleys passengers are fed a load of rubbish and just confuses them more than ever when a "human" voice is announcing and conflicts with CIS