Station and on board train announcements - merged topic, ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[tramway]

I thought the 'You are here' signs you find around Dubai to be very useful as well. 

[paul7575]

I'm hearing this at slough at the moment but its not the only place I've heard it.

You are standing on the platform and before the train arrives the tannoy goes "Slough, this is Slough".  No I could understand that being announced on the incoming train.

Most places it is totally unnecessary, from the days when most calls were made by trains without an auto PIS^▸ (Passenger Information System). But the main problem now seems to be that the incoming train triggers the auto announcement using the berth track circuit when it is still well beyond the platform end - the station auto announcer software should then have a built in delay to allow the train to stop and the doors to be opened.  It is this delay that is usually missing...

Paul

[IndustryInsider]

It is this delay that is usually missing...

I think there is a delay built-in, but it's often not enough. For example at Oxford if there was an extra 30 second delay it would be just about perfect for all but the slowest arriving train. Conversely, at Didcot Parkway platforms 3,4 and 5 the train has often been sat in the platform for a minute before the PA^▸ (Public Address) springs into life. It's attention to detail stuff I suppose. Mind you, the relevance of saying the station name in the announcement is dubious - more a case of the way it's always been done than actually useful.

[Btline]

This happens a lot at Bristol TM^‡(resolve).

It can also happen at New Street with a terminating train:

"B'ham New Street. This is B'ham New Street. The train now standing on platform 4B terminates here. All change. All change please. This is the service from London Euston.

Spoken by the great Phil Sayer (who seems to be dying out now e.g. at Charing Choss - replaced by DD )

It is still pointless - the pax on board will know where they are! (+ they'll have had the Virgin "TM" yelling at them on the approaches!)

[inspector_blakey]

I think it's just a tradition that was helpful in the days when no trains had air conditioning, everything had windows that opened and there was no PA^▸ (Public Address) system (I'm thinking here particularly of mk I and early mk 2 stock) - platform announcements with "Oxford, this is Oxford" would be clearly audible inside the train. The tradition continues, although now may trains have sealed windows and air conditioning, not to mention loud underfloor engines on multiple units, it's less useful than before.

The installation at Oxford has been tweaked from the others I am familiar with - the announcement "Oxford, this is Oxford" kicks in well before the train arrives, but instead of going into a "the train now standing at platform 1" routine is simply re-states the "platform 1 for the xxxx First Great Western service to ..."

But I'm not complaining. It's just such an incredibly welcome change to have a CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) with plenty of screens giving out correct information at Oxford station!

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

i noticed it at taunton, i nearly burst out with ''this is hatley hatley hatley, change here for busten and wensted'' 

[Chris from Nailsea]

I think you need to get out more, mate ...   

On a slightly more serious note, I do agree that most of the pre-recorded announcements at Bristol Temple Meads are 'ahead of the times': last night, I was told that "the train now standing at platform 11 is the 22-whatever from Westbury" - well, no it wasn't, because that train was still trundling towards us, past platform 12, having just passed under Bath Road Bridge ... 

[TerminalJunkie]

You are standing on the platform and before the train arrives the tannoy goes "Slough, this is Slough".

But surely people on the platform are aware of where they are? 

Perhaps it's to help the phonetically-challenged who think it's pronounced 'Sluff'?

[willc]

But to be fair to FGW^▸ (First Great Western), Slough and Oxford are the trial locations for the new passenger information system, so they probably can't be expected to get it right straight out of the box - and Oxford is a particular problem, as so many trains from Didcot get stopped just outside the station waiting for platform 2 to clear, so once they get back on the move and trigger the system, they aren't going at much of a pace. If they get a clear run, Annie usually starts up just as the train is coming to a stop on the platform, though still a bit too soon.

[Mookiemoo]

"B'ham New Street. This is B'ham New Street. The train now standing on platform 4B terminates here. All change. All change please. This is the service from London Euston.

Its worse than that!

"Slough, this is Slough.  The train now approaching platform 3 is the 1732 First Great Western Service to London Paddington. CAlling at London Paddington only.  A buffet service is available on this train"

They dont even pretend the train is there when they announce you are in Slough - AND - the buffet usually close after Reading so there is no buffet service!

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

I think you need to get out more, mate ...   

On a slightly more serious note, I do agree that most of the pre-recorded announcements at Bristol Temple Meads are 'ahead of the times': last night, I was told that "the train now standing at platform 11 is the 22-whatever from Westbury" - well, no it wasn't, because that train was still trundling towards us, past platform 12, having just passed under Bath Road Bridge ... 

happens at taunton too the train last night was announced at standing at platform 2 at the time it was due to arrive but wasnt there yet... infact was five mins late? missed my connection at e s d thankyou xc!

[Btline]

...AND - the buffet usually close after Reading so there is no buffet service!

Just like an onboard Virgin Trains announcement:

"The shop in Coach D, which sells hot & cold drinks, light refreshments, books and magazines, is now closed."
 

[Phil]

I must say, that always bugs me too. The buffet is there to provide a service to the customer (or so they would like you to believe) so it really ought to stay open for at least the majority of the journey - nobody minds the odd ten minutes towards the end, but closing it 45 minutes or so from the destination is just taking the, um, instant tea.

[r james]

I think essentially, with catering a proper review is required to change the locations where staff get off after closing, as i know for instance that its often the case that it only closes as the person serving has to get off at the next station for their depot as there isnt a further one down the line, 

[Btline]

Basically rail catering needs to be nationalised by the government.

So there is one company which does catering on all trains.

Then they can have bases at all key stations, and staff work around a region from that station.

So XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) services can have catering beyond Edinburgh and Plymouth - staffed by the "Aberdeen" and "Cornwall" divisions respectively.