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

[whole diary]

[devon_metro]

But you have to love her "Please board the train NOW, as it is ready to leave"

Does it actually say that 

For all those "Phil" lovers (btline ) head down to Newton Abbot.

[Btline]

Yes it does! As if passengers are going to wait on the platform until the departure time...

Thanks D/M, I'll add NA to my places to visit list - just to hear his announcements!

[Louis]

Celia seems to have taken over most of  Bristol TM^‡(resolve) from what I heard the other day.... I quite like her sexy tones...    I DO NOT like the awful 'god I sound bored' tones of the woman they use at Paddington.  Sounds so false.

Exeter SD have had the "EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains) this is EXD" announcement recalibrated as the down-London was being announced before the train was over the crossing, and it was possible to get the XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) Aberdeen service out of the platform before it had finished.

In answer to what's the point, I was always asked plenty of times on the platform whether they were in the right city or not, so while some think "wh at's the point", it's no doubt comforting for soon.

Yeee ave noticed that, was up there just yesterday!

I love the way Celia says "service to Exeter St Daavidss!!!!" and our environment sound sensors were working overtime, everytime there was a little noise, the volume went up, then down again!
Our (Plymouth) security annoucement get louder as it goes through till celias virtually shouting it by the end!!

Was on the XC Penzance - Aberdeen yesterday! was packed in every carriage except First Class and Quiet,
the annoucement is to long for the Aberdeen train, bet everyone thinks, when is she going to say "...and Aberdeen"

But you have to love her "Please board the train NOW, as it is ready to leave"

Does it actually say that 

For all those "Phil" lovers (btline ) head down to Newton Abbot.

Yeee i love newton abbot!

[miniman]

Clearly a reasonable level of announcements is useful, but the reality is that we are bombarded with information we mostly don't need and it is mostly delivered by people who really shouldn't be allowed near a microphone. We had a train manager on Friday who was borderline screaming into the PA^▸ (Public Address) and it really is bloody annoying.

[plymothian]

We've gone from being uniformed to overinformed.

Back along people complained they weren't kept informed about things so we're not at the situation were we're told every time the station cat's farted.

[r james]

SO are FGW^▸ (First Great Western) looking to have the same voice and same system t each of the stations?  Surely would make things more cost effective?

[Louis]

SO are FGW^▸ (First Great Western) looking to have the same voice and same system t each of the stations?  Surely would make things more cost effective?

All depends on cost, if they are happy with the system at Oxford and Slough (The one they use at all their other stations, but the updated version), they will most properly use that system and will then start replacing some more of the old Great Western Link and Wessex Trains systems, if i remember stations such as Exeter Central, Cheltenham Spa, Gloucester and Trowbridge are set to get a new CIS^▸ (Customer Information System)'s according to the Stations Improvements part of their website. But i would imagine that they will replace all of the old systems at their busier stations, such as Westbury, Dawlish, Teignmouth, Paignton, and some stations down in to Cornwall.

If they dont like the system, they will start getting bids for who can replace the old Wessex/Great Western Link systems and will go for the best one, in the case of price and how advanced the system is. I think Siemens are one of the bidders along with Amey (who are the company that provided the Phil/Celia systems).

Any chance anyone could get me some pictures and recordings of the new systems at Oxford and Slough please???

[willc]

The old system in the Thames Valley area is nothing to do with Great Western Link. It was installed by Thames Trains. And as far as I understand it, the intention is to fit the new system across the whole FGW^▸ (First Great Western) network, at stations big and small - and the Thames Valley should get it first - the TT system has never been that reliable, as many of us know only too well , was hard at it on Friday at Moreton-in-Marsh, announcing the 8.52 from Malvern was running 10 late when you could hear it approaching the station.

At Oxford, the platform 1 announcements are made by a man - the directional announcements by the different voices seems quite a good idea, once you pick up on it. Having very rarely encountered Phil, I've no idea if this is him or not.

[Btline]

The man - the good pronouncer - is Phil Sayer, most famous for Birmingham New Street.

The woman is Celia Drummond, who pronounces names strangely (especially "Landon Waterlooooooooo"!), but is better than Digital Doris.

I see the benefit of a two voice system at a station like Clapham Junction or Reading, where lots of announcements occur simultaneously, but a station like Oxford only needs one voice. Preferably Phil.

The answer to my riddle earlier is that Phil announces the WOF lifts: "Street levelaaaand wayyyyyy out!"

[Oxman]

Oxford has a male voice on the up side and a female voice on the down side and, with simultaneous announcements, it is simple and effective.

[Chris from Nailsea]

But you have to love her "Please board the train NOW, as it is ready to leave"

Does it actually say that 

Apparently, devon_metro, she's been saying that at Westbury for ages: see http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=1715.msg15834#msg15834

 

[Louis]

The old system in the Thames Valley area is nothing to do with Great Western Link. It was installed by Thames Trains. And as far as I understand it, the intention is to fit the new system across the whole FGW^▸ (First Great Western) network, at stations big and small - and the Thames Valley should get it first - the TT system has never been that reliable, as many of us know only too well , was hard at it on Friday at Moreton-in-Marsh, announcing the 8.52 from Malvern was running 10 late when you could hear it approaching the station.

At Oxford, the platform 1 announcements are made by a man - the directional announcements by the different voices seems quite a good idea, once you pick up on it. Having very rarely encountered Phil, I've no idea if this is him or not.

I was going to say Thames Trains! but then i changed my mind and put Great Western Link!! lol

[Btline]

Oxford has a male voice on the up side and a female voice on the down side and, with simultaneous announcements, it is simple and effective.

But at a relatively unbusy station like Oxford, I doubt there are simultaneous announcements. The station is not big enough for different "zones" of announcements, like at Clapham Junction. Even Birmingham New Street can cope with just Phil.

[johoare]

One of my favourite announcements (since I got sent to work in Bracknell), is the Reading to Waterloo line announcements.. I don't do it very often as getting the train from Maidenhead to Bracknell (10 miles) takes the best part of two hours.. however.. the male recorded announcements (on the train) make ALL the stations between Reading and Waterloo sound like an exciting place that everyone would want to go, apart from "Martin's Heron" which sounds like his especially favourite place to go and even better than the rest! .. It makes me laugh (in a good way!) when I hear it, it's nice to hear such enthusiatic announcing 

[Mookiemoo]

One of my favourite announcements (since I got sent to work in Bracknell), is the Reading to Waterloo line announcements.. I don't do it very often as getting the train from Maidenhead to Bracknell (10 miles) takes the best part of two hours.. however.. the male recorded announcements (on the train) make ALL the stations between Reading and Waterloo sound like an exciting place that everyone would want to go, apart from "Martin's Heron" which sounds like his especially favourite place to go and even better than the rest! .. It makes me laugh (in a good way!) when I hear it, it's nice to hear such enthusiatic announcing 

I remember that from when I was working in Egham!

The worst ones at the moment are London Midland - I do not know if it all over the network but it is especially prominent on New Street to Lime Street north of Crewe (I I think it happens between Euston and Hemel as well but the stations are so close together its not as obvious)

You pull away from, say Crewe and within 2 minutes you get "we are now approaching Hartford" - even though it might be a good 10 minutes way!  Give me a human TM^‡(resolve) anyday!