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

[whole diary]

[devon_metro]

Its based on the signals i believe.

[Jim]

Its based on the signals i believe.

Not quite, it is done on TRUST^▸ (Train Running System TOPS) reports I thought.

[devon_metro]

An Trust feeds off the signals/other trackside equipment 

[Btline]

I've heard some funny announcements, Digital Doris at Cheltenham Spa:

"...Calling at Ashchurch for Tewkesbury, Worcester Shrub Hill, Worcester Foregate Street, and Malvern Link. Change at Malvern Link...for stations beyond Malvern Link." And of course, the famous "DnDunbridge" ("Dean, Dunbridge")

Posh Pamela (As I used to call her) at Bristol TM^‡(resolve):

"I am sorry there will be no catering facilities on this train, today. I am sorry there will be no, there will be no, catering facilities on this train..."

Also on board announcements have sometimes been a laugh. There used to be this funny conductor on Virgin XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) from Chelt Spa to Bristol TM who mentioned about "False teeth" and "Spare change" when remembering to take baggage, and also naming stations like Bristol TM as a "Bustling metropolis", Bristol PW^▸ (Permanent Way) as "Bijou" and Chelt Spa as "Charismatic". Always brightened my day

I know the one- except Chesterfield was Charismatic and Birmingham NS was "bold and beautiful!"

[Btline]

The best announcemt, however, was on a Virgin Train once:

"The onboard shop which sells hot and cold drinks, snacks, books and magazines, is now closed.

 

[swlines]

An Trust feeds off the signals/other trackside equipment 

It's not done off signals, nor TRUST^▸ (Train Running System TOPS).

Well, it is partially based on signals. It's announced when the train hits a track circuit OR when it hits a switch on the track. The system will then associate that "switch" or "track circuit" to the headcode that is approaching through the signalling system itself, or TRUST (it depends on how much TYRELL will talk to the signalling system at that station).

[devonian]

An Trust feeds off the signals/other trackside equipment 

It's not done off signals, nor TRUST^▸ (Train Running System TOPS).

Well, it is partially based on signals. It's announced when the train hits a track circuit OR when it hits a switch on the track. The system will then associate that "switch" or "track circuit" to the headcode that is approaching through the signalling system itself, or TRUST (it depends on how much TYRELL will talk to the signalling system at that station).

Either way, can it be retimed to prevent the system sounding quite so pathetic? It seems to have been retimed for the other platforms at Newton Abbot

[devonian]

I've heard some funny announcements, Digital Doris at Cheltenham Spa:

"...Calling at Ashchurch for Tewkesbury, Worcester Shrub Hill, Worcester Foregate Street, and Malvern Link. Change at Malvern Link...for stations beyond Malvern Link." And of course, the famous "DnDunbridge" ("Dean, Dunbridge")

Posh Pamela (As I used to call her) at Bristol TM^‡(resolve):

"I am sorry there will be no catering facilities on this train, today. I am sorry there will be no, there will be no, catering facilities on this train..."

Also on board announcements have sometimes been a laugh. There used to be this funny conductor on Virgin XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) from Chelt Spa to Bristol TM who mentioned about "False teeth" and "Spare change" when remembering to take baggage, and also naming stations like Bristol TM as a "Bustling metropolis", Bristol PW^▸ (Permanent Way) as "Bijou" and Chelt Spa as "Charismatic". Always brightened my day

I know the one- except Chesterfield was Charismatic and Birmingham NS was "bold and beautiful!"

We had "Naughty Newton Abbot" from this guy 

[Jez]

The one that gets on my tits is the ones at stations about lugguage 'any unattended lugguage will be removed without warning'. Well isnt that a totally daft statement? If its unattended lugguage who are you supposed to warn about removing it anyway??

That one is really annoying and ive heard it so much I know it word for word

"Please do not leave your luggage unattended on the station. Luggage left unattended may be removed without warning, or damaged or destroyed by the security services"

They seem to be playing the one about no smoking more often than the luggage one currently, obviously as there is now a smoking ban

"all of our trains and stations are no smoking area's, please do not smoke until you have left the station premises"

Here in Wales we obviously get the announcements in Welsh as well. They also seem to be announcing trains that are starting off in Cardiff 3 times now e.g yesterday I noticed they announced the next train to depart from platform 0 for the Notts service 3 times in around the 6 minutes before it was departing.   Im sure it only used to be the once they would announce trains that were starting off, around 3 mins before departure time.

[swlines]

Either way, can it be retimed to prevent the system sounding quite so pathetic? It seems to have been retimed for the other platforms at Newton Abbot

Yes it's an option in the software. The software I've used (later versions than FGWs^▸ (First Great Western)) allow you to modify the timings depending on whether a train has just stopped at a previous stop, to allow for the acceleration, etc.

[Doctor Gideon Ceefax]

Virgin Trains have the right idea, their stations have manual announcements, and it's so much less intrusive than all this automated crap. My suggestion is those in charge of stations at Great Western to go and pay a visit to Rugby or Stafford, and see how much more pleasant it is.

[Btline]

Birmingham New Street Smoking:

"This station is a non smoking area. Please extinguish all smoking materials immediately."

 

Digital Doris often repeats announcements at Worcs Forgate Street! Sometimes immediately/10 secs after the first one!

[Mookiemoo]

The one that gets on my tits is the ones at stations about lugguage 'any unattended lugguage will be removed without warning'. Well isnt that a totally daft statement? If its unattended lugguage who are you supposed to warn about removing it anyway??

That one is really annoying and ive heard it so much I know it word for word

"Please do not leave your luggage unattended on the station. Luggage left unattended may be removed without warning, or damaged or destroyed by the security services"

They seem to be playing the one about no smoking more often than the luggage one currently, obviously as there is now a smoking ban

"all of our trains and stations are no smoking area's, please do not smoke until you have left the station premises"

Here in Wales we obviously get the announcements in Welsh as well. They also seem to be announcing trains that are starting off in Cardiff 3 times now e.g yesterday I noticed they announced the next train to depart from platform 0 for the Notts service 3 times in around the 6 minutes before it was departing.   Im sure it only used to be the once they would announce trains that were starting off, around 3 mins before departure time.

At reading you get almost five minutes of constant announcement - if everything is running normally

Tonight:
"the next train to arrive on platform 4 is the 1750 train to hereford calling at ................."

30 seconds after it stopped you can see the train passing the previous signal and you get times:

"the train now approaching platform 4 is ...................."

Silly - bloody silly - since the annoouncementn is only heard on platform 4 and not elsewhere in the station

[Mookiemoo]

Standing at Reading station tonight I had time to think and I couldnt help but notice something that I've always wondered about.

1. Platform announcements - can only ever be heard on the platform they relate to - i.e. The next train to depart from platform 4 is the 1750 FGW^▸ (First Great Western) service to HEreford.  Surely it would be more useful to have the anouncement audible everywhere since this is no help to the poor schmuck stuck on the wrong platform

2. Timing - The "The next train" announcement occurs so late that it has barely finished before the train is almost at the platform and you get "The train now approaching .... "  The next train to my mind should be announced much earlier (where possible).

What is the logic behind this?

[Phil]

1. I was at Reading this afternoon and could quite clearly hear all of the platform announcements relating to every platform. Plus, they are relayed into the waiting rooms and toilets.

2. The Next Train announcements are made on two sets of overhead screens, side by side, on each platform at Reading - right up to an hour ahead, with platform numbers shown.