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

[whole diary]

[Louis]

Also, a fully functional auto announcer for Oxford should provide two or even three different announcements for each train, and more if there are delays, so it isn't a simple case of announcements not clashing just because there aren't two trains timetabled together. Having two voices at Oxford also future proofs it for the Chiltern plans of course...

Paul

The station staff at Plymouth were talking about having 2 voices (like at exeter st davids) in use instead of just the female because annoucements on platform 5/6 clash with the ones on 3/4/7/8, due to the amounts of trains that terminate on 5/6 when a train is arriving on 7/8.

[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.

Which "relatively unbusy" Oxford station is this? There are plenty of announcements that are going on near the same time, eg 06 and 36 mins northbound XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) departures and 07 and 37 FGW^▸ (First Great Western) London stoppers, plus a slightly late 01 or 31 London-bound fast can butt in as well.

The different voices for different platforms work well. I find I just tune out of the ones that don't relate to the platform I'm interested in.

It may be a bit odd if adopted at a rural stop with one train an hour each way but no doubt someone will address that issue when they start to roll the system out across the network.

I was really thinking of a station like Clapham Junction, with a train every 30s off peak, and 13s at rush hour.

But you have a point about being able to "tune out" of announcements you don't need. That is useful.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

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.

Which "relatively unbusy" Oxford station is this? There are plenty of announcements that are going on near the same time, eg 06 and 36 mins northbound XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) departures and 07 and 37 FGW^▸ (First Great Western) London stoppers, plus a slightly late 01 or 31 London-bound fast can butt in as well.

The different voices for different platforms work well. I find I just tune out of the ones that don't relate to the platform I'm interested in.

It may be a bit odd if adopted at a rural stop with one train an hour each way but no doubt someone will address that issue when they start to roll the system out across the network.

I was really thinking of a station like Clapham Junction, with a train every 30s off peak, and 13s at rush hour.

But you have a point about being able to "tune out" of announcements you don't need. That is useful.

i use the monitors and tune out everything apart from this is a platform alteration

[Oxman]

The new CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) at Oxford introduced zoning of announcements (platform 1, Platform 2, concourse), so there was a deliberate decision made to have a male voice on the up and a female voice on the down. It also allowed the concourse to be taken out of most announcements, so its now a much quieter place. The only regular announcements on the concourse are the mandatory security announcements every 30 minutes. Most of the staff are now familiar with the system and select the areas they want a manual announcement to be heard in.

Measurements were being taken this week to adjust the timing of announcements for arriving trains.

[IndustryInsider]

Measurements were being taken this week to adjust the timing of announcements for arriving trains.

That's good. An extra 30-45 seconds should do it nicely!

[devonian]

One of the most annoying announcements is on SET^▸ (Super Express Train (now IET)) trains that split at Ashford. Especially if it is a stopper. After every announcement you would get "Would customers please note that this train divides en route at (long pause) Ashford International. The front four coaches will continue to x,y,z. The eight coaces will continue to a,b,c. Please ensure you are on the correct part of the train".

I feel like it has been etched into my brain.

[ldf1985]

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

[Brucey]

I was at BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI)) this morning (around 10am) for about 40 minutes.  No automated announcements for any services.  Screens on platform 3 (the one next to the ticket barriers) were also down.  No attempt was made to make any manual announcements - they just relied on people looking at the screens that were working.

[Mookiemoo]

I was at BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI)) this morning (around 10am) for about 40 minutes.  No automated announcements for any services.  Screens on platform 3 (the one next to the ticket barriers) were also down.  No attempt was made to make any manual announcements - they just relied on people looking at the screens that were working.

Amd I was at Slough tonight where there was a windsor train on plat 1 being announced with a hereford train on plat over the same set of speakers!

[JayMac]

I heard an announcement from the buffet on a journey back from London this week which ended thus:-

"...... and a 24 hour licensed bar."

Can we have a 24 hour train service to go with this?

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

I heard an announcement from the buffet on a journey back from London this week which ended thus:-

"...... and a 24 hour licensed bar."

Can we have a 24 hour train service to go with this?

hehe the sleeper?  but i agree in some locations night trains would be good

[amiddl]

Traveling down to Plymouth this moring on the 9.48 from Newbury was surprised on what sounded like a pre-recorded announcement for Liskeard to be pronounced Lisky-e-ard rather than Liskard.

I wondered why it would be wrong on what sounded like a pre-recorded announcement and what other similar mispronunciations exist across the west.

[devon_metro]

afaik the only pre recorded announcement is "Would the train manager please contact the guard" of course only used in exceptional circumstances (e.g. trespassers at Dawlish  )

[plymothian]

train manager contact the guard?

can he not talk to himself without an announcement?

[thetrout]

Looks like you made a slight error there Mr Devon_Metro...

Although I am in no position to comment, considering my rather bizarre way of spelling Cinnamon in another Thread