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

[whole diary]

[moonrakerz]

It appears that after a short silent period following the Daily Mail story SWT^▸ (South West Trains) have re-started their assault on our ears.

I had the misfortune to travel on the 1920 from Waterloo to Warminster yesterday. I boarded the train at about 1905, from then until several minutes after departure we were subjected to a non stop barrage of announcements about where the train was going, where it was going to divide, which bit you had to sit in ............. all in an over-loud, mechanised, shrill, female voice. This was repeated after each stop during the journey, plus a few extras about reading safety notices and "suspicious" items - however nothing about the "gap" or leaving things on the train - wasn't time to fit those in I suppose !
I did try to mention it to the guard - but he couldn't hear me !

[plymothian]

You'll have noticed that the announcements and signage has increased significantly since the Great Western franchise has been involved in some of the more high profile incidents in recent years and since the DDA^» (Disability Discrimination Act - about)'s introduction.

[moonrakerz]

You'll have noticed that the announcements and signage has increased significantly since the Great Western franchise has been involved in some of the more high profile incidents in recent years and since the DDA^» (Disability Discrimination Act - about)'s introduction.

I don't think they have generally. It's just the odd trains where they seem to go completely overboard. It is even more annoying where there is visual display as well.
The only announcements on the train to Waterloo that day were "next station is.........", didn't even get the "Front 6 coaches for Clapham Jct" one.

Generally the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) 158s operating through Warminster are very reasonable as well.

[Mookiemoo]

Daily mail would have had a field day this morning.

There is one TM^‡(resolve) who the minute the train departs wos and you hear is dulcit tones, your heart sinks and if its the start of the week you give up on the idea of getting any sleep.  If it happens on friday, you just hope you are comatose enough to ignore it.

Every dog house, hen house and out house the train stops at is announced along with detailed instructions of how to alight the train.  Can just about live with that.

But we got told three times that the ticket machine at hanborough would be re-instated shortly but it will credit cards only.

Six times after six different stations frequent travellers were reminded it might be cheaper to get a seven day season ticket which can be bought from the ticket machines or from the train manager.  And that if we needed underground cards that we could always get them from the station, machine or the manager to save the crush at Paddington.  This was at the same time as being told that if we needed to renew out season tickets, we could do so from noon today.

And on the approach to every station we were asked to please please check behind the seats and in those overhead racks to make sure we had all our personal belongings.  We were also reminded at every station that since it had been raining earlier in the journey we may have an umbrella with us so we needed to make sure we had that as well.

I got off at Reading but i bet as soon as it passes slough the litany of not using the toilets on the approaches to Paddington will have started.

I admit, after Oxford when he didnt say anything for all of ten minute I did suggest to the host that she go check for signs of life as he seemed to have expired. (what I really wanted to do was suggest he shove his tannoy hand set some where the sun don't shine!)

it is enough to almost make me make sure I get to 0535 rather than the later train just to avoid the possibility.  If Guantanamo ever wants someone to help the prisoners lose the will to live.....

[Cornish Traveller]

  No time left to check tickets then I take it !!!

[Mookiemoo]

No time left to check tickets then I take it !!!

Thats left to the ticket examiner type thingies who get on at Charlbury

[Timmer]

I got off at Reading but i bet as soon as it passes slough the litany of not using the toilets on the approaches to Paddington will have started.

Which is probably when most people use them to avoid paying 30p at Paddington station.

[James Vertigan]

You want to hear the announcements on the Toronto subway (TTC) -

"The next station is Dundas, Dundas station". "This is Dundas, Dundas station"... every stop the name of the station is repeated twice by the automatic voice.

Speaking of automatic voices, London's Circle/Hammersmith & City tube trains seem to be being fitted with new announcements in preparation for the Circle line extension from mid December. Heard one driver the other day having to apologise as he had the new automatic announcements on which said the Circle line train would terminate at Edgware Road - but of course it didn't!

Also on the announcements front - I love this edited Youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6WTiDr8yI4 (yes I have an immature mind!) 

[Mookiemoo]

No no no please no - can't take it anymore

left wos 2 minutes ago - already been advised to stand away from the doors whilst train is in motion and that if you are getting off at pershore then a-c are platformed but he suggests using b as it closest to the building and saves us getting wet

[grahame]

No no no please no - can't take it anymore

You're probably not going to like this idea ...

"Hello and Welcome to the 06:50 service from Worcster Shrub Hill to Paddington.  It's Monday, 21st December and as we've new customers on board today who are going to London to do their Christmas Shopping, I thought I would give you some extra information about the railway line you'll be travelling on, the train itself, and the beautiful Cotswolds and Thames Valley that we pass through ...

[inspector_blakey]

I got off at Reading but i bet as soon as it passes slough the litany of not using the toilets on the approaches to Paddington will have started.

For real...? Since when has that been happening?

[Mookiemoo]

I got off at Reading but i bet as soon as it passes slough the litany of not using the toilets on the approaches to Paddington will have started.

For real...? Since when has that been happening?

Its only the one guy - the same TM^‡(resolve) every time - very distinctive west country/brizzle accent.  I have since found his name but for obvious reasons I'm not going to say.

As I have not been working in London since Feb 08 I cannot say for certain he's still doing it however, back then whilst he announced every shack, stop etc, he did not give us the ticketing advice, ask us to check for "pesky brollies behind the seats" or specifically tell us how to avoid getting wet.  Since he's added to his repertoir not decreased it, I cannot believe he has dropped the Paddington loo instructions. 

In saying that, once we got past Evesham, he did shut up this morning (relatively that is -he was quiet for him) - suspect someone else did what I was tempted to do which was threaten GBH with the announcer handset!

[Super Guard]

All Guards are being issued with an announcement book soon (apparently after getting feedback from customers who don't like inconsistencies with announcements), so if Guards are following the new announcement laws ( ), FA's complaints may be a thing of the past.  I don't have an ETA though as to when these will be distributed to staff.

[inspector_blakey]

I remember a train back from Bristol to Didcot one Sunday evening a while ago where the train manager made a long announcement after every stop with threats about the dire consequences that would befall those with advance tickets who were on the wrong train, then the customer host would join in and warn of the dire consequences that would befall those in first class who didn't sow their ticket before ordering complimentary items. It felt like we were all being given a pre-emptive b*ll*ck*ng after each stop! Given that Bristol TM^‡(resolve)/Bath/Chippenham/Swindon/Didcot are all 10-20 mins apart, these clowns were on the air virtually the entire time.

The irony was that the train manager was so busy making threats to those with invalid tickets on the PA^▸ (Public Address) he never actually got round to checking any of them.

[Timmer]

It felt like we were all being given a pre-emptive b*ll*ck*ng after each stop! Given that Bristol TM^‡(resolve)/Bath/Chippenham/Swindon/Didcot are all 10-20 mins apart, these clowns were on the air virtually the entire time.

The irony was that the train manager was so busy making threats to those with invalid tickets on the PA^▸ (Public Address) he never actually got round to checking any of them.