Unhelpful Announcements

[whole diary]

[Grant]

Hello, long time reader but new member here. Apologies if I am posting this on the wrong forum.

When I am getting on a HST^▸ (High Speed Train) from my local station I like to listen out for the "First class is at the rear", or "This train is in reverse formation" announcement as I then know which side of the platform to be on to embark onto my preferred domain - the quiet coach. When I am at a station I regularly use these announcements are useful as I know which ends of the platform the front and rear of the train will be.

Recently I found myself making a connection at Reading station, a station which I am not at all familiar with having previously only passed through it on a train. A few moments before my train arrived, the familiar announcement sounded signifying that I needed to be at the front of the train for the quiet coach; it was only then that I realised that being unfamiliar with the geography of the station, I had no idea which direction the train would be coming from and therefore where the front or rear of the train would be.

I couldn't see a member of staff, so I took a chance and went to the left side of the platform and that happened to be the right decision.

So, the reason for my post is that the announcement was not actually that useful to me as a fairly regular train user. If the automated announcement said "First class passengers should be on the left hand side of the platform" that would have been useful, which I have heard station staff themselves announce in addition to the automated announcement at stations such as Truro.

I am curious if:
a) I am alone in this particular experience,
b) If I am not alone, who would be the best person or company to bring it up with?

I’m not naïve enough to expect the announcements to change off the back of one letter, but it would be nice to make somebody aware that the automated announcements are not always that helpful.

Thanks,

[IndustryInsider]

Welcome to the forum, Grant.

Agree that it's pretty useless if you don't know which way the train is coming in.  There used to be four different coloured zones to help direct people to certain parts of the train.  Gold Zone was First Class naturally!  Not sure why that stopped as I thought it was a pretty useful system.  At Reading the answer would be fairly simple as the platforms are split into 'A' and 'B' sections so it would be quite easy to add a note to the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) saying something like 'First Class at the Rear - located on platform 9A' - though that wouldn't work at other stations.

[grahame]

Hello, long time reader but new member here. Apologies if I am posting this on the wrong forum.

[snip]

I am curious if:
a) I am alone in this particular experience,
b) If I am not alone, who would be the best person or company to bring it up with?

I’m not naïve enough to expect the announcements to change off the back of one letter, but it would be nice to make somebody aware that the automated announcements are not always that helpful.

Thanks,

First, "Welcome to the forum as a posting member" Grant.

You raise an excellent question which actually goes much wider / general - how do newcomers to a location / service or indeed to the railways as a whole learn from announcements and signs?  Could those be improved / added to?  Do you get to a point where announcements and signs are so voluminous they're loosing effect even if well tuned?  Do you prioritise extra information for the regulars who on many service provide the most "bums on seats" over welcoming a tiny minority of new users if you are limited in what you can present by time, space, or customer patience?

I have been know to ask "but where IS the front of the train - how are people supposed to know?" too, and shoulders were shrugged ...  but then this is something that's probably a general not a local issue and worth raising with "management".  It may even - as much of the signage is - be set by Rail Delivery Group and Department for Transport rules or guidelines.  I'll let others comment on that, but come back if need be and make suggestions of where to go if no-one else does.   Excellent thoughts - and so much after our (TRansWilts) hearts where we're looking to bring newcomers to rail onto the system.

"Who's who?" is a good board for you to find the contact, Grant ... I suspect this will turn into a discussion of your suggestions (and if so it adds weight to you single voice).  If that's the case I'll probably move it to "Smoke and Mirrors" as its about the confusion that the rail industry causes its customers.  But, really, if you feel that a particular board is a good place to start a thread, that's good with us.  The forum's here for people to use, not for them to learn too many more rules and conventions!

[Tim]

some kind of signage at stations would be useful (there is at Bath already).  

Anything that encourages passengers spread out along the platform and stand in approximately the right zone, can only have a positive impact on station dwell times and subsequent right time performance.  

[LiskeardRich]

Your example of Truro is one I was going to mention as helpful.

"First class is near the level crossing, quiet coach A is out in the Cornish sunshine" was a recent announcement I heard.

It was pouring with rain and those who don't know Truro the canopy stops at around coach C.

[froome]

Grant, you are definitely not alone. This is something that really annoys me when I go to a station I'm not that used to.

The station I've found it to be a particular problem is Birmingham New Street. Because the platforms there are so narrow, if you stand in the wrong place, it is difficult to move to where you want to be when the train arrives, as the tide of people both alighting and getting off make that impossible. There rarely seem to be any staff to ask, and when I've asked other people waiting, they usually say they don't know. I've often found myself watching which way people tend to be looking, and taking that as a sign that if most are looking one way that is where the train may arrive from, but it doesn't always work!

[Tim]

Grant, you are definitely not alone. This is something that really annoys me when I go to a station I'm not that used to.

The station I've found it to be a particular problem is Birmingham New Street. Because the platforms there are so narrow, if you stand in the wrong place, it is difficult to move to where you want to be when the train arrives, as the tide of people both alighting and getting off make that impossible. There rarely seem to be any staff to ask, and when I've asked other people waiting, they usually say they don't know. I've often found myself watching which way people tend to be looking, and taking that as a sign that if most are looking one way that is where the train may arrive from, but it doesn't always work!

Considering the millions spent on it the signage at New Street is nothing short of a disgrace.   

[IndustryInsider]

I noticed the other day  it looks like a load of additional screens are being installed on the transfer deck at Reading.

[trainer]

... the tide of people both alighting and getting off make that impossible.

At least it's all one way movement.     Typos sometimes bring a smile don't they?

[froome]

... the tide of people both alighting and getting off make that impossible.

At least it's all one way movement.     Typos sometimes bring a smile don't they?

Well I had a 50% chance of getting it right. 

[stuving]

The station I've found it to be a particular problem is Birmingham New Street. ... There rarely seem to be any staff to ask, and when I've asked other people waiting, they usually say they don't know. I've often found myself watching which way people tend to be looking, and taking that as a sign that if most are looking one way that is where the train may arrive from, but it doesn't always work!

In any case, it may go back out that way (and you may not know that) - so anything that refers to the front or back end has to be even more carefully worded.

[SandTEngineer]

I'm sure the screens at Birmingham NS show wording such as 'First Class at the Rear on Departure' which is a great help when the train reverses there and you don't know which way its coming in.....

[didcotdean]

I noticed the other day  it looks like a load of additional screens are being installed on the transfer deck at Reading.

Whilst waiting on there yesterday I was asked by someone who sounded from the accent to be Dutch what time the next train was to Paddington. A 'next fast train' screen was right above me so I could just point to it. The transfer deck though doesn't have a focal point for people to look.

[PhilWakely]

The automated announcements and CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) can also been misleading/unhelpful at times of disruption. I was at Newton Abbot earlier this week when a problem with a level crossing at Penzance caused several trains to be very late or even cancelled. One of the delayed XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) services (1S43 PNZ-GLC^▸ (Glasgow Central)) was canned at Plymouth, 80+ late and replaced by 1Z43 PLY^» (Plymouth - next trains)-GLC, running in 1S43's normal path.

The automated announcement was along the lines of .... "We regret to announce that the 0903 XC service to Glasgow Central has been cancelled; the next available service will be the 0903 XC service to Glasgow Central".

The CIS showed....
   0903  Glasgow Central     Cancelled
   0903  Glasgow Central     On time

Cue several puzzled pax - "Is it running or has it been cancelled?". Thankfully, the platform staff put out a manual announcement explaining the replacement service and reason for it. There ought to be some way of overriding the automated announcement under such circumstances as the vast majority of pax just need to know that the next service is the 0903 to Glasgow Central, regardless of whether it is the original or a replacement.

[LiskeardRich]

Philwakely. When an XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) is majorly delayed through cornwall they terminate that train at Plymouth, but restart it with a a voyager that was due to form a later service to get it on time. The service delayed from cornwall then forms a later Plymouth departure.
I was on a 120 late pnz to glc sometime last year which was canned at Plymouth. The train then went on as a Plymouth to Manchester service. The Manchester train has formed a Plymouth to Glasgow in the Penzance trains on time slot