Praise for FGW staff... and a little criticism of FGW stations

[whole diary]

[Btline]

Announcements are no longer played across all platforms, but merely to the platform they apply to. "Birmingham New Street, this is Birmingham New Street" has returned. As far as I know no technical changes have been made.

That's ridiculous. The whole greatness of the BMH system was the fact that all announcements were played everywhere, making sure everyone got the message. it is a vast station, and there are lots of platform alterations, meaing people catching one train can be spread on several platforms and the concourse!

What's the point of playing the announcement only to the platform? If you're there already then it is not needed!

What will happen at the concourse?

This is a travesty. BMH was renown for Phil...

Are there any non Northern Phil only stations anymore?

If the systems at Victoria are replaced (there are two, one for each side), they will mostly like be ATOS Sarah, as at Charing Cross.

Why? Sarah is hopeless at big stations!! Obviously they understood this for Waterloo. Why not Charing X?

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

they both mispronounce 'sampford courtnay' as crediton

[IndustryInsider]

That's ridiculous.
This is a travesty.

Quick, someone call the Mail...

[caliwag]

It really is time to reconsider the whole notion of station announcements...they are not necessary, except in emergencies.
Let people seek out the information via boards and staff.

Just consider how calm a station would be without irritating repitition of irrelevent platform and "calling at" info...I personaly, as a seasoned traveller, never ever listen. I read boards, sus out where the platforms are and get on with it. Occasional travellers will ask staff several times over...they will not listen to the inaudiblae burble from the roof.
Anyway, in York, even yesterday, I have heard announcements for a train that has alraedy left, which given that there are signs announcing that the doors close 30 seconds before departure is odd.

I recall the line manager, back in the early 90s, in York, suggested that there was no need for stsation signage as there was always on-train announcements...oh yeah,.,..sorry that's an aside, but it shows very closed thinking.

[John R]

What do you propose partially visually impaired passengers do?

[thefab442]

What a stupid idea. They are useful for tourists and visually impaired passengers.

They are usual clear and precise, in fact those which aren't are usually made by staff and not a computer.

[Btline]

At a station like Birmingham New Street, there are frequent platform alterations, so you'd be mad to ignore the announcements!

It is a must that clear and authoritative announcements are made - you can't expect hundreds of people to stay staring at the screen until their train arrives!

[Mookiemoo]

At Reading - there is so much noise - I'm sure the visually impaired get sensory overload!

How about:

1. Seasoned travellers - they do what they do
2. Occasional travellers - they ask the staff anyway - even as far as the board says what the next train is, the window stickers confirm it - but they STILL ask the despatch staff to confirm where the train is going despite the audible announcements
3. The visually impaired USUALLY have some form of assistance or ask like (2)

Slough has had no announcements a few times recently - there was no mass panic!

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

They should just cut down on the please don't leave parcels unattended and weekend engineering work at weekends

[Mookiemoo]

Actually here is a Q - about the visually impaired argument........

Announcements are not made in the ticketing areas so.......... how do they know which platform to go to  in the first place.  As I've been told - you cannot rely on the fact that your train always went from plat X means its going from plat X today.  So you must check with a human being - o knowing there is a visually impaired person - I would see it as remiss of station staff not to make sure they go the right way

ergo - no need for announcements for their benefit alone!

[Btline]

They should just cut down on the please don't leave parcels unattended and weekend engineering work at weekends

Agree, along with: no smoking, don't run as there's "inclement" weather, and stand behind the yellow line. They are ALL POINTLESS.

Announcements are not made in the ticketing areas so.......... how do they know which platform to go to  in the first place.  As I've been told - you cannot rely on the fact that your train always went from plat X means its going from plat X today.  So you must check with a human being - o knowing there is a visually impaired person - I would see it as remiss of station staff not to make sure they go the right way

They were at BHM, but obviously the bright idea was to stop this. New Street will be madness! - don't they realise how long it takes for a family of four with luggage to get from platform 4c to 11a when the service is switched at - literally - the last minute? The fact it - you don't go onto the platform in advance, so you need the announcements on the concourse (like they were)!

[JayMac]

They should just cut down on the please don't leave parcels unattended and weekend engineering work at weekends

Agree, along with: no smoking, don't run as there's "inclement" weather, and stand behind the yellow line. They are ALL POINTLESS.

Announcements are not made in the ticketing areas so.......... how do they know which platform to go to  in the first place.  As I've been told - you cannot rely on the fact that your train always went from plat X means its going from plat X today.  So you must check with a human being - o knowing there is a visually impaired person - I would see it as remiss of station staff not to make sure they go the right way

They were at BHM, but obviously the bright idea was to stop this. New Street will be madness! - don't they realise how long it takes for a family of four with luggage to get from platform 4c to 11a when the service is switched at - literally - the last minute? The fact it - you don't go onto the platform in advance, so you need the announcements on the concourse (like they were)!

I'm not visually impaired, I'm rarely travelling in a family group with lots of luggage but I still find it bloody annoying when trains are re-platformed at very short notice at BHM. Of course as long as a train departs on time then from an operational point of view, that's fine. Sod the inconvenience to the passengers.
I'm reminded of an article published in "The Book of Heroic Failures" by Stephen Pile:

Can any bus service rival the fine Hanley to Bagnall route in Staffordshire? In 1976 it was reported that buses no longer stopped for passengers.
This came to light when one of them, Mr Bill Hancock, complained that buses on the outward journey regularly sailed passed queues of up to thirty people.
Councillor Arthur Chollerton then made transport history by stating that if these buses stopped to pick up passengers they would disrupt the timetable

[Timmer]

They should just cut down on the please don't leave parcels unattended and weekend engineering work at weekends

Don't have too much issue with the annoucements about engineering work except they give you no detail whatsoever of the work taking place but I ask this question how many passengers go round carrying parcels?

Seems a very dated word to use and that annoucement does annoy me because at the start Phil makes it sounds like he is about to say something (may I have your attention please) very important like your train is delayed or cancelled. Just say "please don't leave luggage or personal belongings unattended anywhere in the station."

[thefab442]

Announcements preceded by "May I/we have your attention please" are nearly always gubbins. You need to listen out for "I'm/we're sorry to announce that the".

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

But we all know that there are engineering works across the network on weekends, there network is that big that there always are so what is the point in reminding us