New Customer Information Systems

[whole diary]

[Louis94]

Hey,

Does anyone know what I can expect when the new customer information systems are installed at FGW^▸ (First Great Western) stations (New departure screens, etc?), and will it be exactly the same as at Slough and Oxford, or is it going to be totally different?

Also just to let anyone know who is interested, have heard Teignmouth is due its new system between mid august and beginning of september!

Cheers Louis 

[TheLastMinute]

Whenever it is, it can't be soon enough. Travelling from Nailsea to Bristol TM^‡(resolve) on Friday mid-morning, the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) at both stations wasn't working. Both the Great Western and Wales & West systems are showing their age and becoming increasing unreliable and I believe that all the different systems are going to be replaced across all FGW^▸ (First Great Western) stations.

There's a good mock-up of the CIS, CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) and help point system that's going to be installed at Yatton in the listed building consent application which is available to view here (CIS & CCTV) and here (help points). In summary, FGW are planning to rip out the existing CRT^‡(resolve) screens on P1, P2 and the booking office and each replace them each with a TFT Departure Board plus there will be a 3-line Next Train Indicator on each platform and a Induction Loop for hearing aid users on P2. The CCTV cameras will also be replaced and some additional cameras fitted, including some dummy housing fixtures which the planning application (rather helpfully to some, no doubt) details!

Cheers,
Mike

[Chris from Nailsea]

Now, I thought this almost unbelievable - but Mike is quite right: those planning applications actually include specific details of the exact location(s) of the dummy camera(s).

Words fail me.

C. 

[JayMac]

Well, lets hope they don't compound the situation by doing this:



 

[Louis94]

Whenever it is, it can't be soon enough. Travelling from Nailsea to Bristol TM^‡(resolve) on Friday mid-morning, the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) at both stations wasn't working. Both the Great Western and Wales & West systems are showing their age and becoming increasing unreliable and I believe that all the different systems are going to be replaced across all FGW^▸ (First Great Western) stations.

There's a good mock-up of the CIS, CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) and help point system that's going to be installed at Yatton in the listed building consent application which is available to view here (CIS & CCTV) and here (help points). In summary, FGW are planning to rip out the existing CRT^‡(resolve) screens on P1, P2 and the booking office and each replace them each with a TFT Departure Board plus there will be a 3-line Next Train Indicator on each platform and a Induction Loop for hearing aid users on P2. The CCTV cameras will also be replaced and some additional cameras fitted, including some dummy housing fixtures which the planning application (rather helpfully to some, no doubt) details!

Cheers,
Mike

Very interesting documents there Mike! Thanks very much for sharing them! Does shed some light on what I can expect at stations with the new system fitted!

It could not come soon enough down here too! The system down here is as useful as a chocolate fire guard 

[Nibat]

I don't know the exact dates, really.  The only thing I know is that every single station must be done by the end of the year.

For what I've been told by one of the managers involved in the project, Telent is now delivering the projects for every station and FGW^▸ (First Great Western) is signing them off.  Planning application should have gone through by now, it could be some case with permission rejected, but I'd be very surprised if that's the case.

For what I heard, Dawlish will have one departures board on each platform, 2 3-line indicators on the up platform and 1 on the down.  Should be 1 or 2 boads downstair in the ticket hall area, but not sure where.  And hopefully will add some computer with TRUST^▸ (Train Running System TOPS) in the platform office.

CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) was originally included in the project, but I was told that due to money issues it's not decided which stations will have it replaced or installed, if any...

And see if anybody can guess the answer: do you know how much each helpoint costs???

[TheLastMinute]

As it happens, a listed building consent application has been made for Dawlish - the plans for the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) are here and for the help points here. Basicly, it's a 3-line Next Train Indicator for each platform and a departure screen for Platform 2, in ticket hall and another in the ticket office. In addition there is a 2 button help point on each platform. As Nibat said, no details of any CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) changes & as CCTV is

Cheers,
TLM

[Louis94]

As it happens, a listed building consent application has been made for Dawlish - the plans for the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) are here and for the help points here. Basicly, it's a 3-line Next Train Indicator for each platform and a departure screen for Platform 2, in ticket hall and another in the ticket office. In addition there is a 2 button help point on each platform. As Nibat said, no details of any CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) changes & as CCTV is

Cheers,
TLM

Thanks for the links to those documents
Any idea, who the announcements are due to be provided by? Will it be the same as at Slough/Oxford or will it be the same as at Paddington?

Cheers
Louis

[TheLastMinute]

According to the press release issued by the contractor Telent it's going to be Atos Origin's CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) software as used by South West Trains. How that compares to the existing systems at the stations you mention, I don't know but the systems at Slough and Oxford should be replaced - a major aim of the project is to have the same system across the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) network.

Cheers,
TLM

[Louis94]

According to the press release issued by the contractor Telent it's going to be Atos Origin's CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) software as used by South West Trains. How that compares to the existing systems at the stations you mention, I don't know but the systems at Slough and Oxford should be replaced - a major aim of the project is to have the same system across the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) network.

Cheers,
TLM

But Slough and Oxford have recently just had a new system, exactly the same of what appears to be going in at other FGW stations.

[Ollie]

Slough and Oxford were the trial stations as far as I know, the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) at stations should be the same as Slough and Oxford unless this has changed since I last saw anything about it.

[Louis94]

Slough and Oxford were the trial stations as far as I know, the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) at stations should be the same as Slough and Oxford unless this has changed since I last saw anything about it.

That was my understanding aswell! Hope it has not changed since then, The trial systems there were a big step up from the old ones!

[chrisoates]

And see if anybody can guess the answer: do you know how much each helpoint costs???


^10,500

[TheLastMinute]

I assume that's the version seen here with the inbuilt departure screen rather than the standard two button versions? I think I read somewhere (but can't remember where) that these are to go into the larger small stations without a CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) e.g. Clifton Down. To be fair, I would think that these units would cost a lot less than installing a full CIS and still give a good level of functionality.

Cheers,
Mike

[JayMac]

Stations on the SVB Line have been kitted out with these CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) for some months now. A couple were stolen soon after installation though!!!