New Customer Information Systems

[whole diary]

[Louis94]

This is also the same for FGW^▸ (First Great Western), in that when the FGW team "page" out the relevant information the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) automatically updates. This is only on the LICC system which is being rolled out. This feature does not work on the original LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley) system or the Amey Datel system at the major FGW stations.

Shame they find the need to change the announcements when surely the announcements at HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) stations would be fine (Ditra), seeing as SWT^▸ (South West Trains) seem to have no problem using them with their LICC system. Its all about money apparently, Ditra are charging to much, so instead FGW have gone for value instead of quality with the announcements. Lets hope they don't have as many problems as FCC^▸ (First Capital Connect) did!

[phile]

If this has been mentioned previously, please excuse me, but unfortunately it would mean having to go through some 36 pages as I have not been folllowing the topic thoroughly..
I wonder if anybody has any info on Bristol Temple Meads as the screens on the platforms are unsatisfactory.     The line up screens (Not the ones listing trains at each  platforms) are difficult to read, especially in sunlight   My main bone of contention is that there is only limited space and this, due to the frequency of services, does cause problems.    The example of this is that when a passenger (I prefer the dictionary term of somebody being conveyed rather than the word customer which in many circumstances can sound odd) requires to change trains they require to know from which platform their train departs and they find the screen has not yet scrolled to their service even though only a comparatively short time ahead, even as low as 20 minutes at peak time frequency. Definitely a case for new CISs^▸ (Customer Information System) here.   I did E-Mail FGW^▸ (First Great Western) some months ago to enquire and eventually received a not too convincing affirmative reply.

[ChrisB]

Can you quote that reply here?

[phile]

Unfortunately Deleted and Recycled now.    Apologies.

[paul7575]

Thanks for the above background info - clearly a very complex system, all things considered.

I guess a good example of how it all integrates is that on the vast majority of occasions, SWT^▸ (South West Trains)'s PIS^▸ (Passenger Information System) get's XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise))'s services exactly right, eg 4 or 5 car, direction of travel etc.

Paul

[devon_metro]

If this has been mentioned previously, please excuse me, but unfortunately it would mean having to go through some 36 pages as I have not been folllowing the topic thoroughly..
I wonder if anybody has any info on Bristol Temple Meads as the screens on the platforms are unsatisfactory.     The line up screens (Not the ones listing trains at each  platforms) are difficult to read, especially in sunlight   My main bone of contention is that there is only limited space and this, due to the frequency of services, does cause problems.    The example of this is that when a passenger (I prefer the dictionary term of somebody being conveyed rather than the word customer which in many circumstances can sound odd) requires to change trains they require to know from which platform their train departs and they find the screen has not yet scrolled to their service even though only a comparatively short time ahead, even as low as 20 minutes at peak time frequency. Definitely a case for new CISs^▸ (Customer Information System) here.   I did E-Mail FGW^▸ (First Great Western) some months ago to enquire and eventually received a not too convincing affirmative reply.

Agreed, I often get off Cardiff trains (from Portsmouth) hoping for a quick connection onto a Taunton stopper since they are unadvertised connections so it's a bonus if I get one. The screens are not particularly quick for looking up this platform info plus you can't view them from an angle.

[JayMac]

This week's FGW^▸ (First Great Western) update -

Installations completed last week: CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) at St Budeaux, CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) and PA^▸ (Public Address) at Twyford

SE installations planned for this week: CCTV, CIS and PA at Romsey, Exeter Central,
Paignton, Nailsea & Backwell, CIS and PA at Newbury, West Drayton and Theale

And confirmation that new CIS is up and running at Nailsea and Backwell:

[Louis94]

And confirmation that new CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) is up and running at Nailsea and Backwell

Is that a PA^▸ (Public Address) speaker on top of the screen?

[Chris from Nailsea]

Yes. Male voice, very clear enunciation: much better than the female Wessex announcements! 

[Louis94]

Yes. Male voice, very clear enunciation: much better than the female Wessex announcements! 

On both platforms?

[Chris from Nailsea]

At NLS this morning, there were four Telent vans, one Network Rail one, and - rather bizarrely - a motorway maintenance one, all with their attendant orange clad engineers swarming all over the station.

It appears they are installing the full kit of new CIS^▸ (Customer Information System), PA^▸ (Public Address) and CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) on both platforms: I shall check tomorrow whether there's a different voice on the PA on platform 1 for you, Louis94. 

[paul7575]

Don't they limit the multiple voice systems to the very busiest stations (especially useful where there is more than one train leaving at exactly the same time like at Southampton)?   I expect there's some sort of cut-off level of traffic below which you only get one system, maybe 2 or 3 tph each way?

Paul

[Louis94]

Don't they limit the multiple voice systems to the very busiest stations (especially useful where there is more than one train leaving at exactly the same time like at Southampton)?   I expect there's some sort of cut-off level of traffic below which you only get one system, maybe 2 or 3 tph each way?

Paul

Not really, Southern have 2 voices at stations with just 1 tph, its not a separate system, its just the way the audio equipment is setup to divide the station into "zones". I understand Warminster is divided to have 2 voices, and i'm sure Nailsea has a few more trains than Warminster!

[TheLastMinute]

Don't they limit the multiple voice systems to the very busiest stations (especially useful where there is more than one train leaving at exactly the same time like at Southampton)?   I expect there's some sort of cut-off level of traffic below which you only get one system, maybe 2 or 3 tph each way?

Paul

Not really, Southern have 2 voices at stations with just 1 tph, its not a separate system, its just the way the audio equipment is setup to divide the station into "zones". I understand Warminster is divided to have 2 voices, and i'm sure Nailsea has a few more trains than Warminster!

It was two different voices when I was there yesterday late afternoon. As if to prove the point, there were two "next train not stopping" announcements almost simultaneously for each platform.

The Telenet people were still there installing the CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) cameras, including one pointing directly at the TVMs^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine), especially for Chris I think! 

Is that a PA^▸ (Public Address) speaker on top of the screen?

Yep.

Cheers,
TLM

[Louis94]

Does anyone have any news on the installation of the new CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) and PA^▸ (Public Address) at Exeter Central?