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1995 TS New announcements

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i3lu

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51670 - 51671 train was reverted to the last announcements.
 

antharro

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Eh. Not sure about that. Seems a bit more long winded. If I recall, the old announcer said "This is a Northern line train to Edgware, via Bank". Adding the "terminating at" bit provides clarity, which I'm not sure is required, and a slight lengthening of the message, which while very minor is again not required.

"This is a Northern Line train via Bank, terminating at Morden" used to be

"This is a Northern Line train to Morden, via Bank" - just "reads" better, I reckon.

But then I don't like most of the automated announcers out there. SWT's one on the 444/450s isn't too bad, and the Central Line's one isn't so bad, the Jubilee's 96ts is one of the best, imo.
 

Mojo

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Eh. Not sure about that. Seems a bit more long winded. If I recall, the old announcer said "This is a Northern line train to Edgware, via Bank".

The "old" announcements say, for example: "This train terminates at Kennington via Charing +."
 

tunster

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I'm pretty sure these are new, but the interchanges for Euston/Clapham High Street would confirm that.

On the topic of announcements, is there any reason TfL LU haven't introduced multi-language announcements? Especially on the tourist hotspot lines (Central/Piccadilly/CDHS/Jubilee). Some of the Paris Metro includes them on the newer lines.
 

Nym

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I'm pretty sure these are new, but the interchanges for Euston/Clapham High Street would confirm that.

On the topic of announcements, is there any reason TfL LU haven't introduced multi-language announcements? Especially on the tourist hotspot lines (Central/Piccadilly/CDHS/Jubilee). Some of the Paris Metro includes them on the newer lines.

OK, dumb questions moment...

1) Why should they?

2) Which languages?
 

i3lu

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At this moment, more than half have installed the "new announcements". Also at Finchley Central, Camden Town, Euston and Kennington the trains announce the next station when are stopped in station.
 

tunster

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OK, dumb questions moment...

1) Why should they?

2) Which languages?

1) I always feel when I've been on other transport systems outside the UK (mainly in Europe), they always make an effort to accommodate tourists as much as their commuters. London is one of the most popular tourist destinations. It's a nice gesture and can imagine it would just help tourists get around better. I appreciate English is one of the biggest languages in the world, but is there any reason not to do it?

2) French, Spanish, German?
 

Mikey C

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I'm pretty sure these are new, but the interchanges for Euston/Clapham High Street would confirm that.

On the topic of announcements, is there any reason TfL LU haven't introduced multi-language announcements? Especially on the tourist hotspot lines (Central/Piccadilly/CDHS/Jubilee). Some of the Paris Metro includes them on the newer lines.

The thing is, English is the world's second language, thus wherever you go in the world you get announcements in English as well as the native tongue(s).

In San Francisco, which its large Hispanic and Chinese communities, I believe the announcements are also done in Spanish and Mandarin, but that's more for the benefit of natives rather than tourists
 

bramling

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1) I always feel when I've been on other transport systems outside the UK (mainly in Europe), they always make an effort to accommodate tourists as much as their commuters. London is one of the most popular tourist destinations. It's a nice gesture and can imagine it would just help tourists get around better. I appreciate English is one of the biggest languages in the world, but is there any reason not to do it?

2) French, Spanish, German?

Apart from the rights or wrongs of it (I wouldn't expect to hear English if I went on a foreign metro system, so why should I expect to hear someone else's language here?), there are quite a few reasons why it isn't practicable:

1) Messages would be too long. Already at many stations the doors are closed before the message has finished. This means that the driver has to stop the message if it's required to make any manual announcements, most importantly asking people to stand clear of the doors.

2) Which languages do you choose? Where do you draw the line?

3) Extra cost of keeping everything up-to-date - something already an issue just with English.

So altogether a big loud "no thanks" to this.
 

jon0844

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Just stop trains longer at each station to allow for the extra languages.

Sigh, do I have to think of everything on my own?
 

DynamicSpirit

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Just stop trains longer at each station to allow for the extra languages.

Sigh, do I have to think of everything on my own?

I have a much better plan. First, you play the recordings faster. Say - play them at 300% speed, and then you'd be able to fit in 3 languages in the same time as the current English announcements. Then, you multiply this by having recordings in different languages on different parts of the platform. Say, direct English, French and German speakers to the front of each platform. Chinese, Russian and Japanese speakers to the middle of each platform, and Australian, American and Scouse speakers to the back. That way you get nine languages in. Simple, huh!

If 9 languages is not sufficient, then you could get 18 in by confining the above-mentioned languages to the Southbound and Westbound platforms, allowing you to communicate in a further 9 languages at the Northbound and Eastbound platforms.
 

Mikey C

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I have a much better plan. First, you play the recordings faster. Say - play them at 300% speed, and then you'd be able to fit in 3 languages in the same time as the current English announcements. Then, you multiply this by having recordings in different languages on different parts of the platform. Say, direct English, French and German speakers to the front of each platform. Chinese, Russian and Japanese speakers to the middle of each platform, and Australian, American and Scouse speakers to the back. That way you get nine languages in. Simple, huh!

If 9 languages is not sufficient, then you could get 18 in by confining the above-mentioned languages to the Southbound and Westbound platforms, allowing you to communicate in a further 9 languages at the Northbound and Eastbound platforms.

And holograms to do the announcements in sign language :D
 

321over360

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I'm pretty sure these are new, but the interchanges for Euston/Clapham High Street would confirm that.

On the topic of announcements, is there any reason TfL LU haven't introduced multi-language announcements? Especially on the tourist hotspot lines (Central/Piccadilly/CDHS/Jubilee). Some of the Paris Metro includes them on the newer lines.

Because the majority of people using the Underground speak English thats why as the commuter usage is higher than the tourist usage plus if they did the trains multi language trains would take forever to announce stops, especially say Holborn & Chancery Lane on the Central Line, given as you leave Chancery Lane westbound the last 1 or 2 carriages havent even left Chancery Lanes platforms and you already get "The Next station is Holborn, change here for the Piccadilly line"
 

TheNewNo2

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1) I always feel when I've been on other transport systems outside the UK (mainly in Europe), they always make an effort to accommodate tourists as much as their commuters. London is one of the most popular tourist destinations. It's a nice gesture and can imagine it would just help tourists get around better. I appreciate English is one of the biggest languages in the world, but is there any reason not to do it?

2) French, Spanish, German?

I don't know if you've ever been on Stansted Express, but the pentalingual announcements are really really annoying, and barely over before you hit the next station. And that's on a medium-distance low-stop railway. You'd never fit it all in on the Underground. Plus, the more you do announcements the less people listen.
 

321over360

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Given the fact that at times you cant even hear the Central Line announcements as they are either played too quietly or the DVA equipment isnt working in some carriages then it would be pointless, plus when you think of how long some of them are already and would be longer if LUL update the Central Line with LO and TFL Rail/Crossrail having multilanguage versions would just mean the train would still be announcing Liverpool Street by the time it reaches Bank or nearly at Bethnal Green
 

Tetchytyke

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Because the majority of people using the Underground speak English thats why as the commuter usage is higher than the tourist usage plus if they did the trains multi language trains would take forever to announce stops

The Hamburg S-Bahn and U-Bahn manages to announce in German and English at the main stations and tourist centres, why wouldn't it work in London?
 

greatkingrat

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What language would you use? French, German, Spanish, Mandarin?

The difference is that in Germany, English is the obvious second language to pick as a large percentage of tourists will have at least some knowledge of it.
 

i3lu

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I just took from King's Cross 51619 to Bank and it was surprising me to hear "Circle&Hammesmith" or "terminates at Morden". Also was a pleasure to not hear the dva how is screaming "and Metropolitan Line" at Moorgate.
This train never had upgraded the dva or they want revert again the announcements?
 

bramling

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I just took from King's Cross 51619 to Bank and it was surprising me to hear "Circle&Hammesmith" or "terminates at Morden". Also was a pleasure to not hear the dva how is screaming "and Metropolitan Line" at Moorgate.
This train never had upgraded the dva or they want revert again the announcements?

I would imagine it's been missed.

Probably best to keep quiet about it! ;)
 

317666

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The Hamburg S-Bahn and U-Bahn manages to announce in German and English at the main stations and tourist centres, why wouldn't it work in London?

There's also the fact that announcements in England tend to go on for a lot longer - comparing the Berlin U-Bahn and London Underground:

Berlin: "Zug nach Pankow" (Train to Pankow).

London "This is a Northern line train terminating at Morden".

Berlin: "Ausstieg rechts" (Exit right).

London: "Doors will open on the right hand side."

Although it's largely due to the differences in the language more than anything else!
 

321over360

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There's also the fact that announcements in England tend to go on for a lot longer - comparing the Berlin U-Bahn and London Underground:

Berlin: "Zug nach Pankow" (Train to Pankow).

London "This is a Northern line train terminating at Morden".

Berlin: "Ausstieg rechts" (Exit right).

London: "Doors will open on the right hand side."

Although it's largely due to the differences in the language more than anything else!

We have too long announcements on the Underground, I can understand on the S stock have This is a District, This is a Circle, This is a Metropolitan, This is a H&City Line train to (Station Name) as the stock all looks the same so there needs to be some audio distinguishing done on the train so passengers know they are on a District Line train, however tube stock dont need "This is a Central Line train to ....." as you should know you are on the Central Line or whatever tube line you are on already.

Referencing the Doors will open on the L/R hand side, that is just on the Victoria Line, luckily it hasnt gone to any other line as kinda pointless i mean say stratford Westbound where the doors open on both sides of the train on the Central Line.
 

rebmcr

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Referencing the Doors will open on the L/R hand side, that is just on the Victoria Line

You are posting in a thread about it already having come to the Northern line, and there are replies above yours about it being on the Jubilee line already too... ~_~
 

Mojo

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You are posting in a thread about it already having come to the Northern line, and there are replies above yours about it being on the Jubilee line already too... ~_~

It isn't on the Northern line and I don't believe anywhere says this. But it is on the Vic.
 
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