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“Please hold tightly”

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ess

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After a comedy passenger falling onto another passenger this morning while the train changed tracks, I wonder why I’ve never heard a “Please hold tightly” message (except on the Stansted Airport transit).

It would be much more useful than many other PA announcements I hear.
 
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The_Train

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After a comedy passenger falling onto another passenger this morning while the train changed tracks, I wonder why I’ve never heard a “Please hold tightly” message (except on the Stansted Airport transit).

It would be much more useful than many other PA announcements I hear.

I was travelling into Stafford not so long ago and a passenger hunting for the loo was thrown pretty forcibly into the door as the train went over points as we rejoined the WCML.

Would announcements every time a train potentially may sway a bit be feasible throughout a journey though? Do occurrences like these happen enough for companies to justify it?
 

jopsuk

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If there were such announcements, there would be threads on here every few months complaining about them
 

Warwick

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On the naughty step again.
I was travelling into Stafford not so long ago and a passenger hunting for the loo was thrown pretty forcibly into the door as the train went over points as we rejoined the WCML.

Would announcements every time a train potentially may sway a bit be feasible throughout a journey though? Do occurrences like these happen enough for companies to justify it?
. ".......happen enough for......". No
 

DarloRich

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If there were such announcements, there would be threads on here every few months complaining about them

is the correct answer. This is a very odd thread!

Would announcements every time a train potentially may sway a bit be feasible throughout a journey though? Do occurrences like these happen enough for companies to justify it?

no it would not.
 

87 027

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Did you ever experience those "please hold on tightly, the bus is about to move" announcements on London buses? They only sometimes coincided with when the bus actually started to move, got very irritating very quickly and I'm pleased to say have now been abandoned (at least on all the buses I use)
 

Deafdoggie

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I have had a "hold on tight/remain seated" when two units are going to join together
 

HH

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"Sit down and fasten your seat belts; rail turbulence ahead."
 

The_Train

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no it would not.

That was my thinking. I'd imagine that if people falling over on trains was causing TOCs problems (ie legal action) then they would be making announcements of some sort just to cover themselves on a legal level
 

PaxVobiscum

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Not much support for the idea it would appear. Never mind, at least the forum pedants appreciate your correct use of “tightly” rather than the usual sloppy “tight”. :)
 

Iskra

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Could be worthwhile at Mirfield on TPE. All the 'in the know passengers' and the staff always hold on for that bit. Suitcases often fall from the racks there and a few passengers get a shock. Can be interesting when its wedged.

TPE do warn you about a jolt when they join portions together.
 

Royston Vasey

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This is the case on the suburban lines out of Tokyo, an automated announcement in Japanese and English states "the train is about to change tracks, please hold on" or something like that
 

island

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I’ve heard announcements by the guard on the subject on London Midland (as was) when crossing from the slow to the fast around Leighton Buzzard, but that’s about all.
 

delt1c

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What next " Male occupants in toilets, please aim carefully points ahead"
 

boxy321

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The double points change near Tyseley always raises a smile. the train travels at up to 60mph and gives those standing a suprise if they don't hang on.
 

Bantamzen

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Could be worthwhile at Mirfield on TPE. All the 'in the know passengers' and the staff always hold on for that bit. Suitcases often fall from the racks there and a few passengers get a shock. Can be interesting when its wedged.

TPE do warn you about a jolt when they join portions together.

I'd say that's true of much of the TPE routes, especially when you are rammed in the middle of a vestibule with pretty nothing much to hold on to. It can hairy at times to say the least!
 

mirodo

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There was an overly cheerful/chatty OBS on my train from Clapham Junction to East Croydon last week, who in addition to "quirkly" referring to us calling at "the station that is the East of Croydon" also warned of us "some wibbly-wobbly bits coming up" and warned us to hold on.
 

Jimini

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I’ve heard announcements by the guard on the subject on London Midland (as was) when crossing from the slow to the fast around Leighton Buzzard, but that’s about all.

Yep, I heard that one on Friday morning when going US > UF at Ledburn Junction on a non-stop run from Leyton Buzzard to Euston. Funnily enough the VTWC service ex. Manchester was running five late so we ended up being held by the protecting signal and then crawling over the junction.
 

DelW

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I can see the point of a 'manual' announcement if the train is about to take a crossover on a normally straight route, or is about to brake heavily. However in those cases a guard might not know in advance, and the driver might have more important things to think about.

Definitely not a case for more generic announcements that most pax just tune out of anyway.
 

edwin_m

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There are some places where a train regularly takes a high-speed crossover that can upset the unwary. The ones south of Chesterfield for the Liverpool-Norwich spring to mind. An announcement for these unusually severe one might be worthwhile. However a lot of sideways lurches are due to track deterioration, perhaps interacting with the train suspension, so they probably get better or worse according to the maintenance cycle.
 

Busaholic

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Did you ever experience those "please hold on tightly, the bus is about to move" announcements on London buses? They only sometimes coincided with when the bus actually started to move, got very irritating very quickly and I'm pleased to say have now been abandoned (at least on all the buses I use)
But long before that, when all London buses had a conductor, the call often came from that individual ''hold very tight, please'' followed immediately by the ding! ding! of the bell, and I don't remember anyone complaining about that. It was particularly useful on trolleybuses, because those vehicles could and did accelerate at speeds rarely, if ever, exceeded by a diesel bus.
 

transmanche

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But long before that, when all London buses had a conductor, the call often came from that individual ''hold very tight, please'' followed immediately by the ding! ding! of the bell, and I don't remember anyone complaining about that.
However on the modern DOO bus, there's already a huge clue that the bus is about to move when you hear the hustle alarm for the closing doors.
 

Kanrakuq

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The only time I've heard a "hold on" warning was on the Heathrow Express during some works somewhere, where the driver said soon they were going to be driving over, I don't know what, can't remember, but all I know is that we were then waiting for ages holding on and getting ready for the big bump, and ... nothing. Whatever it was, no one felt it.
 

Bromley boy

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After a comedy passenger falling onto another passenger this morning while the train changed tracks, I wonder why I’ve never heard a “Please hold tightly” message (except on the Stansted Airport transit).

It would be much more useful than many other PA announcements I hear.

Definitely not a good idea.

The simple answer is that if you’re standing on a train which is in motion you should always keep hold of a grab pole, seat back or whatever.

Please, please, no more announcements. There are far too many already.
 

mark-h

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I'd imagine that if people falling over on trains was causing TOCs problems (ie legal action) then they would be making announcements of some sort just to cover themselves on a legal level

I could see this causing more problems- if a passenger fell on an unannounced jolt then they could claim that the company was negligent.
 

The_Train

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I could see this causing more problems- if a passenger fell on an unannounced jolt then they could claim that the company was negligent.

That's pretty much what I meant (might have been worded badly). As no announcements are made as standard, it's a safe bet that people are not making claims against TOCs otherwise they would be doing more arse covering than they are now
 

Harbornite

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Only a trainspotter would care about something so inane. Buses don't have "hold tight" announcements so there's no need for trains to have them either.
 

greyman42

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Could be worthwhile at Mirfield on TPE. All the 'in the know passengers' and the staff always hold on for that bit. Suitcases often fall from the racks there and a few passengers get a shock. Can be interesting when its wedged.

TPE do warn you about a jolt when they join portions together.
What happens at Mirfield? Is it a particularly rocky set of points?
 

Iskra

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I'd say that's true of much of the TPE routes, especially when you are rammed in the middle of a vestibule with pretty nothing much to hold on to. It can hairy at times to say the least!

True, the TPE route does involve a lot of junctions and a lot of lengthy meandering across station throats ie Leeds, York, Manchester Picc and Preston to name but a few. Mirfield is a particularly bad spot as it is quite unexpected if you don't know about it and you are travelling at speed (well, fast by TPE standards) unlike a lot of other junctions you pass.

What happens at Mirfield? Is it a particularly rocky set of points?

I think so, yes. There is a distinct jolt as you pass through the station from West to East. This is accentuated by the often crammed trains and it catches people out. You will notice that staff members will often stop walking and hold on while the train passes through Mirfield if you watch closely.
 
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