GWR - Lack of Announcements

[Essexman]

Generally I think there are too many announcements on trains but this week I travelled from Paddington to Torquay and there were virtually none. Just one after we left Paddington I think.

The automatic ones weren't working, or weren't switched on (they came on after Exeter) and the Train Manager didn't announce stations, even when some coaches weren't platformed. Hence an elderly lady was carried over from Castle Cary and had to be helped by staff at Taunton to get back to her stop.

I was told that it was the driver's job to switch on the announcements. Is this correct? But surely if they are not working the Train Manager should make at least basic ones.

 

[irish_rail]

Count yourself lucky. Those automatic announcements on IETs are extremely repetitive and annoying

 

[II]

I was told that it was the driver's job to switch on the announcements. Is this correct? But surely if they are not working the Train Manager should make at least basic ones.

On a 80x, the driver generally logs into the TMS and enters the headcode which generates the automatic announcements and PIS displays. If for some reason that fails there are a range of 'generic' headcodes that can be used. The TM can log into the TMS and enter those details if for some reason the driver hasn't. If for some reason the headcode isn't recognised and there is no suitable generic one, then it most certainly is up to the TM to make appropriate announcements.

 

[Essexman]

Count yourself lucky. Those automatic announcements on IETs are extremely repetitive and annoying

I agree. Personally I'd rather not have them but not all passengers know the route and which coaches may not be platformed so we need some but not nearly as many as on the automated system.

Glad to have an HST on the way back today with an excellent Train Manager who made just the right announcements.

 

[father_jack]

Didn't read too long about the scenario but something down the Berks and Hants (ie ex Reading down via Newbury etc) tonight was delayed due to TMS issues.....

 

[Parallel]

When my friend from the SE travelled to Westbury, she said there were no short platform announcements. Luckily she was at the furthest platformed door back, she would’ve been overcarried to Castle Cary (and it was late evening) if she was in the rear two coaches. She said where was a short platforms announcement for Pewsey but not for Westbury.

 

[TUC]

Count yourself lucky. Those automatic announcements on IETs are extremely repetitive and annoying

So how do you suggest passengers are helped to know when their station is approaching?

 

[DelW]

Personally I'd rather not have them but not all passengers know the route and which coaches may not be platformed so we need some but not nearly as many as on the automated system.

So how do you suggest passengers are helped to know when their station is approaching?

Recently it surprised me how disconcerting it can be to have no announcements (or PIS) at all, when you're not sure where you are. I was travelling on a 313 toward Hertford North, which had no PIS screens, no automated announcements and no manual PA station announcements. On an unfamiliar route, in the dark, and stopping at lots of suburban stations, it was quite difficult to keep track of where I was. Station name-boards are often small and poorly-lit, and weren't always visible from where my coach stopped. Probably the 717s will go to the other extreme though.

 

[irish_rail]

So how do you suggest passengers are helped to know when their station is approaching?

I'm not suggesting that approaching stations are not announced am I??!!! What I object to is the various useless claptrap that is whittled off that people just zone out from and ignore for example giving every stop the train will be calling at after departing every station, and all the pointless rubbish about ensuring you have all your personal belongings etc etc etc. Folk just ignore it now. All that is needed is a simple " we are now arriving at xxx" .

 

[jon0844]

On my GWR service back to London from Cardiff on Sunday, there was nothing but station related announcements until getting closer to London (having departed Reading) whereby it started cycling through a series of safety announcements with only a small gap in between.

Can/are such announcements linked to the location of the train, with a priority on trains within the Greater London area?

Also, I can't help but note how quiet the announcements are. I assume there's no ambient noise sensor to adjust dynamically. On my Cardiff bound train on Friday, it was near silent because of the carriage noise (rugby weekend). Before anyone says that's exceptional circumstances I should point out that it was loud but not crazy loud (no singing or chanting) and probably not significantly different to any other evening train after work.

 

[Bikeman78]

Count yourself lucky. Those automatic announcements on IETs are extremely repetitive and annoying

The most amusing is the connectional advice approaching Bristol Parkway: Change here for Bristol Temple Meads and the north! When the new service from Temple Meads to Paddington via Parkway starts, will they still have the same announcement?

 

[Parallel]

Can/are such announcements linked to the location of the train, with a priority on trains within the Greater London area?

I think it depends on the TOC and the capability of the PIS. I know on the GWR DMUs, the full/long safety announcements are only usually played at places like Bristol Temple Meads, Exeter St David’s, Plymouth and (I think) Southampton Central. It is always played when the PIS is first started up at the origin though.

TfW have a safety announcement that plays after leaving large/interchange stations. The older units have an older announcement that is meant to play every 4 times the doors are released.

 

[jon0844]

I was surprised to be on the train on Friday evening and it was all set up with digital reservations, coach numbers etc (and paper reservations too) but the TM didn't do any announcements and nor did the train. No audible confirmation of what service it was, where it was stopping, anything about having the right ticket or getting off if not intending to travel.

The system didn't say anything at all until after leaving Paddington and for a minute or two at least. And then, as I said, did it too quietly to be fully heard anyway.

 

[vlad]

The most amusing is the connectional advice approaching Bristol Parkway: Change here for Bristol Temple Meads and the north! When the new service from Temple Meads to Paddington via Parkway starts, will they still have the same announcement?

Virgin XC used to have an automated announcement at Leamington Spa advising you to change for Birmingham Moor Street. This was played even on trains that had come from Birmingham New Street. Even if you got on in Coventry it would still be a bit of a long way round!

 

[Parallel]

The most amusing is the connectional advice approaching Bristol Parkway: Change here for Bristol Temple Meads and the north! When the new service from Temple Meads to Paddington via Parkway starts, will they still have the same announcement?

I’ve been on a IET to Carmarthen that travelled via Temple Meads due to planned engineering work and the announcement arriving into Temple Meads said ‘Change here for Cardiff Central and Bristol Parkway’ and people actually got off the train!!

 

[HowardGWR]

I’ve been on a IET to Carmarthen that travelled via Temple Meads due to planned engineering work and the announcement arriving into Temple Meads said ‘Change here for Cardiff Central and Bristol Parkway’ and people actually got off the train!!

Perhaps there was a late change to the schedule, otherwise I don't understand why your train did not take the 'Rhubarb' chord at North Somerset Junction.

 

[didcotdean]

IETs stopping at Didcot Parkway (from London anyway) have an announcement about changing there for Oxford, Banbury and the North. This is heard even on services that actually continue on to Oxford.

 

[PHILIPE]

Perhaps there was a late change to the schedule, otherwise I don't understand why your train did not take the 'Rhubarb' chord at North Somerset Junction.

The diverted trains usually go into Temple Meads as they become absorbed into the Bristol TM to Paddington services.

 

[Essexman]

The IET announcements seem to be programmed to tell people to alight at Newton Abbot for Torquay & Paignton, even if that's where the train is going. Two or three times I've been on trains when this announcement has been made approaching Newton Abbot and the Train Manager has had to make a manual announcement telling passengers for Torquay & Paignton to stay on the train.

 

[Parallel]

GWR really need to sort their announcements out. They can’t do local doors either. The amount of times the system announces Bradford on Avon as being Avoncliff and it’s too dark to see the stations signs, people get overcarried, especially if they don’t know the route.

 

[oliverpckehoe]

As well as not doing local doors, request stops in Devon and Cornwall are often omitted from announcements. For example, a train from Plymouth to Gunnislake will not show Dockyard as a stop, and if the train calls there then it is announced as Keyham, then Keyham as St Budeaux, St Budeaux as Bere Ferrers and so on.

 

[VT 390]

As well as not doing local doors, request stops in Devon and Cornwall are often omitted from announcements. For example, a train from Plymouth to Gunnislake will not show Dockyard as a stop, and if the train calls there then it is announced as Keyham, then Keyham as St Budeaux, St Budeaux as Bere Ferrers and so on.

Is that not because Dockyard is a request stop as I noticed the same situation on the Exmouth branch on a service stopping at Exton and Lympstone Commando.

 

[Parallel]

They’ve put an announcement on for Thornford, Yetminster and Chetnole now, but they need to follow ATW/TfW and list the request stops leaving the last mandatory stop. Something like ‘The next station is Lympstone Village. This train will only stop at Exton and Lympstone Commando on request; please ensure you’ve told the conductor’.

 

[Right Away]

The TrainFX public address system fitted to the refurbished GWR units is awful. The issues highlighted in the previous few posts such as request stops and local door operation are a pain. The system on some units is triggered only when the door release button has been operated and the doors have been released on the entire train. Re-releasing the doors for situations such as making an attachment will cause the system to think it is one station further down the line. A handful of units that have the system linked to GPS are a lot better. The system is operated with a four digit 'journey code' that is entered by the crew, which will then cause a pre-determined list of stations to be displayed. If you have engineering work or a calling pattern different to the normal, no journey code will be provided so the system can't be set up. If you are given a Special Stop Order, the system is useless as there is no means available to add additional calling points.

 

[Essan]

I noticed yesterday evening on the 18:38 from Hereford to Paddington that there were no announcements at all (between Worcs SH and Evesham anyway) - not sure if it caused any problems at any of the short platforms through the Cotswolds (the extended platforms aren't open yet, least not at Evesham) but it's the first time I haven't heard any instructions on which coach to disembark from.

 

[oliverpckehoe]

Is that not because Dockyard is a request stop as I noticed the same situation on the Exmouth branch on a service stopping at Exton and Lympstone Commando.

That's what I was saying, request stops are left out.

Although Dockyard and Menheniot are mentioned on 2C48, which is an IET

 

[oliverpckehoe]

I noticed yesterday evening on the 18:38 from Hereford to Paddington that there were no announcements at all (between Worcs SH and Evesham anyway) - not sure if it caused any problems at any of the short platforms through the Cotswolds (the extended platforms aren't open yet, least not at Evesham) but it's the first time I haven't heard any instructions on which coach to disembark from.

IETs still have manual SDO, but it's only really used in exceptional circumstances.

Edit: announcements about which coaches to use will have been either manual or just left out completely.

 

[Bikeman78]

IETs stopping at Didcot Parkway (from London anyway) have an announcement about changing there for Oxford, Banbury and the North. This is heard even on services that actually continue on to Oxford.

It sounds like the auto announcements need a bit of re-programming. Nonsense announcements are worse than none at all.

 

[Essan]

IETs still have manual SDO, but it's only really used in exceptional circumstances.

Edit: announcements about which coaches to use will have been either manual or just left out completely.

~

Aye, it's always a manual announcement. Just odd that on this occasion (it was a 9 car unit) there were none.

 

[northernbelle]

They’ve put an announcement on for Thornford, Yetminster and Chetnole now, but they need to follow ATW/TfW and list the request stops leaving the last mandatory stop. Something like ‘The next station is Lympstone Village. This train will only stop at Exton and Lympstone Commando on request; please ensure you’ve told the conductor’.

The GWR PIS now doez exactly the same having had a recent update.