Frighton (Brighton given a spooky temporary name by GTR)

[Jan Mayen]

It seems GTR have decided to enter into the spirit of Halloween by changing the B in Brighton to an F.
I'll try and get a decent photo later.

Sussex train stations renamed for Halloween

Parts of Sussex have been given a Halloween rebrand at the county’s train stations

www.theargus.co.uk

Brighton has been renamed to “Frighton” and Crawley has become “Creepy Crawley” on departure boards.

Passengers travelling with Southern Rail and Thameslink can also take a trip to “Chillingshurst”, replacing Billingshurst on signage today.

The temporary changes are in place all day to celebrate the spooky season and create fun engagement for passengers.

 

[DarloRich]

No issue for me but that will go down well here!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Maybe Northern could rename 'Goole' station as 'Ghoul'.

Anywhere else? Must be a few!

 

[FatContr0ller]

Maybe Northern could rename 'Goole' station as 'Ghoul'.

Anywhere else? Must be a few!

Winchmore Hill is Witchmore Hill for the day as well

 

[bramling]

It seems GTR have decided to enter into the spirit of Halloween by changing the B in Brighton to an F.
I'll try and get a decent photo later.

Noticed it on the departure boards. What it actually looks like is that someone can’t spell, so once again making the rail industry appear dysfunctional in front of the general public. Nice one GTR.

I can’t stand Halloween at the best of times. The one consolation this year is that it doesn’t fall on a weekend (which tends to result in more trouble), and about the only positive of our current dire weather is it will probably keep people in as well.

My gym has done a load of stuff for Halloween, which has pretty much been a complete flop. TBH I can’t really see why anyone above teenage years would want to get into it.

 

[DarloRich]

Noticed it on the departure boards. What it actually looks like is that someone can’t spell, so once again making the rail industry appear dysfunctional in front of the general public. Nice one GTR.

took longer than I expected for the grumbles to appear! I doubt it does any of these things. If anyone notices it might raise a slight eyebrow and nothing more.

it is a bit of cheap and easy PR. Personally it isn't my thing but it is absolutely harmless.

 

[12C]

I’m happy to grumble about this sort of stuff. My view is it just looks silly and childish, and makes the railway look unprofessional.

Not to mention how confusing this could be to passengers seeing this on destination boards, especially those who maybe visiting from abroad, don’t use English as the first language or could have learning difficulties/other disabilities and don’t get the joke.

The railway can be a confusing enough place for the public without daft ideas like this.

 

[bramling]

took longer than I expected for the grumbles to appear! I doubt it does any of these things. If anyone notices it might raise a slight eyebrow and nothing more.

I noticed it. My first instinct was it was a spelling mistake.

it is a bit of cheap and easy PR. Personally it isn't my thing but it is absolutely harmless.

What PR does it actually achieve? Most people just want their train to run and be on time.

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

Maybe Northern could rename 'Goole' station as 'Ghoul'.

Anywhere else? Must be a few!

Aberdare as "Aberscare" - although I suppose you could call it that all-year-round and nobody would bat (pardon the pun) an eyelid.

 

[QueensCurve]

It seems GTR have decided to enter into the spirit of Halloween by changing the B in Brighton to an F.
I'll try and get a decent photo later.

Halloween carp has become all too ubiquitous.

 

[OneOfThe48]

Seems like harmless fun to me...

And Brighton to Frighton isn't as drastic as Bond Street to Burberry Street.

 

[Horizon22]

I’m happy to grumble about this sort of stuff. My view is it just looks silly and childish, and makes the railway look unprofessional.

Not to mention how confusing this could be to passengers seeing this on destination boards, especially those who maybe visiting from abroad, don’t use English as the first language or could have learning difficulties/other disabilities and don’t get the joke.

The railway can be a confusing enough place for the public without daft ideas like this.

Southeastern have been doing it for almost a decade I think with “St Pancake”.

I think the general public can tell the difference between a one-off change of one letter on the CIS as a light-hearted nod to the seasonal event as opposed to a whole-sale change of branding, name and associated way-finding for a week (see TfL and “Burberry Street”.)

I personally don’t care for it much but it might give some a little chuckle with very little concern, other than people here who think every tiny change to any sort of customer information will stop tourists and the disabled getting to their destination; its hyperbole and I guarantee it’s less disruptive for them than during usual service disruption!

 

[Msq71423]

I saw this photo of it pop up on my X feed:

 

[Bantamzen]

Just be thankful TOCs don't loop Christmas songs all journey the way some shops do during the festive season...

 

[bramling]

Southeastern have been doing it for almost a decade I think with “St Pancake”.

I think the general public can tell the difference between a one-off change of one letter on the CIS as a light-hearted nod to the seasonal event as opposed to a whole-sale change of branding, name and associated way-finding for a week (see TfL and “Burberry Street”.)

I personally don’t care for it much but it might give some a little chuckle with very little concern,

Who actually chuckles at this sort of thing?

 

[Edsmith]

Nonsensical and unprofessional in my opinion and let's hope nobody ends up confused, is a visitor from overseas really going to understand the 'joke'?

 

[CharlieSpotted]

Let's not forget when, under Virgin Trains management, Wolverhampton became Wolverine to promote a film...

 

[Horizon22]

Who actually chuckles at this sort of thing?

I'm sure some people do - don't think you can speak for everyone's sense of humour!

 

[CharlieSpotted]

Halloween carp has become all too ubiquitous.

Sounds a bit fishy to me.

 

[12C]

Southeastern have been doing it for almost a decade I think with “St Pancake”.

I think the general public can tell the difference between a one-off change of one letter on the CIS as a light-hearted nod to the seasonal event as opposed to a whole-sale change of branding, name and associated way-finding for a week (see TfL and “Burberry Street”.)

I personally don’t care for it much but it might give some a little chuckle with very little concern, other than people here who think every tiny change to any sort of customer information will stop tourists and the disabled getting to their destination; its hyperbole and I guarantee it’s less disruptive for them than during usual service disruption!

If I was visiting India for example and waiting for a train to Badshahnagar, but Indian railways had changed the departure board at a busy station to Fadshahnagar for a bit of a joke, I probably wouldn’t think it was the right train. This is how it would look to a non English speaker here.

As for disabled people, the whole point of spending millions on CIS screens at most stations was to make the railway more accessible. I can absolutely see how someone with learning difficulties who was trying to travel independently wouldn’t get on a train going to ‘Frighton’ if they wanted Brighton.

 

[bramling]

I'm sure some people do - don't think you can speak for everyone's sense of humour!

I just find it inane and basal, and have yet to see anyone find it amusing.

However the more serious point is that it just makes the railway, and in particular its staff, appear dysfunctional and potentially illiterate. Railway staff are getting enough bad press at the moment thanks to this government, so could do without more in the form of a silly own-goal.

 

[dakta]

I'll be first one then, glad life isn't all boring and it's not significant enough to mislead.

 

[Farigiraf]

Isn't this the perfect opportunity for Pumpkin to open a cafe at King's Cross, renaming it to London Pumpking's Cross? Imagine the chaos!

 

[sor]

as someone who spent some time interrailing earlier in the year, I'll add a +1 for those who think it's silly and really unhelpful for those who may not be fluent English speakers or a reasonable knowledge of placenames

I'm perfectly at ease while travelling on the GB rail network of course, and "Frighton" wouldn't get a second glance from me, but when you are in another country and trying to work out what the various messages are then it certainly is not.

Seems like a bit of forced "fun" too. It'd be one thing if the station staff used their own initiative to dressed up the station with skeletons and pumpkins or whatever, but don't mess with the screens!

 

[Horizon22]

I just find it inane and basal, and have yet to see anyone find it amusing.

However the more serious point is that it just makes the railway, and in particular its staff, appear dysfunctional and potentially illiterate. Railway staff are getting enough bad press at the moment thanks to this government, so could do without more in the form of a silly own-goal.

That's your opinion I suppose.

I don't think it makes the railway seem illiterate when a) it is evidently Halloween, b) Fright is a word used around Halloween, c) 364 days of the year it otherwise shows "Brighton"

 

[xotGD]

I suppose the TOCs are just operating a skeleton service today.

 

[TheHSRailFan]

Brighton has always been a scary place...

 

[ainsworth74]

Personally I think it's shocking, absolutely shocking, that anyone would think it appropriate when dealing with something as serious a matter as the railway to even think about attempting to make another person smile whilst they are travelling. Shocking! The act of travelling by train is an undertaking which must only be entered into with a solemn focus and due regard for the serious nature of the activity. Ridiculous affectations such as changing station names to things like "Frighton" are utterly obscene transgressions against the sacred act of travelling by railway. I hope that such disgusting behaviour will not catch on and that those involved in this, frankly, criminal act are duly punished for this outrageous and contemptable action. Hopefully no-one will have been too dismayed to have an egregious attempt at introducing levity to their journey forced upon them.

 

[bramling]

That's your opinion I suppose.

I don't think it makes the railway seem illiterate when a) it is evidently Halloween, b) Fright is a word used around Halloween, c) 364 days of the year it otherwise shows "Brighton"

I suspect that a good proportion of the adult population won’t have realised it’s actually Halloween today until their doorbell starts ringing later tonight.

I’m afraid I lost any sympathy for Halloween when it because another excuse for certain types to go round causing trouble, which is certainly the case round here. IMV we certainly don’t need the likes of GTR encouraging all this.

 

[AlterEgo]

This can go anywhere but the wayfinding in my view.

Nonsensical and unprofessional in my opinion and let's hope nobody ends up confused, is a visitor from overseas really going to understand the 'joke'?

Indeed, wayfinding should be strictly for essential information. All the fun stuff can still happen, but just elsewhere!

How many of us would find Shinagawa station in Japan if it had a few letters changed to make a pun on some locally relevant festival? Would many of you really think Shin-to'Aga was the same station on the PIS? There are loads of similar sounding stations in Japan. Here there are Mottingham and Nottingham stations, and a Cottingham. It's not that much of a stretch for a foreigner to think Frighton was a place distinct from Brighton.

People really are quite complacent at the ability of non-natives to navigate this sort of preposterous cringe and it is completely unnecessary. That's to say nothing of people who have difficulty processing changes to their routine. PIS and wayfinding should be sterile and 100% serious and reliable, all the time.

Do something actually inventive for Halloween instead of this rubbish!