Commuter Wellbeing in Train Stations

steph_park · 31 Oct 2019

I am a Product Design Engineering Masters student in Glasgow looking into the ways in which we could enlighten joy and increase commuter wellbeing in train stations, specifically focusing on two stages of the train user journey.

The first being the ticket barriers and the second being when users wait for their train on the platform. I would be grateful to hear any views or complaints you have on current ticket barriers and what you think could improve them, or even, what would make them more playful or joyful to you?

Likewise when waiting for your train; often a lot of train users are submerged in phone screens and headphones, do you find yourself doing this? would you rather have some social interaction or another distraction? Or maybe something to drown out or counteract unpleasant noises?

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yorkie · 31 Oct 2019

Just to add that the above was posted with the prior permission from the forum moderation team

306024 · 31 Oct 2019

Under the heading of wellbeing, and something I saw in Lille station which I haven't seen elsewhere (possibly for all sorts of good reasons but......) Exercise bikes to recharge your phone. Generate your own power! They seemed reasonably popular.

CaptainHaddock · 31 Oct 2019

The biggest way to improve commuter wellbeing would be to scrap all the pointless, unnecessary "health&safetybollox" announcements (unattended luggage/wet weather/seeitsayitsortit/no rollerblading/etc). Perhaps play some nice peaceful birdsong over the speakers instead?

Bletchleyite · 31 Oct 2019

steph_park said:
Or maybe something to drown out or counteract unpleasant noises?

Stop the wibble over the PA. Only announce train running information, do not announce anything else at all (e.g. "See it, say it, sorted"). Static information belongs on printed posters.

Or even better, find another way (here's your chance for innovation as part of your project?) find a new way to get that information to blind and partially sighted people so we could move to a "silent terminal" approach, with only out of course running over the PA.

Regarding ticket barriers, could you look at a way of communicating workably to people quickly that if their ticket didn't work the first time it won't work again, and where they can find a member of staff to inspect it manually rather than causing a queue to back up? Or how to flow them toward that member of staff with minimal friction and obstruction?

Or simply how to make barriers work more quickly? Those of us who have been used to LU-style air powered barriers can pass through them without even breaking stride (thus maximising capacity and flow). The newer electric type are that bit slower and often cause us to walk into them!

Bayum · 31 Oct 2019

Bletchleyite said:
Stop the wibble over the PA. Only announce train running information, do not announce anything else at all (e.g. "See it, say it, sorted"). Static information belongs on printed posters.

Or even better, find another way (here's your chance for innovation as part of your project?) find a new way to get that information to blind and partially sighted people so we could move to a "silent terminal" approach, with only out of course running over the PA.

Regarding ticket barriers, could you look at a way of communicating workably to people quickly that if their ticket didn't work the first time it won't work again, and where they can find a member of staff to inspect it manually rather than causing a queue to back up? Or how to flow them toward that member of staff with minimal friction and obstruction?

Or simply how to make barriers work more quickly? Those of us who have been used to LU-style air powered barriers can pass through them without even breaking stride (thus maximising capacity and flow). The newer electric type are that bit slower and often cause us to walk into them!

I find it interesting you saying that static information should be on posters only, but then talk about the blind and partially sighted afterwards.

pdeaves · 31 Oct 2019

Changes to barriers? Only to encourage people to select the correct ticket from the huge wodge of them in their wallet before they reach the barrier. More playful/joyful? No thanks, it would slow down the flow. Each person should spend no more than five seconds actually at/passing through the barrier area. It's one place where waiting around should be discouraged.

Bletchleyite · 31 Oct 2019

Bayum said:
I find it interesting you saying that static information should be on posters only, but then talk about the blind and partially sighted afterwards.

I think we can cope with a small subset of the population not knowing "see it, say it, sorted", not least because they will have a reduced observational ability anyway (hear it, say it, sorted?

), I'm sure already know 999 and 101 in case they need to report something in progress (you wouldn't text that in), and probably aren't "skateboarding or cycling anywhere on the station" either, and like most people aren't influenced not to forget their bags by a trite little announcement about it. That's the kind of static information to which I refer.

Actually useful static information can be found, and accessed via a screen reader, on the TOC's website.

Potentially poster sites could have a "push to read out the contents of this poster" option, but it's probably superfluous.

Bayum · 31 Oct 2019

Bletchleyite said:
I think we can cope with a small subset of the population not knowing "see it, say it, sorted", not least because they will have a reduced observational ability anyway (hear it, say it, sorted? ), I'm sure already know 999 and 101 in case they need to report something in progress (you wouldn't text that in), and probably aren't "skateboarding or cycling anywhere on the station" either, and like most people aren't influenced not to forget their bags by a trite little announcement about it. That's the kind of static information to which I refer.

Actually useful static information can be found, and accessed via a screen reader, on the TOC's website.

Potentially poster sites could have a "push to read out the contents of this poster" option, but it's probably superfluous.

Blind people might know an area better than someone with full sight as they have to use the cues of objects in their route to support them in their day-day activities.

GRALISTAIR · 31 Oct 2019

Make the station more like an airport terminal (post security of course!).

yorksrob · 31 Oct 2019

Lack of shelter is quite noticable on my station in the winter.

Islineclear3_1 · 31 Oct 2019

I think there are too many, and pointless announcements over the PA which is annoying and tiresome. They increase noise pollution and stress. People habituate to all of these announcements and eventually stop listening.

Warm waiting rooms would also be welcome in the winter. Times I've spent on the platform with the waiting room locked shut (due to no staff) or no heating (due to cost pressures). These would increase my wellbeing (and my family...)

Although not in your research, but one should be able to top up oyster cards at ticket offices. Times where I've topped up at machines with undesirables hanging around. Once, my wife topped up £50 only for some scrote to unwittingly push her aside and place his oyster on the reader and run off..

Lemmy99uk · 31 Oct 2019

Japanese style jingles.

6Gman · 31 Oct 2019

steph_park said:
I would be grateful to hear any views or complaints you have on current ticket barriers and what you think could improve them, or even, what would make them more playful or joyful to you?

Return to having a man (or woman) in a little shed, with long railway experience and full training on ticketing rules, in place of machines which reject perfectly valid tickets and slam shut on passengers.

But then I'm not a commuter.

Bletchleyite · 31 Oct 2019

GRALISTAIR said:
Make the station more like an airport terminal (post security of course!).

Yet Euston is a bit like that and people whine big-style about it?

MalaiseForever · 31 Oct 2019

Like everyone else is saying, stop all the announcements that we’ve heard 400,000 times.

Bletchleyite · 31 Oct 2019

Lemmy99uk said:
Japanese style jingles.

Actually, that's an interesting one. SNCF has a lovely little jingle - an audio brand if you like - these are all the rage these days. Yet the closest a TOC gets to that is the "gritty Northern" voice used on the 195s which I think actually does it quite well - maybe more could be made of that?

Bletchleyite · 31 Oct 2019

MalaiseForever said:
Like everyone else is saying, stop all the announcements that we’ve heard 400,000 times.

Have you seen it, said it and sorted it yet?

To be fair to that campaign I do know the number - 61016 - but wouldn't it be as easy to do it via 101?

ComUtoR · 31 Oct 2019

CaptainHaddock said:
The biggest way to improve commuter wellbeing would be to scrap all the pointless, unnecessary "health&safetybollox" announcements (unattended luggage/wet weather/seeitsayitsortit/no rollerblading/etc). Perhaps play some nice peaceful birdsong over the speakers instead?

As long as this comes with conditions that once you purchase a ticket, you must read and accept the terms and conditions and that if you have an accident, suffer an injury, miss your train, leave your luggage unattended, slip over, fall down the gap, etc. etc. you accept full responsibility and cannot sue, blame or claim against the railway.

Bletchleyite · 31 Oct 2019

ComUtoR said:
As long as this comes with conditions that once you purchase a ticket, you must read and accept the terms and conditions and that if you have an accident, suffer an injury, miss your train, leave your luggage unattended, slip over, fall down the gap, etc. etc. you accept full responsibility and cannot sue, blame or claim against the railway.

Oh for a return to a world where that was the case anyway. You can't legislate for idiots anyway, they just make a better idiot next time.

Ianigsy · 31 Oct 2019

As regards announcements, a pleasant local voice rather than a sexually frustrated sub post mistress (and yes I do mean you, Class 185). Somebody like Stuart Maconie or Jodie Whittaker for Northern, for example.

Otherwise, protection from the elements. At my local station (Menston), I get off a shuttle bus and have little or no cover for the 15 minutes or so that I'm waiting - the waiting room has been closed for a while now and is generally damp and crowded on rainy days. Shouldn't be impossible to provide a covered way from the bus stop, over the footbridge and on the platform itself.

Bletchleyite · 31 Oct 2019

Ianigsy said:
As regards announcements, a pleasant local voice rather than a sexually frustrated sub post mistress (and yes I do mean you, Class 185). Somebody like Stuart Maconie or Jodie Whittaker for Northern, for example.

To be fair I always found that the Class 185 woman perfectly sums up the attitude problem the previous incarnation of TPE had - big undertones of "We're InterCity don't you know" while wheeling out their full-and-standing tiny little overcrowded regional DMUs. At least now they're in the process of introducing stock that goes with that.

But anyway, yeah, I like the Northern woman, she's kind of like Victoria Wood, or the new Manchester-based BBC accent. Warm Northern friendliness, not arrogance.

Actually, a big improvement in most stations would be to get rid of "Atos Annie" and replace her with a friendlier voice (a few different regional ones would be nice - I quite like the "Scootrail" one). She just sounds bored and cold. Even the fully electronic Amazon Alexa voice is friendlier.

yorksrob · 31 Oct 2019

Ianigsy said:
As regards announcements, a pleasant local voice rather than a sexually frustrated sub post mistress (and yes I do mean you, Class 185). Somebody like Stuart Maconie or Jodie Whittaker for Northern, for example.

Nora Batty ?

Mag_seven · 31 Oct 2019

I think generally more seats are required on platforms.

talltim · 31 Oct 2019

ComUtoR said:
As long as this comes with conditions that once you purchase a ticket, you must read and accept the terms and conditions and that if you have an accident, suffer an injury, miss your train, leave your luggage unattended, slip over, fall down the gap, etc. etc. you accept full responsibility and cannot sue, blame or claim against the railway.

And yet buses manage without all the crap

talltim · 31 Oct 2019

I have to say that ‘fewer announcements’ doesn’t really make for an exciting design project!

Dr Hoo · 31 Oct 2019

talltim said:
I have to say that ‘fewer announcements’ doesn’t really make for an exciting design project!

It would if ‘better displays’ (whether posters, screens or whatever) enabled the reduction in such announcements. For example, actual dampness-triggered slip hazard signs rather than endless automated announcements during droughts and heatwaves.

Gathursty · 31 Oct 2019

At the gateline, as well as the 'Seek Assistance' display, there should be a series of emojis that go:

Smile - if the ticket is accepted
Frown - if the ticket is not accepted

swt_passenger · 31 Oct 2019

What does “enlighten joy” even mean? :rolleyes:

pdeaves · 31 Oct 2019

Gathursty said:
At the gateline, as well as the 'Seek Assistance' display, there should be a series of emojis that go:

Smile - if the ticket is accepted
Frown - if the ticket is not accepted

Please be joking. Please.

Commuter Wellbeing in Train Stations

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