Greater Anglia New Passenger Information Screens

F Great Eastern · 12 Dec 2019

Greater Anglia and Cancelled - two statements that when you think of one, you think of the other!

Seriously though that screen is very confusing but a lot of the time they are. It's not exactly hard to spot errors with this screens without looking too hard. Every time I've been through Norwich, Ipswich or Colchester recently I've noticed something that isn't right.

Software should be able to fix some of these issues, but some of them such as info staying on boards for several minutes after a train has left, was happening 6 months ago when they started rolling them out to smaller stations, so that doesn't exactly give you confidence that they'll be fixed anytime soon.

The good thing is that the screens at Liverpool Street won't be changing as that's Network Rail managed.

RailUK Forums

Carlgoss · 13 Dec 2019

Alfie1014 said:
View attachment 61053 This pic was tweeted on GAs twitter feed this morning, new screen at Kelvedon!

Must have been the 'down line'

smsm1 · 13 Dec 2019

There's a screen in Cambridge above the gates, that's noticeably brighter than the others.

Also confusion yesterday where the last train from Cambridge to Ipswich had been cancelled, and then another journey added, rather than the original journey being re-instated, with whatever extra stops were required. It meant that Google Maps didn't show the journey, and several people being confused about what was actually happening with queries on Twitter, and manual announcements at the station.

F Great Eastern · 13 Dec 2019

The most daming thing of the photo that illustrates the poor design ofL the layout of them and font sizes, is the fact that a big screen like that needs 4 pages to show a list of stops on a single service (22:51 to Liverpool Street)

Tee Brightness issue is all over the network, in Norwich and Ipswich there are screens next to each other with different brightness levels that are easy enough to tell, but the one in your photo looks particular vast difference wise.

You'd have thought setting all the screens up with the same brightness level shouldn't be too hard to do through software, but I wonder if they are physically set on the screens themselves. I guess t depends if these units are an intergrated product or a standard LED monitor that's just plugged into some external box.

AngusH · 13 Dec 2019

It seems to follow the modern fashion of bigger text is better (which is often true) and I actually like the display style which is clear and easy to read.

But the density is clearly suffering on the 2251.

Two lines are lost with times where the station name + time has flowed on the next line.
Reducing the size of the time, removing it altogether or just giving journey time in minutes could all work I guess?

The pretty coach layout takes up about 3-4 lines that could be used for station stops and probably isn't useful in the booking hall anyway.

Of the 15 (?) stations on that service I think 9 could be displayed at that size by removing the arrival times and the train plan.
More if you reduce the text size.

Duplicating the clock on every single screen is redundant (I assume that the time is the same on each platform?)

Also, London Kings Cross and London Liverpool street have different line breaks which annoys me aesthetically.

It has the look of a compromise that resulted from a committee ...

F Great Eastern · 13 Dec 2019

There's another error on that panel of screens as well, the service to Kings Cross that has an apology for a delay on the service yet has an 'on time' flag set at the top of the same screen.

Agree with a lot said in the post above. Also is there any real need for headings like Cancellation Notice, or service update? No other screens do that, they just list the message itself. Just show the message with perhaps a different colour background and save yourself a line of space wasted on such heading.

Also the station name is always two lines, even when it's say Ely, there's always a blank line underneath on those screens in Cambridge as the design is set up to reserve two lines for that purpose.

They are big and easy to read when they are staying still, but there is far too much animation. The station names stay on the screen for 5-10 seconds, then they go blank and do a fold down animation of them reappearing, which is pointless. Almost all of the animations should be removed.

Only thing I can think of is that they are worried about burn in on the screens so they are doing this to prevent it, but you'd like to think that they've invested in screens of a sufficient quality that won't have such problem when they're going to change every time a train leaves anyway.

Coach layout should be reserved for platforms only.

py_megapixel · 13 Dec 2019

F Great Eastern said:
There's another error on that panel of screens as well, the service to Kings Cross that has an apology for a delay on the service yet has an 'on time' flag set at the top of the same screen.

This is likely another example of lazy programming. Having dug quite a bit into the Darwin feeds myself (I have an interest in computer programming) it appears that the system will provide a delay attribution for previous or expected delays even if the train is in reality running on time, and it is left to the software to filter that out. That looks to be a result produced when said software fails to do so.

When I started attempting to recreate a departure board myself, one of the first bugs I found with my program was that I had assumed that Darwin would only ever provide a delay attribution if there was in fact a delay, so it kept displaying phrases such as "Service on time due to a shortage of train crew".

That bug took me - an completely amateur programmer working on alone on a project for my own pleasure - about half an hour to notice, and ten minutes to fix.
I think that says a lot about the suitably of this software for its purpose.

arb · 15 Dec 2019

It's seemingly not just the new screens that have problems - tonight at Cambridge North (which I *think* is entirely old screens) I was waiting for the 18:08 Great Northern to King's Lynn. It was showing as delayed and expected at 18:23, and then changed to cancelled, and then the departure board switched to show the next Norwich train.

A few minutes later a train was announced as passing through and not stopping, and then a Great Northern train pulled in and stopped. I poked my head out of the platform shelter to see what was going on and just managed to hear the platform staff saying to the people near him that this was the King's Lynn train, and I was able to jump on. The departure boards were still claiming it was the Norwich train. There wasn't even a manual announcement to correct the wrong departure board information and wrong automatic announcement about a non-stopping train. Anybody who had left the platform for the relative warmth of the main station building on the basis of the original cancellation annoucement would have missed the train.

By comparison, the new departure screens at Ely, where I got off, were correctly showing the train, even though we'd come into an unusual platform at Ely (platform 2).

iphone76 · 16 Dec 2019

New screens are now live on Platforms 5 and 6 at Shenfield. Whereas one screen showed all the station information, the new smaller screens take 4 pages to show the calling pattern. I presume this will go up to 8 when Crossrail eventually opens. A great improvement.

Also the screens show the next service, however, only from that platform so as most services alternate between platforms 5 and 6 it may look like the service is in 20 minutes, when it actually goes in 10.

py_megapixel · 17 Dec 2019

iphone76 said:
New screens are now live on Platforms 5 and 6 at Shenfield. Whereas one screen showed all the station information, the new smaller screens take 4 pages to show the calling pattern. I presume this will go up to 8 when Crossrail eventually opens.

I assume that Shenfield had the Infotec screens which were oriented vertically and showed one calling point per line, as was standard across the GA network until recently? If so that definitely looks like a downgrade!

Less so when you consider that most of the country has had 3-line displays with a scrolling list of calling points (only displaying a couple of calling points at a time) for many years now.

But what's with the right-hand board only showing Brentwood on the first page?

Also the screens show the next service, however, only from that platform so as most services alternate between platforms 5 and 6 it may look like the service is in 20 minutes, when it actually goes in 10.

That could be solved by a note saying "Next stopping service to London: Platform X" although I doubt GA will think of that, given the shambolic nature of the system in general.

F Great Eastern · 17 Dec 2019

Few more entries here from Ipswich

Table of departures screen outside Ipswich station that shows a grand total of two services per page.

The main hall has the first two trains duplicated.on the second screen rather than showing trains three and four.

Then you have a massive screen that shows very little information that shows Felixstowe as a bus but with text saying it's cancelled.

The last remaining infotec screens have gone now so reliable information has gone with them.

trebor79 · 17 Dec 2019

Ridiculous. Why does the main departure board need to show the number of coaches? They could get 6 trains per page without reducing the font size if they got rid of all the rubbish.
Meanwhile at Diss, which has only services to Norwich and London and far less need for lots of departure information on one screen, the main screen shows about 6 or 7 (from memory) departures per page. They are portrait orientation. Still show number of coaches, which is still useless info cluttering the display.
Absolutely no thought whatsoever seems to have gone into this project.

Bletchleyite · 17 Dec 2019

trebor79 said:
Ridiculous. Why does the main departure board need to show the number of coaches?

Because people might make a choice based on that? I often do at Euston.

trebor79 · 17 Dec 2019

Bletchleyite said:
Because people might make a choice based on that? I often do at Euston.

And that makes sense at Euston where you've got a metro service to various places on the southern WCML. At Ipswich you have 2 fast and 1 semi-fast per hour to London, all 8 or 9 coaches (usually 8 these days), 2 fast to Norwich (again all 8 or 9) and various local services.
It's unnecessary information for the main departure screen at this location.
Zero thought has gone into this project. Starting with "where do we need more/new screens?" rather than a blanket replace everything.

F Great Eastern · 17 Dec 2019

The problem with these screens is they show less services and often some services are hidden and screens duplicate each other instead of showing the train they are supposed to. Tables of departure that used to show 8 trains a page are now showing two.

It's possible to turn up at Ipswich now and not be able to see any more than the next four trains to depart on any screen and often the main hall only shows next three and hides some totally due to duplication issues.

I have nearly missed more trains with these new screens than in the last ten years or so due to bad information. Now I just ignore the screens and use an app most of the time. Far more reliable.

With the issues with roll out of new trains and this. It points to very poor project management and a focus on style over substance. Last week the screens in Ipswich exhibited many issues like the above. Yet they still decided to take down the remaining old screens that were both informative and correct and put more new ones up despite the problems.

For all the glitz and glamour we hear about new screens and new trains, underneath it there are issues! .

Bletchleyite · 17 Dec 2019

F Great Eastern said:
For all the glitz and glamour we hear about new screens and new trains, underneath it there are issues! .

Abellio through and through. No doubt we will see this junk on the south WCML soon enough, they have "promised" it...

ashkeba · 18 Dec 2019

F Great Eastern said:
Yet they still decided to take down the remaining old screens that were both informative and correct and put more new ones up despite the problems.

Another Abellio franchise probably wants the old screens(!) so we can't keep them on Abellio Mushrooms Anglia.

MikeWM · 18 Dec 2019

arb said:
...at Cambridge North (which I *think* is entirely old screens).

Sadly, not anymore. They were replacing the screen on the bridge by platforms 2/3 this morning. Now you can see the details of the next three departures rather than the next 10 or so. Progress!

No doubt the rest will follow soon.

gingerheid · 18 Dec 2019

Another day at Ipswich...

1913 to Cambridge from Platform 3B, leaving from the far end of platform 1. Boards on platform 3B say it's the 1925 to Norwich (and train just said Ipswich until 1911). Automatic platform announcement did say Cambridge, in fairness.

Maybe it's harder than you would imagine to get this right, but it ought to be getting better by now.

At least it's a FLIRT

F Great Eastern · 18 Dec 2019

MikeWM said:
Sadly, not anymore. They were replacing the screen on the bridge by platforms 2/3 this morning. Now you can see the details of the next three departures rather than the next 10 or so. Progress!

Cambridge North that has only been open two years, that had the very latest version of Infotec screens installed when opening
http://infotec.co.uk/index.php?mact=CGBlog,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=61&cntnt01returnid=22

Are any other company using these screens apart from Abellio? Who are the company behind them? What involvement with the rail industry have they had previously? Have the management been involved in the industry before and if so with which operators?

1913 to Cambridge from Platform 3B, leaving from the far end of platform 1. Boards on platform 3B say it's the 1925 to Norwich (and train just said Ipswich until 1911). Automatic platform announcement did say Cambridge, in fairness.

Maybe it's harder than you would imagine to get this right, but it ought to be getting better by now.

This roll out has been going on since the first half of the year when smaller stations got it. You would think they would pause the roll out and leave the old screens up until the obvious bugs/glitches had been fixed, but it still carries on, despite the fact that it inconveniences customers and continues to run the risk of people boarding the wrong train etc or missing their train.

All in all, the last little while Greater Anglia has hardly given the impression of a very customer focused operation apart from the front line staff, which is a real shame as on their shorter franchise after National Express, they really did invest in many station upgrades, improvements to facilities, passenger information and were a breath of fresh air compared to what came before them.

MikeWM · 20 Dec 2019

Another terrible example at Cambridge tonight. The two main sets of departure boards on platforms 1 and 4 closest to the gates are the ‘landscape’ 2 pages showing 2 services each (!) style.

It is 1817, so the services shown are the 1817, the 1819, the 1820 and the 1823. Want to know which platform the 1826 or 1830 are leaving from? These ‘departures’ boards aren’t telling you yet...

A station with as many services as Cambridge needs a departure board that shows more than the next 4 departures! Yes, there are others around the station that do, but the ‘landscape’ ones are currently just a waste of space...

F Great Eastern · 20 Dec 2019

The number of people asking me 'is this the train to' kind of questions since these boards have gone in is much higher than it ever was before.

Particular problem at Cambridge is people getting mixed up between 5 and 6, not helped by the fact the screens confused them. I was asked twice this week on an Ipswich train from Cambridge why it's not going to Norwich?

mawallace · 21 Dec 2019

And on the GA website today - been there all morning:-

Due to a fault with the software application used to update the information screens at stations, some of the information is incorrect. IT engineers are working on correcting the fault as soon as possible.

We apologise for the inconvenience caused.

smsm1 · 22 Dec 2019

trebor79 said:
And that makes sense at Euston where you've got a metro service to various places on the southern WCML. At Ipswich you have 2 fast and 1 semi-fast per hour to London, all 8 or 9 coaches (usually 8 these days), 2 fast to Norwich (again all 8 or 9) and various local services.
It's unnecessary information for the main departure screen at this location.
Zero thought has gone into this project. Starting with "where do we need more/new screens?" rather than a blanket replace everything.

If you are a regular then you know that information. If you are an irregular traveller, knowing how long the train is, and where to stand on the platform is rather useful information, especially for amenities like the cycle, wheelchair spaces, cafe bar, and the toilets.

F Great Eastern said:
Particular problem at Cambridge is people getting mixed up between 5 and 6, not helped by the fact the screens confused them. I was asked twice this week on an Ipswich train from Cambridge why it's not going to Norwich?

If the trains from the platforms 5 and 6 were more consistent it would help. With most of the Norwich trains now going through to Stansted, it'll have thrown things a little.

Scotrail314209 · 27 Dec 2019

Scotrail use the same boards at some of their stations. Only Saltcoats has the full version, the rest are just departures only.

Chriso · 28 Dec 2019

I noticed that the Overground have installed them at Olympia replacing the previous summary screens

F Great Eastern · 30 Dec 2019

So there's a new one now right at the end of Stowmarket station on the platform to Ipswich.

It's right at the very very end of the platform heading towards Ipswich, out in the open, where nobody goes and in the corner by the fence across from the do not cross and a message about trespassing.

What with the other one on the same platform that's obscured by a pole, the placements on this platform are very poor.

mawallace · 31 Dec 2019

I actually think that the screen should be turned around! The ramp is from the road - and if was turned around you would see it approching the platform

F Great Eastern · 31 Dec 2019

mawallace said:
I actually think that the screen should be turned around! The ramp is from the road - and if was turned around you would see it approching the platform

I think there is one on the other side of it, which I agree is a good position.

The problem is though, that barely anyone uses that entrance, most people use the main one at the front of the station and over the footbridge and that screen is about as far away as you can get from where people actually are and all of the local trains stop right down the other end of the platform whose screen is obscured by a pole being right in front of it.

The placements of the screens on the opposite platform are fine though, and much bigger.

arb · 4 Jan 2020

I'm currently at Cambridge. The departure screens are showing a 10:53 to Cambridge North from platform 2 (a southbound bay platform), and an 11:03 departure to King's Cross which, as far as I can work out, is a diverted East Coast train that doesn't actually call at Cambridge.

Greater Anglia New Passenger Information Screens

Established Member

RailUK Forums

Member

Member

Established Member

Member

Established Member

Established Member

Member

Member

Attachments

Established Member

Established Member

Attachments

Established Member

Veteran Member

Established Member

Established Member

Veteran Member

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

Member

Member

Established Member

Member

Established Member

Attachments

Member

Established Member

Member