Sad Sprinter
Established Member
Staff on full form against this morning. They seemed to have turned off the automatic announcements in favour of constant, loud manual announcements.
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So many announcements, so few people taking them on board
- Thread starter ivorytoast28
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Staff on full form against this morning. They seemed to have turned off the automatic announcements in favour of constant, loud manual announcements.
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Quite impressive that they’ve managed to make the text on the display more wordy than the announcements, on a tiny screen with related information not grouped together. Great job guys. Well done.
CaptainHaddock
Established Member
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Indeed. This is why these days you need to put your headphones on as soon as you get on a Northern train otherwise you have to put up with this constant stream of irrelevant waffle. Which is annoying because sometimes you might miss out on something you actually need to know, such as the conductor announcing that the train will be skipping your stop - an increasingly common thing on late-running Northern trains.
railfan99
Established Member
On my consecutive Septembers (2022/2023) in the UK travelling by rail, at first I found that oft-repeated statement 'See it. Say it. Sorted' or whatever mildly amusing, but like many on-board rail announcements in Western English-speaking countries, it was repeated far too often.
Irritating, not that my local government-owned rural rail operator V/Line is much better, making its conductors deliver a spiel perhaps a bit shorter than in England, but not by much.
Managers who authorise this incessant 'noise' must justify what can be their obscene salaries.
Irritating, not that my local government-owned rural rail operator V/Line is much better, making its conductors deliver a spiel perhaps a bit shorter than in England, but not by much.
Managers who authorise this incessant 'noise' must justify what can be their obscene salaries.
I remember the Government did a big announcement about stopping this didn't they? Clearly it was another lie from them
I imagine it's the type of thing that if anyone tries to argue against in meetings then they are shouted down about safety etc. And of course nobody wants to be told that they don't care about passenger safety.
I imagine it's the type of thing that if anyone tries to argue against in meetings then they are shouted down about safety etc. And of course nobody wants to be told that they don't care about passenger safety.
But it’s like password security - go overboard with the requirements and you undermine the whole thing because users have to write it down. There are so many announcements that headphones go in on boarding and none of the announcements are heard.
I’m under the impression that quite a few of the announcements are DfT mandated! I think the train must be at least announced when the train is approaching the platform as a minimum as is See it, say it, sorted, and the frequency of on board announcements which should be announced when a train is arriving at a station, when a train is in a station and when the train is leaving the station. I’d imagine the length on board of announcements is down to the TOCs though, because you do get a lot more automated waffle on some TOCs than others.r
Govia announcements are pretty minimal with just one announcement per train (when the train approaches) on Southern and formerly Southeastern and West Midlands Train (previously London Midland), I prefer at least two announcements per train because its more appropriate like Elizabeth Line does with the Atos system and only generic announcements Anne makes is BTP 61016 and TfL travel information (apart from Stratford as she announces smoking, CCTV and luggage used from National Express era).
It's awful at Manchester Piccadilly I mean theres two colour lines ones yellow and one red, better to have stuck with just a yellow line.
Manchester Piccadilly is the worst Network Rail station ever!
Or use a password manager like KeyPass.
DannyMich2018
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Just boarded a train at Leicester. The African man in the gangway (1st coach at front) way playing very loud music , the driver came out so tell him to turn it down. This is to be applauded.
Creates a distraction in the cab. There's a reason for those notices on the back of the door.
DannyMich2018
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Exactly. Selfish people and it's always young ones.
It bloody well isn't. You get all ages of imbeciles playing annoying music or videos on their phones
Pakenhamtrain
Member
Metro is far worse. Using the PA function on the DRTS to send messages from the "Network Control Centre"
My driver mate will just shut it up.
hermit
Member
Turn it down? He should have been told to turn it OFF.
DelW
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I'm currently on a GWR 2x5 train which will divide at Swansea, with one set continuing to Carmarthen. The auto announcements say it's the rear set that is terminating at Swansea, but every time it plays, the TM comes on to say no, it's the rear set that is continuing to Carmarthen - so we're getting twice the number needed 
. Fortunately I'm not going that far, so it doesn't matter to me.
. Fortunately I'm not going that far, so it doesn't matter to me.DannyMich2018
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It is in my experience. Announcements are sensible on EMR
Here's a question: why does this nonsense just keep happening? Are the PIS on these trains just very difficult to configure correctly? Are the TMs and Drivers not given instructions on how to set them up? Or is there some kind of defect?I'm currently on a GWR 2x5 train which will divide at Swansea, with one set continuing to Carmarthen. The auto announcements say it's the rear set that is terminating at Swansea, but every time it plays, the TM comes on to say no, it's the rear set that is continuing to Carmarthen - so we're getting twice the number needed
You often find similar issues with stations and train PIS where incorrect information is given because they're misconfigured - and I do wonder whether it's very hard to configure them properly, or if it's just that people don't bother.
birchesgreen
Established Member
I was sat on an EMR train yesterday right at the back, the guard opened the door and asked me if i had heard the announcements, i hadn't as apparently it wasn't working in that car. I should have added, "Thank god!"
I only know from experience that GWR has made an attempt in getting passengers to stand for the correct part of the train at the platform, whereby zoning areas and stating "this train will depart from zones 1 to 4."
robert thomas
Member
People still take no notice of the zonemarkings on the platform. In Cardif when trains are shown as stopping in zones 1-5 on platform 3 passengers still wait in the middle of the platform(zones 6-8) and rush forward when the train stops beyond them.
That has happened on every Carmarthen train I've been on. I don't see the point in mentioning it before Neath. Most people will get off long before Swansea. There is plenty of time to switch units at Swansea. It's impossible to switch units on the move so once someone is in the wrong unit, they might as well remain seated until Swansea and move there.I'm currently on a GWR 2x5 train which will divide at Swansea, with one set continuing to Carmarthen. The auto announcements say it's the rear set that is terminating at Swansea, but every time it plays, the TM comes on to say no, it's the rear set that is continuing to Carmarthen - so we're getting twice the number needed
londonmidland
Established Member
How on earth have Network Rail got away with not announcing any services as they approach the platforms at Birmingham New Street?
They used the excuse of noise pollution to silence the P.A, but surely this breaches accessibility policies?
It’s been like this for several years now.
Network Rail would most likely misuse and abuse policies anyway they can.
londonmidland
Established Member
I had a discussion with the station manager of Birmingham New Street and he said he’d silent all announcements if he could…
Definitely something a bit suspect happening here me thinks.
Wow, that basically saying someting. I hope GBR isn't far off because I think Network Rail have really gone down the pan at this rate.I had a discussion with the station manager of Birmingham New Street and he said he’d silent all announcements if he could…
Definitely something a bit suspect happening here me thinks.
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