Annoying Announcements

[norbitonflyer]

Have to agree with the automatic announcements being out of sync with the actual stations . . . . My personal dislike is on the West Midlands Cross City Line when you get , calling at . . . . Barnt Green , AlvERchurch . Having lived in the area for 60+ years , I can assure you no one pronounces Alvechurch that way.

SWR Loop trains are notorious for that - they often think they are inbound to Waterloo when actually outbound, and vice versa, so you get told the next stop is the one you've just left, or even to "Mind the Gap" at Queenstown Road, when for trains routed via Wimbledon the "gap" is four or five tracks wide (depending on whether you are on the up slow or down slow) - and the train doesn't call there anyway.

 

[40129]

But the time to tell them it isn't valid is before they joined the train. There's no point in telling them when it's too late.

A sensible announcement is the one you get on SWT approaching Surbiton or Feltham, telling you that Oyster, London Freedom Passes, etc are not valid beyond the next stop.

It's part of the PRE-DEPARTURE announcement, i.e the one where you have time to read what it says on your ticket and actually realize that "<name of TOC> services only" means PRECISELY WHAT IT SAYS

 

[HamworthyGoods]

As has been stated, many TOCs have it in their on-board code/policy to ensure that at key stations pre-announcements are made for connections as well as pre-departure and destination arrival announcements.

But why isn’t this part of the auto-announcements - part of PRM regs is supposed to the same information is available in both audio and visual format.

A manual announcement will not appear as text on a screen and auto-announcement will, if we are keen on PRM guards shouldn’t be making manual announcements but should be able to program the auto systems.

 

[185]

Either turn off the automated announcements, and do it manually, or just let the automated ones do their job.

Some sets, it is near impossible to turn the PIS off, thus the only way of blocking it is knowing the GPS location then announcing over it when it starts. 'Tis a crucially important skill when the polished jolly-posh recorded PIS is announcing all the wrong stations due to GPS fault or when service alterations are taking place, the automated announcements often cause chaos by announcing something five minutes after a DOO driver / guard has just announced the absolute opposite.

Announcements should be clear, to the point, and handsets made properly to not broadcast background noise. The (Eversholt?) modified EMR & Northern 158s are one of the worst examples... previously an excellent PA & speaker system - the new PA on most of these is grainy crackly dalek-esque - even with some of the best guards announcing is diabolical - the contractor should not have been paid fully for it's work.

I get the point that some guards/drivers do prattle on... but I'd have useful, straight to the point, clear, short manual announcements over repeated 'see it say it...' junk any day.

I note some consider manual announcements an annoyance. Many passengers don't use apps or are foreigners, and quite often the confusion and crowding at interchange stations delays services - clear, quick announcements often ensures passengers are in the correct bit of the train, and up, off nice and quick at stations. Leaving robot-annie to announce, often ends up with passengers stood in doorways unsure if this is their station OR in the wrong half of trains pulling the door release handles and sticking a 5 to 20-minute delay on.

I can't stand
Automated announcements This train is now approaching it's final stop, this is XXX, etc.
Guard: As you have just heard, we are now approaching our final stop etc.

You literally just confirmed that we'd already heard it. So why are you saying it again?

One would guess the guard/driver actually means "Oi, GTFO the train, it's goin the shed". Amazing those still sat on 5 minutes after arrival glued to some rubbish on Instagram.

 

[66787]

Interesting amount of self entitlement and arrogance on this thread. Regarding the TPX to Doncaster, I take that it was a single set or the OP was in the same portion as the guard.

As has been said, you have to remember the guard could potentially have several hundred passengers on the train. This can range from your daily commuter, regular traveller or someone who is a nervous traveller or who only travels once a year. All of those people are being addressed, not just an enthusiast who will have a lot more knowledge and know more about restrictions, station stops etc than the average member of the public. Has nobody here ever got on the wrong train before? A pre departure announcement would potentially stop this. A full ticket check on departure but half the train have TOC only tickets for the wrong TOC or are waiting for the delayed train that was using the same platform - a pre departure announcement would stop this.

The guard will be making announcements to factor in any potential question he or she may be asked as they walk down the train, and they’re doing it because they are trying to make their job easier by not having to repeat themselves to individual passengers and to try and pass on all relevant information to all passengers. It’s not just to sound important or because they like the sound of their own voice. Whilst you might interact with a guard for a matter of seconds during a ticket check, you’ll not see the interactions they have with passengers in the next coach. I’ve been asked by my control before how many I have for a certain connection, I wouldn’t ask each individual passenger. I’d use the PA to ask them to make themselves known to me.

I suppose some of you would think that the announcements made my pilots or the safety briefs by cabin crew are pointless wibble as well.

 

[py_megapixel]

Some sets, it is near impossible to turn the PIS off, thus the only way of blocking it is knowing the GPS location then announcing over it when it starts. 'Tis a crucially important skill when the polished jolly-posh recorded PIS is announcing all the wrong stations due to GPS fault or when service alterations are taking place, the automated announcements often cause chaos by announcing something five minutes after a DOO driver / guard has just announced the absolute opposite

I've definitely heard this before. I've even had a couple of times where the guard has missed their 'cue' by just a couple of seconds resulting in random snippets of automatic voice.

It's stupid that the guard even has to worry about doing this, as I believe the EU framework for the PRM regulations require that any PIS allows easy correction or suppression of invalid information. Whether the UK implementation of those regulations includes that requirement, I don't know, but if it does then a lot of stock is surely non-compliant with it!

 

[nlogax]

Guards or train managers should be able to make whatever announcements they deem necessary to serve the interests and safety of passengers. The more I read about individual irritation or anger about a turn of phrase or a bit of repetition, the less I understand it. It's absolutely baffling. This thread is turning into an extended episode of Grumpy Old Men.

If you don't like or feel you don't need the announcements then wear noise-cancelling headphones and just opt out of them.

 

[norbitonflyer]

It's part of the PRE-DEPARTURE announcement, i.e the one where you have time to read what it says on your ticket and actually realize that "<name of TOC> services only" means PRECISELY WHAT IT SAYS

Sensible to do it then, but I've I heard it plenty of times on trains that are already moving.

 

[WestRiding]

Presumably you just walk out of a self-serve Tesco till without paying too. If there's no one checking your £130 shop, why should you pay?

Yes, thats exactly what I do . You glorious specimen.... Tutt. Stick to the subject and don't accuse me of criminal behaviour. And to answer your question, I avoid self service tills where ever possible.

 

[TommyJ]

Guards or train managers should be able to make whatever announcements they deem necessary to serve the interests and safety of passengers. The more I read about individual irritation or anger about a turn of phrase or a bit of repetition, the less I understand it. It's absolutely baffling. This thread is turning into an extended episode of Grumpy Old Men.

If you don't like or feel you don't need the announcements then wear noise-cancelling headphones and just opt out of them.

Most industries welcome and facilitate customer feedback. Go out of their way to get it in fact.
I welcome professional announcements which relay relevant information, but occasionally hear excessive, angry or unprofessional ones. Which is disturbing.
Clearer guidelines should be given to guards by management - who should be actively surveying passengers about this issue.

 

[Galvanize]

Southeastern’s PIS giving a spiel about Face Coverings.
A really cheesy sounding man who’d not be out of place on a Primetime Gameshow...
“Thaaaank you for wearing a Face Covering while travelling. All of us at Southeastern appreciate all your help and understanding...we’re working closely with the British Transport Police who can issue fines of upto £6,400 to those not wearing a Face covering...but please do remember that some passengers have invisible disabilities which may mean they are unable to wear one!!!!!!”

He just sounds way to jolly for trying to convey an important message.

 

[Deepgreen]

Having started travelling by train again recently, something is really getting my back up.

Why, oh why, do we get the generally very clear, very concise and straight to the point, automated announcements, which are then immediately followed up by the Guard wibbling on about exactly the same as the automated announcements, usually full of stutters, pauses and crackling?

Either turn off the automated announcements, and do it manually, or just let the automated ones do their job.

Train travel is supposed to be relaxing.

It's getting more common, guards pretending they're cabin crew.

Rant over, but seriously, why?

I completely agree regarding the announcements and it's hard to avoid the conclusion that they are trying to justify their position. It would be understandable if the automated announcements were wrong (and that's all too common these days) but to repeat them when they are correct is pointless and merely serves to make passengers switch off even more. By the way, rail travel isn't supposed to be relaxing, but it could be more so!

Given many people do the bare minimum required in their jobs I'm not sure why people would think the majority of guards specifically would regularly make announcements that they weren't instructed to, simply to be annoying.

It is annoying though when the PA is too quiet or otherwise inaudible so you can't tell if it's a special or unusual / out of course announcement that would be really useful to know, or just the same old info.

Why would they be instructed to repeat recorded announcements? Manual announcements are more relevant if they pertain to unusual circumstances.

 

[Parallel]

In my opinion, autoannouncements are fine if they are used appropriately.

The problem is, often things have been implemented without being fully considered. Transport for Wales PIS for many of their trains now does a long spiel about safer rules for travel in both English and Welsh after EVERY stop. On the Valleys network it’s actually ridiculous, quite often the man can’t even finish the announcement before the woman comes back on announcing what the next stop is. Save announcements like that for large or interchange stations.

The GWR ‘do not attempt to board or leave the train when the doors are closing’ on most of their stock at every station is also tedious. I know why it was implemented but surely it can’t be that essential when the IETs don’t use it.

However, as long as the volume is good and the speakers are in good condition, autoannouncements are (in my opinion) better every time. This is because the voices used are extremely clear generally and usually recorded in a professional manner. No issues with manual announcements supplementing information however.

I don’t mind the odd humorous announcement from on train staff, but if it was a common thing, it’d probably get old quite quickly.

 

[Deepgreen]

Guards or train managers should be able to make whatever announcements they deem necessary to serve the interests and safety of passengers. The more I read about individual irritation or anger about a turn of phrase or a bit of repetition, the less I understand it. It's absolutely baffling. This thread is turning into an extended episode of Grumpy Old Men.

If you don't like or feel you don't need the announcements then wear noise-cancelling headphones and just opt out of them.

It's simply irritating to be bombarded by repetitive and often poorly-made announcements when recorded ones are perfectly adequate. One shouldn't have to wear earphones to be able to endure a journey! Repeating a recorded announcement badly is not in the interests of passengers' safety or information. If a crew member thinks it's helpful, then don't repeat the recorded announcement immediately it has finished, but spread them out such that they might actually be more useful.

 

[Flange Squeal]

Why would they be instructed to repeat recorded announcements?

I can’t speak for all TOCs but certainly some do/have done, and I can assure you the Conductors have thought it just as unnecessary as you! But when they face being marked down in discreet/mystery shopper assessments and then being reminded by a manager of their obligations to do as instructed in line with the terms of their employment, they can’t really be blamed for going along with it and doing them! I think the best way for such things to be changed would be for passengers to make their views known to the operators about excessive announcements. Maybe if enough of that feedback is received, things may get reviewed. A number of TOCs seem to be employing ‘Customer Experience Managers’ now, so this is presumably the sort of thing they should be interested in.

 

[OldNick]

It's simply irritating to be bombarded by repetitive and often poorly-made announcements when recorded ones are perfectly adequate. One shouldn't have to wear earphones to be able to endure a journey! Repeating a recorded announcement badly is not in the interests of passengers' safety or information. If a crew member thinks it's helpful, then don't repeat the recorded announcement immediately it has finished, but spread them out such that they might actually be more useful.

Often it can be useful to have info repeated if you didn't catch it all the first time (talking to a friend, deep in thought, listening to music, someone laughing loudly at a crucial point, football fans partying, whatever).

I think I'd rather an immediate confirmation of the info with the addition of any pertinent extras than constant, spread out information all the way through the journey. That would mean more interuptions if you do want to listen to music or concentrate on a book rather than the inane drivel of whoever is sitting nearby, one-sided telephone convos, etc.

If you find it that irritating I suggest you pass your comments on to the relevant customer services team so they can be logged officially, then the TOCs can bear it in mind during future policy, training and procurement processes.

 

[Grumpy Git]

Some of my daughters first words were "nächster halt, Thun".

 

[40129]

With an attitude like yours, perhaps a customer-facing job isn't the right career for you? If you're going to spend most of the journey telling me thing I don't need to know, straight after an auto-announcement has already told me the same things I don't need to know then of course I'm going to put my headphones on and ignore you!

And if you want to inspect my ticket, do so as soon as I've boarded the train, don't have a half-hour snooze in your back cab and then suddenly decide to do a ticket check halfway through my journey after I've dozed off or am lost in my music. Passengers should be entitled to relax over the course of their journey.

Good-bye Rail Forum. Been nice knowing you.

 

[185]

Generally speaking I wear headphones so I don't have to listen to the irrelevant drivel (both live and pre-recorded) that passes for announcements on trains but the one thing that really annoys me is those guards who don't seem to know that holding their microphone next to a speaker causes ear-splitting feedback!

Nope, tis a fault. All modern speaker / PA systems should both cancel looped feedback & non verbal audio out. There are a high number of trains, badly maintained where this does not work. Hardly the deliberate & wilful act you claim, more likely cutting corners in maintenance budgets on the wonderful public privatised [insert status here] railway.

 

[pdeaves]

who don't seem to know that holding their microphone next to a speaker causes ear-splitting feedback

Hardly the deliberate & wilful act you claim

Be fair, CaptainHaddock never claimed a deliberate act but pointed out that some guards don't know what causes an issue.

 

[Tomp94]

Phil (or whatever his name is) who does southern station announcements, and Thameslink on board announcements, has now appeared on the Southern trains, reminding us to muzzle up. Unfortunately, he sounds like he's got a peg over his nose. :--)

 

[ainsworth74]

I think we're done here.