Chiltern automated announcements

[bengley]

What happened to chiltern railways' onboard announcements? They did away with them about 2 years ago. I used to like having an announcement

 

[Waddon]

A lot of people hate onboard announcements - maybe as Chiltern is one of the few rail companies that actually listens to it's customers, it did something about it? On SWT services its sometimes like being stuck in a room listening to a conversation between two overloud robots...

p.s. My favourite is when the robot says 'I apologise for the delay...' or whatever. Who is actually apologising? Its just an automated recording. There is no human being anywhere actually saying sorry, so the whole thing is a total waste of time.

 

[HSTfan!!!]

I hate announcements on trains, particularly on our 175's, hence ipod+sound cancelling headphones =

 

[mumrar]

hence ipod+sound cancelling headphones =

Hence missed alterations if units split, or terminated short of destination

 

[SWT Driver]

I hate announcements on trains, particularly on our 175's, hence ipod+sound cancelling headphones =

Also danger in case of emergencies.

This argument has raged over on another less salubrious rail forum, let's not have another debate over the right's, wrong's of them here please.

It's dreadfully & painfully boring. :roll:

 

[steve099]

I hate announcements on trains, particularly on our 175's, hence ipod+sound cancelling headphones =

The 175s have to be the worst. The intonation is completely wrong.

 

[SWT Driver]

You mean like the comical Toilets announcement.

 

[thefab444]

p.s. My favourite is when the robot says 'I apologise for the delay...' or whatever. Who is actually apologising?

I assume it would be the voice over artist (they're full of empathy for the pax!) apologising for the delay. However, the majority of the recorded announcements will say, "We are sorry for this delay", or "TOC apologises for this delay" or "On behalf of TOC, we apologise for this delay".

 

[Waddon]

I assume it would be the voice over artist (they're full of empathy for the pax!) apologising for the delay. However, the majority of the recorded announcements will say, "We are sorry for this delay", or "TOC apologises for this delay" or "On behalf of TOC, we apologise for this delay".

Which means that there is no apology. You have to hope when someone says sorry that someone, somewhere is actually empathising or sympathising with you for the difficulties you are being caused. As far as I know, a computer recording automatically triggered cannot offer any such emotion to a human being, so there is no actual apology. I like to imagine that somewhere, in a back office of the railway company, there is actually a human being thinking 'oh, I'm really sorry that the commuters are thirty minutes late and are going to get told off by their bosses' but I don't think there is (or maybe you can correct me on this?)

 

[dan_atki]

It was South West Trains who caused a media frenzy (if I may call it that) by using the 'We're sorry to announce...' option on Ditra instead of the standard 'I'm sorry to announce...'.

There was one certain newpaper (can't remember which but believe it was the Telegraph or Guardian) who had a whole article about the semantics of 'we' in such a phrase. My line of thought is that SWT agreed with the majority of people who thought 'I' coming from a recorded voice was rather silly*, so they opted for 'we' which I feel is used to mean the company or the staff**.

Regarding Chiltern taking off announcements on services as a result of customer feedback then I doubt that was the case. There is a minimum required standard (from a legal viewpoint) for announcements if there is the equipment to make them because of DDA regulations***. If they have truly been completely removed then I expect the cause was a faulty system which Chiltern weren't happy with.

* The LU engineering works announcement on Ditra is rather oddly worded - even worse than 'I'm sorry to announce' as it says 'London Underground have informed me', to which my initial reaction was 'yeah right - as if they really did'. I reckon if SWT was to use those announcements it would be changed to 'London Underground have informed us'.

** I still occasionally expect both Phil and Celia to 'share' an announcement when I hear 'we' - taken in the literal sense to mean the recorded voices in the system.

*** Remember the SWT 458s which had to be taken out of service because their displays fell foul of the regulations by 3 whole millimetres?

 

[thefab444]

As far as I know, Chiltern units have never used automated announcements, but I'm willing to be corrected on this.

Going back to I/We, even the SWT system still has the voice artists referring to themselves; "I'm sorry to inform you that this service has been reported as full and standing", "I'm sorry - there will be no catering facilities on this train today", "I'm sorry for the short formation of this train today" etc.

** I still occasionally expect both Phil and Celia to 'share' an announcement when I hear 'we' - taken in the literal sense to mean the recorded voices in the system.

That's quite a scary thought actually; Phil, Celia and the Scottish woman all chiming in together... "We are sorry for the delay to this service"!

 

[LondonLarry]

*** Remember the SWT 458s which had to be taken out of service because their displays fell foul of the regulations by 3 whole millimetres?

The 458s are awful trains - they've been a problem since they first came into service. It's a shame that SWT couldn't replace them with 450s!

I think SWT were the first TOC to have all it's automated announcements comply with the DDA. London Midland's 350s make few announcements.

The complainents are all people travelling on suburban services with frequent stops. I agree that constant announcements can be annoying. If the same announcements were made on an Intercity service, people wouldn't complain.

I remember travelling on SWT's Portsmouth-Southampton services when they first transferred to 450 stock. You'd get the train's calling pattern, approach announcements, at station and next station announcements. They got rid of the calling pattern announcements after a few months!

 

[fgwrich]

The 458s are awful trains - they've been a problem since they first came into service. It's a shame that SWT couldn't replace them with 450s!

I think SWT were the first TOC to have all it's automated announcements comply with the DDA. London Midland's 350s make few announcements.

The complainents are all people travelling on suburban services with frequent stops. I agree that constant announcements can be annoying. If the same announcements were made on an Intercity service, people wouldn't complain.

I remember travelling on SWT's Portsmouth-Southampton services when they first transferred to 450 stock. You'd get the train's calling pattern, approach announcements, at station and next station announcements. They got rid of the calling pattern announcements after a few months!

Actually ive got to say the WORST SWT service to take with a automated anouncement is any SWT services to Exeter/Plymouth/Paignton/Penzance...

Now that the Desiro voice AKA Celia's been fitted to them, it just dosent shut up and can make a journey to the west country a headache on a 159...

Especially as it anounces the Usal Welcome aboard this SWT service to...Calling At....The Next Station Is... And then when you get to where ever it terminates...We Are now approaching...Where this Train Terminates...Please make sure you have all belongs with you and on be half of SWT, we hope you have a pleasant onward journey...

SHUT UP



Also as of late, ive noticed that SWT are finnaly using that crammped little buffet counter on there 444's! hock: But of course, as anything to do with SWT, it has to have a so called ' on board anouncement' of the Buffet Car will be avlible after Bournemouth... Thanks for telling me but A, its not a Buffet Car, just a mear counter, and B...Why do you need to tell me after bournemouth...when ive just joined at basingstoke?

But ive got to say, the second worst anouncements ive come across, has to be on the Bombardier Turdostar & Electrostar, most notably on Souther & SouthEastern...And the Croyden Tramlink

South Easterns annoucments are obviously pre-recorded at different times...as if you listen closely, there all over the place, with different voice tones by the same person...

As for the Tramlink, am i the only tone to find the voice of nicholas owen and a women rather annoying, espically when nicholas does the station, and she does the change here for...

Why do we have to have so many iritating anouncements nowadays!

rich:roll:
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
And as for Chiltern, the only anouncements ive ever seen on chiltern units are, Class 168 Clubman, We are now approaching Brimingham Snow Hill - at paddington, on a 165...and from time to time the odd anouncement that actually works!

no audio automated anouncements though...

rich

 

[LondonLarry]

SHUT UP

Not been on a 159 for a while so not sure what the announcements are like. I'd rather have some announcements on a train rather than none. I don't like the eerie silence you get on some trains - need to hear a noise so I know I'm still awake/alive!

 

[SWT Driver]

Electrostars keep telling me which coach I'm in... I KNOW WHAT BLOODY COACH I'M IN!

Arrrrgghh!

 

[fgwrich]

Electrostars keep telling me which coach I'm in... I KNOW WHAT BLOODY COACH I'M IN!

Arrrrgghh!

Ahhh...but what if you fall aslep and somehow end up in a different coach...

God knows why they have to tell you what coach your in though...i dont care what coach im in!!!!

Even if its a 3 car...itll rattle on and the finnaly go...This Is Coach Number 3 of...Wait for it...3...

You know i wouldnt have guessed that!

 

[LondonLarry]

Electrostars keep telling me which coach I'm in... I KNOW WHAT BLOODY COACH I'M IN!

Arrrrgghh!

That's because you're organised! I think that sort of announcement should only be made at keys stations and then just displayed on the PIS between stations.

It made me chuckle watching people running through the train to get off at Clapham Junction! I wonder if they ever made it... :roll:

 

[fgwrich]

Not been on a 159 for a while so not sure what the announcements are like. I'd rather have some announcements on a train rather than none. I don't like the eerie silence you get on some trains - need to hear a noise so I know I'm still awake/alive!

Dont worry...the noise of the engine will keep you alive/awake...or if its one of the ones ive seen last week, and ridden on...Youll know your alive because the engine will be able to tell you something... that something is that it despiratly needs maintenance!


You might want to try and avoid 159022...The centre coach of that was bad!!! but supprisingly no anouncements...

rich

 

[LondonLarry]

You might want to try and avoid 159022...The centre coach of that was bad!!! but supprisingly no anouncements...

rich

I was on a train to Rome a few weeks ago that had the worst wheelflats I've ever experienced - that kept me awake!

 

[steve099]

Do people not find announcements by the staff MORE annoying? I find they often require more attention over what is usually a poor quality mic/speaker system.

 

[LondonLarry]

Do people not find announcements by the staff MORE annoying? I find they often require more attention over what is usually a poor quality mic/speaker system.

What's even more annoying is hearing an automated announcement, then hearing the guard make the same announcement manually!

 

[Waddon]

Do people not find announcements by the staff MORE annoying? I find they often require more attention over what is usually a poor quality mic/speaker system.

If a guard does it right, its best (i.e brief, to the point, and understandable). What I really really hate are those guards who either:

A: really want to be a DJ, and talk into the tannoy like they're auditioning for a hospital radio job (anyone who remembers 'Smashey and Nicey' from the Harry Enfield show will know what I'm talking about

or

B: Turn a 10 second announcement into a tannoy version of 'War and Peace' - for example the guard who works for Southern who feels the need to tell you absolutely every destination that you can get to from Clapham Junction - sure, tell me that you can change here for Waterloo, Kensington Olympia and South West Trains services, don't tell me the name of every single station which South West trains stop at, which bus routes go from those stations and where the nearest pub is to each one where you can get a pint of real ale (I exaggerate a bit, but you get the idea)!

 

[MCR247]

I dont mind most automated announcements, but there is a few that get on my nerves:

The Southern/SouthEastern, this is coach x of x! I understand it helps when the train splits.

I quite like ScotRail ones on 170s

It does annoy me on voyagers/meridians where the destination & calling points wont come up for ages, but you get: Coach F.

 

[bengley]

As far as I know, Chiltern units have never used automated announcements, but I'm willing to be corrected on this.

Going back to I/We, even the SWT system still has the voice artists referring to themselves; "I'm sorry to inform you that this service has been reported as full and standing", "I'm sorry - there will be no catering facilities on this train today", "I'm sorry for the short formation of this train today" etc.



That's quite a scary thought actually; Phil, Celia and the Scottish woman all chiming in together... "We are sorry for the delay to this service"!

They have had them, used to hear them all the time on the London to Aylesbury via Amersham line. That's mainly why I'm asking.

 

[OMGitsDAVE]

I was on a Northern service from Hexham to Middlesbrough, and on the approach to Middlesbrough the guard said (In a really prolonged, and slow manner):
We are now approaching Middlesbrough, where this Northern Rail service from Hexham via Newcastle, Sunderland & Hartlepool will terminate. Change here for services to Thornaby, Eaglescliffe, Yarm, Northallerton, Thirsk, York, Garforth, Leeds, Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Airport, Darlington, Saltburn, Redcar, Nunthorpe, Great Ayton, Whitby & Hexham. Please make sure you have all personal belongings with you when leaving the train.

It took 5 minutes for him to read that, 5 MINUTES! And he only told us every station on the line, its okay. Really weird Guard he was - He never even opened the door in Middlesbrough until 14:48 (Exact arrival time), when we got in at 14:45. He kept going "Sorry, you are not allowed to leave this train until the scheduled call."

 

[HSTfan!!!]

Hence missed alterations if units split, or terminated short of destination

but being a railwayman myself I'm more alert too such things + don't have headphones on too loud
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Do people not find announcements by the staff MORE annoying? I find they often require more attention over what is usually a poor quality mic/speaker system.

In my personal experience, it doesn't matter how many times you put out an automated announcement on the CIS system, for example a platform alteration, passengers tend to respond better to a manual announcement by a person.

 

[Greenback]

Reminds me of when I was on a train at Bristol TM, heading for Taunton via Weston. An announcement was made over the tannoy, but what with the unfamiliar accent, noise from other passengers, noise from the platform through the open door (class 150) and background static, I didn't have a clue what was said!

The next thing I knew we headed out towards Bath Spa, the opposite direction to where I wanted to go! The announcement must have been to inform passengers of this, but it was completely useless in my case. I wondered afterwards if I found it impossible to understand because I am so used to the automated announcements, which seem to be always at a high volume!