East Midlands Railway - new customer information screens (CIS)

[londonmidland]

East Midlands Railway are in the process of upgrading their customer information screens at all of their stations, with brand new ones, provided by Infotec.

The departure screens will be white LED displays, with the information and subsequent departure screens being of the LCD variant. These new displays are replacing the older and dimmer looking orange LED displays.

So far, whilst on my travels, I have notice the following stations receiving the upgrades:

• Derby
• Loughborough
• Nottingham
• Chesterfield
• Beeston
• Market Harborough
• Kettering
• Wellingborough

I will update this list accordingly based on reports. If you guys spot any new installations, I’d greatly appreciate if you could kindly report it in this thread.

Here is what has been installed at Nottingham station within the last week or so -

 

[DelW]

Is that dot matrix platform 7A board really new? It looks like something from about 20 years ago.

 

[Class172]

The white variety of LED dot-matrix with extra graphics is certainly a newer innovation—I’ve seen them around maybe for about five years or so.

 

[Mzzzs]

Much rather have the lcd screen as standard, no more dox matrix

 

[Skymonster]

I really do dis pair of this company. it runs trains with carpet and seats that visually seem to be bio hazards, the latter of which you wouldn’t want to sit on wearing clean light coloured clothes, many trains which are dilapidated inside. The promised refurbs have yet to start - even the new seat covers for the 222s that had supposedly been procured to replace some of the worst specimens in service seem to be stuck somewhere in EMR Towers. And yet EMR is installing new information screens, replacing older information screens that - er - worked just fine as far as I could tell. Why? More painting lipstick on a pig. I’m sick of paying good money to use EMR’s filthy, broken trains.

No doubt some EMR fanboy will be along shortly to tell me that the DfT calls the shots financially. Well maybe, but if that’s the case it’s about time EMR management grew some backbone and pushed back, and at the same time was honest with us customers and told us, in public, that they’d love to get on with the train interior refurbs but it’s the DfT that’s stopping them. I don’t want to hear it from a forum - I want to hear it from managers who are running the company I spend my money with - an apology in fact.

 

[43066]

I really do dis pair of this company. it runs trains with carpet and seats that visually seem to be bio hazards, the latter of which you wouldn’t want to sit on wearing clean light coloured clothes, many trains which are dilapidated inside. The promised refurbs have yet to start - even the new seat covers for the 222s that had supposedly been procured to replace some of the worst specimens in service seem to be stuck somewhere in EMR Towers. And yet EMR is installing new information screens, replacing older information screens that - er - worked just fine as far as I could tell. Why? More painting lipstick on a pig. I’m sick of paying good money to use EMR’s filthy, broken trains.

No doubt some EMR fanboy will be along shortly to tell me that the DfT calls the shots financially. Well maybe, but if that’s the case it’s about time EMR management grew some backbone and pushed back, and at the same time was honest with us customers and told us, in public, that they’d love to get on with the train interior refurbs but it’s the DfT that’s stopping them. I don’t want to hear it from a forum - I want to hear it from managers who are running the company I spend my money with - an apology in fact.

So you acknowledge that the issues are caused by the DfT, but you want EMR to apologise for them. What exactly would that achieve? EMR management are hardly in a position to “push back”, let alone publicly criticise the DfT, given the level of micromanagement they’re being subjected to.

Pointing out the simple reality of the situation is nothing to do with being a “fanboy”. Incidentally the 222 first class seats are a lot better, and relatively inexpensive to upgrade to, so worth considering until the 810s come in.

I don’t want to hear it from a forum - I want to hear it from managers who are running the company I spend my money with - an apology in fact.

If you just want to hear someone say “sorry”, complaining formally to EMR will no doubt generate a few empty platitudes by way of an apology. Much more usefully, if you aren’t happy with the way the DfT is running the railway, you could perhaps lobby your MP, or choose to use your vote accordingly.

 

[BlinkenLights]

I noticed the new white dot matrix displays at both Bedford and Luton Parkway last week. There is now a confusing mix of both these and the old orange displays.

 

[59CosG95]

I noticed the new white dot matrix displays at both Bedford and Luton Parkway last week. There is now a confusing mix of both these and the old orange displays.

Wellingborough still has a mix of them too; while P4 is fully converted, all the screens on the 'old' parts of the station (where the gallows supports are masonry mounted) are still awaiting conversion.

 

[londonmidland]

I noticed the new white dot matrix displays at both Bedford and Luton Parkway last week. There is now a confusing mix of both these and the old orange displays.

These stations are managed by Thameslink, so won’t be part of the same upgrade plan.

However, they too are upgrading their screens over the past year or two.

 

[59CosG95]

These stations are managed by Thameslink, so won’t be part of the same upgrade plan.

However, they too are upgrading their screens over the past year or two.

It could be an East Midlands Route programme, as all those stations sit under that umbrella.

They do also offer a great boost in terms of accessibility, as there's a greater contrast with white text on a black background than amber text on a black background.

 

[800001]

It could be an East Midlands Route programme, as all those stations sit under that umbrella.

They do also offer a great boost in terms of accessibility, as there's a greater contrast with white text on a black background than amber text on a black background.

Isn’t white on black, including station signage, the new industry standard?

 

[59CosG95]

Isn’t white on black, including station signage, the new industry standard?

I believe so, which must be why the upgrade works are happening nationwide.

 

[londonmidland]

It could be an East Midlands Route programme, as all those stations sit under that umbrella.

They do also offer a great boost in terms of accessibility, as there's a greater contrast with white text on a black background than amber text on a black background.

You might be right.

TransPennine Express have new white LED displays at all of their stations and Northern are also upgrading their displays.

In fact all TOCs have/are upgrading their displays come to think of it, so it might be the DfT who are funding this upgrade program.

 

[David Burrows]

Strangely, all these new screens, just like the previous ones, still show trains going to/from 'Lincoln Central', despite all timetables and the National Rail website refering to it as just 'Lincoln'. The large sign outside the station shows just 'Lincoln'.
I presume it is just EMR that persist in this on their screens.

 

[Jozhua]

I'm a massive fan of dot matrix displays. The old ones did a fantastic job of exactly what they were designed to do - clear and fast information.

The new models feel like a refinement, rather than re-inventing the wheel.

Dot matrix has key advantages when it comes to size, clarity, brightness and longevity for these sorts of applications. Burn in is going to be a challenge for a lot of the LCD station displays, especially as they will be displaying similar information 24/7 for multiple years. Backlit LCDs will consume a lot more energy than a dot matrix, while OLEDs will struggle to hit the same brightness.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

The white variety of LED dot-matrix with extra graphics is certainly a newer innovation—I’ve seen them around maybe for about five years or so.

First are a fan.

 

[dosxuk]

Backlit LCDs will consume a lot more energy than a dot matrix, while OLEDs will struggle to hit the same brightness.

Large format OLED monitors are still extremely expensive, prohibitively so for all but the most cash-rich organisations. OLED is also far more susceptible to burn-in than LCD.

 

[dk1]

Wrong thread, Doh!!!

 

[43055]

East Midlands Railway are in the process of upgrading their customer information screens at all of their stations, with brand new ones, provided by Infotec.

The departure screens will be white LED displays, with the information and subsequent departure screens being of the LCD variant. These new displays are replacing the older and dimmer looking orange LED displays.

So far, whilst on my travels, I have notice the following stations receiving the upgrades:

• Derby
• Loughborough
• Nottingham
• Chesterfield
• Beeston
• Market Harborough
• Kettering
• Wellingborough

I will update this list accordingly based on reports. If you guys spot any new installations, I’d greatly appreciate if you could kindly report it in this thread.

Here is what has been installed at Nottingham station within the last week or so -

I do like these new displays. Hopefully they get round to doing the smaller stations soon as since the franchise started Tutbury's displays seem to spend more time broken than properly working!

 

[Jozhua]

Large format OLED monitors are still extremely expensive, prohibitively so for all but the most cash-rich organisations. OLED is also far more susceptible to burn-in than LCD.

Burn in on older OLED models are brutal, newer units are certainly better, but new tech = higher cost too!

With a static interface displaying all day, burn in risk is very very high, so OLED isn't too great. LCD may also succumb to burn in eventually in those conditions.

 

[londonmidland]

Narborough now has these new screens.

Slightly smaller in size compared to the mainline stations, however I believe it can still display the same amount of information.

 

[baz962]

Preferred the old ones with the orange colour. Not a fan of the white

 

[LowLevel]

Strangely, all these new screens, just like the previous ones, still show trains going to/from 'Lincoln Central', despite all timetables and the National Rail website refering to it as just 'Lincoln'. The large sign outside the station shows just 'Lincoln'.
I presume it is just EMR that persist in this on their screens.

I don't get the strange obsession with the naming of this station on the forums.

The station's name is Lincoln Central. The suffix is dropped in some applications but internally it is referred to as such. It is quite literally in the Sectional Appendix as Lincoln Central.

It isn't consistent but it certainly isn't wrong and it doesn't really matter either to boot.

 

[High Dyke]

Strangely, all these new screens, just like the previous ones, still show trains going to/from 'Lincoln Central', despite all timetables and the National Rail website refering to it as just 'Lincoln'. The large sign outside the station shows just 'Lincoln'.
I presume it is just EMR that persist in this on their screens.

I don't get the strange obsession with the naming of this station on the forums.

The station's name is Lincoln Central. The suffix is dropped in some applications but internally it is referred to as such. It is quite literally in the Sectional Appendix as Lincoln Central.

It isn't consistent but it certainly isn't wrong and it doesn't really matter either to boot.

Ah, so it's only me that used to announce it as 'Lindum Colonia'.

I do like these new displays. Hopefully they get round to doing the smaller stations soon as since the franchise started Tutbury's displays seem to spend more time broken than properly working!

I won't hold my breath. Heckington had a bracket fitted on the Down platform many years ago, but has never had the display unit fitted. The display on the Up platform used to also display the Down trains occasionally, but that just confused the masses even more. Last time I looked the help point display screen still displayed East Midlands Trains on it.

 

[QSK19]

it’s about time EMR management grew some backbone and pushed back, and at the same time was honest with us customers and told us, in public, they’d love to get on with the train interior refurbs but it’s the DfT that’s stopping them.

I completely agree with your sentiment in terms of despairing about EMR’s state of affairs. I think Will Rogers came as close as he could to saying this in an interview with Modern Railways when he said “it’s not an if, it’s a when” (love to get on with the train interior refurb) and “the challenge has been inflation” (whilst not directly blaming the DfT, it does infer that they’re not going to open their wallet freely).

Much more usefully, if you aren’t happy with the way the DfT is running the railway, you could perhaps lobby your MP, or choose to use your vote accordingly.

I seriously doubt that a Labour government (or a coalition of the left if a hung parliament) would suddenly, magically make the railways run magnificently. The main political parties are all the same - they promise big things, yet fail to deliver. Nothing different would happen with a change of government.


Back on topic, I think the new CIS design is a definite upgrade - the train diagrams on them I like - but, I think there are better priorities than replacing what is already sufficiently functional CIS.

 

[Skymonster]

I completely agree with your sentiment in terms of despairing about EMR’s state of affairs. I think Will Rogers came as close as he could to saying this in an interview with Modern Railways when he said “it’s not an if, it’s a when” (love to get on with the train interior refurb) and “the challenge has been inflation” (whilst not directly blaming the DfT, it does infer that they’re not going to open their wallet freely).

I have no faith... Eighteen months ago in May 2022 the Meridians were going to get more than 5,000 new seat covers - and other upgrades. What happened to those?

EMR refresh Intercity fleet: New seat covers, toilet interiors and special anti-bacterial protection

5300 seat covers to be refreshed or replaced Class 222 Intercity train toilets given new interiors First train operator to use new state-of-the art anti-bacterial product

news.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk

EMR refresh Intercity fleet: New seat covers, toilet interiors and special anti-bacterial protection​

• 5300 seat covers to be refreshed or replaced
• Class 222 Intercity train toilets given new interiors
• First train operator to use new state-of-the art anti-bacterial product

 

[liamf656]

I have no faith... Eighteen months ago in May 2022 the Meridians were going to get more than 5,000 new seat covers - and other upgrades. What happened to those?

The toilet and lighting refresh is complete. In terms of seating, the first set is being done now

Ongoing discussion:

Class 222 refurbishment

EMR have stated on Twitter that the class 222 Meridians are going through a mid life refresh after someone complained about the state of the arm rests and seats. Apparently they only have a few left to do but I have yet to see a refreshed train in service. Does anyone know any more details...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[43066]

I seriously doubt that a Labour government (or a coalition of the left if a hung parliament) would suddenly, magically make the railways run magnificently. The main political parties are all the same - they promise big things, yet fail to deliver. Nothing different would happen with a change of government.

My point was really just that, where virtually all the issues being complained about are down to government/DfT, it seems a little odd to blame EMR management. Ultimately the management are just implementing what the DfT tell them to, and and are unable to spend money without approval. EMR will be paid irrespective of how many or few passengers they carry, with any losses being underwritten.

I disagree that “nothing different would happen with a change of government” (albeit you’re right, it isn’t just about which party is in charge; both Labour and previous Tory administrations have been better for the railway than the incumbents). The main problem holding the railway back at the moment is direct government interference, with no coherent or sensible strategy other than penny pinching (agreed it’s off topic so best to leave that thread of discussion there).

 

[cactustwirly]

Personally I think the screens fitted at the bigger stations like Nottingham, Leicester and Kettering etc are really good. I believe these were fitted by Midland Mainline?

Not sure these screens are an improvement, they are smaller.

 

[londonmidland]

Personally I think the screens fitted at the bigger stations like Nottingham, Leicester and Kettering etc are really good. I believe these were fitted by Midland Mainline?

Not sure these screens are an improvement, they are smaller.

Nottingham had really old screens, which were also smaller. These were different to other MML stations as they were installed by Central Trains. They’ve only just been replaced so the newer screens are definitely an upgrade.

Leicester had its screens replaced around 10 years ago by East Midlands Trains. Same with Kettering, although they also now have the new white LED screens.