FGW to Install PIS on Thames Valley Route

[F Great Eastern]

Seems they're investing quite a bit right now, to go with the recently announced entertainment class on the HST's

http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/News/Mos...-secures-1m-signage-deal-First-Great-Western/

 

[bengley]

Better get some videos and/or pictures of the 165/166 fleet's current PIS system then. It's retro and I was thinking recently that it needs upgrading. Soon those cool 'flappy board' systems will be gone forever!

 

[MCR247]

I dont understand where the 151 trains that travel on the Thames Valley :?

 

[Aictos]

And TrainFX are the same people who should be installing monitors on the FCC trains.

Still, it's good to see the trains down there get upgraded - which reminds me, do the Chiltern ones have the same PIS setup?

 

[thefab444]

No, that doesn't make sense, I guess they are referring to individual coaches, rather than trains. The total number of 165 and 166 units is only 58.

 

[SWT Driver]

So you'll soon be able to have the delights of SONIA on FGW, you soon be wanting her to PIS off.

 

[MCR247]

According to my calculations (which are most likely wrong) thats 154

 

[thefab444]

16 * 3 = 48 (165 three car)
20 * 2 = 40 (165 two car)
21 * 3 = 51 (166 three car)

139 in total.

So I don't know where they got it from either.

 

[devon_metro]

God, yet more misery for commuters with annoying and unnecessary automated announcements on trains.

If its anything like the outrageous number of announcements playing over the swt system it will be living hell.

Hopefully they don't use the woman who announces most of the LTV stations, shes the most depressing person out there!

 

[SWT Driver]

It could be worse you could have...

 

[Kingfisher200262]

Seems they're investing quite a bit right now, to go with the recently announced entertainment class on the HST's

It may be me, but £6k per vehicle doesn't sound nearly enough for a proper PIS.

 

[SomersetChris]

So you'll soon be able to have the delights of SONIA on FGW, you soon be wanting her to PIS off.

Is Sonia a friend of Doris?

 

[mallard]

It could be worse you could have...

I'm pretty sure that's who does the announcements at Derby...

 

[fgwrich]

I'm pretty sure that's who does the announcements at Derby...

Or the non automated man at Chiltern Railways Marleybone...God hearing his voice whilst waiting for my 10:50 service almost made me go to sleep...

Perhaps one day we can have a Automated TOC Party...Staring Digital Dave and Digital Dorris...Sonia...Ruth from Truro...Oh and perhaps mr Iritating...Inspector Sands...God i arrived at Oxford Circus to that anouncement and it got to the point where, as it is played on a continuous loop, i just had to take any train to get away from it...

As for PA systems...Hopefully itll just be like the Chiltern Railways system, which by the way, i actually heard a few audio anouncements on the 168s, by the same person who does the Piccadilly Line anouncements...And will hopefully not be a very talkative anouncer...

And speaking of PA Systems and anouncements...i had a pair of 450s on the 01:05 on sunday morning where Celia Drummond was not just stuck on repeat...but also seem to take her own journeys...by anouncing the next 2station stops, before we'd actually left london waterloo!

But as for the FGW PA...Oh...I guess this means the end of the First reat Western Servi e to reading Calling at Bramley Mortimer Reading West and Reading....

Well...half the time theres always a letter either missing or part missing...and can make it more amusing when it does...

 

[Andrew]

I will miss this PIS - they're great! Must be some of the oldest display systems on trains over the whole network?

 

[RPM]

Still, it's good to see the trains down there get upgraded - which reminds me, do the Chiltern ones have the same PIS setup?

The Chiltern 165s had their PIS replaced several years ago when they were refurbished. They now have the same system that is fitted to the Turbostar family.

However, the old type of class 165 PIS can still be found on one unit - bubble car 121020! It was given the equipment removed from one of the 165s when it was rebuilt for passenger service.

 

[SWT Driver]

Can you imagine the announcement you'd get if Mavin did it?

It'd be comical.

 

[Pumbaa]

"the train now arriving at platform 6 is the 1420 to Birmingham new street... Oh I'm so depressed..."

 

[AlexS]

'Here I am, brain the size of a planet, just pottering up the GWGC Joint. I have more route knowledge than you could ever imagine, you know. I wish I could die.'

 

[D6975]

16 * 3 = 48 (165 three car)
20 * 2 = 40 (165 two car)
21 * 3 = 51 (166 three car)

139 in total.

So I don't know where they got it from either.

errr...21*3 =63, not 51

48+40+63 =151

 

[thefab444]

Now that's slightly worrying, as I used Windows Calculator to work that out!

 

[90019]

It'd be comical.

You'd need the doors to sigh as they opened and closed as well, though.

 

[SWT Driver]

The Desiro's internal doors fart when the mains power is off and you open them manually..

 

[317666]

Well, I was on a 165 Windsor-Slough and the PIS wasn't working at all! So maybe the replacement is a good thing?

 

[generalvegitable]

Can you imagine the announcement you'd get if Mavin did it?

the next train arriving at platform ... oh f*ck it you're all going to get on it anyway, it doesn't matter, I might jump under it...

 

[Drsatan]

The announcements would be even more depressing if Paris Hilton did the voiceovers for them!

Can you imagine "The 14:50 to Portsmouth Harbour is like, going to call at, like, Southampton Central, Fareham, Cosham, Fratton, Portsmouth & Southsea and errm, like Portsmouth Harbour. No catering is, you know, available on this service due to, like staff shortages". Can't decide what would be worse: Paris Hilton or Marvin

 

[Aictos]

The announcements would be even more depressing if Paris Hilton did the voiceovers for them!

Can you imagine "The 14:50 to Portsmouth Harbour is like, going to call at, like, Southampton Central, Fareham, Cosham, Fratton, Portsmouth & Southsea and errm, like Portsmouth Harbour. No catering is, you know, available on this service due to, like staff shortages". Can't decide what would be worse: Paris Hilton or Marvin

Thanks for them, made me laugh,

 

[Helvellyn]

Tom Baker would be a good one. Or Brian Blessed - announcing there is a quiet zone on board!

 

[Mike Redding]

The E4/X Factor Voiceover man (Peter Dickson) would be brilliant. Especially on the tube.

 

[Aictos]

Tom Baker would be a good one. Or Brian Blessed - announcing there is a quiet zone on board!

Brian Blessed would be great or Robert East:

Robert East played Harry, Prince of Wales in Blackadder:

Harry: [Inspiring words before the battle] Now I'm afraid that there's going to have to be a certain amount of violence. But at least we know it's all in a good cause, don't we?