Inaudible onboard announcements

[Wombat]

It's fairly common on SWT/SWR trains for the guard's announcements to be inaudible while the recorded announcements are clear. No idea whether this is because the guard is speaking quietly or because of problems with the address system.

Should I be reporting this to someone? I've always chalked it up to "Oh well, what can you do?", but it occurred to me this evening that it could present a safety risk if something unfortunate happened and the passengers can't hear the guard because the speaker isn't working properly. And of course it's less severe but still inconvenient if you can't hear the "This train will now be running fast to Waterloo" announcement when you wanted to get off at Wimbledon.

 

[TEW]

It's a problem with the equipment. You can try reporting it, you wouldn't be the only person doing it, but I would be shocked if anything was ever done about it.

 

[ChrisHogan]

It's fairly common on SWT/SWR trains for the guard's announcements to be inaudible while the recorded announcements are clear. No idea whether this is because the guard is speaking quietly or because of problems with the address system.

Should I be reporting this to someone? I've always chalked it up to "Oh well, what can you do?", but it occurred to me this evening that it could present a safety risk if something unfortunate happened and the passengers can't hear the guard because the speaker isn't working properly. And of course it's less severe but still inconvenient if you can't hear the "This train will now be running fast to Waterloo" announcement when you wanted to get off at Wimbledon.

It's not unknown on Pendolinos either.

 

[swrailuser]

Hopefully with the Refurb planned on the 159's from Exeter and Salisbury this problem will be fixed if enough of us have had our concerns noted in the hand over

 

[Harbouring]

Announcements on Southern 313's cannot be heard unless you stand right next to the speaker it seems. Very quiet and could be mistaken for people talking. Not great when the announcement Is that Durrington and Goring stations are being skipped due to late running.

 

[johnnychips]

Guards should always make the announcement twice, as people don't always 'tune in' to the first time. However this is not helped by too frequent automatic announcements about unaccompanied luggage, smoking, leaving things behind etc. which, I would think, causes many passengers to 'tune out' anyway.

 

[theageofthetra]

It's a problem with the equipment. You can try reporting it, you wouldn't be the only person doing it, but I would be shocked if anything was ever done about it.

Report it. A defective PA can lead to a train being taken out service on a doo service.

 

[TheManBehind]

It's fairly common on SWT/SWR trains for the guard's announcements to be inaudible while the recorded announcements are clear. No idea whether this is because the guard is speaking quietly or because of problems with the address system.

Should I be reporting this to someone? I've always chalked it up to "Oh well, what can you do?", but it occurred to me this evening that it could present a safety risk if something unfortunate happened and the passengers can't hear the guard because the speaker isn't working properly. And of course it's less severe but still inconvenient if you can't hear the "This train will now be running fast to Waterloo" announcement when you wanted to get off at Wimbledon.

Report it to the twitter team or customer services - gets passed on to fleet and guards team regardless.

 

[Bromley boy]

It's fairly common on SWT/SWR trains for the guard's announcements to be inaudible while the recorded announcements are clear. No idea whether this is because the guard is speaking quietly or because of problems with the address system.

Should I be reporting this to someone? I've always chalked it up to "Oh well, what can you do?", but it occurred to me this evening that it could present a safety risk if something unfortunate happened and the passengers can't hear the guard because the speaker isn't working properly. And of course it's less severe but still inconvenient if you can't hear the "This train will now be running fast to Waterloo" announcement when you wanted to get off at Wimbledon.

If you're able to mention to the driver/guard (most appropriately guard on SWR) please do so. This is something staff will likely be completely unaware of and may only affect one or two coaches in the formation.

As a driver, passengers have helpfully reported these issues to me before and I have been able to log a defect report, whereas had they not done so I would have been completely unaware.

 

[farci]

As a mere passenger, this seems to be a combination of equipment and training.

Anybody who ever suffered from poor audability of announcements at a public event (think school play, local meeting) will recognise the result of a combination of crap equipment and the inability of untrained speakers to use it.

Switch to a railway with constant background noise and the need perhaps for safety-critical announcements and you have an accident waiting to happen

 

[fairysdad]

Had an interesting one a while back where the PA was fine up until the train was joined by another MU, when it suddenly went inaudible! It was quite a lightly-loaded service, so I chatted to the guard when he came round and we came to the conclusion that as he was using the PA in the 'new' part of the train, there was something likely wrong with the connection between units. (It was probably an SWT - as was - service, but can't remember what the automated announcements were like, if indeed he actuaully used them!)

Quite interesting that the lack of a PA is something that can take a train out of service - particularly on DOO routes; often there have been times when I've wondered if the lack of any PA is because it's broken, or just because the guard (or driver) isn't using it!

 

[tsr]

As per a previous post, strictly speaking a defective PA can usually only result in a train being taken out of service if it is running DOO. However, this is usually overruled by TOC specific guidance about certain circumstances, such as not allowing it on trains starting their diagrams (ie. duties for the day) from a maintenance depot where the problem could have been resolved.

There are drivers and guards who have had good reason to take a fully crewed train out of service with no PA system - for example, if passengers towards the rear of a very long train need to be advised about stations with short platforms, where the guard may only be able to practically travel in the front few coaches (and of course you don't want passengers pulling alarms and emergency egress handles at the back of such trains as they leave said platforms). It can involve some "discussion" if the fleet controller is unhappy about it, but if the crew refuse to take the train forward with passengers, and they have clearly stated a specific safety reason, there is little that can be done to force them.

 

[Antman]

It seems to be a common problem on a variety of rolling stock, often the guard is wasting their time making announcements that nobody can hear.

 

[antharro]

I've found on 444s that the PA in one carriage will be so quiet you can barely hear it, the next carriage will be deafeningly loud (especially when the guard is aware of the problem and shouts down the microphone to compensate).

I was on two Voyagers yesterday - the first one, the guard's announcements were pretty much inaudible but the buffet staff's announcements were at a pretty much perfect level. The levels in the second one were correct but one of the announcements made by the guard had some sort of technical problem and every other word dropped out! I let them know in both cases - I've given up trying to get through to SWT / SWR about this as nothing ever changes.

 

[TEW]

I've given up trying to get through to SWT / SWR about this as nothing ever change.

This is the problem. Barely a day goes by when I don't report a PA or PIS fault, particularly on 455s and 456s, but it's rare to see anything actually fixed.

 

[Timrud]

222's are bad for it cutting in and out

 

[mallard]

On-train PA systems almost never work correctly; too loud, too quiet, noise, feedback, cutting in/out, just about every possible fault is extremely common. Some of it is poor equipment, some of it is clearly inadequate training (volume/gain adjustment, don't pull on the mic wire, etc.).

Since the general advice in the case of an emergency is "stay put and wait for announcements", having a PA that barely works at the best of times is rather questionable from a safety standpoint.

 

[FQTV]

You'd be hard-pressed to beat the PA performances on Northern Rail's Glossop services.

While the brake screech subsides and the doors grind open, the driver burps into a cheese-covered microphone.

Leaving Piccadilly, as follows:

Unleh (Ashburys)
Unlub (Guide Bridge)
Unlehleh (Flowery Field)
Nulehleh (Newton for Hyde)
Unlah (Godley)
Un Leh (Hattersley)
Undleh (Broadbottom)
Udnleh (Dinting)
Un (Glossop)
Leh (Hadfield)

 

[Wombat]

Thank you for your responses! It seems that the general consensus is "report it, but don't have high expectations" so I will try to do so from now on.

 

[theageofthetra]

Thank you for your responses! It seems that the general consensus is "report it, but don't have high expectations" so I will try to do so from now on.

I can assure you that a defective PA is taken seriously if DOO and if it can't be resolved by the driver the unit will be taken out of service at the nearest suitable location.

 

[fowler9]

Without wanting to drag this off subject sometimes it is down to people not speaking in to whatever microphone they have available. I find it a problem these days working on a call centre. Loads of people just stick you on speaker phone and don't seem to have a clue that that if they wander off around the room speaking in random directions you really can't hear a word they are saying. It works both ways, we have expensive headsets in work but if I move the microphone away from my mouth the customer can hear nothing I am saying but absolutely everything else in the room.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

As a rule can guards adjust the volume of the PA in individual coaches or will that always be strictly fitters only?

 

[michael74]

I was on a GWR 143 crashing and screeching along (as they do) I could barely hear myself think, but the PA system had no chance, it was inaudible when we were stopped.

 

[rebelrouser]

A lot of guards just talk to quick

 

[urbophile]

Often the problem is not the announcements themselves but the fact that many passengers continue to chatter (or play music though leaky headphones) during them, so that potentially important or even vital information is just not heard.

 

[swaldman]

Such is the frequency of SWTs' automated announcements that I mostly don't listen to anything on the PA anyway. No, this is not a great state of affairs.

I once noted that on leaving Waterloo on a Waterloo via Cobham train, the automated announcements are continuous and do not stop for some minutes, until the train is beyond Vauxhall. They seem to be all queued up to tell us where we're going (after the train has already left), remind us not to blow up the train, to thank us for travelling, and to remind us that we need to have a ticket. It doesn't exactly make for a relaxing journey, and certainly doesn't help one to hear any actually important announcements

 

[mallard]

Often the problem is not the announcements themselves but the fact that many passengers continue to chatter (or play music though leaky headphones) during them, so that potentially important or even vital information is just not heard.

Or that the announcements are so difficult to hear or painful (due to feedback and excess volume) to listen to and contain mainly fluff that every commuter has heard a thousand times that most much prefer to listen to music or talk over them.

Considering that some TOCs have resorted to using the PA for outright advertising (so far only on stations, but trains can't be far behind), you can't blame the passengers for wanting to filter them out.

The UK really needs to follow the German style of passenger announcements. Concise. To the point. Minimal formality/fluff. No advertising.

e.g. a typical (translated) German announcement goes something like "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome aboard <train number> to <destination> we will be calling at <stations>. The cafe is in coach <number>. We wish you a pleasant journey."

A typical UK announcement: "Welcome aboard this, the <time> <TOC> service to <destination>, calling at <stations>. An at-seat service of hot and cold refreshments is on board this train, please keep the aisles clear to allow it to pass, please put small items of luggage in the overhead racks and larger items in the racks at the ends of the carriage. Please keep all personal belongings with you while on trains and stations. Smoking is not permitted on board this train, that includes toilets and vestibule ends. If you require any assistance, I will be passing through the train, please have all tickets and passes ready for inspection. The next stop will be <station> in approximately <number> minutes."

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Or that the announcements are so difficult to hear or painful (due to feedback and excess volume) to listen to and contain mainly fluff that every commuter has heard a thousand times that most much prefer to listen to music or talk over them.

Considering that some TOCs have resorted to using the PA for outright advertising (so far only on stations, but trains can't be far behind), you can't blame the passengers for wanting to filter them out.

The UK really needs to follow the German style of passenger announcements. Concise. To the point. Minimal formality/fluff. No advertising.

e.g. a typical (translated) German announcement goes something like "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome aboard <train number> to <destination> we will be calling at <stations>. The cafe is in coach <number>. We wish you a pleasant journey."

A typical UK announcement: "Welcome aboard this, the <time> <TOC> service to <destination>, calling at <stations>. An at-seat service of hot and cold refreshments is on board this train, please keep the aisles clear to allow it to pass, please put small items of luggage in the overhead racks and larger items in the racks at the ends of the carriage. Please keep all personal belongings with you while on trains and stations. Smoking is not permitted on board this train, that includes toilets and vestibule ends. If you require any assistance, I will be passing through the train, please have all tickets and passes ready for inspection. The next stop will be <station> in approximately <number> minutes."

On Northern the guards have also started parrotting the "If you see something that doesn't look right" scaremongering nonsense everyone's already heard (and ignored) several times over at their departing station. Oh how I wish the announcements on my daily commute were inaudible!

 

[talltim]

222's are bad for it cutting in and out

Yes, I hear it often. When it cuts out it doesn't cut out completely, just goes very very quiet.

 

[Parallel]

I was on a GWR 143 crashing and screeching along (as they do) I could barely hear myself think, but the PA system had no chance, it was inaudible when we were stopped.

I think it just depends how the microphone is being used. I've been on one bouncing up to Barnstaple with all the windows open and the PIS was still fairly nice and loud - but I've used others where it's very muffled and quiet.

It also seems to be a problem when DMUs are working together. Very frequently, if you are in the front carriage of a 4 or 5 carriage 15x combo with GWR, everything is just completely inaudible that the guard says. The PIS audio announcement doesn't work well either when connected to a unit that doesn't have it - The announcements are excessively loud in the unit that isn't fitted with PIS, as in, full on shouting.