centraltrains
Member
Some point within the last year, it seems that automatic station announcements have been all together stopped (except in times of disruption) at some railway stations. Despite quite a few recent threads on annoying announcements, I haven't seen anything on this - I don't know if it's just something not many have noticed or I've been unable to find on searches - but it's something I'd like to understand more.
My immediate thought on this is "How would blind/partially sighted people cope?" - however I remember that the Eden Park RAIB investigation suggested multi-platform announcements could be a danger.
Specifically I've noticed this at many local West Midlands Railway operated stations I've been to such asUniversity, Bournville, Selly Oak & Shirley, but not at the more major Birmingham Snow Hill, yet it seems to also apply at Network Rail operated at Birmingham New Street (on both the concourse and platform levels). Are places other than the West Midlands doing this?
When I first noticed the lack of announcements while walking though the concourse of New Street it felt quite surreal but it seems to make the concourse into a much calmer environment.
My immediate thought on this is "How would blind/partially sighted people cope?" - however I remember that the Eden Park RAIB investigation suggested multi-platform announcements could be a danger.
https://assets.publishing.service.g...data/file/962796/R012021_210219_Eden_Park.pdf (Paragraph 35)The audible cues associated with a train arriving at another platform, and its doors opening, can be similar to those associated with a train arriving at the platform a person is standing on. Because of this, visually impaired people may attempt to board a train that has not yet arrived because they have become aware of a train arriving at a different platform.
Specifically I've noticed this at many local West Midlands Railway operated stations I've been to such as
When I first noticed the lack of announcements while walking though the concourse of New Street it felt quite surreal but it seems to make the concourse into a much calmer environment.
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