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Showing train lengths on station information panels

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cjp

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FGW do it
Southern do it
SW trains do it
But Chiltern still do not say on their new platform departure boards how many carriages make up a train.
I did ask them about it a while ago and they said they were looking into it and that I was not the only one who had asked.

I often use the information point on Bicester Station platform to find out where to sensibly stand (with my bike) but a note on the indicator panels would be so much easier. In my experience Train lengths there can be anything from two to eight carriages,.

Does anyone know if it is really hard (or expensive) to provide this information?
Are Chiltern just being lazy?
 
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craigwilson

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FGW do it
Southern do it
SW trains do it
But Chiltern still do not say on their new platform departure boards how many carriages make up a train.
I did ask them about it a while ago and they said they were looking into it and that I was not the only one who had asked.

I often use the information point on Bicester Station platform to find out where to sensibly stand (with my bike) but a note on the indicator panels would be so much easier. In my experience Train lengths there can be anything from two to eight carriages,.

Does anyone know if it is really hard (or expensive) to provide this information?
Are Chiltern just being lazy?

Southeastern also do it :)
 

MidnightFlyer

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Virgin tend to do so as well now, following the introduction of 11-car Pendolinos (however, I have only seen it on the scrolling LDBs at the stations they manage, eg. Preston).
 

MidnightFlyer

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Virgin have displayed information about train length for a while now-at crewe they have done it for a year or so now.

For Voyagers only I trust! Can't say I've noticed it for a while now, though I recall some VT stations used to.
 

Seacook

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Also on the Cross City (at least north of BHM)

And on the COV-WVH line, and at Walsall. And I think it was displayed at Runcorn when I was there last week. It seems to be a rule for LM although some stations could be exceptions.
 

142056

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Imagine Northern Rail doing that! "this service is formed of one carriage". They'd probably still manage to get it wrong nearly all of the time anyway!
 

Seacook

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Imagine Northern Rail doing that! "this service is formed of one carriage". They'd probably still manage to get it wrong nearly all of the time anyway!

Now that you mention it, I must check Stourbridge Town and Stourbridge Junction (platform 1).
 

trc666

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SWT announce it using the automated system (Phil / Celia) and on the information displays at platforms.

Example
10:00 Clapham Junction 10:00
South West Trains service calling at: Basingstoke, Farnborough, Woking, CLAPHAM JUNCTION. This train has 4 coaches.
 

ushawk

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SWT announce it using the automated system (Phil / Celia) and on the information displays at platforms.

Example
10:00 Clapham Junction 10:00
South West Trains service calling at: Basingstoke, Farnborough, Woking, CLAPHAM JUNCTION. This train has 4 coaches.

Near enough the same for Southern and Southeastern as well i think - just a different order -

17:53 Eastbourne 18:04
Calling at: Polegate, Hampden Park, EASTBOURNE
**Please note: Customers for stations towards Ore should change at EASTBOURNE for a replacement bus service**
Southern Service. Formed of 8 coaches

Bit in the stars sometimes gets included for whatever reason, usually for delays and engineering work. Why cant there just be 1 industry covered version ?
 

cjp

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Chiltern do announce shortforms at least.
(Or even longforms, bizarrely)

Why nothing then at Bicester?:(

It comes down to my original question then of Chiltern perhaps being to lazy or too mean to introduce it.

I think that later this week, armed with information from here about how widespread it is, I will get in touch with them again.
Thanks.
 

VTPreston_Tez

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Indeed. I have to say though I am sure one VWC station in the past did it for Birmingham-Scotland Voyagers, I think it could well have been Crewe.

If all the stations have Twitter accounts though, surely we can ask them about it just to double check?
 

HowMuch?

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Perhaps a disability rights group should press for it as a "reasonable adjustment". If I was shaky on me pins I'd want be given a chance to get to the right point on the platform in time - rather than either doing a high-speed totter when the train got in, or squeezing through a packed train to my reserved seat.
 

Crossover

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Imagine Northern Rail doing that! "this service is formed of one carriage". They'd probably still manage to get it wrong nearly all of the time anyway!

You mean what actually, half a carriage turns up? :P

You wouldn't want that anyway...it'd take the fun out of it for passengers as to whether it will turn up short formed and rammed to the rafters....again :lol:
 

MattRobinson

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Or, for Northern, 'This train is made up of pacer stock. Bounce bounce bounce'? They could offer a replacement bus service, but their trains are already buses, so what would be the point?
 

moonrakerz

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FGW usually put it on the displays at my local station. Not this morning though when my wife went to Southampton, they announced on the public address, that it would 4 coaches - when it arrived it was the usual 3 car 158 ! :roll:
 
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