Southern Railway - Auto Announcer Glitch

[xeepo]

I experienced an amusing mishap whilst at Southern Railway's Hackbridge station yesterday evening (1st March 2016).

Platform one's male auto announcer, completely out of the blue between trains said (roughly) the following phrases in quick succession, before falling silent once more...

• Delayed
• Welwyn Garden City
• Welwyn North
• Wivelsfield
• Please try to remain calm
• Royston
• Royston
• Royston
• Do not hesitate to alert the authorities
• Teddington

Once I'd regained my composure following a fit of giggles, I tweeted Southern to let them know... Shortly after, they replied asking; "It didn't say Royston Royston Royston by any chance did it?" - which suggested to me something known about and/or ongoing.

Anyone got any ideas what could have caused this or if it's been heard of before? Would have been good if someone had been able to capture the audio on this

 

[stut]

"It didn't say Royston Royston Royston by any chance did it?"

Perhaps it was a local train.

For local people.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

That's an odd announcement. I guess we should just "stay calm" rather that laugh!
Oh and... Welcome to the forum xeepo.

 

[NSEFAN]

I would love to hear a recording. It sounds like quite a laugh!

 

[mbreckers]

What automatic announcement is there that includes "please try to remain calm" and "do not hesitate to alert the authorities"?

 

[tsr]

There certainly are some bizarre phrases out there. Ewell East PA system has been known to announce random stations in the Highlands, and Three Bridges has other favourites including "Sandringham by Bus" and, in a similar vein, "The authorities have been alerted".

As I understand it, there is a fault in the CIS software, and some station staff have told me it is linked to a botched rollout of a system related in some way to Darwin. It's very disconcerting at first to hear these things, but also amusing in its own way.

 

[Bletchleyite]

What automatic announcement is there that includes "please try to remain calm" and "do not hesitate to alert the authorities"?

I wonder if it's some kind of emergency evacuation one.

 

[OpsWeb]

There certainly are some bizarre phrases out there. Ewell East PA system has been known to announce random stations in the Highlands, and Three Bridges has other favourites including "Sandringham by Bus" and, in a similar vein, "The authorities have been alerted".

As I understand it, there is a fault in the CIS software, and some station staff have told me it is linked to a botched rollout of a system related in some way to Darwin. It's very disconcerting at first to hear these things, but also amusing in its own way.

I heard the same. I think it is to do with the way Darwin interfaces with the TOC's own info systems.

 

[Geeves]

Technically now anyone anywhere who is at a Darwin connected terminal can make Doris announce a delay at any station.

When it was first installed at Vic you had to chose a delay reason for it announce a delay but Doris didn't say it out loud, so me being silly chose randomly "delayed by snow" and she announced snow at every station all the way to Preston and this was in July! Some funny posts on Twitter HA.

So I can at Manchester Vic get Doris at Ewell East to apologize for trains delayed for example by flooding at Wick!!

I had Doris as a test Apologize for trains being delayed at Penzance due to fog at Victoria

 

[MrPIC]

Here's something similar!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPWUzKQLkoM

 

[randyrippley]

What automatic announcement is there that includes "please try to remain calm" and "do not hesitate to alert the authorities"?

I was at one of the London terminii once (Victoria??) when a train full of football fans came in following a game......and the autoannouncer was full of phrases like that, along with "for your own safety please don't go anywhere near platform xxx"
When the train actually arrived it was a total non-event

 

[jon0844]

Royston Royston Royston is a code for no tea bags in the mess room?

 

[The Ham]

Royston Royston Royston is a code for no tea bags in the mess room?

Which make perfect sense when preceded by "Please try to remain calm" and followed by "Do not hesitate to alert the authorities".

I can just about cope with no guards on trains, but no tea for drivers that would be a step too far!

 

[tellytype]

Royston Royston Royston is a code for no tea bags in the mess room?

Yeah, its just calling Roy, the station tea boy, to make a cuppa!

 

[xeepo]

Oh and... Welcome to the forum xeepo.

Thanks