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SWT Information Displays

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Deepgreen

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The reliability of the exterior and interior information displays on SWT seems to be deteriorating steadily. The class 456s have never had working destination displays since they were refurbished (why?), the 455s now almost all seem to have the currrent time showing as 00:00 (and frequently have the wrong station sequence showing) and 450/444s frequently simply display "SWT" while in service. Is there a deep-seated problem with SWT's systems that they can't be bothered to remedy?
 
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swt_passenger

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Taking the time problem separately, this was an SWT fleet wide problem, (as well as a national problem in Desiro UK) and was discussed in an earlier thread. That would suggest whatever the fix was applied to the Desiros it has not yet been applied to other SWT fleets.

In my experience the usual reason for the SWT coming up on displays is that they are on a diversionary route that is not programmed into the system, but I haven't seen a significant increase in 'SWT' lately.
 

TEW

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The 456 PIS is just rubbish. It's the same system as the rest of the fleet but it just does not work well at all. Haven't really noticed any issues with the 455s and Desiro PIS though. 456 PIS normally works fine when coupled to a 455 too.
 

greaterwest

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The 456 PIS is just rubbish. It's the same system as the rest of the fleet but it just does not work well at all. Haven't really noticed any issues with the 455s and Desiro PIS though. 456 PIS normally works fine when coupled to a 455 too.

The 456s on the Ascot - Guildford line have had a working PIS every time I have used them, though I think the text scrolls a little slowly on the screens, but that's just nitpicking.

The exterior screens on the 456s are not connected as far as I am aware.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Taking the time problem separately, this was an SWT fleet wide problem, (as well as a national problem in Desiro UK) and was discussed in an earlier thread. That would suggest whatever the fix was applied to the Desiros it has not yet been applied to other SWT fleets.

In my experience the usual reason for the SWT coming up on displays is that they are on a diversionary route that is not programmed into the system, but I haven't seen a significant increase in 'SWT' lately.

I've seen quite an increase of "SWT" on the SWML, so it is in fact happening, though it only appears to be on some exterior screens (the TMS of the two units not communicating?)
 

racklam

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On a related note, I left Guildford yesterday on a fast London service ex-Portsmouth (Class 444) that said the next station was Worplesdon (it wasn't scheduled).

The PIS then proceeded to say 'This is Worplesdon, please take all belongings etc.' as the train sped through. It's not a route I travel on regularly - is this a regular occurrence?
 

TEW

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The 456s on the Ascot - Guildford line have had a working PIS every time I have used them, though I think the text scrolls a little slowly on the screens, but that's just nitpicking.

The exterior screens on the 456s are not connected as far as I am aware.
I'd say the PIS on 456s doesn't work about 25% of the time. It will set up correctly but won't announce the next stations. 456 PIS never functions entirely correctly. On the rest of the fleet it will announce 'This is X, this train is for Y, the next station is Z.' when you stop and the doors are released, on the 456s it announces when you are approaching a station then after a short pause announces that. That normally means it's finished the announcement it's meant to do whilst at the station before you've even stopped. That problem doesn't normally occur when coupled to a 455.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
On a related note, I left Guildford yesterday on a fast London service ex-Portsmouth (Class 444) that said the next station was Worplesdon (it wasn't scheduled).

The PIS then proceeded to say 'This is Worplesdon, please take all belongings etc.' as the train sped through. It's not a route I travel on regularly - is this a regular occurrence?
No, just means the wrong PIS code has been put in. Never noticed the wrong code on a Sunday with Worplesdon being announced before.
 

Deepgreen

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The 456 PIS is just rubbish. It's the same system as the rest of the fleet but it just does not work well at all. Haven't really noticed any issues with the 455s and Desiro PIS though. 456 PIS normally works fine when coupled to a 455 too.

Sorry - confused by the apparent contradiction here.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
The exterior screens on the 456s are not connected as far as I am aware.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I am wondering why they have never been connected - what is the point of them, and why don't SWT consider the destination worth showing?
 
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TEW

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456 PIS is rubbish, but normally works OK if coupled to a 455. It's when they're on their own that it's worst.
 

Parallel

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The 159 I was on earlier was also showing the incorrect time - 8:38 for the whole journey!
 
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SpacePhoenix

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When a 456 is coupled to a 455 do they use one of the pins of the electrical connector as a data link for the PIS? If they do, is it possible that the 456 PIS relies on some sort of data from the PIS of a 455?
 

greaterwest

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I'd say the PIS on 456s doesn't work about 25% of the time. It will set up correctly but won't announce the next stations. 456 PIS never functions entirely correctly. On the rest of the fleet it will announce 'This is X, this train is for Y, the next station is Z.' when you stop and the doors are released, on the 456s it announces when you are approaching a station then after a short pause announces that. That normally means it's finished the announcement it's meant to do whilst at the station before you've even stopped. That problem doesn't normally occur when coupled to a 455.

For some reason, I think that's quite funny. When I've been on them it announces it as it's arriving in the station, so it is still somewhat correct and not a massive issue.
 

gimmea50anyday

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Back to the clock problem, Siemens have a fix but the TMS needs a software update which can only be done at certain depots. Approx 1/3 of the 185's have been through. The 350's, 444's and 450's will also get the same update as they visit their home depots. Wether the 333's and 360's need the same fix or not I don't know
 

southern442

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The 456 PIS is just rubbish. It's the same system as the rest of the fleet but it just does not work well at all. Haven't really noticed any issues with the 455s and Desiro PIS though. 456 PIS normally works fine when coupled to a 455 too.

The 456s have never got on well with PIS - when they were first installed on Southern, they wouldn't work, even when coupled to a 455. They did manage to sort it out after a while but they still didn't work 100% of the time.
 

greaterwest

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Back to the clock problem, Siemens have a fix but the TMS needs a software update which can only be done at certain depots. Approx 1/3 of the 185's have been through. The 350's, 444's and 450's will also get the same update as they visit their home depots. Wether the 333's and 360's need the same fix or not I don't know

SWT's Desiro units appear to all be fixed now, no idea about the 158 / 159s (which use the same system).
 
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