Train Announcements

[WillPS]

I'm a big fan of adding 'the human touch' to things, and conductors on board trains are the people that really do this - and one of the ways of pushing this forward to passengers is to put an actual voice over the microphone every so often.

I heard this once and thought it was a pretty good announcement:
"Good Evening and welcome aboard the xx : xx East Midlands Trains Robin Hood Line service to Nottingham, calling at Creswell, Whitwell, Langwith Whaley-Thorns, Shirebrook, Mansfield Woodhouse, Mansfield Town, Sutton Parkway, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Newstead, Hucknall, Bulwell and arriving into Nottingham at xx : xx. Your next stop will be Creswell."
Why can't something like that go out at the start of every train?

Whilst I'm on it - I'm not a fan of these robo-announcers. The TransPennine Express one in particular leaves unnatural gaps all over the place "Welcome aboard the ...xx:...xx... First TransPennine Express service to ... Sheffield. The next stop will be... Sheffield". I only ever take these to Meadowhall, but it must seriously grate on anyone going for longer journeys.

 

[steve158]

We got told prior to the safety announcements to make manual ones. so i turned it into a full blown announcement.

Depends on the Guard and whever he/she is in a good mood or not...

 

[thelem]

I prefer the automated ones, because they are more likely to be clear and at a sensible volume. The announcements can be too frequent though, some of the Southern stopping services that I use read out the full list of stations every couple of minutes.

It's a well known trap in computer programming - you just put a message everywhere that one might be useful, with the end result that there are so many message people just ignore them.

 

[LilLoaf]

Those pre-recorded annoucements are the worst thing in the whole world ! If travelling Man Picc to Leeds i'll sometimes go from Victoria on the Northern service they are that annoying mind the whole 185's arent really my favourite trains to start with never mind the annoucements.

I once heard a Pre-recorded annoucement on a pendolino service from Manchester - Birmingham. I remember thinking i hope virgin are no putting them on the pendolino's. Has anyone else heard them on the Pendolino's its a women voice simler to the ones on the 376's on the Southeastern.

Also on the manual annoucements where the guard makes the annoucements to they have to mention the safety info notices or is it up to the guard, i wasn't sure wheather there is a rule that says the have to mention them or not.

 

[me123]

Pre-recorded messages are certainly useful for local services around here; for example on the North Clyde Line the stops are too frequent to have the guard or driver announce each one, but the auto announcements work well and are clear enough. Same on the Whifflet line.

However, they're not great on Aberdeen and Inverness services. I'd prefer that the guard made the announcements on the longer services, with fewer stops.

 

[SqUaShIe P]

I remember when I first started using HT and GNER (in about 2003/4) They would both have really long Human announcements at the start of each journey, being made by the conductor/guard, and I always thought it was a nice touch. It definitly makes It feel like the company are more customer focused. and on HT services, in there announcements, they would even tell you their name, the names of the hospitality staff, and even the drivers name. and both HT and GNER would tell you safety information aswell (asif your on a 737 or something) and a list of calling points and the approx time af arrival at the final destination.

I find 'robo-announcements' pretty annoying on some trains, specially ones that stop every two or three mins, Or when tell tell you stupid things like to take your newspaper with you. WHY WOULD THAT DO THAT????

Strangely, I dont find announcements on LU services annoying at all, but they are all short and sweet i sopose "The next station is -------" or "Please mind the gap between the train and the platform" Maybe Im just used to them.

And has anyone been on a london bus recently? Most of them have that iBus thing fitted now, Which makes annoucements about the next stop, and can say a number of phrases, if the driver pushes certain buttons. I find those announcements rather annoying too, although, they are very helpful when your lost and drunk, late at night, and everything out the window looks the same.

(sorry, i know LU and London Busses arent NR, but i thought I would mention them anyway)

 

[whoshotjimmi]

TransPennine express announcements are a little bit awkward, but for some reason, it makes me feel as though I am getting ther faster. Maybe because I expect a recording on a short hop. I think that is just me though!

As far as the human touch is concerned, that is fine, as long as the person speaking is clear, concise and friendly. Sadly, that is not the case on every train. On the long distance services, the announcer is chosen as they display the correct qualities. On my local services, the conductor announces. I have had some fabulously entertaining announcements but more often than not they are muffled and unintelligable. At least with a recording, you hear everything every time.

 

[MCR247]

Human announcement are good, but only if the person speaks clearly! I hate it when you cant understand a word of them!

 

[mrcheek]

Its hard to get the balance right on annoucements. Sometimes its very useful for either automated or manual announcements at every stop, so that inexperienced rail travellers know where they are, and where they are going. Yet sometimes I am sure we all just want some peace and quiet!!!

By far the worst is the automated woman on FGW local services. Im still trying to find these "passenger saloons". apparently they have posters there!

 

[The_Rail_WAy]

I am no dobt in favour of human voiced on board announcements as they enhance the human relationship between staff and customer - the basic fundamentals of good customer service. Not only that but it expresses the individual staff members personality - forexample, some may include a touch of humour to their announcements.

I remember travelling on a Virgin Trains Euston - Glasgow service when the particualar on-board staff member in question did the announcements in rhyme, lyric and lingo. Needless to say it raised a few laughs in the carriage on what had been a frustrating journey filled with delays and poor weather to boot!

 

[jopsuk]

Can we moan about station ones too? Specifically, Finsbury Park, the Underground part of which on Sunday was leaving about thirty seconds between lengthy annoncements about the TfL engineering works that day. Incessant. Clearly audible from the surface platforms.

 

[Sir_Clagalot]

Its well known that people switch off to announcements after 20-30 seconds...
Also, please leave your paper, I havent bought one for months!!!

 

[MCR247]

The problems with Auto Announcers is if the train station where the train stops/terminates, they just leave a blank. Say if NXEC had auto announcers on there train Huntingdon wouldnt be programmed. So it would go:
'Welcome onboard the 0900 National Express East Coast service to (blank). Calling at Newcastle, Darlington, York, Grantham, Peterborough and (blank). Safety Notices are located throught this train.......'

And then if the guard announced and it wasnt clear....

 

[Stonesourscotty]

I've not heard an Announcement at Wigan wallgate for about a Month have Northern Ditched announcements?

 

[Pumbaa]

The most irritating are the 458 Junipers for two reasons, firstly the PIS reminds you at every station stop when the doors are released that "the door buttons are now activated", and secondly, shortly after, the PIS announces "this is xxx", but instead of lowering at the end, it goes up, so he sounds like a Dalek.

 

[martyn29]

I had a lovely announcement on the XC voyager i was on the other wee. Its on my youtube channel.

 

[LilLoaf]

I've not heard an Announcement at Wigan wallgate for about a Month have Northern Ditched announcements?

Not sure of your on about trains or at the actual station but i noticed when travelling around the West side of the northern network annoucements are limited on trains. I got on a train at Man vicc and there was no annoucement on the train while sitting in the platforms as to where the train was going. At Newcastle the conductor useually makes an annoucement while sitting in the platform just so people know its the right train.

 

[MCR247]

I had a lovely announcement on the XC voyager i was on the other wee. Its on my youtube channel.

Just watched it. Its alright for some..travelling in First Class :roll:

 

[LilLoaf]

Just watched it. Its alright for some..travelling in First Class :roll:

Can you drop a link on for it ?

 

[MCR247]

Can you drop a link on for it ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9NTE9yRcNY If the link doesnt work type in XC Voyager Announcement and its the first video. (by HST43077 aka Martyn29)

 

[WillPS]

I had a lovely announcement on the XC voyager i was on the other wee. Its on my youtube channel.

She should get a job as a continuity announcer!

 

[D841]

I've not heard an Announcement at Wigan wallgate for about a Month have Northern Ditched announcements?

There's usually an announcement by the guard on the Leeds - Huddersfield stoppers (via Dewsbury), listing all the calling points, before leaving Leeds. I imagine this is necessary to make sure they don't have any Halifax or Brighouse passengers on board.

 

[LilLoaf]

There's usually an announcement by the guard on the Leeds - Huddersfield stoppers (via Dewsbury), listing all the calling points, before leaving Leeds. I imagine this is necessary to make sure they don't have any Halifax or Brighouse passengers on board.

Yeah Leeds area crews are generally good at making annoucements, they should be made on all trains. I dont think the guards around the Manchester and Liverpool area have heard of using the PA system in the train. Has anyone else noticed this, particually on Northern services.

 

[The_Rail_WAy]

I have noticed that announcements are now seldom made at Wigan Wallgate which absolutely baffles me. For instance trains to Man Vic can take 2 different routes - one via Bolton, the other via Atherton etc so it can be rather confusing, especially to the everyday passenger. I have noticed now that the conductors are usually queeried on the platform as a result, eg/ "Does this one go to Bolton mate?"

A few people have mentioned that on-board announcements are rare on northern rail services, I tend to find that some conductors do and some don't. Indeed some conductors often don't check tickets which I find strange.

 

[The North Briton]

The automated delay announcements at Birmingham New Street are hilarious. First of all: 'we are sorry for the delay to this service', then, depending on the lateness, 'we are very sorry for the delay to this service', then 'we are extremely sorry...'
Presumably if the train gets to over 2 hours late or thereabouts, robo-announcer commits hari-kiri on air!?

 

[Waverley125]

ity swings both ways. Going to Leeds a few weeks back the announcement was really quiet-you could hear it, but not make out what was being said.

Next saturday, the announcements on the turbostar to Birmingham were miles too loud, and were painful to hear.