Trains told to get rid of torrent of 'Tannoy spam'

[SCDR_WMR]

But that's why they're mandatory - incidents investigated leading to recommendations to prevent in future.

No announcement will prevent every occurrence, but if it stops one then it's worth it.

If you'd never been to the Up Slow at Wolverton, you'd be eternally grateful for the announcement the first time you did alight there

 

[Pigeon]

I've got on there a few times, with a bicycle, but it hasn't stuck in my mind at all... Not like Giggleswick, or some others. But that's a different thread

 

[Bikeman78]

I think similar thoughts whenever I encounter it. It's not everywhere, it never will be, and the idea of a blind person trying to get around the place depending on it as an essential primary cue is kind of ludicrous in its unfeasibility. To encourage

Outside the railway, tactile paving is used totally inconsistently. There is a zebra crossing which has it along the edge of the pavement. What's the point? The rest of the pavement doesn't have it. The tactile paving does not extend across the pavement so how would a blind person find the crossing in the first place? Mum is partially sighted. She has no problem walking along pavements or platforms. Ironically she did trip over a temporary warning sign placed on the pavement and broke her arm.

Anyway, today they were handing out questionnaires about on train announcements. I enjoyed filling that in.

I also don't think announcements give people headaches, and if there was ever cause for a strain on my ears it would be down to other passengers on the train.

I agree with that for sure. It seems to be the accepted norm to play music or video clips on phones these days. I read my kids the riot act if they try to use their tablets without headphones, or the sound turned off. That's one advantage of riding on the older DC motored trains. Trying going in the motor coach of 317343. All the irritations get drowned out

 

[Inversnecky]

I read this on social media:

Announcement on repeat at Victoria Station:

“Please use hand sanitizer when entering and leaving the station. The little things we do help protect the little things we love.”

 

[jayah]

Outside the railway, tactile paving is used totally inconsistently. There is a zebra crossing which has it along the edge of the pavement. What's the point? The rest of the pavement doesn't have it. The tactile paving does not extend across the pavement so how would a blind person find the crossing in the first place? Mum is partially sighted. She has no problem walking along pavements or platforms. Ironically she did trip over a temporary warning sign placed on the pavement and broke her arm.

Anyway, today they were handing out questionnaires about on train announcements. I enjoyed filling that in.


I agree with that for sure. It seems to be the accepted norm to play music or video clips on phones these days. I read my kids the riot act if they try to use their tablets without headphones, or the sound turned off. That's one advantage of riding on the older DC motored trains. Trying going in the motor coach of 317343. All the irritations get drowned out

The railway like many other places only pay lip service to partially sighted people. Even newly refurbished railway stations and airport terminals are almost completely dark inside.

 

[L&Y Robert]

When going by train I always take my ear protectors - they look like orange headphones - which are very effective at keeping unwanted noise out. As they make it possible to work in a saw-mill, they can, and do efficiently stop unwanted announcements in trains, musak in supermarkets and road noise (it's the rubber tyres endlessly "Slapping" the tarmac). You can buy 'em in any decent DIY shop. Not dear - try it!

 

[CyrusWuff]

I read this on social media:

Announcement on repeat at Victoria Station:

“Please use hand sanitizer when entering and leaving the station. The little things we do help protect the little things we love.”

That'll be down to Dettol sponsoring the hand sanitiser stations, I suspect.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I read this on social media:

Announcement on repeat at Victoria Station:

“Please use hand sanitizer when entering and leaving the station. The little things we do help protect the little things we love.”

That's like TfL's trite "it's there for all of us" for masks. Shudder.

 

[yorkie]

I did a return to Sheffield today and it was very different on each train.

LNER did a lot of tannoy spam on the 1033 from York today, including saying inappropriate things which I won't go into outside the Covid section (). Northern was fine on the train to Sheffield.

Coming back CrossCountry to Leeds were fine (though the lost property announcement before arrival was a bit OTT, but understandable), while TPE was a bit odd in that there was a manual announcement saying 'if you are in the front 3 carriages there is no member of staff on board, if you see anything suspicious please text BTP or tell a member of staff at the platform at York station', followed by the usual automated security announcement and that was it.

I can't see LNER ever complying with this instruction; who is going to make them? They do what they want and they enjoy bossing customers around.

 

[MattRat]

I did a return to Sheffield today and it was very different on each train.

LNER did a lot of tannoy spam on the 1033 from York today, including saying inappropriate things which I won't go into outside the Covid section (). Northern was fine on the train to Sheffield.

I can't see LNER ever complying with this instruction; who is going to make them? They do what they want and they enjoy bossing customers around.

At first I thought "that sounds like they are trying to be the Government", then I thought "oh wait, they technically are". Of course, I could be completely wrong about what you are trying to suggest, but it sounds to me like some Government meddling might be going on....

 

[Bluejays]

Sounds like more of the red meat ploy to me…

Totally agree!!

 

[johntea]

Just been on a Southern service from Victoria to Clapham Junction…a 5 minute trip and the auto announcer must have repeated around 7 times in that period!

Just to top it off the on board supervisor did a manual announcement too!

 

[island]

Train manager on my Avanti service yesterday couldn't get off the Tannoy for more than 10 minutes, kept making apologies for overcrowding, declassified standard premium, lost ring somewhere in standard class, free hugs in coach D, making connections at Euston, and other assorted wibble. Didn't mention masks though

 

[MattRat]

Train manager on my Avanti service yesterday couldn't get off the Tannoy for more than 10 minutes, kept making apologies for overcrowding, declassified standard premium, lost ring somewhere in standard class, free hugs in coach D, making connections at Euston, and other assorted wibble. Didn't mention masks though

Might be from higher up. As it's now up to Avanti what restrictions they want to impose, not the Government, and maybe Avanti feels it's more profitable to not try and enforce or even encourage masks.

 

[yorkie]

Might be from higher up. As it's now up to Avanti what restrictions they want to impose, not the Government, and maybe Avanti feels it's more profitable to not try and enforce or even encourage masks.

If they think that, they are absolute fools. It's no excuse though; they should be doing as they are told.

Sadly I don't think the likes of LNER, Avanti etc are going to do as the DfT are asking and are the DfT really going to be able to make them? I just can't see it happening...

 

[Starmill]

That's like TfL's trite "it's there for all of us" for masks. Shudder.

As CyrussWuff hints at, those words are taken verbaitm from a Dettol advert.

Presumably that announcement has actually been paid for.

 

[Huntergreed]

The only announcements should be:

A) Upon leaving principal stations (not leaving halts where one person boarded!) to ensure that the high number of passengers who boarded know the destination and calling points of the train and

B) a BRIEF announcement upon approach to each station to announce the approach and remind passengers to lift baggage/mind the gap.

Any other announcements (aside from in times of disruption) are pointless and not neccessary

 

[MattRat]

If they think that, they are absolute fools. It's no excuse though; they should be doing as they are told.

Sadly I don't think the likes of LNER, Avanti etc are going to do as the DfT are asking and are the DfT really going to be able to make them? I just can't see it happening...

Do what they are told about masks? Becuase all Government restrictions have been lifted, so there's no rules to break, so to speak.

 

[yorkie]

I mean they should be doing as they are told in terms of not bombarding us with any unnecessary announcements (in England that clearly should mean no mention of masks); the reality is that LNER trains I've been on have been appalling in this area.

No other TOC I've travelled on lately has come remotely close to the amount of spam announced by LNER, and none has mentioned masks.

LNER need to be brought to account, but I don't think they will be.

 

[MattRat]

I mean they should be doing as they are told in terms of not bombarding us with any unnecessary announcements (in England that clearly should mean no mention of masks); the reality is that LNER trains I've been on have been appalling in this area.

No other TOC I've travelled on lately has come remotely close to the amount of spam announced by LNER, and none has mentioned masks.

LNER need to be brought to account, but I don't think they will be.

That's fair enough, I just got confused by what you meant.

It probably doesn't help that they are technically run by the Government, who should be setting the example for others.

 

[AlbertBeale]

I mean they should be doing as they are told in terms of not bombarding us with any unnecessary announcements (in England that clearly should mean no mention of masks); the reality is that LNER trains I've been on have been appalling in this area.

No other TOC I've travelled on lately has come remotely close to the amount of spam announced by LNER, and none has mentioned masks.

LNER need to be brought to account, but I don't think they will be.

On a train from London Bridge to Lewes on Monday there were several announcements (with overlapping information) when leaving each stop; given it stopped at lots of places, there was barely time to calm down after one batch before the noise started again at the next stop. Awful - what a choice on the Brighton line ... unusable seats on Thameslink, or being driven crazy by audio spam on Southern. And yet people wonder why more people don't travel by train!

 

[gimmea50anyday]

Get rid of "TOC Only" tickets and you can then ditch the associated announcements would be a good start....

 

[krus_aragon]

Outside the railway, tactile paving is used totally inconsistently. There is a zebra crossing which has it along the edge of the pavement. What's the point? The rest of the pavement doesn't have it. The tactile paving does not extend across the pavement so how would a blind person find the crossing in the first place?

The rest of the pavement typically has a kerb there, which cane users can detect. But the absence of a kerb doesn't necessarily mean that you're at a crossing point. It also doesn't tell you how far you are from the edge of the road.

For those that use a guide dog, or have memorised their regular routes by step, tactile waffles are a very welcome reassurance that you're still stood on the pavement, as opposed to half a metre out in the road.

(Don't forget there's a range of visual impairments. Some may have a narrow field of vision, or be able to distinguish light from dark.)

 

[ComUtoR]

Pesumably that announcement has actually been paid for.

Which begs the question. In a world where advertising makes various companies millions of quid. At a time where the railway is desperate for money. This could be a very good revenue stream for TOCs.

I've always been surprised that you don't get advertising livery.

 

[johntea]

Funnily enough things seem to be getting worse!

Northern have knocked up a new ‘We are now on the approach to Leeds if you have large luggage or pushchairs please use the wide access gates to exit’ (so basically just common sense!)

Then at Leeds after announcing a train cancellation ‘you may be able to claim delay repay due to this cancellation’ (but no context as in how to do so!)

 

[yorkie]

I used Northern on Wednesday and CrossCountry today and both were vastly better than the awful experiences I've had recently on LNER.

LNER's announcements make me feel not just irritated but also uncomfortable and unwelcome.

 

[MattRat]

I used Northern on Wednesday and CrossCountry today and both were vastly better than the awful experiences I've had recently on LNER.

LNER's announcements make me feel not just irritated but also uncomfortable and unwelcome.

I wouldn't be surprised if LNER started saying 'don't like us, don't ride on us'.

 

[Eskimo]

Has anyone else been plucked on an EMR train recently to take part in a Tannoy Spam survey?

£5 reward as well.

 

[SCDR_WMR]

Has anyone else been plucked on an EMR train recently to take part in a Tannoy Spam survey?

£5 reward as well.

No but at LNWR we've been given dates/services that these surveys are being conducted on

 

[MCSHF007]

I used to commute from Doncaster to London. Not unknown for the verbal diarrhoea on leaving Doncaster still to be spewing forth approaching Retford - cue more vocally incontinent claptrap. Repeat ad infinitum approaching Newark, Grantham and Peterborough.

Please just STFU and give us a break from the incessant piffle.