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

[Falcon1200]

First time I've heard of a train being too short for platforms!

Same here ! What I meant of course was the train is too long (or the platform too short), duly edited....

 

[Bikeman78]

Wouldn't it be possible for the driver to announce that? Over here in the Netherlands it has been the case for many years that the driver announces simple stops and the guard does a more elaborate announcement only at the major stops and interchanges. In that way, they can continue going through the train for checking tickets.

I definitely recall Dutch drivers in the 1980s making announcements like "station Voorschoten" 30 seconds before arrival. Simple but effective.

 

[Christmas]

I hope ScotRail are made to take heed of this. I'm currently travelling to Edinburgh on the slow service via Cumbernauld on a 385 and the onslaught on my ears is incessant.
Firstly the pre departure announcement goes on forever but to make matters worse, there's a huge pause between several pieces of useless information to really drag out the agony.

The worst part was 'Thank you for travelling ScotRail, the fast and environmentally friendly way to travel' Along with the security announcement, others about luggage racks, bags, gaps, saving money with their app, my head is splitting.

Between stations we're told that the train is for Edinburgh Waverley...pause...the next station is...pause...we'll soon arrive at...pause...please mind the gap between the train and the platform as you leave the train...pause...please remember to uplift your personal belongings and any items of luggage before you leave the train... This nonsense is repeated three times before the next stop!

Absolute overkill but someone somewhere has signed this off. A rethink is needed.

 

[adamello]

The Pauses (it might be a desiro thing as I've seen it on 444s and 450s.. ) allow for the PIS screens to catch up with the text to keep in time with the announcements.

 

[XAM2175]

The Pauses (it might be a desiro thing as I've seen it on 444s and 450s.. ) allow for the PIS screens to catch up with the text to keep in time with the announcements.

385s are Hitachi units but regardless, while it's a nice detail for them to have thought of, it would be better to make the written text shorter. I'm fairly sure it's been mentioned here before by several other members.

 

[Lampshade]

I was on the last train from Liverpool to Blackpool last night, annoyingly I forgot my headphones because the announcements were just relentless.

Yes, we know to contact BTP if we see anything suspicious, we don't need telling upwards of ten times.

Yes, we know to take our personal belongings with us when leaving the train - unless they specifically want people going to Roby and Eccleston Park to forget theirs.

 

[adamello]

385s are Hitachi units but regardless, while it's a nice detail for them to have thought of, it would be better to make the written text shorter. I'm fairly sure it's been mentioned here before by several other members.

I missed where you said which class you were on, but I know scotrail operate 380s, which was my assumption at the time

 

[XAM2175]

I missed where you said which class you were on, but I know scotrail operate 380s, which was my assumption at the time

You also missed that it wasn't my complaint

 

[The exile]

The Pauses (it might be a desiro thing as I've seen it on 444s and 450s.. ) allow for the PIS screens to catch up with the text to keep in time with the announcements.

In which case there is probably excessive verbiage on the PIS!

 

[AM9]

In which case there is probably excessive verbiage on the PIS!

Not really, it's just that listening is quicker than reading for many.

 

[davews]

And what happens when the automatic announcement system goes wrong - not railway, the tube.
Got on Edgware bound Northern line train at Waterloo. Immediately heard 'this is a Northern line train terminating at Morden. The next station is Kennington'. Eh?...
It seemed the driver had forgotten to reset the announcement system from his previous (southerly) journey. At each station it correctly identified the station but said the next station was the one before. After Camden Town it helpfully added 'Charing Cross branch'. Confused quite a few including a couple who immediately got off the train thinking it was the wrong one. I felt like going into a fit of titters but everybody else quietly sat there... Still going when I got off at Hampstead.

 

[The exile]

I am now back from Switzerland; my suggestion for LNER management would be to go to Switzerland and experience for themselves how it should be done. Of course, they won't do this as they think they're better than the best.

On my train back (0940 Manchester Airport to Redcar Central) the Guard was very professional and the announcements were spot on. Relevant information was provided very clearly and concisely and there was absolutely nothing inappropriate said, unlike on many of my recent LNER journeys.

LNER is the only company I have travelled with lately who have made inappropriate announcements and literally every other operator has been fine; some have gone a bit over the top in some cases, some a bit too minimalist but in the past month after using many many trains I have only had a problem on LNER.

I don't understand what LNER's problem is, but it's totally unacceptable behaviour.

First full-length ECML journey for about 30 years today. Given the comments in this thread I’d been dreading continuous drivel - very surprised. Announcements about right (a quick welcome on departure- with a warning about ticket vailidity leaving London and Newcastle- now approaching with “change here for” on approach as well as two catering announcements on the whole journey so far (Chathill just whizzing by)- maybe someone does listen after all!

 

[yorkie]

First full-length ECML journey for about 30 years today. Given the comments in this thread I’d been dreading continuous drivel - very surprised. Announcements about right (a quick welcome on departure- with a warning about ticket vailidity leaving London and Newcastle- now approaching with “change here for” on approach as well as two catering announcements on the whole journey so far (Chathill just whizzing by)- maybe someone does listen after all!

Maybe, but since 27th January every other company I've travelled with has avoided making inappropriate or excessive announcements while LNER has been appalling for many of the journeys in that time, with a couple of exceptions, but I expect it was more down to luck of who you had on the day.

 

[Christmas]

"Passengers are reminded that it is not permitted to cycle, skateboard or rollerblade within the station area"
This is repeated over and over again at Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central. I don't even remember the last time I saw rollerblades.

Or what about "Due to today's wet weather please take extra care in the station area as surfaces may be slippery"
Why don't Tesco have announcements in store to warn consumers that the car park might be wet?

 

[Horizon22]

"Passengers are reminded that it is not permitted to cycle, skateboard or rollerblade within the station area"
This is repeated over and over again at Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central. I don't even remember the last time I saw rollerblades.

Or what about "Due to today's wet weather please take extra care in the station area as surfaces may be slippery"
Why don't Tesco have announcements in store to warn consumers that the car park might be wet?

There’s a bit of a difference - car parks are outdoors and uncovered and for the most part most major stations which are somewhat covered - if not totally by a roof - and have a concourse.

There is likely a belief therefore that for much of the public that the floor is dry, but actually the floor surface can be more slippery than someone might expect - definitely more than a tarmaced car park - which is sometimes worthy of a warning. Whether people are used to this now or not is a different matter.

 

[43096]

A new example, not on the train but at a station. There is now tannoy spam of Michael Portillo at King’s Cross wittering on about the anniversary of the station. Totally unnecessary, utterly pointless and not what the PA system is for.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

In which case there is probably excessive verbiage on the PIS!

On Northern the PIS are even worse than the announcements for pointless and irrelevant information. For one thing they're still insiting that you must wear a face covering months after any such requirement was lifted and they also have a baffling message that reads "Respect other passengers, please keep your feet off the seats".

It's as if the staff at Northern head office had a competition to see who could come up with the most unnecessary and trival thing they could put on their screens and that was the winner!

 

[XAM2175]

... they also have a baffling message that reads "Respect other passengers, please keep your feet off the seats".

How exactly is this "baffling"?

 

[185]

On Northern the PIS are even worse than the announcements for pointless and irrelevant information. For one thing they're still insiting that you must wear a face covering months after any such requirement was lifted and they also have a baffling message that reads "Respect other passengers, please keep your feet off the seats".

It's as if the staff at Northern head office had a competition to see who could come up with the most unnecessary and trival thing they could put on their screens and that was the winner!

I seem to recall it was Northern's recorded shouty garbage being the straw that broke the camels back, with the Transport Secretary coming out with the statement days after being on one of their trains on the way back from a publicity visit.. some mention of him asking, "does it ever shut up?" - he's got a point. But, if anything Northern have got worse since. Just seems some moro.. people in train company offices, straight out of uni, have rarely been on a train or station in the real world and have no understanding of what all this badly voiced, shouty, high volume rubbish does to customers... and staff - especially on local, regular stopping trains, every couple of minutes.

*Next month: Northern's new sponsor 'Go Compare!' recorded advert... EVERY STOP on the Hadfield line!

 

[CaptainHaddock]

How exactly is this "baffling"?

It's baffling that anyone would need to be told to keep their feet off seats and even more baffling why Northern think this is such a massive issue.

 

[WelshBluebird]

It's baffling that anyone would need to be told to keep their feet off seats and even more baffling why Northern think this is such a massive issue.

The very fact its been added as a message suggests that people DO need to be told that though. And that agrees with what I've seen in the past too, with people too selfish to give a damn about others sticking their mud covered shoes onto the seats opposite them.

 

[Peter0124]

The very fact its been added as a message suggests that people DO need to be told that though. And that agrees with what I've seen in the past too, with people too selfish to give a damn about others sticking their mud covered shoes onto the seats opposite them.

What about those who allow dogs to sit on seats? One of my 'pet' peeves when travelling

 

[Horizon22]

It's baffling that anyone would need to be told to keep their feet off seats and even more baffling why Northern think this is such a massive issue.

Happens all the time in DOO metro world, passengers using seats like their own sofa so I don't think its baffling.

 

[bikesntrains77]

5 minutes of London Overground announcement slurry... definitely one of the chattiest

"Donate to Whitechapel Mission" x2

 

[mmh]

It's baffling that anyone would need to be told to keep their feet off seats and even more baffling why Northern think this is such a massive issue.

Exactly. It's an example of a completely superfluous announcement. We don't have no spitting signs any more, and train windows no longer have no smoking signs in the middle of them.

 

[ComUtoR]

It's baffling that anyone would need to be told to keep their feet off seats and even more baffling why Northern think this is such a massive issue.

And yet people do it constantly. Seats are in a dire state, they constantly need refreshing, passenger cleanliness isn't the greatest. . . . Yep. I can see why its such an issue.

 

[mmh]

And yet people do it constantly. Seats are in a dire state, they constantly need refreshing, passenger cleanliness isn't the greatest. . . . Yep. I can see why its such an issue.

It's very rare these days in my experience. But so are trains where you can put your feet on seats. It is yet another example of where signs and announcements are completely unnecessary, though. Such stuff can actually be counter-productive. I remember First Capital Connect plastering every window with "No feet on seats" signs. That's an encouragement, not a deterrent.

 

[ComUtoR]

"Everything which is not forbidden is allowed." Unless you tell people not to do it then they will. Simple manners such as keeping your feet off the seat shouldn't be required but we live in a culture where people will do whatever they wish with the attitude of you cant tell me what to do and/or there isn't anything telling me I can't.

 

[Jamiescott1]

Not sure if mentioned already but maidenhead station has a constant loop of "passengers are reminded to take care on the staircase"
It plays about 4 times in the time it takes me to walk up the staircase

 

[Howardh]

I seem to recall it was Northern's recorded shouty garbage being the straw that broke the camels back, with the Transport Secretary coming out with the statement days after being on one of their trains on the way back from a publicity visit.. some mention of him asking, "does it ever shut up?" - he's got a point. But, if anything Northern have got worse since. Just seems some moro.. people in train company offices, straight out of uni, have rarely been on a train or station in the real world and have no understanding of what all this badly voiced, shouty, high volume rubbish does to customers... and staff - especially on local, regular stopping trains, every couple of minutes.

*Next month: Northern's new sponsor 'Go Compare!' recorded advert... EVERY STOP on the Hadfield line!

I mentioned a few weeks ago that a public focus group "Northerneers" off which I am one, get frequent questionnaires about their service. One such was specifically about tannoy spam, I would have been surprised if all the results were not anti-spam!
They have improved I think; that stupid "see it, say it sort it" message seems to have been removed!