Trivia: PIS and signage fails

[61653 HTAFC]

Wasn't sure if this should go in General Discussion as it is kinda trivial, but I've seen on a few errors on the PIS displays lately, particularly at Huddersfield. There was this on platform 8:

That's not how I would spell "unfortunately"!

There was also, above the first ticket window (which wasn't in use) the rather cryptic message "TPE..... FILE 53 NOT EXISTS!" which I unfortunately couldn't get a photo of.

Any other amusing/erroneous/downright bizarre messages on information screens or Signage? Put them on here so we can have a giggle and even maybe an explanation of how they happen, if anyone is "in the know".

 

[BurtonM]

Par for the course with TPE. That message is going out at all their stations.

This new system doesn't seem to be all that reliable, and at Stalybridge they just completely neglected to replace one of the displays, so they're all white then there's just an orange one on P5.

 

[DanTrain]

Had some great announcements at Sheffield the other day. In quick succession there was:

• "The 10:xx service to Edinburgh is delayed, we apologise for any inconvenience" (or something like that)
• "The next train to arrive at platform 1a is the 10:xx Cross Country service to Edinburgh, calling at ..."
• "The next train at platform 2C (a terminus platform!) does not call here. Please stand well back from the platform"

You've got to love automated announcements sometimes.

On the same day, at Oxford, there was a delay on the line, and the PIS screen kept changing the order in which the 3 next trains would arrive. I mean it's not like they're racing each other down the track, surely one must be in front of the other, how can they keep changing order!?

 

[pdeaves]

an explanation of how they happen

Spelling errors are simply human error, hasterly put togever and not chkekd...

 

[Jonfun]

Edge Lane station closed in the 1940s. Things like this annoy me, because it's just basic proofreading before you have the signs printed up.

 

[Joseph_Locke]

Spelling errors are simply human error, hasterly put togever and not chkekd...

Perhaps they wer sum ov the por children in the nineteen seventiz hoo had to lern and then unlern fonetic speling.

 

[AC47461]

The other day the automatic announcements in 321 312 (a renatus one) were not only giving out the actual London bound journey I was on, but also the announcements for a Southend Vic bound service in the reverse order, occasionally over the top of each other....very wierd.

 

[Loop & Link]

Par for the course with TPE. That message is going out at all their stations.

This new system doesn't seem to be all that reliable, and at Stalybridge they just completely neglected to replace one of the displays, so they're all white then there's just an orange one on P5.

Platform 5 at Stalybridge is out of use until further notice, so no point replacing that screen (yet)

 

[mmh]

London Waterloo's auto-announcer does "This is a platform alteration..." announcements for - arriving trains having their arrival platform changed, despite them being completely pointless and the only arrival announcements there are.

 

[zebedee104]

View attachment 49184
Edge Lane station closed in the 1940s. Things like this annoy me, because it's just basic proofreading before you have the signs printed up.

As someone who doesn't know the area, I'd interpret that poster as saying the bus is calling somewhere on Edge Lane (but which in itself isn't very helpful either). There's no word Station at all in that particular sentence on the poster, but there is in every other.

Or does it mean Edge Hill, looking at a map?

 

[CMS]

395s call at “Chillham”. Also their PISs sometimes like to be a “Southeastern service to Margate. The next station is Margate” when going northbound on HS1.

In France, the English SNCF voice is dreadful. Stations are often missing off announcements, the translations aren’t exact and some pronunciations are wrong. i.e. “These TGVs have no stop up to Brussel Midi...” or “This train is only for passengers who have special access conditions...” or my favourite “Please be assured that the doors are closing.” Awful! The SNCB have a great English voice, so do RATP, even I’ll do it for them if they want, it’s awful!

 

[Jonfun]

As someone who doesn't know the area, I'd interpret that poster as saying the bus is calling somewhere on Edge Lane (but which in itself isn't very helpful either). There's no word Station at all in that particular sentence on the poster, but there is in every other.

Or does it mean Edge Hill, looking at a map?

It should read Edge Hill. The bus doesn't even go down Edge Lane, never mind stop on it.

 

[pdeaves]

Perhaps they wer sum ov the por children in the nineteen seventiz hoo had to lern and then unlern fonetic speling.

[going off topic] That was one of the worst things to happen in education, in my opinion. My parents persuaded my school not to make me learn ITA as I could already read. My brother wasn't so lucky.

 

[_toommm_]

Platform 5 at Stalybridge is out of use until further notice, so no point replacing that screen (yet)

Platform 5 is OOU?? Is it heck

 

[E_Reeves]

Awful! The SNCB have a great English voice, so do RATP, even I’ll do it for them if they want, it’s awful!

I like the RATP English voice. Taking the RER towards Disneyland I always liked to listen to the announcement: "This train terminates at Marne la Vallée - Chessy, Parc Disneyland".

 

[Crossover]

Platform 5 at Stalybridge is out of use until further notice, so no point replacing that screen (yet)

I think it is just used for the weekly Reddish service (and a Victoria or two) once a week

 

[Crossover]

There was also, above the first ticket window (which wasn't in use) the rather cryptic message "TPE..... FILE 53 NOT EXISTS!" which I unfortunately couldn't get a photo of.

That has been around since what feels like the dawn of time! I have a photo of it but will need to dig it out to post it

 

[Strathclyder]

Motherwell's PIS announcements for southbound CrossCountry services have sounded rather disjointed & odd for a good few years now, with different voices filling in for the standard one for several stations south of the border. This is most likely due to the standard voice's banks lacking some of those stations, Leeds being a standout example in this video recorded in 2011:

As of late June 2018, I can confirm that this is still occurring. The announcements for trains headed to Dalmuir/Milngavie via Whifflet are similarly disjointed (but not nearly as badly), as a different voice fills in for Bargeddie.

 

[Loop & Link]

I think it is just used for the weekly Reddish service (and a Victoria or two) once a week

I was just going off the WON, after the works at Ashton-under-Lyne-Stalybridge a few months ago, however it does look like it is used!

 

[A Challenge]

The 0943 Woking to Waterloo came in showing 'Not in Use' on the front and sides of the train (and it in use, I went o it's it still said that at Waterloo) instead of a destination - and it isn't the only one like that noticed with passengers on yesterday.

It was also showing as Platform 1 and altered to Platform 2 with 4 minutes left, it always from Platform 2 (I haven't got it since the May timetable change, but...)

 

[DanTrain]

It was also showing as Platform 1 and altered to Platform 2 with 4 minutes left, it always from Platform 2 (I haven't got it since the May timetable change, but...)

That reminds me of a TPE service at Manchester Piccadilly, which was altered from platform 9 to platform 3, only to find that a Leeds train was in platform 3 and was then altered back to 9 about 10 mins later (about 5 before departure ).

 

[A Challenge]

It wasn't showing as altered (number flashing) either!

 

[causton]

Motherwell's PIS announcements for southbound CrossCountry services have sounded rather disjointed & odd for a good few years now, with several stations south of the border having different voices filling in for the standard one.

As of late June 2018, this is still occurring. The announcements for trains headed to Dalmuir/Milngavie via Whifflet are similarly disjointed (but not nearly as badly), as a different voice fills in for Bargeddie.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1F9auOQEa-xb_PQ5YaUztwNl4ZoYCxptx

Same happened at Haymarket last week - terrible!

 

[Crossover]

There was also, above the first ticket window (which wasn't in use) the rather cryptic message "TPE..... FILE 53 NOT EXISTS!" which I unfortunately couldn't get a photo of.

That has been around since what feels like the dawn of time! I have a photo of it but will need to dig it out to post it

This was a photo I got back in 2017


(The dot matrix display above the ticket counter reads "File ?? Not Exists!")

 

[njamescouk]

a lousy photo of an interesting vending machine error.

 

[mark-h]

A few years ago I saw a sign at one of the Dublin tram stops which said something like:

This display is not working

That was incorrect because the display was working fine, displaying readable text, unfortunately it was not being fed with useful information to display!

 

[PaxVobiscum]

Off-topic I know, but:
Every time I pass them, I am amused by the signs on a local motorway which read “Sign not in use” . To be fair, they presumably actually refer to the newish gantries which they have been erected beside. The signs themselves are very much in use.

 

[Parallel]

Motherwell's PIS announcements for southbound CrossCountry services have sounded rather disjointed & odd for a good few years now, with different voices filling in for the standard one for several stations south of the border. This is most likely due to the standard voice's banks lacking some of those stations, Leeds being a standout example in this video recorded in 2011:

As of late June 2018, I can confirm that this is still occurring. The announcements for trains headed to Dalmuir/Milngavie via Whifflet are similarly disjointed (but not nearly as badly), as a different voice fills in for Bargeddie.

That's most odd, what's even more strange is 'Plymouth' has the second voice but the smaller stations in the Cornwall have the original recordings. Reminds me of a more extreme version of Celia's Welsh recordings. It sounds as if there is a second voice announcing obscure ones there.

 

[BurtonM]

I think it is just used for the weekly Reddish service (and a Victoria or two) once a week

Um, that's 2!

2, which got a replacement screen, I might add. No clue why.

 

[iantherev]

The PIS on the 15:50 New Street - Hereford showed Not in Service - please alight until the crew change at Foregate Street at which point it switched to show Birmingham NS.