Why don’t train conductors announce delays sooner?

[43066]

Do you therefore believe that an announcement saying "I have no idea what's going on" is professional and good customer service ?

I would say it’s better to make such an announcement than none at all.

That's what I am conscious of. Why does it takes longer to advise staff of delays than the information being available to passengers?

In the case of DOO drivers, it’s largely because electronic device policies mean drivers can’t access social media etc. while in an active driving cab, and signallers often don’t have time to provide updates when they’re busy dealing with an incident.

 

[AdamWW]

Exactly. Saying "I got no idea" over and over again just doesn't feel right to me and I don't think its helpful to the passenger either.

I can't speak for other passengers but personally I would much rather have a staff member on the train making announcements to apologise for a delay and say that they are still waiting to find out what's going on than complete silence.

No, it doesn't actually tell me more about the overall situation but at least I know there is someone on the train doing their best and that there's a good chance that once there is some information it will be passed on.

To me that makes a difference.

Do you therefore believe that an announcement saying "I have no idea what's going on" is professional and good customer service ?

Well it doesn't have to be phrased quite that way.

But with more sensible wording, I do. There are good reasons why on train staff might not have full information in which case there's nothing wrong with saying so.
And if there isn't a good reason, then the railway has failed to be professionsl and offer good customer service but trying to hide that by just leaving people on a delayed train without any kind of announcement does not, in my view, make up for that.

 

[skyhigh]

Those who are in a position to tell you, such as a signaller or control, are going to be too busy to contact each train.

This is where better use of GSMR group broadcasts could be made, though from what I've heard they are time consuming to set up.

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

I can't speak for other passengers but personally I would much rather have a staff member on the train making announcements to apologise for a delay and say that they are still waiting to find out what's going on than complete silence.

No, it doesn't actually tell me more about the overall situation but at least I know there is someone on the train doing their best and that there's a good chance that once there is some information it will be passed on.

To me that makes a difference.

100% Agree with this

 

[43066]

I can't speak for other passengers but personally I would much rather have a staff member on the train making announcements to apologise for a delay and say that they are still waiting to find out what's going on than complete silence.

This is the policy at all operators as far as I’m aware. It reduces the risk of people taking it upon themselves to evacuate!

 

[md2016]

Poor communication always frustrates me. I'll be sitting on the fast train at Marylebone, and they wait until just after the metro service train leaves about 7/8 minutes later to say there is a problem with the train and it wont be leaving on time. Costs me about an hour.

 

[Horizon22]

I can't speak for other passengers but personally I would much rather have a staff member on the train making announcements to apologise for a delay and say that they are still waiting to find out what's going on than complete silence.

No, it doesn't actually tell me more about the overall situation but at least I know there is someone on the train doing their best and that there's a good chance that once there is some information it will be passed on.

To me that makes a difference.

Indeed it does, because at least you are aware that someone is actively trying to resolve/investigate the issue. It adds an element of calm that there is at least some authority concerned with me, the passenger. Silence leads some people to worst conclusions.

 

[Trainman40083]

For me it makes the railway look incompetent. As a Driver I am often the last person to know why we are delayed. Passenger access to the details is often far beyond what staff have access to. Some days I have opened the cab door to ask what the passenger knows because I'm totally blind to what's going on.

I was once on a train from Derby to Crewe, that came to a stand between Uttoxeter and Blythe Bridge.. A test train ahead had failed. Presume driver walked to the signal and came back. A friend in control rang me, a passenger, to get me to tell the crew what was going on. For some reason, I was one of the few with a mobile phone signal.