"Boarding" and "alighting"

[Badger]

Am I the only person that doesn't care at all what language is used to describe people leaving a train or changing at a station or when a train is approaching it's terminus or approaching the next station as long as it's understandable?

I agree.

To be honest, unlike train station / railway station, this one doesn't even seem ambiguous where I travel, where all announcements say "please make sure you have all your personal belongings when you leave the train". I don't think I've even seen embark/disembark.

And I actually would say they're old fashioned. Being correct language means absolutely nothing when language is not a solid thing. Where do we stop? Is Old English more proper?

 

[DownSouth]

I would agree that boarding would be fine for trains, it's standard language that isn't associated with anything particular. The problem is what to at the end of the journey.

I would prefer announcements not use leaving, as where I come from that's associated with evacuating the train without having received instructions from the staff to do so, as in do not leave the train. To say passengers are leaving the train as the normal practice done at a station would require using another term for emergencies.

Alighting is an interesting one, because it implies stepping down from the vehicle onto the platform. As the only platforms I encounter regularly are at exactly the same level as the train's floor, I never alight from a train.

Talking about changing is good, but only when you're changing onto another transport service. I would suggest that change here for local buses is good to use when it's a well-organised interchange with proper connections.

Setting down is right out, that's what trains do and not what passengers do.

Pretty sure "knots" are even used as the standard speed measurement for aircraft as well?

Yes. Originally a concession to navigation I believe.

 

[Cliveblackpool]

'Change' I associate with changing trains.
Anyways how would you rewrite this sign?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/grimnorth/5651508290/

 

[Oswyntail]

I am sure many RailUK members would be thrilled if the American term detraining was adopted instead. Hmm, "detrain here for", no? ....

Perfectly good English words, in fairly common usage.

Its like all the variations of Mind the gap,....

"Please mind the Cat, and stand clear of the paws"

 

[jon0844]

'Change' I associate with changing trains.
Anyways how would you rewrite this sign?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/grimnorth/5651508290/

I'd just rotate it 90 degrees, then it would be much easier to read.

 

[WestCoast]

Perfectly good English words, in fairly common usage.

I've never heard anyone say 'detrain', apart from in the context of formal railway terminology. That's not to say it couldn't become more popular in the future.

I have very little issue with any language, since it constantly evolves and is influenced by all who use it. Without trying to cause a thread drift, 'Train Station' is also a perfectly understandable and regularly used term.

 

[LE Greys]

Pretty sure "knots" are even used as the standard speed measurement for aircraft as well?

That caused a lot of confusion between the Fleet Air Arm (who used knots/nautical miles) and the RAF (who used MPH/statuate miles) on a few occasions. It once resulted in almost an entire wing of RAF Hurricanes bound for Malta running out of fuel because they were launched too far away. The RAF decided to switch to knots, and eventually that became the standard.

 

[Cliveblackpool]

I've never heard anyone say 'detrain', apart from in the context of formal railway terminology.

I have very little issue with any language, since it constantly evolves and is influenced by all who use it. 'Train Station' is a perfectly understandable term and is absolutely fine in my opinion.

A guard told us that, sorry the crossover they were about to use had no locking - not for passenger use, they now had instructions to detrain all passengers, and everyone to go to platform 2 over the footbridge, where we could rejoin his train in a few minutes!

 

[jon0844]

I've never heard anyone say 'detrain', apart from in the context of formal railway terminology.

What about a Jamaican asking 'Where detrain?'

 

[Deerfold]

What about a Jamaican asking 'Where detrain?'

That's terrible.

Back to the point.

Passangers are detrained. They do not detrain. A train operator detrains them (i.e. detraining is not done by the person leaving the train).

 

[Oswyntail]

......
Passangers are detrained. They do not detrain. A train operator detrains them (i.e. detraining is not done by the person leaving the train).

Oh yes they do!

detrain
vt to set down out of a railway train.
vi to alight from a train.
[de- (2)]
detrainment n.

Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd: The Chambers Dictionary 2003; The Chambers Thesaurus 2004

 

[Deerfold]

Oh yes they do!

detrain
vt to set down out of a railway train.
vi to alight from a train.
[de- (2)]
detrainment n.

Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd: The Chambers Dictionary 2003; The Chambers Thesaurus 2004

Whilst they can, its more common use is as a description of what is done to passengers, usually when a train is taken out of service.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

 

[Eagle]

The OED gives citations for both uses as far back as 1881.

It also lists the antonym of 'detrain' as 'entrain'.

 

[Yew]

I dont board, embark, join, or enter a train, I get on and get off.

Detrain sounds like it sahould be the proper term for a derailment, as a train has came off the rails, derail makes it sound like the rails have fallen over

 

[DownSouth]

I dont board, embark, join, or enter a train, I get on and get off.

There are probably plenty of passengers who make rail staff want to tell them where to get off.

 

[Deerfold]

There are probably plenty of passengers who make rail staff want to tell them where to get off.

I'll be providing travel information to people during the Olympics - or as I've described the job to people "telling people who want to see the Olympics where to go".

 

[DownSouth]

Oh yes they do!

detrain
vt to set down out of a railway train.
vi to alight from a train.
[de- (2)]
detrainment n.

Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd: The Chambers Dictionary 2003; The Chambers Thesaurus 2004

I do love the way that alight is used in the dictionary's definition of detrain. Certainly makes a good case for the use of alight.

 

[DVD]

I dont board, embark, join, or enter a train, I get on and get off.

Detrain sounds like it sahould be the proper term for a derailment, as a train has came off the rails, derail makes it sound like the rails have fallen over

I agree entirely with Yew. What is wrong with gettting on and getting off ? Plain English has much to commend it.

 

[The Barlow Boy]

Yes "leave" is definitely used on the Electrostars: "Please ensure that you take all your personal belongings with you when leaving the train." I'm sure I was on a 375 approaching Canterbury West last year where passengers were advised to "change" for Canterbury City Centre and Cathedral instead of alight/exit.

How about ingress and egress?

If they're your belongings then they're personal to you. Where did this "personal belongings" nonsense originate from?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

'Change' I associate with changing trains.
Anyways how would you rewrite this sign?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/grimnorth/5651508290/

Full stop after Padstow. Substitue "also" for "and". It will then make sense.

 

[neil9327]

The caption for a newspaper photo of a burning double-decker bus in last year's London riots made me chuckle. It was: "Alight here.."

 

[atomicdanny]

Yes "leave" is definitely used on the Electrostars: "Please ensure that you take all your personal belongings with you when leaving the train." I'm sure I was on a 375 approaching Canterbury West last year where passengers were advised to "change" for Canterbury City Centre and Cathedral instead of alight/exit.

How about ingress and egress?

It says that at Canterbury east too, even at midnight!

 

[starrymarkb]

(on either the port or starboard side if it's a single-aisle jet like a 737 or A320)[/youtube]

I think you'll find it's Left and Right at least outside of the Fleet Air Arm