What announcements is a driver expected to make?

[Esker-pades]

On Southeastern the most common driver announcement is "Sorry for the delay ladies and gentlemen, we're currently being held at a red signal" generally heard on the approach to London Bridge.

I frequently get those around the Dartford Junctions.

 

[Abpj17]

It's not an excuse. It is a REASON. But cheers for the negative perception.

Thanks - the reversible bit makes a lot of sense. ^^ wasn't intended as overly negative, excuse = reason. To the extent there is a negative perception it's for the station/train design that lead to a manual override of the GPS location thing being required.

313103 - not all services have guards....including TL which is driver-only operated. The automated systems can't cater for all eventualities. I'd hope common sense would prevail and drivers would use their judgement to make announcements when there is safe time to do so (including when the train has been at a standstill for an extended period). On TL the automated 'next station' announcements also have a tendency to get confused (I assume for a similar lack of GPS signal).

 

[321446]

There I was sitting at a red at Stratford tonight. Been checked down on approach, on the Down. No containers, sand or Fords were crossed in front of me. I'm already 2 mins down. Everyone is nearly on board, busy night with a 4 car. So I press SG. And wait.

Right, time to let my adoring public in on the act. Then I can hear the faint sound like a mobile phone too near a speaker makes when a text is coming through.

BEEP BEEP. Wait. Sayeth GSMR.

Pick up PA handset. Press PA yellow button. Take a breath.

(I wonder if any fellow drivers can tell what will happen next....?)

"I'm sorry for the delay Ladies and Gentlemen. We are currently being held at a...."

Signal goes Red, Single Yellow, Double Yellow.

"...oooooo, well we were being held at..." Presses Close Doors "....a signal but we will now be on our way"

Interlock. Power. Soddin' bleedin' bloody.

Happens every time. Hey ho.

 

[Class2ldn]

On thameslink it's been agreed that we are to make an announcement at St pancras going north and blackfriars going south. I always make one at Luton airport and when the train terminates. If I've got time il do one at the start of the journey

 

[SPADTrap]

There I was sitting at a red at Stratford tonight. Been checked down on approach, on the Down. No containers, sand or Fords were crossed in front of me. I'm already 2 mins down. Everyone is nearly on board, busy night with a 4 car. So I press SG. And wait.

Right, time to let my adoring public in on the act. Then I can hear the faint sound like a mobile phone too near a speaker makes when a text is coming through.

BEEP BEEP. Wait. Sayeth GSMR.

Pick up PA handset. Press PA yellow button. Take a breath.

(I wonder if any fellow drivers can tell what will happen next....?)

"I'm sorry for the delay Ladies and Gentlemen. We are currently being held at a...."

Signal goes Red, Single Yellow, Double Yellow.

"...oooooo, well we were being held at..." Presses Close Doors "....a signal but we will now be on our way"

Interlock. Power. Soddin' bleedin' bloody.

Happens every time. Hey ho.

Ahh it was one of those PA operated signals, much like the ballast operated signal! My get out is to finish the sentence with 'and by on the move shortly I mean right now!'

 

[ComUtoR]

I frequently get those around the Dartford Junctions.

Its another one of those really annoying junctions where there is some pretty dire planning and you almost always end up late into Dartford. I think the signalling plan leaves a lot to be desired too. The checking down there is miserable.

Any Signalers know why the Gravesend trains get checked down into platform 4. ?

@Apbj17
The 387 issue is pretty bad and I had a GTR Driver in my cab the other evening moaning about so much technology going into new units that just doesn't work as intended :/ Your certainly not alone with the Pancras/Core issue. We hate it too.

 

[Esker-pades]

Its another one of those really annoying junctions where there is some pretty dire planning and you almost always end up late into Dartford. I think the signalling plan leaves a lot to be desired too. The checking down there is miserable.

Any Signalers know why the Gravesend trains get checked down into platform 4. ?

@Apbj17
The 387 issue is pretty bad and I had a GTR Driver in my cab the other evening moaning about so much technology going into new units that just doesn't work as intended :/ Your certainly not alone with the Pancras/Core issue. We hate it too.

Gravesend trains go into 4 because services waiting to go back to Victoria are in 3.

The junctions matter: every train goes through about 3 junctions between the 4 stations and some signals are in moronic placings (like the one which means if a train stops at it, it blocks a junction so a Down service wishing to go on the loop back to London is blocked by a Down service to Dartford which if the signal was further down the line, it wouldn't be. I did spend 50 minutes sitting next to Slade Green Depot because of a signal failure. That was fun. Missed half of double maths.