Onboard Train Announcements - How Should they be?

[oldman]

I don't understand why we are told the arrival time at the ultimate destination rather than anywhere else. The number of people on the 1600 ex Kings Cross actually going to Aberdeen must be quite small, and they probably don't want reminded about how long they have to endure. Time to the next stop would be more use.

 

[MonsooN]

There's a guard on VTEC that often makes funny announcements that make some passengers laugh and some roll their eyes.

"...Our quiet coaches today are Coaches B and K. That's B for Be Quiet and K for Keep Quiet!..."

"...If you have a super off peak ticket for this journey, you'll find it's not very super as it's not valid on this service and you'll need to pay the difference..."

I've been on one of his trains a few times over the last year or two and while it doesn't always make people laugh, it often creates a bit of an unspoken camaraderie between travellers (a shared look or a smile) and this has often sparked up a conversation that probably wouldn't have happened if it was just a normal announcement.

 

[Phil.]

ABC

Accuracy
Brevity
Clarity.

 

[ComUtoR]

ABC

As many as possible
Before and after each station stop
Continuous safety announcements

During times of disruption
Every two minutes when stopped at a signal
Frequently as possible during a train fault

 

[507 001]

Merseyrail always had the correct idea I thought (the exact same announcements were being used on an LM 350 last time I went on one too)

Prior to departure from a terminus you get 'welcome aboard this Merseyrail service to xxx, calling at a, b and c, in the interests of passenger safety your attention is drawn to the emergency information posters located within each coach on this train. Thank you.'

On approach to a station you then get, 'we are now approaching b'. If that station happens to have connections it'll be 'we are now approaching c, change here for Wirral line services'

Intermediate station stops were simply 'this train is for X, the next station will be D'

They've since ruined this by adding in announcements about escalators and lifts at underground stations, and quite often have the guard announcing the same information immediately after Digital Doris.....

 

[mugam4]

I've noticed that in Europe a train display will often just scroll between

<Train number> <destination>
Next: <next stop>
Then: <stop after>

I guess calling points are required in this country without train numbers, but I think the rather wordy scrolling announcements we have here are a tad unnecessary, and wouldn't be very helpful if I didn't speak English. Surely it's better to just scroll the calling points occasionally and then flick between the destination and next stop and time?

 

[Hadders]

Thinking about it I quite like the announcements on the Class 313s.....

There aren't any (unless the driver decided to make one, which doesn't happen often)

 

[trainophile]

I quite like the conductors who, on approaching a fairly major interchange e.g. Shrewsbury or Crewe, will take the trouble to advise passengers which platforms they need for their connecting services. This genuinely helps, and saves hunting for a departures board when you perhaps only have a few minutes.

Other than that, just the next station and ultimate destination will do.

I can't stand the ATW recorded announcements by some simpering young lady who keeps asking us to dispose of our litter in the bins on the train and platform, and always ends with "thank you". For what? For listening?

 

[noddingdonkey]

When there are two routes from a station (let's say Sowerby Bridge) to the terminal station (Leeds), and no PIS on the platform and the train is running late, an announcement explaining that this is the train that is a late running service via Bradford and not the one via Dewsbury that is due would be very handy.

Got caught out by that one a couple of years ago

 

[NorthernSpirit]

Just get me or any other radio presenter to do the announcements, as this is how I'd do it.....

Welcome aboard this 1120 GWR service to Portsmouth Harbour, calling at Bath, Bradford, Trow, Westbury, Warminster, Sailsbury.... and Portsmouth Harbour. This service is formed of three coaches, the next stop is Bath.

Its fast, uses local slang and the 9-5'ers would find it more soothing after a day in the office with a cup of coffee and b***h Karen taking all day on the fax machine.

 

[talldave]

Just get me or any other radio presenter to do the announcements, as this is how I'd do it.....

Welcome aboard this 1120 GWR service to Portsmouth Harbour, calling at Bath, Bradford, Trow, Westbury, Warminster, Sailsbury.... and Portsmouth Harbour. This service is formed of three coaches, the next stop is Bath.

Its fast, uses local slang and the 9-5'ers would find it more soothing after a day in the office with a cup of coffee and b***h Karen taking all day on the fax machine.

Why is the number of coaches of a train you're already on relevant, bearing in mind that sighted passengers probably got a chance to see the length of the train as it arrived anyway?

 

[Closet2405]

I don't use them very often, but on CrossCountry the announcements can often be ridiculous due to the length of the route and the number of stops. The majority of people won't be going the full length of the route, and the number of people needing to know every single intermediate stop must be even smaller.

As a side note, last time I did use CrossCountry the announcement said we were on board the xxxx service from Birmingham New Street....as we were crossing the Tyne bridge.

 

[fandroid]

I would stop all safety announcements about leaving bags and replace them with posters. After all, blind and partially sighted people are extremely unlikely to put bags down in a place where they can't find them.

I would call stations 'stations' and definitely not 'calling points'. Try looking up the meaning of 'calling' in a dictionary. It mentions religion! 'Station' will be in every phrase book. Remember that tourists and other travellers will not be fluent in more arcane bits of UK railway English.

When listing the stations, complete the list with the terminus (Virgin WC don't). Often, the listener only focusses in on the announcement after it's started, so needs to know the final station. Especially if it's a popular destination like London!

It is useful to be told how late a train is running (if it is), as passengers may have connections, appointments, or someone picking them up.

It's handy to be told about aircon/heating problems in particular coaches, as I like the opportunity to move.

Regular explanations about unscheduled stops are essential even if only to say 'we are trying to find out'. It's very unsettling to be left with the feeling of being totally ignored.

Connecting train information. It is absolutely routine on German intercity trains. Mind you, trains are always scheduled to use the same platforms. No signaller games of 'musical platforms' there.

 

[kevjs]

I've noticed that in Europe a train display will often just scroll between

<Train number> <destination>
Next: <next stop>
Then: <stop after>

I guess calling points are required in this country without train numbers, but I think the rather wordy scrolling announcements we have here are a tad unnecessary, and wouldn't be very helpful if I didn't speak English. Surely it's better to just scroll the calling points occasionally and then flick between the destination and next stop and time?

Our local buses have some rather useful LCD screens that trains could do with - adapoting for a train you might get

East Midlands Trains
to London St Pancras - due 15:05

Next Stop : Beeston - 2 mins
- Loughborugh : 35 mins
- Leicester : 55 mins
... ket Harbourgh, Luton Air....

As you approach the station you could then switch to something like
<<< Approaching Nottingham [4]
This train terminates here
Upcoming Departures :-
Worksop [5] : 4 minutes
East Midlands Airport [Bus - S1] : 5 minutes
Derby [6] : 10 minutes
Liverpool Lime Street [7] : 15 minutes

And as the doors open flick back to the next destinations screen (or in this case say "Train Terminates Here")

(With the arrows pointing to the side of the train the doors will open on)

 

[L&Y Robert]

All members of staff who are expected to make public announcements on the railway should be required to attend a course of elocution lessons and pass an exam afterwards. It would be helpful if part of that could be to hear recordings of themselves making a selection of announcements with characteristic ambient background railway noise accompaniment. I hear announcements but rarely do I know what they say!

 

[fandroid]

All members of staff who are expected to make public announcements on the railway should be required to attend a course of elocution lessons and pass an exam afterwards. It would be helpful if part of that could be to hear recordings of themselves making a selection of announcements with characteristic ambient background railway noise accompaniment. I hear announcements but rarely do I know what they say!

After an inaudible announcement, I normally wonder if anyone ever does a user type test on the systems.

Announcements in a station with a diesel unit accelerating away on the next track is a total waste of breath. Announcements on shuttle trains at a terminus describing the next part of the journey before any new passengers have boarded is another waste of breath.

SWT trains approaching Waterloo regularly have an automatic announcement telling us that there is a (non existent) fault with the doors. Has someone pressed the wrong key on a keyboard?

Default minimum info on on-board information screens: the time and the next station. Why does SWT revert to "Coach X of Y"? A fairly useless piece of information only applicable to SDO and dividing trains.

 

[ComUtoR]

After an inaudible announcement, I normally wonder if anyone ever does a user type test on the systems.

They should be done on Prep from Berth for our units.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

Why is the number of coaches of a train you're already on relevant, bearing in mind that sighted passengers probably got a chance to see the length of the train as it arrived anyway?

One is to do with getting people to spread through the train without having to tell them to move down and the other reason is that the service reverses at Bristol Temple Meads and with a huge hoard of passengers, it can be difficult to see how many coaches the service is formed of.

 

[ComUtoR]

One is to do with getting people to spread through the train without having to tell them to move down and the other reason...

Also some services split. I've seen a fair few passengers suddenly realise they are in the wrong portion and need to move to another coach.

 

[BestWestern]

After an inaudible announcement, I normally wonder if anyone ever does a user type test on the systems.

Default minimum info on on-board information screens: the time and the next station. Why does SWT revert to "Coach X of Y"? A fairly useless piece of information only applicable to SDO and dividing trains.

Carriage numbers are a pretty sensible thing to default to; many SWT services do call at short platforms, as well as joining or splitting en route. The Guards are also required to mention whereabouts on the train they are in their announcements. An average, unobservant passenger sat in, say, the 7th coach of a 10 car train, which was only a five car train when they boarded, is very very easily confused by such things! It does help.

As for systems tests, some of the elderly kit on ex BR trains can be very patchy indeed. The worst, in my experience, is Class 150 units. Massive engine noise, potentially windows open, and generally poor quality speakers, which are muffled even if the train is stationary. On the move, forget it!

 

[tsr]

Carriage numbers are a pretty sensible thing to default to; many SWT services do call at short platforms, as well as joining or splitting en route. The Guards are also required to mention whereabouts on the train they are in their announcements. An average, unobservant passenger sat in, say, the 7th coach of a 10 car train, which was only a five car train when they boarded, is very very easily confused by such things! It does help.

Some conductors at certain TOCs have even asked specifically during meetings/briefing sessions for a system which defaults to showing the coach number only, if the calling pattern is incorrect and needs to be removed. Unfortunately on some stock this type of fallback doesn't seem possible! It's always seemed to me to be a very useful feature if manual announcements need to be done regarding unusual calling patterns and splits en-route, but passengers still need to get their bearings after the announcements are made.

As for systems tests, some of the elderly kit on ex BR trains can be very patchy indeed. The worst, in my experience, is Class 150 units. Massive engine noise, potentially windows open, and generally poor quality speakers, which are muffled even if the train is stationary. On the move, forget it!

Interesting that you say that... I was on an ATW 150 the other day which had very clear speakers at just the right volume (windows open too), but sadly the only automatic PIS was for safety announcements, meaning actual announcements made were sporadic because the conductor wasn't always near a handset on approach to stations!

On stock such as 455s - which, though much quieter, are not that much different in terms of having windows open and being late BR era stock - I generally also find the PA is perfectly clear and, indeed, it can even be quite loud on some of them - especially from the middle/rear cabs on the Southern ones, for some reason.

 

[Phil.]

Why even mention the "Please take all personal belongings with you"?

If they're your belongings they're personal to you. Why does no-one think that grammar is important anymore?
You're not "Your Conductor", you're the Conductor.
I won't, "take care while alighting the train" but I will take care whilst alighting from the train.
My train into Penzance this morning didn't terminate but the journey did and Penzance wasn't the final destination, it was the destination, it was where it was destined.

It's not language development, it's ignorance.

I've just discovered a thread where someone talks of, "expensing a ticket". I wonder if he/she is trying to say, "buying a ticket on expenses"?

 

[class26]

"Welcome on board this (insert TOC here) service to (destination). This train will call at (calling points) and is due into (destination) at (arrival time). (If avaliable Weelchair access is avaliable in Coach (?) Catering is avaliable in Coach (Whatever). And information can be found on displays around you.".

Spot on so why on Virgin EC do we have to have a "welcome to the ......" by the guard and then "Welcome to the ......." by the catering people ? Once is enough. It is especially irritating when stops are close together

 

[Charlie M.]

I was thinking the calling points, next stop arrival and if first class is avaliable (weekends only).

Then:

If local stopper - every 1/2/3/4 stops do a saftey announcements.

 

[Via Bank]

All announcements in an active, second person voice. Stop referring to trains as "services." Always address the passenger directly - say "please mind the gap" instead of "passengers are advised to mind the gap", etc. Eliminate redundancies like "personal belongings," "station stop". Use simpler, more universally understandable words ("your things" instead of "your personal belongings", "get off" instead of "alight", "get on" instead of "board," "car" instead of "coach.")

Or, just write all annoucements in this: http://xkcd.com/simplewriter/

 

[Muzer]

All announcements in an active, second person voice. Stop referring to trains as "services." Always address the passenger directly - say "please mind the gap" instead of "passengers are advised to mind the gap", etc. Eliminate redundancies like "personal belongings," "station stop". Use simpler, more universally understandable words ("your things" instead of "your personal belongings", "get off" instead of "alight", "get on" instead of "board," "car" instead of "coach.")

Or, just write all annoucements in this: http://xkcd.com/simplewriter/

How is "car" simpler than "coach"? Are we saying that people don't know what coaches are? The rest I can see sense in, but "car"? That belongs in America, on the London Underground and on Car Stop signs only

 

[edwin_m]

All announcements in an active, second person voice.

If I remember rightly second person is "you", which might be OK for some announcements but "you are now arriving at..." seems a bit odd.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Carriage numbers are a pretty sensible thing to default to; many SWT services do call at short platforms, as well as joining or splitting en route. The Guards are also required to mention whereabouts on the train they are in their announcements. An average, unobservant passenger sat in, say, the 7th coach of a 10 car train, which was only a five car train when they boarded, is very very easily confused by such things! It does help.

I must admit to being surprised those systems don't use the UK standard of coach letters - but yes, they are a good idea. I hope LM installs it on their sets.

As for systems tests, some of the elderly kit on ex BR trains can be very patchy indeed. The worst, in my experience, is Class 150 units. Massive engine noise, potentially windows open, and generally poor quality speakers, which are muffled even if the train is stationary. On the move, forget it!

The 071x (I never remember the value of x, it changes from timetable to timetable by a minute or two here or there) Bletchley-Euston yesterday terminated at Tring due to (I think) a door interlock fault. Quite a lot of people took a while to get off, as, certainly in a 319 power car, you simply couldn't hear the guard saying so.

 

[Esker-pades]

They should be done as little as possible.

At/When leaving a station: This train is for <insert destination point> calling at <insert calling points>.
When approaching a station: "<The name of the station>" (+"where this train terminates" and/or "change here for x, y and z" as applicable). This would be repeated at the station.


So:
"This is train is for Portsmouth Harbour calling at Petersfield, Havant, Fratton, Portsmouth & Southsea and Portsmouth Harbour."
"Petersfield."
"Petersfield."

 

[GatwickDepress]

I must admit to being surprised those systems don't use the UK standard of coach letters - but yes, they are a good idea. I hope LM installs it on their sets.

Coach numbers are generally used on the Southern as humans parse numbers a lot easier than letters.

"This train divides at Haywards Heath. Coaches 1 to 4 for Ore, coaches 5 to 12 for Littlehampton" results in far fewer passenger mistakes than "Coaches A to D for Ore, coaches E to L for Littlehampton.