Changes on SWR stations' PIS

[fairysdad]

I know it's been mentioned in a thread elsewhere that SWR are in the slow process of retiring Phil from the auto-announcements and bring in Anne and Roger, but I've noticed a couple of other changes that I assume are being rolled out at the same time. Not sure if it's worth doing a thread similar to the rolling stock livery ones, but just with updates to stations. I guess if this takes off, it is worth it, if not it wasn't!

So - Ewell West station has been updated with the new voices and new PIS software. The old software is still at Stoneleigh, but not sure about the voices. I'm guessing it's the same system, but knowing the railway it could well not be!

The thing I noticed different has been the platform indicators. The first thing is that the 'Due' time changes to Arrived when a train arrives. My second notice was that the final destination of a train is no longer in capitals (eg Clapham Junction, Vauxhall, LONDON WATERLOO) but in title case with 'and' (eg Clapham Junction, Vauxhall, and London Waterloo) [Not sure if the Oxford Comma is there or not actually...]. I've noticed this before on the newer style PIS boards at some stations (eg Vauxhall) but the two boards have been showing different things, and neither (as far as I noticed) the Arrived label.

Then a couple of differences in station names - Effingham Junction is now Effingham Juncti instead of Effingham Jn and London Road (Guildford) is now London Road (Guilfd) instead of just London Road.

Comments, queries, more updates?

 

[Bletchleyite]

I believe capitals are avoided because they are harder to read for partially sighted and dyslexic people.

 

[fgwrich]

"This train has X Carriages" instead of "This train is formed of X coaches" is another I have noticed.

 

[Bletchleyite]

"This train has X Carriages" instead of "This train is formed of X coaches" is another I have noticed.

The ATOS system can say either of those. LNR seem to like the former, while Network Rail use the latter. "Carriages" does have a lovely olde-worlde charm to it, at least until a full-and-standing 4-car 350/2 shows up.

 

[londonmidland]

The ATOS system can say either of those. LNR seem to like the former, while Network Rail use the latter. "Carriages" does have a lovely olde-worlde charm to it, at least until a full-and-standing 4-car 350/2 shows up.

There’s three versions of formations the ATOS system can use.

‘This train is formed of X coaches’
‘This train has X coaches’
‘This train has X carriages’

The first one I prefer over the other two, personally.

 

[30907]

There’s three versions of formations the ATOS system can use.

‘This train is formed of X coaches’
‘This train has X coaches’
‘This train has X carriages’

The first one I prefer over the other two, personally.

The one with two unnecessary extra words?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The greatest improvement is that they now also show the arrival time at each station after the station name - which also takes into account any late running.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The one with two unnecessary extra words?

I think those familiar with the railway often like railwayisms like that and talk of "alighting". Most people probably don't, though. I find "carriages" a bit quaint, so I'd probably tend towards "has X coaches" but I never heard that one used anywhere.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The greatest improvement is that they now also show the arrival time at each station after the station name - which also takes into account any late running.

I believe that was developed for VTWC at Euston but then was rolled out. The little formation diagrams similarly appear to have been developed for VT but are appearing elsewhere. The next logical step for those is to have them show the formation against platform zones - and finally we'll catch up to what the Germans and Swiss had years ago!

 

[Bletchleyite]

FWIW one of my favourite little features of the ATOS system is that in the event of a cancellation (possibly also a serious delay) it can announce for each calling point "Passengers for X your next fastest direct service is the YY:ZZ from platform N".

All in all, Anne might sound a bit dreary but it is a very well-featured system and she is very clear.

 

[SevenEightNine]

At Twickenham (Platform 5, anyway) trains do show as having "Arrived". They seem to be a little unsure of how to shorten "Windsor & Eton Riverside", as that is too long to display without scrolling. The original was "Windsor & Eton" then changed to "Windsor & ER", consistent with the exterior displays on the 450s, and today I believe it said "Windsor & Eton Riv", probably just an automatic truncation which reminds me of the 707s which only ever display "Windsor & Eton River".

Not so long ago they had the 'new' Celia, not sure if that's still the case.

 

[Parallel]

GWR use ‘this train has x coaches’
SWR use ‘this train has x carriages’ from my observation at Wokingham

I’m pretty sure LM now WMR used ‘this train is formed of 4 carriages’ but I could be wrong

 

[londonmidland]

GWR use ‘this train has x coaches’
SWR use ‘this train has x carriages’ from my observation at Wokingham

I’m pretty sure LM now WMR used ‘this train is formed of 4 carriages’ but I could be wrong

LM originally used ‘this train is formed of X coaches’ before changing to ‘this train has X carriages’ so I’d be surprised if LNWR/WMR reverted back to the original.

 

[Bletchleyite]

LM originally used ‘this train is formed of X coaches’ before changing to ‘this train has X carriages’ so I’d be surprised if LNWR/WMR reverted back to the original.

Network Rail use "this train is formed of X coaches".

 

[fairysdad]

Another little thing I've noticed: when the auto-announcer gives the 'two-minute warning', it says 'The next train to leave from Platform 2 is the . . .', but when the train approaches it says 'The next train to arrive at Platform 2 . . .'!

It was also interesting, yet somewhat annoying, to note that the 'global' announcements (ie, for the entire station - the oft-derised 'see it, say it, sorted' for instance) are now - at Ewell West at least - on a per platform basis. This had the undesired effect on Thursday morning at least that Platform 2 started the announcement about a second after Platform 1 had so it was no use to anybody!