Why Can’t They Give Useful Announcements?

[Envoy]

I was just at Cardiff Central waiting for someone in the main hall. Two American ladies were nearby with tickets for the 10.41 to London. The screen changed to say that this train had been cancelled and with instant panic - they went off to join a queue at the ticket desk. I looked again at the departures screen and could see a 10.18 departure for London - which was about 12 minutes away in time. I went to the queue and found the two ladies and told them that they could catch the 10.18 departure and showed them the way to the lifts.

Why could an announcement not have been made informing any early arrivals for the now cancelled 10.41 that they should go to P2 and catch the 10.18 to London? Some people don’t realise that when things they go wrong, they have the right to use trains other than those on which they are booked.

About a year ago, I noticed that a Cross Country train from Cardiff to Nottingham was cancelled. I travelled east and on arriving at Newport found it was parked on P1. So clearly the Cardiff bound service was late & they decided to terminate at Newport for the next run back to the Midlands. People were left at Cardiff when they could have caught my TfW (with space) train to Newport in order to board the XC train. Again, no announcements with advice at Cardiff Central.

 

[JamesT]

I was just at Cardiff Central waiting for someone in the main hall. Two American ladies were nearby with tickets for the 10.41 to London. The screen changed to say that this train had been cancelled and with instant panic - they went off to join a queue at the ticket desk. I looked again at the departures screen and could see a 10.18 departure for London - which was about 12 minutes away in time. I went to the queue and found the two ladies and told them that they could catch the 10.18 departure and showed them the way to the lifts.

Why could an announcement not have been made informing any early arrivals for the now cancelled 10.41 that they should go to P2 and catch the 10.18 to London? Some people don’t realise that when things they go wrong, they have the right to use trains other than those on which they are booked.

About a year ago, I noticed that a Cross Country train from Cardiff to Nottingham was cancelled. I travelled east and on arriving at Newport found it was parked on P1. So clearly the Cardiff bound service was late & they decided to terminate at Newport for the next run back to the Midlands. People were left at Cardiff when they could have caught my TfW (with space) train to Newport in order to board the XC train. Again, no announcements with advice at Cardiff Central.

A cancelled train doesn't automatically give the right to use any train you like.
You can find arguments on these forums regarding the meaning of GWR's policy that people with advance tickets on a cancelled train should use the next available train. You sought out these passengers, did you have the authority to say they should take the 1018 and not wait for the 1118?
Similarly tickets for a XC service won't be valid on a TfW service unless acceptance has been agreed.
Do you have a suggestion for an announcement that can get across these nuances, or is this setting up those passengers for being challenged for travelling without a valid ticket?

 

[Envoy]

A cancelled train doesn't automatically give the right to use any train you like.
You can find arguments on these forums regarding the meaning of GWR's policy that people with advance tickets on a cancelled train should use the next available train. You sought out these passengers, did you have the authority to say they should take the 1018 and not wait for the 1118?
Similarly tickets for a XC service won't be valid on a TfW service unless acceptance has been agreed.
Do you have a suggestion for an announcement that can get across these nuances, or is this setting up those passengers for being challenged for travelling without a valid ticket?

Nope - I had no authority but thought I was doing them and GWR a favour as had they not gone for the earlier train, GWR would have to pay them compensation. Furthermore, in time, more people would show up for the cancelled train and that would mean that the next train would be carrying a double load - so again, it surely would be in everybody’s interest to get any early arrivals for the cancelled train onto the earlier train.

 

[Frontera2]

I was just at Cardiff Central waiting for someone in the main hall. Two American ladies were nearby with tickets for the 10.41 to London. The screen changed to say that this train had been cancelled and with instant panic - they went off to join a queue at the ticket desk. I looked again at the departures screen and could see a 10.18 departure for London - which was about 12 minutes away in time. I went to the queue and found the two ladies and told them that they could catch the 10.18 departure and showed them the way to the lifts.

Why could an announcement not have been made informing any early arrivals for the now cancelled 10.41 that they should go to P2 and catch the 10.18 to London? Some people don’t realise that when things they go wrong, they have the right to use trains other than those on which they are booked.

About a year ago, I noticed that a Cross Country train from Cardiff to Nottingham was cancelled. I travelled east and on arriving at Newport found it was parked on P1. So clearly the Cardiff bound service was late & they decided to terminate at Newport for the next run back to the Midlands. People were left at Cardiff when they could have caught my TfW (with space) train to Newport in order to board the XC train. Again, no announcements with advice at Cardiff Central.

There is functionality in the Worldline CIS that announces the “next fastest train” when trains are significantly delayed or cancelled, I suspect TfW don’t have this enabled or configured on their system as this would have dealt with this exact scenario

 

[MetalMicky]

There is functionality in the Worldline CIS that announces the “next fastest train” when trains are significantly delayed or cancelled, I suspect TfW don’t have this enabled or configured on their system as this would have dealt with this exact scenario

Maybe that CIS is set up for English only announcements, which is a big no no in Wales.

 

[Frontera2]

Maybe that CIS is set up for English only announcements, which is a big no no in Wales.

No, it’s definitely set up for both - some functionality isn’t “on” by default and I believe this is one of the options that’s not on

 

[Envoy]

It seems to me that GWR don't have any office/staff based at Cardiff Central to deal with problems/customers despite probably having more mainline trains at this station than TfW. If my assertion is true, then I suppose it would be like Scotrail running Edinburgh Waverley with no LNER office/staff at that station.

 

[WAB]

It seems to me that GWR don't have any office/staff based at Cardiff Central to deal with problems/customers despite probably having more mainline trains at this station than TfW. If my assertion is true, then I suppose it would be like Scotrail running Edinburgh Waverley with no LNER office/staff at that station.

GWR have staff based on the platforms at Cardiff Central.

 

[Envoy]

GWR have staff based on the platforms at Cardiff Central.

Many thanks for the clarification.

A pity they did/could not make an announcement telling early arrivals for the cancelled train to take the earlier one.

 

[Deepgreen]

Just boarded a (2-car!) GWR train at Gatwick, which has a few minutes' turnround there, and the on-board P.A. was blasting; "Do Not Join This Train" while the platform announcements were saying the opposite. Worse than useless, especially for foreign visitors. BTW, the guard did a ticket check while we were still in the platform, which was pointless as the station is gated, whereas there were no further checks en route with most stations being un-gated!

 

[Horizon22]

Many thanks for the clarification.

A pity they did/could not make an announcement telling early arrivals for the cancelled train to take the earlier one.

Some stations do not have the capacity for platform staff to make announcements with them only coming from the control point / office which would be TfW run. I'm not suggesting that's why it wasn't as many multi-operator stations have a control room run by one TOC only (for efficiency) but just one cancellation might not have seemed 'worthy' of an announcement.

 

[High Dyke]

I know what you mean. I was at Cardiff Central a couple of weeks ago. The train I was catching was running, but the following service had already been cancelled. I knew this before i even arrived at the station, but was of no consequence to me. However, whilst stood on the platform waiting for my train to approach, the announcements were already advising of the following cancellation.

 

[Geeves]

A cancelled train doesn't automatically give the right to use any train you like.
You can find arguments on these forums regarding the meaning of GWR's policy that people with advance tickets on a cancelled train should use the next available train. You sought out these passengers, did you have the authority to say they should take the 1018 and not wait for the 1118?
Similarly tickets for a XC service won't be valid on a TfW service unless acceptance has been agreed.
Do you have a suggestion for an announcement that can get across these nuances, or is this setting up those passengers for being challenged for travelling without a valid ticket?

James this recent guidance came out that be of interest to you.

 

[JamesT]

James this recent guidance came out that be of interest to you.

Which applies now, but didn’t at the time the OP started the thread. Also the guidance states TOC restrictions still apply unless ticket acceptance has been organised. So the second scenario of suggesting customers should use a TfW instead of an XC isn’t a given.

 

[SCDR_WMR]

BTW, the guard did a ticket check while we were still in the platform, which was pointless as the station is gated, whereas there were no further checks en route with most stations being un-gated!

Far from pointless, regularly come across tickets for the cheapest local station despite the train not stopping there.

Also good service to make sure nobody is on the wrong train like the passenger who managed to end up at Liverpool Lime Street from Euston when they were meant to get to Liverpool Street!

Should've done another check later for sure though

 

[Krokodil]

BTW, the guard did a ticket check while we were still in the platform, which was pointless as the station is gated,

Not pointless at all, it's much easier to redirect passengers who have boarded the wrong train if you haven't yet departed.

 

[Deepgreen]

Not pointless at all, it's much easier to redirect passengers who have boarded the wrong train if you haven't yet departed.

We were in the process of leaving when she started - the i.e. the doors were closing, so no chance of passengers alighting.

 

[Krokodil]

We were in the process of leaving when she started - the i.e. the doors were closing, so no chance of passengers alighting.

So it's simply a ticket check like any other then.

I don't know why you would think that barriers mean that everyone has got a valid ticket. I caught someone only yesterday, going from one barriered station to another barriered station having applied a railcard discount which he certainly wasn't entitled to.

 

[Blackpool boy]

Why could an announcement not have been made informing any early arrivals for the now cancelled 10.41 that they should go to P2 and catch the 10.18 to London? Some people don’t realise that when things they go wrong, they have the right to use trains other than those on which they are booked.

Looking at RTT it seems to be quite busy at the station around the 1000 time with lots of departures and arrivals that are probably keeping the control room busy with calls from all service providers on teh station on doubt as well as receiving phone calls from the TOCs main control rooms so i can understand if they didnt immediately make an announcement that people for the cancelled train could travel earlier if theres lots of stuff going on on the station