Even more announcements on SWR

[htwestern]

A GWR service from Penzance to Cardiff with a list of all the stations on route at every stop in Cornwall was the final straw. Luckily I was only going six stops!!

It's so long that the auto announcer system on the 800s can't do the entire route in one go -- as it leaves Cardiff I've never heard it reach Penzance.

 

[Hellfire]

I often use SWR from Crewkerne and I too find this constant stream of announcements irritating. What is probably worse is that the PA system is totally inadequate on some of these trains and it's impossible to distinguish what is being said anyway so you just get a noise. And don't get me going on the 'See it, Say it, Sorted' which is trotted out regularly.

 

[Bikeman78]

I have been on SWR today and I have not noticed any change to the announcements. Perhaps the changes which triggered this discussion are only on certain routes or rolling stock?

 

[barbette165]

WMR trains (on the Snow Hill lines and probably others) have the following announcement when approaching a station, “We are now approaching ’station name’, please mind the gap between the train and the platform edge and step onto the platform before removing heavy luggage and push chairs.” In contrast Chiltern trains approaching the same stations will say ”The next station is ’station name’”, and will selectively add “Please mind the gap between the train and the platform edge” (or something similar) when the gap is likely to be a problem.

I wonder if there is any evidence at all that passengers alighting from WMR trains suffer fewer accidents than those getting off a Chiltern train? If there isn’t any, then what is the point of the longer announcement?

 

[geoffk]

Zurich Airport has recently decided to discontinue announcements in French, opting to use only German and English instead. This change is part of their "silent airport concept," aimed at reducing announcements to enhance passenger comfort! Perhaps a lesson here.

 

[Kite159]

I often use SWR from Crewkerne and I too find this constant stream of announcements irritating. What is probably worse is that the PA system is totally inadequate on some of these trains and it's impossible to distinguish what is being said anyway so you just get a noise. And don't get me going on the 'See it, Say it, Sorted' which is trotted out regularly.

The PA system on the sprinters is so variable, even on the same unit. The handset in one cab could be near perfect in terms of volume/clarity with the handset in the other cab being rubbish and even if you get Brian Blessed to do the announcements it would be quiet in the passenger area.

 

[Taunton]

Oh for the simplicity of the New York Subway.

"Doors Closing. 34th Street Next".

 

[Harpo]

Oh for the simplicity of the New York Subway.

"Doors Closing. 34th Street Next".

See it, say it, shoot it?

 

[TUC]

Oh for the simplicity of the New York Subway.

"Doors Closing. 34th Street Next".

Stand clear of the closing doors.

 

[stadler]

Stand clear of the closing doors.

That announcement is so stupid. That is one thing that the USA does worse than us and is yet another example of excessive announcements. All you need is a simple beeping noise to tell people that the doors are now closing. No announcement is needed.

 

[TUC]

That announcement is so stupid. That is one thing that the USA does worse than us and is yet another example of excessive announcements. All you need is a simple beeping noise to tell people that the doors are now closing. No announcement is needed.

My wife and I both find it charming. Not everything has to be reduced to a cold beep.

 

[styles]

My wife and I both find it charming. Not everything has to be reduced to a cold beep.

I suspect there's a balance really. If your service has 5 calling points over 2 hours, sure, do all the announcements you like really. If your service has a calling point every 18 minutes (as Cardiff to Penzance mentioned in this thread does), it can get a bit tiresome if you have:

• We are now approaching station X. If you are leaving the train here, please remember to take all of your personal belongings with you. Please mind the gap when leaving the train. Please retain your ticket as ticket barriers are in operation at this station. We are now approaching station X.
• (the above announcement about approaching station X often repeated multiple times in the minutes to arrival)
• Doors are now closing. Stand clear of the closing doors.
• Welcome to this ABCD service to station AE. We will be calling at E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, X, Y, Z, AA, AB, AC, AD, and AE.
• Safety notice cards are posted in each carriage. Please familiarise yourself with the safety instructions.
• First class accommodation is at the front of the train in coaches A-C. Standard class accommodation is at the rear of the train in coaches D-J.
• In coach C you will find our buffet car selling a range of hot and cold snacks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
• If you have any concerns today, please speak to a member of the on-train crew, or text the British Transport Police on 61016. See it, say it, sorted.

I used to take a train from Nottingham to Derby pretty regularly when I was at university, and often by the time it rolled into Beeston, the announcements had barely even finished.

It might sound nice and innocent having an announcement for, "Stand clear of the closing doors", but it's also just noise at the end of the day when the doors have loud beep-beacons and bright flashing lights. Many people take the train for the peace and quiet.

 

[ThisIsSurbiton]

Why are there announcements in a quiet carriage? An occasional announcement that there won't be any other announcements seems to fit everyone's needs.

 

[DMckduck]

Why are there announcements in a quiet carriage? An occasional announcement that there won't be any other announcements seems to fit everyone's needs.

Are visually impaired passengers not allowed to sit in quiet carriages then?

Doesn't seem to fit everyone's needs does it, or did you mean the needs of everyone without a disability?

 

[styles]

Why are there announcements in a quiet carriage? An occasional announcement that there won't be any other announcements seems to fit everyone's needs.

As @DMckduck says, accessibility is a key factor.

Also it puts an otherwise heavy reliance on all passengers in the quiet coach to pay attention to stops being put on the displays. I expect a fair number of passengers would complain about missing their stops.

Frankly with the lack of enforcement on noise in quiet carriages, I'm surprised they even bother still having them. Maybe they should be renamed 'quieter' coaches.

 

[Lockwood]

Perhaps the volume could be toned down a little in a quiet coach?

 

[RailWonderer]

As @DMckduck says, accessibility is a key factor.

Also it puts an otherwise heavy reliance on all passengers in the quiet coach to pay attention to stops being put on the displays. I expect a fair number of passengers would complain about missing their stops.

Frankly with the lack of enforcement on noise in quiet carriages, I'm surprised they even bother still having them. Maybe they should be renamed 'quieter' coaches.

Some people with disabilities get anxious or distracted from too much constant noise. To me this boils down to little regard for the passenger experience from the operators, or SWR users have not complained hard enough to compel them to change things. Somebody mentioned regulatory issues with removing announcements, but 'see it say it sorted - which I hear people mimic brainlessly - is just a catchy paraphrasing of 'if you see anything suspicious, report it to the BTP on 61016' so it isn't removing any safety, but condensing the announcement.

 

[styles]

Some people with diasbilities get anxious or distracted from too much constant noise. To me this boils down to little regard for the passenger experience from the operators, or SWR users have not complained hard enough to compel them to change things. Somebody mentioned regulatory issues with removing announcements, but 'see it say it sorted - which I hear people mimic brainlessly - is just a catchy paraphrasing of 'if you see anything suspicious, report it to the BTP on 61016' so it isn't removing any safety, but condensing the announcement.

Of course - I think there's broad agreement on these forums and the wider public that trains and stations currently have too many or too verbose announcements.

I don't believe that means you have to remove them entirely from a quiet carriage - it's a quiet carriage, not a silent carriage.

 

[DelW]

Also it puts an otherwise heavy reliance on all passengers in the quiet coach to pay attention to stops being put on the displays. I expect a fair number of passengers would complain about missing their stops.

In my experience, most passengers pay no attention whatsoever to any announcements. I can think of a number of occasions when there have been announcements of actual significance - the train terminating short, or skipping upcoming stops - and not only have most passengers ignored them, the noise of their chatter throughout makes it difficult to hear them even when you're trying.

The most recent one I recall was last year, when an Exeter to Waterloo service had the Woking stop omitted to recover time. After several PA messages, the guard walked through, talking to everyone on board to see whether they needed to get off earlier at Basingstoke for a Woking connection. Several who did need to do that evidently hadn't heard any of the PA messages.

I await the day when some TOC risk assessment department mandates "Please remember to breathe at all times when travelling on our trains. Any passengers found to have stopped breathing may be liable to be removed from the train at the next station".

 

[styles]

In my experience, most passengers pay no attention whatsoever to any announcements. I can think of a number of occasions when there have been announcements of actual significance - the train terminating short, or skipping upcoming stops - and not only have most passengers ignored them, the noise of their chatter throughout makes it difficult to hear them even when you're trying.

The most recent one I recall was last year, when an Exeter to Waterloo service had the Woking stop omitted to recover time. After several PA messages, the guard walked through, talking to everyone on board to see whether they needed to get off earlier at Basingstoke for a Woking connection. Several who did need to do that evidently hadn't heard any of the PA messages.

I await the day when some TOC risk assessment department mandates "Please remember to breathe at all times when travelling on our trains. Any passengers found to have stopped breathing may be liable to be removed from the train at the next station".

There's always going to be people who don't listen, otherwise airports wouldn't have final calls for passengers who are still sat in the bar, and McDonald's workers wouldn't have to shout, "Order 315!", multiple times because of people having their head in their phones.

I think it's a significant stretch to say that 'most' passengers don't listen to them. I would also suggest that those most likely to benefit from them are the people who aren't so good at following the train on Google Maps on their phone or remembering what time they arrive on a ticket without a reservation where it's not printed. It would put the occasional traveller off rail even further than they perhaps already are.

 

[ThisIsSurbiton]

or did you mean the needs of everyone without a disability?

Of course I didn't. People can find announcements a problem, as much as the lack of them. I think the real answer is to reduce announcements to a minimum everywhere, and if that is undesirable, treat the quiet coach differently. Next stop, and emergencies (obviously) should be enough

 

[Bikeman78]

Some people with disabilities get anxious or distracted from too much constant noise.

My mum being one of them. Not that there is any way she will use a national rail train again in her lifetime.

As regards the quiet coach, it's quite ironic listening to the lengthy speech some guards make about the quiet coach resulting in it not being quiet.

 

[Howardh]

Same with Elizabeth line. It’s a constant barrage of announcements .

Why, here in Uk do we have so many, yet when on European trains so few?

I'm here in Netherlands and all the information appears on a screen (ok, not helpful for the blind, but stations are announced). The situation in the UK is untenable, on TPE for instance you get the flaming security message announced twice in succession.

Absolutely no idea why but at this rate there will be so many messages that they all run into each other so some will have to go..!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 May 2025 ==

Exactly, people switch off if there are too many.

I wouldn't be surprised if you asked somebody what last announcement said, and they wouldn't know, because they blanked it as unnecessary background noise.

To be honest I think that's pretty much the same when on an aircraft and they go through the routine safety procedures. Far more important than railway earache, but honestly does anyone listen/watch these days?

On a train most are devoured by earphones so announcements go ignored anyway.

 

[Bigfoot]

As regards the quiet coach, it's quite ironic listening to the lengthy speech some guards make about the quiet coach resulting in it not being quiet.

Using this logic should I get up and move to another coach if I feel a sneeze coming on?

If an announcement is too much disturbance in the quiet coach then I suggest that another method of travel is chosen, however expensive or inconvenient it is to the journey. That way absolute silence is guaranteed.

 

[Lockwood]

I don't think the issue is there being announcements, but how loud they are?

I have found that the quiet coach, when it is quiet, gets a little irritating with the announcements.

"ah, nice and quiet... Peaceful... I think I might doze off for a- SAFETY INFORMATION IS DISPLAYED IN ALL CARRIAGES"

 

[geoffk]

It's so long that the auto announcer system on the 800s can't do the entire route in one go -- as it leaves Cardiff I've never heard it reach Penzance.

Not a problem for much longer as the service is being split at Exeter.

 

[Goldfish62]

I'm here in Netherlands and all the information appears on a screen (ok, not helpful for the blind, but stations are announced).

In Germany things are a bit too much the other way. Destination/route or train number and main calling points are listed. Other calling points only appear when they're the next stop, so it's not clear at any particular time what the full calling pattern is. The only announcement is for the next stop on the approach, with interchange info if a main interchange (this info includes buses and trams).

Back to SWR, the other day I was on an SWR service from Waterloo as far as Ascot. The PIS wasn't working and the only announcement from the guard was upon leaving Waterloo, to say that the train was for Reading and he was in the middle of the train. Absolute silence otherwise!

 

[crablab]

The PIS wasn't working and the only announcement from the guard was upon leaving Waterloo, to say that the train was for Reading and he was in the middle of the train. Absolute silence otherwise!

Perfect!

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Are visually impaired passengers not allowed to sit in quiet carriages then?

Doesn't seem to fit everyone's needs does it, or did you mean the needs of everyone without a disability?

A rather manipulatively worded response, if you ask me. It was quite clear the post was not meant with malice. It's a very reasonable question to ask why so-called Quiet Carriages are still plagued with announcement spam.

Even so, of course they'd be allowed to sit in quiet carriages. But if they benefit from plenty of loud and clear auto-announcements, they'd likely be better off choosing to sit in one of the other carriages. It's their prerogative.

After my surgery a while back, I needed to use accessible toilets for a bit so I could hold onto the poles, and it was risky for me to sit in a different carriage to one as walking through a moving train could easily have caused me to knock into something and injure the area. So I could sit in the Quiet Carriage, but it was better suited to my needs to use the one with the accessible toilet...

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 May 2025 ==

Some people with disabilities get anxious or distracted from too much constant noise.

Quite.

 

[setdown]

I travelled yesterday on a CrossCountry train, on the same route as SWR. There were just two announcements given for each stop, manually: "Next stop in about 10 minutes time is X", and "Now approaching X, mind your step down".

No duplicated messages, no reminders about priority seats, advance tickets, "see it say it sorted", and "have a ticket or you will face prosecution". Also whilst being significantly quieter, yet still clearly audible.

It made for such a more relaxing journey. If it's good enough for CrossCountry, it's good enough for SWR. It does feel like there's someone at SWR trying to create a solution for a problem that doesn't exist.