I believe Newport is by far the fastest scrapper; Kingsbury and Booths are much slower and have a lower capacity (although Kingsbury managed to scrap 373s), so while you could send one or two 455s there, it could only be done once in a while.
A number of 345 gangways are also squeaking. I can't stand the sound, so I move to another part of the carriage to avoid it.
Indeed. I’m not sure why some are looking for patterns where we both know there are none.
There's always a lot of overthinking on these forums.
The Reading service today is all either 450 or 701. Presumably down to SWR's stupidity in not clearing the diversionary route for 458/4s.
Travelled on two different yesterday, PIS said terminating Twickenham on UP, then final destination of Waterloo only with no intermediate stop information or announcements, guard however intervened occasionally.
Just like a 458 then.
My recent transition to SWR commuting has been an eye-opener in terms of the stark difference between Southern's slick PIS with no guard waffle (DOO bonus). Meanwhile SWR is a continuous eardrum assault of blethering rubbish, from gobbledegook PIS insanity to shouty guards who spout lots of words without actually imparting any useful information you didn't already know.Just like a 458 then.
Seriously, hopefully the forthcoming PIS upgrade will take care of this sort of thing.
Very unlikely unfortunately, the PIS doesn't really work with diversions as the information is driven from the calling pattern of the LTP headcode. It's pretty poor when you consider that I believe even the system fitted to Northern's elderly DMU fleet uses live information.Just like a 458 then.
Seriously, hopefully the forthcoming PIS upgrade will take care of this sort of thing.
It is very poor given where technology is at. I'd also say it is of doubtful legality in terms of compliance with PRM requirements which require visual and audible announcements. Quite apart from anything else, it's rank bad customer service given that when a train is diverted is exactly when PIS is needed most.
Even on Southern services operated with guards/OBS they don't waffle. It's a peculiarly SWR phenomenon that they are required to repeat the entire automated announcement verbatim
The driver can add and remove stops using the TCMS, so as long as they can be bothered to set it up properly, it works.
The guard announcements are unbelievably useless and I’m convinced 90% of it is to they can add it to the list of “we perform an essential role on the train” or so they feel that they are in control. I’ve had multiple guards that cut off the automated announcements and just repeat the same thing in a much longer way, as well as doing the same once the automated announcement has finished playing. The only decent ones are those who, at the beginning of the journey, say when the train is estimated to arrive at it’s destination etc, and then remain quiet for the majority of the rest of the duration (bar directions for platforms at major interchanges, etc).
Certainly does! I've been on trains where calling patterns have changed mid-journey even including a memorable occasion where a train terminated short and the first anyone knew, including the train crew, was the PIS announcing that the train was terminating and wishing us a pleasant onward journey! I'm told that's not supposed to happen as the crew should be told before it's pushed to Darwin and then onto the PIS as a result but obviously if you can't get in touch with them there comes a point you just have to go live with the change.
Yes, on my very first 701 journey last year the train couldn't stop at Dachet due to flooding and the PIS was set up correctly for this.
Pointless information on most down services, as most people are not going to the end of the line (except the guard making the anouncements and the driver, who presumably knows) Particularly if it is a Guildford, Weybridge or Woking service, as anyone on it should be on a fast service, not an all-stations.
That’s a good point.
They can, but only on the line of route if the PIS is set up with the headcode. So the stations on the diversion via Kingston cannot be added. There should be an alternative code to use, but I don't know how much drivers are trained on that, it then requires the GSMR to be set up separately, and a lot of stations to be removed from the calling pattern as it would be loaded with all stations.
The Southern PIS is down to either an STP PIS Code or the Driver inputting their current PIS Code again, but skipping the required stops. Its not flexible atm.
Well you are convinced wrongly.
What is the point of the announcements then? They just repeat the automated ones, but less concise and unnecessarily wordy. I do not need to know the name of the guard on the metro service which is stopping every minute or so, this isn’t an intercity train… they should just be carrying out the safety critical parts and that’s it.
Don't forget then repeating the entire list of stops to the final destination, that the automated announcement has just read out perfectly clearly!
Are you saying that is what their training material and policy says (and as such the criteria on what they will be marked on during their periodical assessments) then, with anything extra definitely being as per your earlier post rather than because it's what they've been trained to do?
Either way, if it’s them doing it on their own accord or the training, it’s completely unnecessary for the services being operated.
Today's 701 has a dodgy mic so you only get every other syllable of the pointless announcement.
None so far as far as I can see (it's unusual to start one first thing on Monday). All the usual suspects are out except 044
That seems all pretty flexible to me. If it can adapt to changed stopping patterns, both prior to and mid-journey then from a passenger point of view that's flexible because it's able to provide accurate information for us. That's the bottom line whatever the technical definition of flexibility in this case.
