The sad dumbification of announcements

[Sad Sprinter]

I’ve spoken about this before, but it seems the weird trend of simplifying language in train announcements has spread further in recent years. Why is that?

Take old phrases like “…and Horsham, where this train divides.” Or “This train terminates here.” Has now become “where the train will separate.” Or “this train finishes its journey here.”

Crossrail trains seem to have announcements written by 6 year olds: “change for District line, Hammersmith and City Line…”. Instead of change for the District and Hammersmith and City Lines…”

It seems the peak of our announcements were in the late 90-2000s Celia Drummond era. So what’s changed? Are people really not capable of following more succinct language or does the rise of immigration in recent decades prompt the use of simplified language?

 

[Horizon22]

What's wrong with simplification and clearer English? Even then I still hear lots of "...where this train terminates".

This really is peak complaining for the sake of it...

 

[Sad Sprinter]

What's wrong with simplification and clearer English? Even then I still hear lots of "...where this train terminates".

This really is peak complaining for the sake of it...

Actually, it provides an interesting discussion on the psyche of contemporary society… I generally feel that massively simplified English (coupled with the endless safety announcements) shows how the public are viewed by general managerialism; that the lowest common denominator ultimately MUST be appealed to, and not doing so would for some reason result catastrophic consequences. The result is a lack of a feeling of competency and excellence in wider society that is sadly, quite endemic in modern Britain.

Ok fine simplified English is good. So my question is when and why exactly did this transition take place?

 

[Islineclear3_1]

I suspect it's easier to understand for foreigners/non-native English speakers or that that is their English translation of whatever their native language is

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Oct 2025 ==

Actually, it provides an interesting discussion on the psyche of contemporary society… I generally feel that massively simplified English (coupled with the endless safety announcements) shows how the public are viewed by general managerialism; that the lowest common denominator ultimately MUST be appealed to, and not doing so would for some reason result catastrophic consequences. The result is a lack of a feeling of competency and excellence in wider society that is sadly, quite endemic in modern Britain.

Ok fine simplified English is good. So my question is when and why exactly did this transition take place?

I first noticed this at Clapham Junction last year. No idea when this transition took place though

 

[GordonT]

I’ve spoken about this before, but it seems the weird trend of simplifying language in train announcements has spread further in recent years. Why is that?

Perhaps a long overdue recognition that "normals" have no interest or need to attune themselves to time honoured "railwayspeak" and that the plainer the English is expressed the more it will be understood?

 

[Sad Sprinter]

Perhaps a long overdue recognition that "normals" have no interest or need to attune themselves to time honoured "railwayspeak" and that the plainer the English is expressed the more it will be understood?

But if this is true, why was it decided in the last decade or so rather than say, 30 years ago?

 

[Krokodil]

Is "divides" really any more difficult to understand than "seperates"?

Of course in practice the passenger will be sitting there with their headphones in, oblivious to the fact that they are on the wrong train.

 

[stadler]

I’ve spoken about this before, but it seems the weird trend of simplifying language in train announcements has spread further in recent years. Why is that?

Take old phrases like “…and Horsham, where this train divides.” Or “This train terminates here.” Has now become “where the train will separate.” Or “this train finishes its journey here.”

Crossrail trains seem to have announcements written by 6 year olds: “change for District line, Hammersmith and City Line…”. Instead of change for the District and Hammersmith and City Lines…”

It seems the peak of our announcements were in the late 90-2000s Celia Drummond era. So what’s changed? Are people really not capable of following more succinct language or does the rise of immigration in recent decades prompt the use of simplified language?

SWR are the worst for this. Back in 2018 they got Worldline to do them a custom simplified script rather than using the standard Worldline script. For dividing trains they changed "divides" to "separates". For request stops they changed "alight" to "get off the train". For departures they changed "the next train to depart" to "the next train to leave". For terminating trains they changed "terminates" to "finishes its journey". For formations they changed "this train is formed of" to "this train has". For platform alterations they changed "this is a platform alteration" to "there has been a platform change". For delay reasons they changed "due to" to "because of". For fast trains they changed "not scheduled to stop" to "does not stop here". Probably some others i have forgotten. I much prefer the old traditional scripts.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

SWR are the worst for this. Back in 2018 they got Worldline to do them a custom simplified script rather than using the standard Worldline script. For dividing trains they changed "divides" to "separates". For request stops they changed "alight" to "get off the train". For departures they changed "the next train to depart" to "the next train to leave". For terminating trains they changed "terminates" to "finishes its journey". For formations they changed "this train is formed of" to "this train has". For platform alterations they changed "this is a platform alteration" to "there has been a platform change". For delay reasons they changed "due to" to "because of". For fast trains they changed "not scheduled to stop" to "does not stop here". Probably some others i have forgotten. I much prefer the old traditional scripts.

Yes SWR really are one of the worst offenders. Was there any reason?

 

[GordonT]

But if this is true, why was it decided in the last decade or so rather than say, 30 years ago?

I don't have a definitive answer but would speculate that for all the possible disadvantages of increased employment of senior managers from a non-railway background there may be a potential benefit in terms of the industry becoming less product focussed and with its tendency in its communication to resonate more with rail enthusiasts than more typical punters?

 

[trainophile]

What's wrong with simplification and clearer English? Even then I still hear lots of "...where this train terminates".

This really is peak complaining for the sake of it...

Good grief, totally agree. Language evolves all the time. So long as it's clear what is meant there's no reason to retain archaic formats.

 

[norbitonflyer]

For fast trains they changed "not scheduled to stop" to "does not stop here".

I prefer that, because "not scheduled to stop" is usually "it is scheduled to stop, but we want to get it to the end of the line on time and it won't do so if we stop here to pick you up"

 

[stevieinselby]

I’ve spoken about this before, but it seems the weird trend of simplifying language in train announcements has spread further in recent years. Why is that?

Take old phrases like “…and Horsham, where this train divides.” Or “This train terminates here.” Has now become “where the train will separate.” Or “this train finishes its journey here.”

Crossrail trains seem to have announcements written by 6 year olds: “change for District line, Hammersmith and City Line…”. Instead of change for the District and Hammersmith and City Lines…”

It seems the peak of our announcements were in the late 90-2000s Celia Drummond era. So what’s changed? Are people really not capable of following more succinct language or does the rise of immigration in recent decades prompt the use of simplified language?

Language in public announcements should be kept as simple as it can be without losing clarity or detail.
You don't know who is listening, you don't know what their comprehension level of the English language is.
Announcements need to be understood by people who don't speak English as a first language, and by people who have lower levels of education or cognition.
Using language that is unnecessarily complex or abstruse is discriminatory, which is not acceptable for a public service.

 

[Tomos y Tanc]

The result is a lack of a feeling of competency and excellence in wider society that is sadly, quite endemic in modern Britain.

I think, in this context, that competence would be a better word choice than competency.

 

[Hadders]

Language evolves.

‘Us’ on here are generally experts in travelling by train but the many of general public find train travel a stressful experience. For example my mum, who is in her 80s will quite happily travel anywhere by bus but absolutely will not even consider going anywhere by train on her own. She says it’s too complicated, and cites announcements, tickets and signage as the reasons.

This is why train companies will try and simplify the message and language used.

 

[Dave W]

Don't forget once upon a time all tickets were required to be shewn... Perhaps we ought to insist RAIB release all their reports in the old archaic language in the Accident Returns of the 19th century.

I don't actually understand what your problem is here - are you really upset that language is simpler? There's a thread on here where people pilloried a Network Rail senior for being too corporate. Schrodinger's forums again

 

[Adam Williams]

There's a thread on here where people pilloried a Network Rail senior for being too corporate

The difference is that the "anachronistic" announcements actually mean something...

 

[renegademaster]

1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

 

[DarloRich]

What's wrong with simplification and clearer English? Even then I still hear lots of "...where this train terminates".

This really is peak complaining for the sake of it...

Exactly. Mountain meets molehill

 

[dosxuk]

The Plain English Campaign started in 1979. Being awarded one of their crystal mark certificates is seen by many as a good thing.

 

[talldave]

Yes SWR really are one of the worst offenders. Was there any reason?

SWR could improve the journey experience by telling their guards to stop making announcements. They just repeat the automated drivel with their personalised padding waffle. Please, for the sanity of paying passengers just stop.

Even the automated announcements are irritating with an unnecessary double announcement as you approach Twickenham. Just fix it!

 

[Bungle73]

Sorry, if you can't understand very, very basic English words like "terminate" or "divide" (what???) then you shouldn't be allowed outside of the house without a carer.

This is just symptomatic of the nonsense that has infested the railway recently. Messing with terminology that has served the purpose for 200 years and that everyone understands. Like we can't have a driver and a guard on trains anymore, we've got to have a driver and a conductor....or train manager...or whatever the people in head office think the latest trendy term is.

 

[fgwrich]

I do however agree with those on the Aventra builds. Just a “for the” would make it a little less clunky.

 

[NER1621]

terminology that has served the purpose for 200 years

Oh come off it.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

I get the view that rail travel is intimidating to some and extremely clear English will help it be less so, but on the other hand, it sounds terrible. Rail travel in general is a massive mirror of a country's society in many cases and for us, it doesn't exactly provide the air of reassurance or quality. OK, maybe its reassuring for those that need it, but generally it doesn't.

And for those complaining about me talking about railways on a railway forum...

 

[alxndr]

The Plain English Campaign started in 1979. Being awarded one of their crystal mark certificates is seen by many as a good thing.

It has its place. There are also times where using "plain English" has made it less clear as it removes some of the nuance. There's a reason legalese is the way it is. Some of the railway rulebook is incredibly gray now compared to rulebooks of old.

That said, there's probably something to be said for consistent terminology across the whole railway network, which is lost if some companies are using "terminates" and others "finishes".

 

[sickboy]

I’m afraid we’ve become a shadow of our former selves.

 

[renegademaster]

It has its place. There are also times where using "plain English" has made it less clear as it removes some of the nuance. There's a reason legalese is the way it is. Some of the railway rulebook is incredibly gray now compared to rulebooks of old.

That said, there's probably something to be said for consistent terminology across the whole railway network, which is lost if some companies are using "terminates" and others "finishes".

Terminates I agree with is poor simplification.

Simplification is good if the jargon word you are replacing has exactly the same meaning but terminates and finishes does not.

Separates and Divide do mean the same thing but the change in wording doesn't make sense considering "divide" uses less syllables and is an extremely common word

 

[jon0844]

Are people really that concerned about the words used when they arrive at the railway train station...?

 

[Trainguy34]

Are people really that concerned about the words used when they arrive at the railway train station...?

As long as I can still spot the numbers then I don't particularly care what happens