"Doors will open on the left hand side" - whose left?

[styles]

So I just noticed this on a Transport for Wales service.

I am travelling in a backwards facing seat. On the wall at the rear of the carriage is an electronic display.

As we approach stations, it will say, "Doors will open on the left-hand side". This is your left-hand as you face the screen which means the left side when looking towards the rear of the train.

Either this is a fault, or the side it says doors open on is dependent upon whether the screen you're looking at means you're looking at the front of the train or the rear.

Assuming it's not a fault (because I'd expect all the station info to be wrong also), to me this doesn't make sense. Consider for a moment that TfW might decide, like TfL do on some Tube services, to put it out over the public address system - you wouldn't be able to do this unless you made sure only to have screens facing one direction within each carriage.

Surely logic dictates that left hand side or right hand side is relative to forward direction of the train? Or am I going mad? Or is this just a fault and I can stop questioning life?

 

[SuspectUsual]

On the CAF units Northern have the left/right is sensitive to which way the screen points

 

[dk1]

I always assumed within transportation that it means on the left ‘in the direction of travel’.

 

[Thames99]

If it is sensitive to facing backwards or forwards, it would be clearer to say doors will open on this side plus an appropriate arrow, although I suppose this wouldn't happen because it would fall foul of accessibility regulations for blind and partially sighted people.

On German trains, next stop announcements are that doors will open on the right or left side in the direction of travel which seems a very sensible solution.

 

[Deepgreen]

Viewed from direction of travel. It's also another pointless message because; 1) it is very obvious (except to blind passengers, who may be disorientated anyway), and; 2) it is wrong often enough when 'wrong' platforms are used to be more trouble than it's worth!

 

[styles]

If it is sensitive to facing backwards or forwards, it would be clearer to say doors will open on this side plus an appropriate arrow, although I suppose this wouldn't happen because it would fall foul of accessibility regulations for blind and partially sighted people.

TfW do indeed have quite large arrows pointing to the door opening side.

There are no audio announcements for which side the doors will open.

On German trains, next stop announcements are that doors will open on the right or left side in the direction of travel which seems a very sensible solution.

I would agree.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Dec 2025 ==

Just confirmed by checking a display in the opposite direction that they are indeed showing different messages depending upon whether the display screen is mounted forwards or backwards facing. So I doubt it is an error.

 

[Acathater]

That's why they should use port & starboard when announcing the doors

 

[Class 170101]

That's why they should use port & starboard when announcing the doors

and how many people would know their Port from their Starboard?

 

[DelW]

Viewed from direction of travel. It's also another pointless message because; 1) it is very obvious (except to blind passengers, who may be disorientated anyway), and; 2) it is wrong often enough when 'wrong' platforms are used to be more trouble than it's worth!

It does make sense to have it announced if the vestibules are full of standees, luggage, bikes etc. You can edge towards the correct side in advance, though it does need to be correct information in the first place.

That TfW system seems weird to me, though, I'd always assumed left or right side relative to looking forward (direction of travel).

 

[NickBucks]

Transport for london announcement says " Doors will open on the -------- side in the direction of travel" I believe.

 

[rower40]

and how many people would know their Port from their Starboard?

Port is the place you’ve just Left.
As soon as I heard that, I’ve never forgotten it.

 

[Recessio]

That's why they should use port & starboard when announcing the doors

and how many people would know their Port from their Starboard?

Judging by how many people don't seem to understand London escalator's "stand on the right", I think most people don't know their left and right let alone their port and starboard...

 

[TUC]

So I just noticed this on a Transport for Wales service.

I am travelling in a backwards facing seat. On the wall at the rear of the carriage is an electronic display.

As we approach stations, it will say, "Doors will open on the left-hand side". This is your left-hand as you face the screen which means the left side when looking towards the rear of the train.

Either this is a fault, or the side it says doors open on is dependent upon whether the screen you're looking at means you're looking at the front of the train or the rear.

Assuming it's not a fault (because I'd expect all the station info to be wrong also), to me this doesn't make sense. Consider for a moment that TfW might decide, like TfL do on some Tube services, to put it out over the public address system - you wouldn't be able to do this unless you made sure only to have screens facing one direction within each carriage.

Surely logic dictates that left hand side or right hand side is relative to forward direction of the train? Or am I going mad? Or is this just a fault and I can stop questioning life?

I think you're being over literal for an announcement that is very helpful to many passengers. I suspect for most people what it means is obvious.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Dec 2025 ==

If it is sensitive to facing backwards or forwards, it would be clearer to say doors will open on this side plus an appropriate arrow, although I suppose this wouldn't happen because it would fall foul of accessibility regulations for blind and partially sighted people.

On German trains, next stop announcements are that doors will open on the right or left side in the direction of travel which seems a very sensible solution.

How would 'this side' with an arrow be of any use to visually impaired passengers?

 

[Watershed]

Transport for london announcement says " Doors will open on the -------- side in the direction of travel" I believe.

Not on the Victoria line if that's what you're referring to. It just says the left or right hand side.

 

[michael8]

Transport for london announcement says " Doors will open on the -------- side in the direction of travel" I believe.

I don't think so. I can hear it. It's a woman's voice. Doors will Open on the Left Hand Side (quite pronounced, where there is a capital letter). I've heard it manually announced in the direction of travel, and likewise on SWR services.

 

[Fokx]

Transport for london announcement says " Doors will open on the -------- side in the direction of travel" I believe.

On the underground it's just "Doors will open on the left/right hand side"

 

[PaulJ]

So I just noticed this on a Transport for Wales service.

I am travelling in a backwards facing seat. On the wall at the rear of the carriage is an electronic display.

As we approach stations, it will say, "Doors will open on the left-hand side". This is your left-hand as you face the screen which means the left side when looking towards the rear of the train.

Either this is a fault, or the side it says doors open on is dependent upon whether the screen you're looking at means you're looking at the front of the train or the rear.

Assuming it's not a fault (because I'd expect all the station info to be wrong also), to me this doesn't make sense. Consider for a moment that TfW might decide, like TfL do on some Tube services, to put it out over the public address system - you wouldn't be able to do this unless you made sure only to have screens facing one direction within each carriage.

Surely logic dictates that left hand side or right hand side is relative to forward direction of the train? Or am I going mad? Or is this just a fault and I can stop questioning life?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Dec 2025 ==

My usual manual announcements would state 'the next station is (...) and the doors will open on the (left/right) in the direction of travel.'

 

[Fokx]

Viewed from direction of travel. It's also another pointless message because; 1) it is very obvious (except to blind passengers, who may be disorientated anyway), and; 2) it is wrong often enough when 'wrong' platforms are used to be more trouble than it's worth!

I disagree with you here, whilst it may not be handy at 'local' stations with two directional platforms, it's extremely useful for multi-platform stations, particularly for those with short connection times between services when the train is late for example.

 

[Lewisham2221]

I think you're being over literal for an announcement that is very helpful to many passengers. I suspect for most people what it means is obvious.

It's not an announcement, it's only displayed on the PIS screens. As stated, it displays left/right side based on which way you are facing when reading the screen - screens viewed by people facing the direction of travel will say left hand side and show a left pointing arrow, whilst screens viewed by people facing the rear of the train will say right hand side with a right pointing arrow.

I disagree with you here, whilst it may not be handy at 'local' stations with two directional platforms, it's extremely useful for multi-platform stations, particularly for those with short connection times between services when the train is late for example.

It doesn't (or shouldn't) display at multi-platform stations, as it has no way of knowing which platform the train will arrive at.

 

[styles]

It's not an announcement, it's only displayed on the PIS screens. As stated, it displays left/right side based on which way you are facing when reading the screen - screens viewed by people facing the direction of travel will say left hand side and show a left pointing arrow, whilst screens viewed by people facing the rear of the train will say right hand side with a right pointing arrow.

Yes, it couldn't be an announcement without rewording it or rearranging all the chairs to face the same direction.

It doesn't (or shouldn't) display at multi-platform stations, as it has no way of knowing which platform the train will arrive at.

I'm pretty sure it showed at Manchester Oxford Rd and Manchester Piccadilly. But I could be imagining it I guess!

 

[fandroid]

Ausstieg in Fahrtrichtung links/rechts

 

[AbsoluteBlock]

Not all train operators in Germany have the more specific announcement; I've heard a simple "Ausstieg links/rechts" on Rhein Ruhr Express and bwegt services for instance. But the "in Fahrtrichtung" phrase is preferred by Deutsche Bahn and is certainly used on the majority of non-DB services too.

 

[endecotp]

Ausstieg in Fahrtrichtung links/rechts

It is so wonderfully concise, compared to the English equivalent.

Does anyone know any other languages' equivalents that are actually in use?

 

[SuspectUsual]

and how many people would know their Port from their Starboard?

[Arthur Ransome]

They were twins, even their father sometimes struggled to recognise which was which

[\Arthur Ransome]

 

[Undiscovered]

As discussed on another thread, the door pockets light up, the door opening buttons illuminate, and there is an audible alarm at the door which can be opened.

Conversely, on the unopening side, the door pocket does not illuminated, and the 'Door Not In Service' notification shows, certainly on TfW 197s. From experience, these seem to be suitable for VIP passengers to use the railway, to great success.

 

[andy33gmail]

Presumably people who are blind but able to hear could be helped with the use of stereo sound ...
*THIS SIDE* - with both a light / arrow, and selective use of speakers/volume

 

[styles]

Conversely, on the unopening side, the door pocket does not illuminated, and the 'Door Not In Service' notification shows, certainly on TfW 197s. From experience, these seem to be suitable for VIP passengers to use the railway, to great success.

I actually disagree with this.

Whenever I've seen a similar style round 'not in use' style light, it's been to communicate that something is broken.

When the 197s were introduced this confused me because I was waiting to open the door then saw this notice so I darted to another door, only to realise it's not actually an error, despite it being in red and possibly in caps (though my memory in that is hazy).

If you saw that on a toilet door button panel you would (correctly) assume the thing is out of order, not just ordinarily disengaged.

As for the general point about signage and accessibility, I think I'd rather not have any signs or announcements about door opening sides than ones which are arguably misleading (though them being misleading is just my view).

 

[michael8]

Presumably people who are blind but able to hear could be helped with the use of stereo sound ...
*THIS SIDE* - with both a light / arrow, and selective use of speakers/volume

No. Stick to Left hand side or Right hand side please. That's easy for us to understand.

 

[styles]

Presumably people who are blind but able to hear could be helped with the use of stereo sound ...
*THIS SIDE* - with both a light / arrow, and selective use of speakers/volume

I am not hard of hearing so I may be wrong on this but I would assume this would be even more confusing, as it would rely on the ability to detect audio direction. If somebody is saying fully deaf in one ear, but perfect in the other, are they going to clock where the sound has come from? I don't actually know the answer to this as I don't know much about aural disabilities but it spring to my mind.

 

[D365]

I actually disagree with this.

Whenever I've seen a similar style round 'not in use' style light, it's been to communicate that something is broken.

When the 197s were introduced this confused me because I was waiting to open the door then saw this notice so I darted to another door, only to realise it's not actually an error, despite it being in red and possibly in caps (though my memory in that is hazy).

It catches me out too, in spite of my technical familiarity with CAF fleets and subfleets.