Avanti take needless announcements to a new level

[in_luzern]

This is what baffles me. Humans in the Netherlands, or Belgium, or Germany are essentially the same as in the UK. Day to day life in those countries is similar to the UK. I speak enough Dutch and French to get by. I've never heard any reference to slippery platforms, or mind the gap. There are some huge train/platform gaps in Belgium. How do British people cope if they use trains abroad?

France can be quite bad, especially on TGVs where, before and/or after every station, you get the full list of following stations, mind the gap between the marchepied and the platform, don't forget your personal belongings, the bar is in coach 14, thank you for travelling with TGV Inoui, etc... all of which would be OK except that the whole sequence often comes out twice, as the automated announcements are repeated by the train staff or vice versa.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Thameslink announcements are mostly restricted to destination, calling pattern and short platform info.

That really is the only information the average rail passenger needs to know. Anyone wanting any more specific details can find it on their phone or ask the conductor as he walks through the train.

 

[Silver Cobra]

There is one additional thing that Greater Anglia train managers/conductors do on Norwich-bound services, that I think is pretty useful, which is announce the platforms for onward connections as the train approaches Norwich. They probably do this at other major stations on their network as well, but I've mostly encountered it on Norwich-bound services.

 

[talldave]

Southern have it sorted - bing/bong welcome onboard/approaching/next station stuff.

The only time you hear a manual announcement it's the driver explaining why there's a delay.

The beauty of DOO.

 

[Krokodil]

I think the 61016 announcements are sometimes preceded by "ATTENTION"

"This is British Transport Police" in a stern voice that makes one feel that it may be necessary to consider escape routes or places to hide because of an active shooter. But no, it's just the 61016 announcement.

There is one additional thing that Greater Anglia train managers/conductors do on Norwich-bound services, that I think is pretty useful, which is announce the platforms for onward connections as the train approaches Norwich. They probably do this at other major stations on their network as well, but I've mostly encountered it on Norwich-bound services.

Good guards will do that in many parts of the country. It's standard in Switzerland.

 

[island]

I wonder if 'mind the gap' announcements have any impact whatsoever? It would be interesting to stop the announcements and see if there is a notable uptick in people falling down the gap. My gut feeling is that someone prone to fall down the gap is likely to do so whether they have been told to mind it or not.

It doesn't really matter whether they have an impact on people falling down the gap, the purpose of the announcement is to reduce the chance of the TOC being successfully sued if someone does, because they took precautions to prevent it.

 

[SuspectUsual]

Apropos 61016, I was waiting at Northallerton earlier and I noticed that on the recordings it’s changed from 6-1-0-1-6 to 6-101-6

That’s how bored I was

 

[Merle Haggard]

There is one additional thing that Greater Anglia train managers/conductors do on Norwich-bound services, that I think is pretty useful, which is announce the platforms for onward connections as the train approaches Norwich. They probably do this at other major stations on their network as well, but I've mostly encountered it on Norwich-bound services.

Avant trains since refurbishment have bulkheads information screens and , approaching a station, one of the series of displays shows the times, destinations, platform number and delay (if the case) of the next trains to depart from the next station.
Two minor problems; it sometimes shows the departure details of the train you're on, and always trains to stations the train you're on has already called at on its journey so far, which tends to reduce the opportunity to give information about more likely services; and, for a while after the clocks were altered - and presumably connected with this - it shows the trains that you could have caught if only you had been on a service that arrived exactly one hour earlier.

 

[speedy1]

It doesn't really matter whether they have an impact on people falling down the gap, the purpose of the announcement is to reduce the chance of the TOC being successfully sued if someone does, because they took precautions to prevent it.

Is it easy to sue a TOC over things like that in reality? Have there been many in the past? Have the announcements reduced the number of legal cases? Do English judges rule that announcements are sufficient to avoid liability?

 

[izvor]

Thameslink announcements are mostly restricted to destination, calling pattern and short platform info. I just travelled on one and there was only one other announcement during the 20 minute journey.

That really is the only information the average rail passenger needs to know. Anyone wanting any more specific details can find it on their phone or ask the conductor as he walks through the train.

One of the few joys of travelling by Thameslink! And therefore of DOO. Would still prefer the presence of a (non-rabbiting) guard though.

 

[Kilopylae]

We had a list of places the busses at Meadowhell served, I'm sure the only reason we didn't get service numbers, stand numbers, and times of these was that he had to shut up for the "please take care when alighting ... " Messaging.

The one that makes me grind my teeth irrationally is the GWR "Change here for the RailAir coach (!) link (pause) to Heathrow Airport", in that tone of delighted surprise, as if anyone on board the train who didn't already know this would hear that information and decide spontaneously to alight for the RailAir coach link.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 Jun 2026 ==

Apropos 61016, I was waiting at Northallerton earlier and I noticed that on the recordings it’s changed from 6-1-0-1-6 to 6-101-6

That’s how bored I was

I think it used to be an idiosyncrasy of TfL's that they spoke the number this way, so it's interesting to hear that it's spread elsewhere. It does make more sense: makes the number easier to remember by emphasising the symmetry.

 

[TUC]

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 Jun 2026 ==


I think it used to be an idiosyncrasy of TfL's that they spoke the number this way, so it's interesting to hear that it's spread elsewhere. It does make more sense: makes the number easier to remember by emphasising the symmetry.

It also builds upon the wider police's 101 number, so that also aids recognitio.

 

[Jim]

Ladies and Gentleman is not an encouraged phrase at some TOCs these days either, a hard habit to stop.

Knowing your audience is importantish too I find, but even so it is easy to turn in to unintentional waffle and what one person finds annoying, the next can sometimes find helpful!

 

[TheHovisKid]

It is a monitored requirement and a conductor standard, so essentially yes...

Do remember that you're posting on a website for train enthusiasts and you're not the 'average' leisure traveller, therefore your own needs and norms differ to most leisure passengers

So the need for leisure passengers to have the automatic announcement immediately repeated by the conductor... One of those two announcements is superfluous.
I've even heard "as the automated announcement just said....."

The grammatical mangling of announcements is a monitored requirement too?

Both Avanti and TPE's Scottish crews seem worse than their English counterparts (never sit under a speaker on Avanti lest Shouty Alistair perforated your eardrums) and TPE the worse if the two. Is there an intake ex-airlines?

But the thing that really needs stamping out in "once again" at the start of an announcement, when there hasn't previously been an announcent!

It's all spam. So people miss the genuine stuff as it's become white noise. No issue with foliw up announcement running in, giving platform info. But Lancaster's station staff are forever cutting into auto announcements which sounds bad. Especially when it's just someone cracking jokes at traincrew from other TOCs

Monitored requirement? Quantity. Maybe. But certainly not quality.

 

[speedy1]

I too am curious about what the monitored requirement is exactly. As this is an enthusiast forum after all

 

[SuspectUsual]

For what it's worth, someone I know earns their retirement spending money doing all sorts of random mystery shopping jobs. There have been quite a few Avanti ones recently apparently

I asked her whether they were asked to specifically monitor announcements as part of these jobs and the answer is "yes, but its pretty generic and part of a general staff service piece" and she sent me this bit from the job sheet....

1. Observe staff presence and customer interactions.

2. Listen for announcements – Were they clear and informative?

3. Report any delays or disruptions and note how staff communicated them.

 

[BuhSnarf]

It's important to note as well that as a forum of people very confident and used to using the rail network that we might find all these announcements as 'overkill' but my partner actually likes the announcements as she's a nervous traveller and they give her reassurance that she's on the right train etc / what to do at station etc. If there are no announcements and she's on her own she can become quite anxious and will often shoot me a text to double check she's on the right train.

One size doesn't fit all, unfortunately. But I will agree that when the manual announcement just repeats the automated one it adds little to no value.

 

[styles]

It's important to note as well that as a forum of people very confident and used to using the rail network that we might find all these announcements as 'overkill' but my partner actually likes the announcements as she's a nervous traveller and they give her reassurance that she's on the right train etc / what to do at station etc. If there are no announcements and she's on her own she can become quite anxious and will often shoot me a text to double check she's on the right train.

One size doesn't fit all, unfortunately. But I will agree that when the manual announcement just repeats the automated one it adds little to no value.

There's clearly a balance to be struck, but I think there's a difference between an announcement stating where the train is stopping or which tickets are valid on it, and announcements listing the buffet car menu or that hot drinks will be served in paper bags.

 

[BuhSnarf]

There's clearly a balance to be struck, but I think there's a difference between an announcement stating where the train is stopping or which tickets are valid on it, and announcements listing the buffet car menu or that hot drinks will be served in paper bags.

Again, the buffet one is quite useful if you're travelling alone and don't want to leave your seat and walk down x coaches to the buffet only to find it closed.

However, even more of an example is for low sighted / blind customers where making a trek down the whole moving train might be a tad more difficult than those of us who take walking for granted.

What we think may be useless to us might be useful to someone else. Especially if you're not someone who uses the train everyday, you might not even know the buffet exists! I would imagine someone somewhere has trialled the uplift in buffet sales from announcing versus not announcing. As for the paper bag.... that is an odd one, I'm guessing maybe to reduce the number of people who moan/kick off at the buffet staff who put it in a bag? So it's setting their expectations? I'd imagine someone who works on the trains might be better placed to answer why that one happens!

 

[Kilopylae]

announcements listing the buffet car menu

God, these are frustrating! "Teas, coffees, hot chocolates, hot and cold snacks, a range of sandwiches for you today". I can just about see the merits of informing people whether the food is snacks only, or whether there's "proper" lunch food - not that I trust the marketing team to provide a realistic assessment of this. But we don't need an itemised reminder of the items that are available on every snack trolley everywhere in the country six times throughout the journey.

 

[styles]

Again, the buffet one is quite useful if you're travelling alone and don't want to leave your seat and walk down x coaches to the buffet only to find it closed.

However, even more of an example is for low sighted / blind customers where making a trek down the whole moving train might be a tad more difficult than those of us who take walking for granted.

What we think may be useless to us might be useful to someone else. Especially if you're not someone who uses the train everyday, you might not even know the buffet exists! I would imagine someone somewhere has trialled the uplift in buffet sales from announcing versus not announcing. As for the paper bag.... that is an odd one, I'm guessing maybe to reduce the number of people who moan/kick off at the buffet staff who put it in a bag? So it's setting their expectations? I'd imagine someone who works on the trains might be better placed to answer why that one happens!

Again though, it's not just an announcement which says, "The cafe is open in coach B."; it's, "There is a buffet service on board today, serving hot and cold soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, sandwiches, cakes, and snacks. Please inform a member of staff if you have any allergies so that you can be accommodated. Please note that for safety reasons all hot drinks will be served in paper bags to prevent spillages and burns.", etc.

There are train journeys in the UK where the announcements barely finish before you get to the next stop. It's a bit OTT.

 

[Straus]

Sometimes on XC it feels like there's barely a gap in announcements because of the frequency of stations - I know I'm overexaggerating a bit but it's incredibly grating.

 

[CHAPS2034]

This thread about Avanti announcements seems to cover those on the train but at Stockport Station, which is Avanti run, passengers awaiting a Euston service will be confronted with an announcement that tells them to travel in the front 9 coaches (if it's 390/0) or the front 11 (for a 390/1) before listing the station stops en-route...

Been going on for a few months now...

 

[BuhSnarf]

Again though, it's not just an announcement which says, "The cafe is open in coach B."; it's, "There is a buffet service on board today, serving hot and cold soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, sandwiches, cakes, and snacks. Please inform a member of staff if you have any allergies so that you can be accommodated. Please note that for safety reasons all hot drinks will be served in paper bags to prevent spillages and burns.", etc.

There are train journeys in the UK where the announcements barely finish before you get to the next stop. It's a bit OTT.

Oh, agree if they're listing things like allergies etc then that's OTT. Certainly the only ones I've heard are "The buffet is now open in coach B serving hot and cold drinks, sandwiches and treats etc." which seems fine to me as it's letting people know what they can get there - again it's like an advert for the shop to those that have probably not used a buffet before.

Most people using the shop will be infrequent users of the train as most regulars will bring their drinks/food with them as they know how over priced it is!

This thread about Avanti announcements seems to cover those on the train but at Stockport Station, which is Avanti run, passengers awaiting a Euston service will be confronted with an announcement that tells them to travel in the front 9 coaches (if it's 390/0) or the front 11 (for a 390/1) before listing the station stops en-route...

Been going on for a few months now...

That's got to be a software glitch, surely? I'm guessing there's no one on staff who knows how to fix it, or no one on staff who can be bothered!

 

[D1511]

I note up thread that Dutch and Belgian railways are cited as treating people like adults with their limited announcements.
However one thing I noticed on NS during a visit last week was a repeat of the announcements in English, including dreadful English pronunciations of the Dutch station names. If I were Dutch travelling on these trains frequently, it would REALLY annoy me.
THERE IS ONLY ONE CORRECT PRONUNCIATION OF "LEEUWARDEN" or NAARDEN-BUSSEM (for example) whether you're Dutch or not.

 

[Kilopylae]

However one thing I noticed on NS during a visit last week was a repeat of the announcements in English, including dreadful English pronunciations of the Dutch station names.

I noticed that on italo, they repeat the Italian announcements in English, but don't translate the station names. So you hear "This is the train from [obvious pause, obviously different voice]: Milano Centrale [back to English voice] to [back] Reggio Calabria Centrale". It's strange to me that they don't say "Milan Central".

 

[D1511]

I noticed that on italo, they repeat the Italian announcements in English, but don't translate the station names. So you hear "This is the train from [obvious pause, obviously different voice]: Milano Centrale [back to English voice] to [back] Reggio Calabria Centrale". It's strange to me that they don't say "Milan Central".

That wouldn't be so bad.....but NS decide to Anglicise the pronunciations of the station names too.....so Dutch people have to endure an announcement that informs them that soon we will be stopping at "Loo-warr-din"......a place they've never heard of.....!

 

[speedy1]

I noticed that on italo, they repeat the Italian announcements in English, but don't translate the station names. So you hear "This is the train from [obvious pause, obviously different voice]: Milano Centrale [back to English voice] to [back] Reggio Calabria Centrale". It's strange to me that they don't say "Milan Central".

I'm definitely not biased being half Italian but they sound so good in Italian

Ok I'm definitely biased

It's important to note as well that as a forum of people very confident and used to using the rail network that we might find all these announcements as 'overkill' but my partner actually likes the announcements as she's a nervous traveller and they give her reassurance that she's on the right train etc / what to do at station etc. If there are no announcements and she's on her own she can become quite anxious and will often shoot me a text to double check she's on the right train.

There are likely quite a few psychologists who would say that being exposed to situations without announcements would over the long term perhaps reduce the anxiety through repeated exposure to situations where things turn out fine. The 5 announcements of "this is the train to X" can be replaced by an internal (quite silent) dialogue of "I saw the sign on the platform. This is the train to X. This is the train to X. I am right. Nothing will go wrong"

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jun 2026 ==

That wouldn't be so bad.....but NS decide to Anglicise the pronunciations of the station names too.....so Dutch people have to endure an announcement that informs them that soon we will be stopping at "Loo-warr-din"......a place they've never heard of.....!

This is an approvement because passengers might think the announcer was coughing up sone plehgm instead.

I jest...Dutch isn't too bad

 

[D1511]

This is an approvement because passengers might think the announcer was coughing up sone plehgm instead.

There is a Dutch phrase about 88 nights and 88 canals that you'd particularly like.......

Wij smachten naar achtentachtig prachtige nachten bij achtentachtig prachtige grachten

 

[Krokodil]

I asked her whether they were asked to specifically monitor announcements as part of these jobs and the answer is "yes, but its pretty generic and part of a general staff service piece" and she sent me this bit from the job sheet....

Checking the security announcements won't be down to ordinary mystery shoppers. It'll be DfT staff who check that.