Avanti and their delicious food

[danshrimp]

I've not heard the announcement. Is it actually an advert, or is it along the lines of "the 1234 to London Euston, first class is in coach K, premium standard is in coach H, and there is a shop in Coach C serving delicious hot and cold food".

If the latter I'm a bit uncomfortable with it. There's enough audio sewage at railway stations without inserting superfluous adjectives into announcements which should be purely factual. What next, "Text 61016 and a hunky policeman will get back to you within twelve working months".

Exactly. I've heard this announcement for years at Lancaster, and I've often thought the fact that this kind of language is being used in an "official" announcement is odd, but my main objection is that it takes up a lot of room in the announcement that is played as the train enters the station, which contains a lot of important information like which zone to stand in for which coach, at a critical moment when passengers need to be focusing their minds. The fact that the food is delicious - on the train I've not only already bought tickets for but am in the middle of battling through a crowd to get on - is not only superfluous but rather distracting.

And yes, I think it would be less weird in a nationalised system where there aren't, as there currently are, competing private operators, indeed advertising the benefits of the railway like this (at less critical moments!) would be a good thing. But if competing TOCs were to start choosing their own messaging in this way across the board it could get pretty messy. What happens when Lumo (without meaningful catering so deprived of this selling point) insist that they want their announcements to say "Platform 4 for the affordable, convenient service to London..."?

 

[185]

I always think of this when I hear it

. the veal chop is done with rosemary – that’s funny, I thought she left already – and it’s delicious and nutritious. In fact, it’s veal-y good. Veal-y good!

Well, not very delicious & nutritious on a number of services recently - seeing a handful of Pendos with the shop shut in the last two weeks. They've often got staff, I've heard there's been faults.

 

[Ericscollar]

As we all know, we are bombarded by vocal messages at major stations but these are factual and objective.

However, Avanti services are described as having "delicous" food on board. Now delicious is not factual and objective. It is subjective. What I find delicious might not be so for you.

To make clear, these are not announcements on Avanti trains or at Avanti run stations that I am talking about. These are not Avanti owned announcements but typically at Network Rail stations.

So some questions:

a) Does this happen for other TOCs?
b) Do TOCs own the announcements relating to their trains at Network Rail stations?
b) Are Avanti allowed to do this? If so where does it stop? Really comfy seats? Tasteful colour scheme? Are there not impartiality issues?
c) Did any money change hands for turning public information into an advert? If so to and from whom?

on the basis that something always becomes acceptable given enough time?

Can I clarify if this is a serious thread or a wind up ?

 

[tfw756rider]

I've definitely heard similar automated announcements at Preston before, referring to the Shop in coach C, offering a range of "delicious hot and cold snacks" or similar words to that effect.

I believe it's "you can find The Shop in Coach C, for delicious hot and cold refreshments" (voiced by the same voice as the rest of the announcement - Atos Wordline's Anne Jermy), but for me, I believe it's Crewe I hear it at.

 

[davart]

Meanwhile on Northern, I'm sure they were serving 'delicious' fish and chips wi' mushy peas...

 

[6Gman]

I heard this for the first time yesterday and my first thought was "how long until this makes it onto the forum"

2018.

I complained about it seven years ago.

Personally, I find it more irritating than "see it, say it ..." which at least makes people aware of how to contact BTP.

 

[Bletchleyite]

SBB have an announcement with this sort of wording about their restaurant cars. So it's not just the UK.

 

[AJDesiro]

Pretty sure I hear this at Rugby, it's only for 390 operated services afaik.

 

[Djgr]

Thank you for your comments, with some varied perspectives.

As far as I am concerned, station announcements should be objective and factual. The word "delicious" is neither objective nor factual and is therefore not appropriate.

Perhaps more importantly, regardless of who operates a station, station announcements should be impartial and not be pushing one TOC over another. The use of such subjective language for one TOC breaks this impartiality.

I am sorry that some people don't see the issue here but of course that doesn't mean that the issue doesn't exist.

I am dubious that this activity is actually allowed. I am sad that Virgin were allowed to introduce this and Avanti (who by the way do not in any way have the same brand tone as Virgin) were allowed to continue it.

 

[317 forever]

Their coffee is pretty unpleasant. On trains to London I have waited til I reach Euston then I get coffee there.

 

[Segedunum]

Their coffee is pretty unpleasant. On trains to London I have waited til I reach Euston then I get coffee there.

In fairness, the announcement only pertains to delicious food

 

[Falcon1200]

Surely passengers will use their own judgement on whether Avanti's food is delicious or not, and will treat the announcement just like any other advert extolling the supposed virtues of the product being promoted. A matter of very little import.

 

[tfw756rider]

In fairness, the announcement only pertains to delicious food

It's "delicious hot and cold refreshments", which is both food and drink, no?

 

[Carntyne]

Thank you for your comments, with some varied perspectives.

As far as I am concerned, station announcements should be objective and factual. The word "delicious" is neither objective nor factual and is therefore not appropriate.

Perhaps more importantly, regardless of who operates a station, station announcements should be impartial and not be pushing one TOC over another. The use of such subjective language for one TOC breaks this impartiality.

I am sorry that some people don't see the issue here but of course that doesn't mean that the issue doesn't exist.

I am dubious that this activity is actually allowed. I am sad that Virgin were allowed to introduce this and Avanti (who by the way do not in any way have the same brand tone as Virgin) were allowed to continue it.

Why wouldn't it be allowed? The railway is allowed to advertise itself and entice potential custom.

 

[Starmill]

Similarly, VT did the same prior to Avanti.

It is an unchanged announcement from Virgin Trains days. I suspect Avanti wouldn't have bothered with it. I'm fact they might not even know it still plays using this precise wording.

 

[Starmill]

I believe it's "you can find The Shop in Coach C, for delicious hot and cold refreshments" (voiced by the same voice as the rest of the announcement - Atos Wordline's Anne Jermy), but for me, I believe it's Crewe I hear it at.

Correct. I believe it replaced an earlier announcement voiced by the same artist that said "a buffet counter service of hot and cold snacks is available on the train". There's also a version that says "food and drinks are available on the train" and a choice of more bog standard ones about trolleys.