Class 730/2 incorrect platform length announcement

[RyanOPlasty]

I was travelling in the rear carriage of a 10 car 730 from Rugby to Nuneaton this evening. There was an announcement that, because of short platforms, passengers should move to the front 7 carriages to alight at Nuneaton.

My first thought was that this must be clearly incorrect, but then I realised there was an unlikely possibility that platform 1 would be used.

A large number of people in the front three carriages moved forward in the train, which then stopped as normal in platform 2.

I have never heard a short platform announcement for Nuneaton before. How are these messages activated?
Is the number of carriages pre-programmed for each station where all the doors will not be opened?

 

[Bungle965]

There's definitely some issues with the system at the moment.

At Crewe for example it's only opening the front three coaches as they don't pass the balise at the start of the platform because of the route they take into the station.

 

[_toommm_]

There's definitely some issues with the system at the moment.

At Crewe for example it's only opening the front three coaches as they don't pass the balise at the start of the platform because of the route they take into the station.

Is it not possible to override it like you can on the CAF Civity fleet?

 

[40129]

Re the situation with Crewe, the issue with only the doors on the front three cars opening only arises if the train is routed into plt 6 in the up direction. As Bungle965 says, this is due to the positioning of the balise, which is in the wrong position for trains taking the normal route from either the up fast or up slow, into that platform. Annoyingly, when the trains were first introduced on the Liverpool - New Street route, there was an automated announcement advising of the 'short platform' regardless of which platform the train was being routed into, or in which direction it was travelling (note that all doors open at platform 6 in the down direction). Thankfully, this announcement no longer plays, though it does mean that conductors need to be extra vigilant when arriving on up direction trains.

Re Nuneaton, the announcement will almost certainly be due to platform 1 being shorter than platforms 2-5, even though it is extremely rare for London-Crewe trains to use platform 1. in 6-7 years of traveling on those trains, I've only ever been routed into platforms 2, 3 or (very occasionally) 4.

Unfortunately, the ASDO cannot be overridden on class 730s

 

[185]

I was travelling in the rear carriage of a 10 car 730 from Rugby to Nuneaton this evening. There was an announcement that, because of short platforms, passengers should move to the front 7 carriages to alight at Nuneaton. My first thought was that this must be clearly incorrect, but then I realised there was an unlikely possibility that platform 1 would be used. A large number of people in the front three carriages moved forward in the train, which then stopped as normal in platform 2.

There's definitely some issues with the system at the moment. At Crewe for example it's only opening the front three coaches as they don't pass the balise at the start of the platform because of the route they take into the station.

These issues have been repeatedly reported by both staff and passengers for the last six months and little has been done to put things right. The announcements relate to the default shortest platform length at each station - as the train does not know which platform it is going into until arrival (or not at all in the case of Crewe P6). The announcements all need isolating until they work - BUT this should have been identified in the testing stage. Arguments between the operator and manufacturer pointing the finger at each other have to stop.

Perhaps the grown ups at the ORR can intervene (again).

 

[RyanOPlasty]

These issues have been repeatedly reported by both staff and passengers for the last six months and little has been done to put things right. The announcements relate to the default shortest platform length at each station - as the train does not know which platform it is going into until arrival (or not at all in the case of Crewe P6). The announcements all need isolating until they work - BUT this should have been identified in the testing stage. Arguments between the operator and manufacturer pointing the finger at each other have to stop.

Perhaps the grown ups at the ORR can intervene (again).

Is it only the announcement that is incorrect, or are the doors actually disabled on arrival?

 

[alex17595]

Is it only the announcement that is incorrect, or are the doors actually disabled on arrival?

The doors will not open either

 

[185]

Is it only the announcement that is incorrect, or are the doors actually disabled on arrival?

The doors will not open either

Just at Crewe platform six there is a lock-off of two coaches, which causes chaos regularly.

However there are a number of other stations where the train fits fine by a country mile, but there are still entire carriages locked out, programmed wrong.

Other stations like Lichfield, Nuneaton, South Parkway - the train is randomly telling people to move forward, which causes further chaos and stampedes.

The fix :-

1. Crewe needs an additional Asdo balise at the middle of platform six - six months is unacceptable.
2. The default short platforms announcements need turning off - also known about for six months.
3. All platforms need properly assessing to see what fits where. Reprogram incorrect balise data.
4. Someone needs employing to program the Asdo system who actually goes out and checks their own work in action. Longterm, new business terms need implementing with Alstom to ensure there is no repeat of this.

 

[mb]

Same at Barnt Green. It's correct northbound towards Birmingham (even though platform 3 looks long enough to me), but incorrect southbound towards Redditch.

 

[Russel]

Just at Crewe platform six there is a lock-off of two coaches, which causes chaos regularly.

However there are a number of other stations where the train fits fine by a country mile, but there are still entire carriages locked out, programmed wrong.

Other stations like Lichfield, Nuneaton, South Parkway - the train is randomly telling people to move forward, which causes further chaos and stampedes.

The fix :-

1. Crewe needs an additional Asdo balise at the middle of platform six - six months is unacceptable.
2. The default short platforms announcements need turning off - also known about for six months.
3. All platforms need properly assessing to see what fits where. Reprogram incorrect balise data.
4. Someone needs employing to program the Asdo system who actually goes out and checks their own work in action. Longterm, new business terms need implementing with Alstom to ensure there is no repeat of this.

Can add Four Oaks and Sutton Coldfield to this list too.

The 730/0s on the Cross-City have been in service for 12 months now, it's nonsense that this hasn't been resolved yet.