"Crayford, this is Crayford"

[WillPS]

Sorry if I sound like a total n00b here - I ventured on to SouthEastern for the first time a couple of weeks back, and the automated announcer at Crayford did something a little alien to me - as the train arrived, it declared "Crayford this is Crayford". For whom is this of benefit? Is it a hangover from slam-door days?

Also - why is there a bell on the units which sounds when the doors have been unlocked? Another hangover from slam-door days (presumably one would sound to indicate that it was safe to open doors)?

 

[scotsman]

No, just to alert everyone that a) The train has stopped and b) That the doors are unlocked

In slammer days, people often tended to open them on the move. There was no bell and no onboard announcements either, some stations did them though

 

[Eagle]

Are you asking why the auto-announcer specifically used the format "X, this is X"? I don't know what the benefit of that is over the more common auto-announcer format "This is X. *pause* This train is for Z; the next station is Y".

I know that some station PAs do it as well before making a proper announcement ("Birmingham New Street, this is Birmingham New Street. The next train to depart from platform 10a is...").

 

[heart-of-wessex]

I like that SE woman when she starts drowning down through the stations as if she is about to fall asleep

I've only done some networkers and hear the 'ding' when the doors are unlocked once or twice...the GW drivers on 165s used to hammer the hell on the buttons, was great arriving into Padd then hearing 'ding-ding-dingdingdingdingdingdi-di-di-di-ding!'

 

[Michael.Y]

Sorry if I sound like a total n00b here - I ventured on to SouthEastern for the first time a couple of weeks back, and the automated announcer at Crayford did something a little alien to me - as the train arrived, it declared "Crayford this is Crayford". For whom is this of benefit? Is it a hangover from slam-door days?

Also - why is there a bell on the units which sounds when the doors have been unlocked? Another hangover from slam-door days (presumably one would sound to indicate that it was safe to open doors)?

It's for blind people surely.

 

[WillPS]

But nobody on the train would be able to hear it, the train was barely approaching the platform?

 

[Eagle]

But nobody on the train would be able to hear it, the train was barely approaching the platform?

Oh you mean the station PA said that? In that case I'll agree that is kind of pointless (being as the train's auto-announcer should be saying it instead).

 

[Mojo]

Don't understand why this is described as ''alien'' though. It's a common announcement that has existed since the dawn of automated announcements and heard at stations nationwide.

 

[LexyBoy]

Oh you mean the station PA said that? In that case I'll agree that is kind of pointless (being as the train's auto-announcer should be saying it instead).

I think it's from the days before on-train announcements. Although as they always seem to make the announcement some time before the train is at the platform I'm not sure how much use they ever were.

 

[Daniel]

A station arrival announcement is always the first thing I say once the doors open on LUL when I'm doing dispatch..

'This is King's Cross St. Pancras. Change here for the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan, Northern and Piccadilly Lines, National and International Rail Services. This is a southbound Victoria Line train calling at all stations to Brixton. Please move right down inside the cars and make use of all available space. This train is now ready to depart, mind the doors, stand clear of the closing doors please, mind the doors.'

 

[TheJRB]

Southeastern use an automated announcement system at most of their stations that uses the "x, this is x." announcement.

For instance: "Hastings. This is Hastings. The train now standing at platform 3 is the 15:36 Southern service to Ashford International. Calling at Winchelsea..."

However sometimes it is used to notify passengers of points of interest or changing points at that station for example:

"Strood, this is Strood. Alight here for Medway Valley line services."
"Rochester, this is Rochester. Alight here for Rochester Castle and Cathedral"
"Beckenham Junction, this is Beckenham Junction. Alight here for the Croydon Tramlink."
"Bromley South, this is Bromley South. Alight here for the Glades shopping centre."

 

[jon0844]

Until FCC switched to the Atos system, we had Phil Sayer doing that exact 'Name, this is Name..' announcement and it was very useful (if it wasn't too early or late) for people on trains without CIS. You could hear it from on the train usually, so it was a good way to tell people where they'd just arrived. I presume it repeats the name as you can easily miss the first word of an announcement - and this as good as having an intro sound/bong.

If someone was to get off the train and hear the name, they could realise they'd got off at the wrong station too. I've done that a couple of times, as I've not been paying attention and many rail stations (unlike the tube) have badly positioned station name signs, which are near invisible at night.

In fact, the more I think about it, the more I think they should bring this back to all the stations that have lost it (and will lose it) as we change to the crappy Atos system.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

...Also - why is there a bell on the units which sounds when the doors have been unlocked? Another hangover from slam-door days (presumably one would sound to indicate that it was safe to open doors)?

It stems from the Disability Discrimination Act (now Equalities ACT 2010). Blind people can't see the 'door open' control light up, they need another indication, sound works best.

 

[jon0844]

And it does no harm to anyone else either, especially on trains that wait hours to unlock due to GPS positioning!

 

[swt_passenger]

But the main criticism of many of these platform announcements is that they are often being made well before the train is alongside the platform by an automated system (which suggests they are incorrrectly programmed), or it is made as the train arrives but still just before the doors have opened - so no one inside the typical modern stock can hear it in their sealed air conditioned carriages. The same modern stock is making the 'this is station X' announcement anyway.

I suggest there are many stations where these platform announcements really are just going off because they were done in slam door days, and no-one has ever bothered changing them...

 

[OxtedL]

The platform ".............., this is ..........." announcements are very difficult to hear from inside trains with no windows open (which is anything modern really), so maybe they are becoming outdated now. Particularly with automated announcements on the train becoming more widespread.

 

[Blindtraveler]

And it does no harm to anyone else either, especially on trains that wait hours to unlock due to GPS positioning!

agreed and as my username would suggest I am one of those its designed to aid!

The X, this is X is v helpful also but sadly the ditra system on which it is used is being as John says replaced widly by an impherior system which, certainly on FCC struggles to announce trains, never mind say what station your at. The X, thisis X is supposed to trigger as the train arives or has arived and in some places, Crayford clearly being one it works fine but at others, gillingham kent being a notable example of one I use oten the system has proclaimed that the train now standing at Platform X is the XX:XX service to X before its even started to arive and sadly as I say I doubt this wil now ever be rectified.

Wil, if interested in auto announcement related discussion, ask Jordie to admit you to the auto announcements section on here..we are all very friendly and its a safe and regulated haven for those of us who are quietly decending into the bargin bassment of rail related geeckyness

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I've heard '<station>, this is <station>' at quite a few stations over the years, I have never understood it myself but TBH I am not really that bothered about it.

Having said that, at least they say 'Crayford', unlike the trains! (See attached)

 

[jon0844]

The new Atos system used by FCC does one announcement, when a train triggers the sensor on the approach. It means the announcement begins about 20-25 seconds before the train has arrived and stopped. It only reads the stopping pattern once too.

I asked FCC why they think just one announcement is enough (they don't even announce the next train at set intervals for people who have just arrived after a train has left, and it may be 20-30 minutes until the next one) and they said that's all they are required to do. Now that might be true, but someone who is visually impaired can arrive at a station and not have ANY idea of when the next train is, or where it goes, until it's 20 seconds away.

FCC clearly don't care much for the visually impaired at all, given that they have never fixed the speakers on platforms 2/3 at Hatfield since swapping over to the Atos system. One speaker puts out sound in a muffled state and that's only at the southern end of the platform. Now trains all stop at the S stop at the far end, anyone who walks down to where they need to be to board a 3, 4 or 6-car train will hear nothing EVER.

 

[TheJRB]

The platform ".............., this is ..........." announcements are very difficult to hear from inside trains with no windows open (which is anything modern really), so maybe they are becoming outdated now. Particularly with automated announcements on the train becoming more widespread.

While indeed modern stock do generally have automated announcements, there are occasions (particularly engineering works) when there's a different routing or calling pattern which renders the system unable to say anything.

Such an example I experienced back on the 9th October when I went to Victoria from Ashford (due to engineering works Charing Cross trains were diverted via Maidstone and in to Victoria). The train only called at Maidstone East, Otford and Bromley South en route, a calling pattern the announcement system couldn't announce instead making the generic "Please listen to station and on-train announcements" announcement.

 

[OxtedL]

Southeastern onboard announcements are generally useless during engineering works. Compared to Southern (the famous "LISTEN to announcements"...), who somehow manage to set the screens correctly as to Woldingham or Hurst Green or whatever, as necessary.

Some of the refurbed 465s that I've seen have new 375 style screens and announcements (as opposed to the old style in MattE's post), so that is getting better, but I wonder what Southern have realised that Southeastern haven't.

 

[charlee]

Hearing...

"Plymouth, This is Plymouth"

Is a very common event, happens everytime a train stops

 

[dvboy]

At Birmingham New Street they have been switched off, and on again, and back off again in the past. I think they are currently off, and announcements start "Platform X for the XX:XX TOC service to X".

Last time they were on, they were just on the platform of the arriving train, and presumably the benefit is to arriving passengers. You wouldn't hear it for a train that started its journey at BHM, or on the concourse.

With the number of announcements being made, sometimes simultaneously on different platforms and the concourse, they need to cut out the unneccesary.

 

[shedman]

I remember it from the glory days of BR at Wakefield Westgate. Probably sounds daft but it brings back some memories as a kid spending my weekends dayrovering! I think Sheffield used to have it up until they changed to manual announcements. It would say it everytime the London train arrived

 

[AlterEgo]

I love the self-satisfied on-train announcements on the Paris Metro.

20 seconds before the train arrives it says the name of the approaching station, intonated like a question (as if it's not sure where we're stopping), then once the train comes to rest it says the name of the station again, in a rather smug manner ("told you so").

"Pigalle?"

...

"Pigalle."


If you've been you'll know what I mean.

 

[heart-of-wessex]

agreed and as my username would suggest I am one of those its designed to aid!

The X, this is X is v helpful also but sadly the ditra system on which it is used is being as John says replaced widly by an impherior system which, certainly on FCC struggles to announce trains, never mind say what station your at. The X, thisis X is supposed to trigger as the train arives or has arived and in some places, Crayford clearly being one it works fine but at others, gillingham kent being a notable example of one I use oten the system has proclaimed that the train now standing at Platform X is the XX:XX service to X before its even started to arive and sadly as I say I doubt this wil now ever be rectified.

Wil, if interested in auto announcement related discussion, ask Jordie to admit you to the auto announcements section on here..we are all very friendly and its a safe and regulated haven for those of us who are quietly decending into the bargin bassment of rail related geeckyness

Theres a auto announcements section on here if you wish to be part of it? If so, I'm interested!

 

[dvboy]

I love the self-satisfied on-train announcements on the Paris Metro.

20 seconds before the train arrives it says the name of the approaching station, intonated like a question (as if it's not sure where we're stopping), then once the train comes to rest it says the name of the station again, in a rather smug manner ("told you so").

"Pigalle?"

...

"Pigalle."


If you've been you'll know what I mean.

Slightly related, the female announcer at Birmingham New Street always says "Machynlleth" as if she's questioning herself over the pronounciation.

 

[mister-sparky]

However sometimes it is used to notify passengers of points of interest or changing points at that station for example:

"Strood, this is Strood. Alight here for Medway Valley line services."
"Rochester, this is Rochester. Alight here for Rochester Castle and Cathedral"
"Beckenham Junction, this is Beckenham Junction. Alight here for the Croydon Tramlink."
"Bromley South, this is Bromley South. Alight here for the Glades shopping centre."

sometimes at Tunbridge Wells it says "alight here for Pantiles and Spa", it's very random

 

[Blindtraveler]

spotted that one, doesnt always do it!

 

[Mojo]

"Bromley South, this is Bromley South. Alight here for the Glades shopping centre."

Of course totally pointless. I'd imagine anyone going to the Glades shopping centre would have planned in advance where to get off the train rather than get on any random train in the vague hope they may be able to hear a dishevelled voice announcing where they have to get off.