"Crayford, this is Crayford"

[yorksrob]

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."

I think they repeat things to emphasise them. I certainly remember hearing:

"Ashford, this is Ashford. The train now in platform 1 terminates here. All change please, all change"

plenty of times.

 

[blakey1152]

You reminded me of a few years back when I was on a train at London Bridge

"This is the service to East Croydon, Fast to East Croydon. East Croydon will be the next stop"
Amusingly, a few seconds later this guy got on the train totally out of breath and asked "Is this train going to East Croydon?"

Chris

 

[TheJRB]

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.

Absolutely. I can't exactly imagine somebody getting on a train and thinking "hmm... I'll get off when I hear the voice (which I can barely hear) announce somewhere that sounds interesting."

 

[ileikcaek]

What I do find strange is on the southeastern 375's the guard/driver communication is done via a bell. Why on a train from the 21st century does it have a bell when most new trains have a buzzer instead? I know southerrns similar 377's have buzzers. Surely it's not cheaper to have a mechanical bell than an electrical buzzer. Guess it was in the (connex) southeastern spec when they were ordered but it's still quite strange hearing a bell on a modern train!

 

[jon0844]

Is it a real bell or a sample? I think some trains merely have a recording of a bell, so it can be changed to suit the customer.

 

[pendolino]

I know southerrns similar 377's have buzzers.

No, they have a bell. And I think it is a real bell (to answer Jon's question) as some of them sound very muffled. More of a BINK BINK! than a DING DING!

Anyway, back to announcements: I like the lady who does the announcements at Southeastern stations with the strong enunciation: 'The train at platform three is the thirTEEN twentyFOUR Southeastern service to......'

 

[TheJRB]

I managed to catch the bell in a video I recorded:

http://youtu.be/KTsrxyrCG74?t=1m55s

 

[heart-of-wessex]

No, they have a bell. And I think it is a real bell (to answer Jon's question) as some of them sound very muffled. More of a BINK BINK! than a DING DING!

Anyway, back to announcements: I like the lady who does the announcements at Southeastern stations with the strong enunciation: 'The train at platform three is the thirTEEN twentyFOUR Southeastern service to......'

I've yet to go on a Southern 377 and hear a buzzer, and I have heard a bell on these before

 

[JoeGJ1984]

I managed to catch the bell in a video I recorded:

http://youtu.be/KTsrxyrCG74?t=1m55s

It's not the driver-to-guard 'buzzer' is it? Some trains have it as a bell instead of a buzzer, some a beeping sound? Or is the train DOO?

 

[OxtedL]

The 171s (Uckfield and Marshlink) have buzzers, the 377s have bells. I quite like the bells, feels a bit retro.

 

[spacehopper]

I'm sure there is a good explanation why EMU stock has a bell rather than a buzzer.

Also on some stock if you do doors from an intermediate DKS what you hear at the IDKS is a pip pip but in the cab it will sound as a buzz buzz.

When I signed EMU stock I did like the ringing of the bell. Other good sounds- the two ducks mating on a 158. Not a fan of pips especially ones on voyagers.

 

[Galvanize]

The only exception in my area on Southeastern seems to be at Dartford, where the station seems to have its own pre-recorded announcement system which starts off with
"Welcome to Dartford. The train at Platform 4 is the Gillingham service, calling at Greenhithe, Gravesend, Higham, Strood, Rochester, Chatham and Gillingham. Gillingham service, train standing at Platform 4."

The 171s (Uckfield and Marshlink) have buzzers, the 377s have bells. I quite like the bells, feels a bit retro.

Even better when the conductor has to work the train from the cab on a 377, they have to do 1-2 on the bell to the driver to tell them to shut the doors!!
So you get
*BING. BINGBING* conductor-driver
*BING BINGBING* driver's response
DOORS CLOSE
*BING BING* ready to start!
*BINGBING* driver's response

Theres a certain driver who gives a really slow response on the bell on a 377, it can be quite funny to hear if sitting near where the conductor's got their key on the panel! Conductor does station duties, closes doors, gets interlock!
*BINGBING* ready to start
*BING........BING* driver's responce!

 

[Pumbaa]

I'm sure there is a good explanation why EMU stock has a bell rather than a buzzer. .

With the Bombardier stock, probably... ££££££££!

 

[Temple Meads]

My only real gripe with PA systems I've heard, is the terrible pronunciation used by the new voice appearing at various FGW stations, she pronounces Plymouth, as Plymuff....
That system seem to have a bug with occasionally repeating an announcement it's just made instantly.

 

[shedman]

Not sure how right this is but I heard the reason EMUs have a bell instead of buzzer is to prevent the driver/guard confusing the buzzer with any electrical buzzing the unit might make. Like I say, not sure how right it is so please don't quote me!!


Actually, I've just thought. On the 321/9s the new intermediate door control panels in the train don't have a bell, they have a voyager style squeel. So maybe what I heard might not be true! I'm doubting myself now lol! Sure someone must know!

 

[Galvanize]

The LOROL Class 378s are similar, there are bells in the cab, but the vestibule door panels have "pips" instead!

Southern Class 171s have buzzers in the cabs, but like the 378s, the vestibule door panels have "pips".

 

[Michael.Y]

Last time I travelled on a South Eastern train was 2004; and it was a mixture of single bell (doors unlocked) and beepers (doors closing); and plain beepers a la 175s etc.

 

[WillPS]

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.

Honestly never heard it - most of my travels are in the Midlands and the North, as I say this was my first time in SouthEastern land.

As others have said it's a bit of a redundant announcement as it's mostly mistimed, and inaudible on modern stock anyway.

 

[JoeGJ1984]

Do 378s have a guard? I thought they were DOO operated, as I think most of the London commuter routes are.

 

[cuccir]

TransPennine's automated announcements can be quite tedious towards the terminus of a service. The format goes: "This is the destination train. It will be calling at list stops. The next stop is repeat next stop." This is OK, if a little long winded, but gets irritating when you're on the final leg of the journey: the announcer will say something along the lines of "This is the Barrow-in-Furness train. It will be calling at Barrow-in-Furness. The next stop is Barrow-in-Furness"

That said I enjoy the broad Yorkshire accent of the lady they have on some of the Manchester-Leeds trains "It will be calling at 'Uddersfield, dYOwsbury" often makes me laugh.

 

[MikeMck]

Well before automated station announcements, during the 1950s/early 1960s, I well remember two particular stations with outstanding, and usefully clear station announcers. Both, as it happens, were both (usually) female.

Outstanding was the announcer at Reading (General) who sounded somewhat "bossy". Like the comments for Crayford, she always started with: "Reading, Reading, this IS
Reading!!!" One was left with no doubt at all that this was indeed Reading! After announcing all destinations, in the same tone one was left also in no doubt as to the platforms for trains for Basingstoke or stations to Didcot.

In the case of Birmingham (New Street) the announcer often announced the origin of the train as well as the destination. So one could hear something like "the next train at Platform 3 is the 10.30 from Bristol Temple Meads, going forward (sic) at xxxx to Derby, Chesterfiield, etc etc., followed by details of catering facilites on the train.

These sort of station announcements were (and indeed are) useful, particularly for those who are not regular train travellers.

 

[jon0844]

Knowing where a train came from can be useful to confirm exactly what train it is (say if you were meeting someone who had travelled from there) if there are lots of trains with the same destination.

I suppose that depends on the station and how many routes there are.

 

[Galvanize]

A feature unique to Southern's auto announcements (Phil Sayer/Celia Drummond), when the train is announced as approaching, it will say
"This train, is the service from XXXXX!"

Do 378s have a guard? I thought they were DOO operated, as I think most of the London commuter routes are.

The North London Line services (Stratford-Richmond), and West London Line services (Clapham Junction-Wilesden Junction-Stratford) have conductors onboard. But the East London Line, and Watford DC line services are DOO. The diesel operated Gospel Oak-Barking job is also with a conductor!

 

[Eagle]

A feature unique to Southern's auto announcements (Phil Sayer/Celia Drummond), when the train is announced as approaching, it will say
"This train, is the service from XXXXX!"

Reading does that too on the second announcement of three. You typically get:

(three or four minutes before arrival) "Platform 8 for the 15.05 CrossCountry service to Bournemouth; calling at Basingstoke, Winchester... [etc]"

(one minute before arrival) "The train now approaching platform 8 is the 15.05 CrossCountry service to Bournemouth; this is the service from Manchester Piccadilly." —that is, no destination list.

(after arrival, one minute before departure) "The train now standing at platform 8 is the 15.05 CrossCountry service to Bournemouth; calling at Basingstoke, Winchester... [etc]"

I'd assume it's so that you can distinguish between the large number of "First Great Western service to London Paddington".

 

[ollyrogers]

"Didcot Parkway, this is Didcot Parkway..."

Of course, they may as well be whispering when a HST rolls up alongside you.

 

[Michael.Y]

"Didcot Parkway, this is Didcot Parkway..."

Of course, they may as well be whispering when a HST rolls up alongside you.

Heard "Bath Spa, this is Bath Spa" yesterday.

No trains on either platform.

No trains in the city limits as far as I was aware. This was at least 5 minutes before anything turned up.

 

[dvboy]

The one I like best is "Herne Bay, this is Herne Bay". It just sounds better somehow.

 

[WCML]

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.

They still have it turned on, although it seems to be only on Platform 8 when the Cross City line service comes in from Longbridge/Redditch.

 

[fairysdad]

<snip but read 'cause it's relevant!>

I'd assume it's so that you can distinguish between the large number of "First Great Western service to London Paddington".

It might be a thing at other GW stations where XC trains call - I've heard this at Tiverton Parkway in the past, in both directions. (The best one being when due to flooding a few years back between Tiverton and Exeter, an XC service terminated at Tiverton then turned round in place of the one that couldn't go northbound, so we had the announcement that "This train is the service from Tiverton Parkway" )

 

[craigwilson]

Southeastern onboard announcements are generally useless during engineering works.

Sometimes they're not amazing during normal scheduled workings! The 0614 Ramsgate - Cannon Street will, 9 times out of 10, announce onboard that the first station is Folkestone West - forgetting the six stations before it!

A feature unique to Southern's auto announcements (Phil Sayer/Celia Drummond), when the train is announced as approaching, it will say
"This train, is the service from XXXXX!"

Southeastern do that too. At Ramsgate, you get (for example):

"The train now approaching Platform 3 terminates here. This train is the service from Faversham."