Driver announcement.

[user15681]

Our train slowly pulled out of Faversham tonight/this morning, at about 10mph, which is unusual. It had left about 10 minutes late anyway, after being held outside Faversham at a red. The driver then came on the PA, in a strange tone (sounded almost panicked), asking "for the conductor to urgently contact the driver". Then he repeated himself. He sounded concerned, I must admit.

Just out of curiosity, what could this have been? Is it likely that there was a problem/fault or just that he wanted a chat with the conductor?

 

[Dr.iver]

At a guess I'd say it meant he needed to speak to the conductor

 

[DiscoStu]

Maybe he'd done an incredibly smelly fart and couldn't open his window

 

[wessex]

The guard had probably not stirred his coffee how he likes it

 

[trentside]

I've heard similar announcements on other services, the most recent the driver wished to inform the conductor of the reason the train was being held at a red - this allowed the conductor to inform the passengers that they could change to a faster service in the adjacent platform. In this case, the conductor hadn't been in the back cab - as he'd left to do the doors, so the driver contacted him over the PA.

 

[starrymarkb]

At least one of the local drivers will use the PA to update the passengers himself rather then relaying through the guard.

 

[trainophile]

When this happened on a Merseyrail train I was on, a few minutes later we were told that the train was "poorly" and would be terminating at the next stop.

 

[michael769]

I have heard that announcement 3 time myself. In each case thre train had developed a fault.

 

[A-driver]

At least one of the local drivers will use the PA to update the passengers himself rather then relaying through the guard.

I always found if I made an announcement on a non DOO train some guards would get upset and tell me off the other end for doing their job.

Long distance stock has a buzzer tone to get the guard to contact the driver but on southeastern stock the driver dosnt know if the guard is near a phone so needs to announce for him to get in touch. Probably nothing particularly exciting.

 

[tsr]

I have heard this announcement twice recently. The first one went something like "Would the guard please contact the driver immediately - PASCOM activated", which is self-explanatory to anyone who knows what a PASCOM is, but for those passengers who don't, it means nothing alarming, if you'll pardon the pun. The second time, the driver simply asked the guard to contact him, which turned out to be regarding a diversionary calling pattern following an incident on the previously intended route of the service.

 

[user15681]

Oh right, thanks for all the answers guys! Much appreciated!

 

[GadgetMan]

Our train slowly pulled out of Faversham tonight/this morning, at about 10mph, which is unusual. It had left about 10 minutes late anyway, after being held outside Faversham at a red. The driver then came on the PA, in a strange tone (sounded almost panicked), asking "for the conductor to urgently contact the driver". Then he repeated himself. He sounded concerned, I must admit.

Just out of curiosity, what could this have been? Is it likely that there was a problem/fault or just that he wanted a chat with the conductor?

Don't know the local area, but if the line needs to be examined at night or through tunnels for trespassers or anything else to look out for then the driver may have wanted the Guard to sit upfront with him to help examine the line. This is allowed for in the Rule book.

 

[merlodlliw]

I recall an ATW 158 driver making this announcement" we have lost power in one of the two engines & are losing time, we will stop at Hereford and connect up to the next service to Cardiff,better having 3 engines out of 4 than 1 out of 2"

One of the motors exhausts had detached itself just prior to Church Stretton,stuck for two hours waiting for a fitter to turn up.

 

[user15681]

Like you all say from past experiences, I expected the guard to make an announcement explaining an issue which would delay us. But, we didn't see or hear from the guard for the remainder of the journey.

 

[hluraven]

It could be any one of many things, but most likely (given the circumstances) is that the driver wanted the guard to assist with examining the line.

 

[jnjkerbin]

On one Southeastern service between Battle and St Leonards we were sitting near a toilet when a quite elderly man got up and went in. A few minutes late there was a beeping throughout the train. The gent rather quickly left the toilet and sat down a few seats away. Then the driver came over the PA "Would the guard contact the driver" The guard who was incidentally checking tickets in our coach at the other end came to the door control point near to us and we heard him and the driver talking about a smoke alarm being activated and the guard was to check it out and reset it. The guard went in to the toilet, found the smoke alarm had been activated in there and then reset it and called the driver back. He then asked the gent if anyone had gone in to the toilet and he said no and rather hurriedly got off at St Leonards Warrior Square. The train didn't stop but just slowed down a bit. A few minutes later the automated announcement was played (it isn't normally) reminding passengers -sorry "customers" :roll:-that smoking was not permitted.

Joe