Opinions on station announcements for trains running fast

[robbeech]

At certain stations disruption to timetables is minimised by running trains fast through stations to catch up time. Of course this inconveniences passengers even more but at least gets trains back on time to minimise further disruption.

However at stations where passengers are waiting to board would it not be wise to advise them that the train that they are wanting to catch is actually going to plough through the platform at 50mph or more rather than stop?
People tend to stay clear until the time the train is due and then some people may get a little close to the platform edge, be there a yellow line or not.
I witnessed a hat get blown off of a baby and under a train today as the mother and the pushchair complete with baby were at the edge of the platform. They were perhaps a little closer than they ought to have been but within a suitable tolerance. They were waiting for a train that should have stopped but didn’t. It’s not easy to see the train until it has entered the platform.
It was an operational change, one I agree with as there we’re services behind but surely in the age of safety it would have been worth a platform announcement to say that the train that you thought you were about to get on is going to come through at speed?

 

[theironroad]

• Based on swr: If the CIS system has been updated in time, it should show that the train won't call and then an automated waning should play. However I've heard this announcement play seconds after the whole train has already passed through the platform which isn't great. A manual announcement might be an idea but during disruption the announcer will be juggling many jobs and may not be able to do every train.

While some drivers do sound the horn when passing through stations alongside platforms where they are not booked to stop, there is no requirement to do so unless someone is too close to the edge etc, but with increasing horn volumes there was some opposition to routine use .

Having said all that, SWR have recently introduced an instruction that the horn should now be sounded when passing through stations that the train was previously booked to stop at but now isn't .

 

[robbeech]

It seems sensible. This was C2C. No audible warning from the train, and no announcement. Infact as the train cane into view lots of people deliberately moved closer to the platform edge to prepare to board (there were 3 trains worth of people on the platform though it wasn’t packed by any means). I quickly thought it was travelling at some speed but other less familiar or less aware people clearly didn’t realise this as it came through at a considerable pace.

Luckily the lady was not silly enough to try to retrieve the hat and the baby didn’t seem to care too much about the whole ordeal. It took a lot of people by surprise and whilst safe in itself was what I considered to be an avoidable risk.

 

[DelW]

I'd suggest it's a little different at a station where non-stopping trains are regular, than one where all trains would normally stop, which probably needs an enhanced announcement.

At my local station (on SWR) there's a non-stop train between each stopper. When a stopper is switched to running through, it shows as cancelled on the station PIS, and the normal "please stand clear" announcement is made before it runs through.

 

[DarloRich]

surely: Please stand clear - a fast train is approaching.

Is anything more needed?

 

[Dren Ahmeti]

When Reading has one the few trains that pass through it every day (1U28 being one of them), there is a manual announcement made to stand back from the edge of Platform 9 (Down Main) or Platform 10 (Up Main) and I sincerely hope people do, as the speed limit is either 60 or 95 miles per hour through the station!

 

[Bletchleyite]

surely: Please stand clear - a fast train is approaching.

Is anything more needed?

I’ve noticed recently that WMT has re-recorded that announcement in a very assertive and loud male voice rather than boring Annie. I wonder if that has more effect?

 

[Tobberz]

Even if it's a station at which it's usually only stopping trains, surely they'd have the announcement in the system somewhere? Or if not, a manual announcement could be used.

 

[_toommm_]

I’ve noticed recently that WMT has re-recorded that announcement in a very assertive and loud male voice rather than boring Annie. I wonder if that has more effect?

I guess it’s quite a stark contrast, to gain the attention of folk - a high-ish female voice vs a lower, louder male voice.

Me personally, I ignore automated announcements as I hear them every day so I, in effect, tune out. My station is Sheffield so I hear the pre recorded male announcements every time as it’s such a contrast.

 

[whhistle]

It's back to the question of "how do you control people?"

I'm not saying there shouldn't be an announcement, but at the same time, perhaps people shouldn't move forward, or at least judge the train speed to work out "that train clearly isn't stopping".

Perhaps in the example it's difficult as the OP said you couldn't really see the train until it was at the platform.

Like I say, there should be an announcement or warning at some point, but people also need to be responsible enough to stand clear until the train has stopped.

 

[TUC]

Where a decision to run fast through a station, to what degree is the potential effect on passengers with disabilies who are travelling taken into account if the next stations are not accessible/are not staffed, particularly if the service is DOO so there is not the ability to discuss options with the passenger mid-journey?

 

[plymothian]

Where a decision to run fast through a station, to what degree is the potential effect on passengers with disabilies who are travelling taken into account if the next stations are not accessible/are not staffed, particularly if the service is DOO so there is not the ability to discuss options with the passenger mid-journey?

None.

 

[causton]

Where a decision to run fast through a station, to what degree is the potential effect on passengers with disabilies who are travelling taken into account if the next stations are not accessible/are not staffed, particularly if the service is DOO so there is not the ability to discuss options with the passenger mid-journey?

None, but any passengers who have booked assistance through JourneyCare will be known about and hopefully if the TOC is competent and there is someone to realise then they can make arrangements for them, as usually the boarding station should phone ahead to confirm the person is travelling on the train they booked assistance for and where they are on the train etc.

 

[TUC]

None, but any passengers who have booked assistance through JourneyCare will be known about and hopefully if the TOC is competent and there is someone to realise then they can make arrangements for them, as usually the boarding station should phone ahead to confirm the person is travelling on the train they booked assistance for and where they are on the train etc.

None, but any passengers who have booked assistance through JourneyCare will be known about and hopefully if the TOC is competent and there is someone to realise then they can make arrangements for them, as usually the boarding station should phone ahead to confirm the person is travelling on the train they booked assistance for and where they are on the train etc.

There's quite a lot of ifs in that. I guess a key question is whether, before control instructs a driver to run fast, they as a matter of procedure check whether any disabled passengers are travelling and whether alternative arrangements can be put into place and communicated to them?

 

[robbeech]

surely: Please stand clear - a fast train is approaching.

Is anything more needed?

Personally I agree, I don’t think anything ELSE is needed but this message probably is needed in most cases.

I'm not saying there shouldn't be an announcement, but at the same time, perhaps people shouldn't move forward, or at least judge the train speed to work out "that train clearly isn't stopping"

I suppose the argument is it’s not about who is right or wrong but who lives and dies.

Where a decision to run fast through a station, to what degree is the potential effect on passengers with disabilies who are travelling taken into account if the next stations are not accessible/are not staffed, particularly if the service is DOO so there is not the ability to discuss options with the passenger mid-journey?

None, but any passengers who have booked assistance through JourneyCare will be known about and hopefully if the TOC is competent and there is someone to realise then they can make arrangements for them, as usually the boarding station should phone ahead to confirm the person is travelling on the train they booked assistance for and where they are on the train etc.

I believe it’s considered acceptable for a psssenger to travel further still to another station that is accessible and to travel back to their original station in situations like this. I also don’t think it’s too uncommon for alternative transport to be arranged where necessary. Of course the key is communication, if staff don’t know they can’t do anything.

 

[Antman]

Some sort of message that emphasis's the fact that the train is passing through at speed, the message about the train not being for customer use doesn't get that across. If you see a train approaching in the distance it isn't always obvious how fast it's going.

 

[Bromley boy]

I’m not sure why this issue always prompts lengthy discussion on here. As noted above “please stand back, fast train approaching” is perfect.

The point is passengers should be standing back behind the yellow line when *any* trains are approaching, fast or otherwise. I routinely drive into platforms I’m stopping at between 30-40mph (depending on location and gradient).

A train hitting you at that speed because you were stupid enough to be too close to the edge* will spoil your day just as much as one going through at linespeed.

*invariably commuters on packed rush hour platforms stand a sensible distance back. It’s idiots during the off peak who post the greatest danger and I most often have to blow up at.

 

[185143]

On Merseyrail, the CIS updates to 'Please stand clear of the platform edge' and the driver sounds the horn.