Scrolling Platform Indicator Screens

[ess]

I’m surprised at major terminals that there are screens which scroll through page 1,2,3 etc for departures.
Surely these cause congestion on the concourse and annoy passengers.

 

[jopsuk]

for many services you'd need far larger screens to not scroll through.

It doesn't cause congestion

It causes a mild annoyance, maybe.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

NR loves to scroll through 3 screens with just one train on Page 3.
Screens are dirt cheap these days, but they keep rolling out the same single-screen monochrome solution.
Having said that I saw a new type of screen at Manchester Airport this week, capable of showing more information and more clearly too - white on black I think.
They have the same ones on Thameslink core stations and are a big improvement.
My other beef is the summary PIS screens on concourses do not show the operator.
It might not matter at Waterloo or Ipswich, but it sure does at Birmingham New St and places like Preston or Crewe with multiple TOCs to the same destination (and you are holding an "XXX Only" ticket).

 

[PR1Berske]

It always seems that Page 2 lasts longer than Page 1!

 

[thejuggler]

And then they slip in a page with a passenger notice which no one is interested in reading.

 

[mrcheek]

can be very annoying at Cardiff Central, when you have to wait for each page in English, then in Welsh....

 

[Parallel]

Cardiff is fine at the main concourse but annoying at platform levels. They’ve recently adjusted the timings on the screen too (from my previous visit) so the English stays on for 1 second before it changes. Not enough time!

 

[ShwervinMervin]

I’m surprised at major terminals that there are screens which scroll through page 1,2,3 etc for departures.
Surely these cause congestion on the concourse and annoy passengers.

The amount of times I've seen people miss a train because of it. Can't be hard to fit a few more screens in, surely.

 

[ShwervinMervin]

And then they slip in a page with a passenger notice which no one is interested in reading.

*Cough* Reading

 

[edwin_m]

*Cough* Reading

You mean nobody is interested in Reading?

I do find these multiple screens annoying - usually I've read about three quarters down and almost found my train when it changes to the next page. Apart from a few which keep each page up for so long that I've lost interest (or missed the train!) before the right one appears.

I think the ideal compromise would be to have page 1 displaying permanently and then a second screen, perhaps a less prominent colour, rotating through page 2 and any subsequent pages.

 

[talldave]

You mean nobody is interested in Reading?

I do find these multiple screens annoying - usually I've read about three quarters down and almost found my train when it changes to the next page. Apart from a few which keep each page up for so long that I've lost interest (or missed the train!) before the right one appears.

I think the ideal compromise would be to have page 1 displaying permanently and then a second screen, perhaps a less prominent colour, rotating through page 2 and any subsequent pages.

Which is how the new Thameslink platform screens are configured.

There's also a screen at St Pancras that has a timer bar scrolling at the bottom so you know how long until the page changes - that's useful.

 

[Bletchleyite]

They also need to stop putting static information on them. Static information (such as where you shouldn't leave your bags lying around) needs to go on posters.

 

[The_Train]

I don't have any particular problem with how they work, it's not like they sit on one page for an unreasonable amount of time. That said I'm surprised they haven't yet been updated to something more in line with modern technology.

They also need to stop putting static information on them. Static information (such as where you shouldn't leave your bags lying around) needs to go on posters.

This, however, I do agree with!

 

[janahan]

The new ones on the ex Waterloo International Platforms (which were in use for a short while last year in August, and also for a short while earlier this year) are different. Instead of "scrolling" by switching between static pages, they actually scroll up dynamically (if there is more calling points than can be shown), which I find far more easier to read, and less frustrating.

 

[edwin_m]

The new ones on the ex Waterloo International Platforms (which were in use for a short while last year in August, and also for a short while earlier this year) are different. Instead of "scrolling" by switching between static pages, they actually scroll up dynamically (if there is more calling points than can be shown), which I find far more easier to read, and less frustrating.

That's similar to the Thameslink ones, which I agree are about the best I've seen for situations where there is more information than can be fitted on one screen.

 

[kev1974]

The new ones on the ex Waterloo International Platforms (which were in use for a short while last year in August, and also for a short while earlier this year) are different. Instead of "scrolling" by switching between static pages, they actually scroll up dynamically (if there is more calling points than can be shown), which I find far more easier to read, and less frustrating.

You can see them in this video at 01:30

and if you keep your eye on the display for the Addlestone train for a few seconds you'll see it do the scrolley/bouncey thing.

What's also nice about the scrolley/bouncey mode is that it's only the stations towards the end of the line that momentarily move off the top or bottom of the display, all the stations in the middle of the route stay on screen all the time and just move up and down now and again.

they were very clear, currently they are all boarded over while the reconstruction goes on around them again.

 

[jon0844]

WGC now has some new screens with a moving bar to show when the page will change.

 

[LAX54]

Can't beat.......

http://dixielandsoftware.net/Amtrak/solari/stations.php?data=LAX&tz=PT

 

[Dai Corner]

I agree that they are far too frugal in the provision of screens and there is no necessity for scrolling or multi-page displays.

Commuters know their regular trains and platforms and just need confirmation that things are running normally, so how about a screen showing just late running, short formations and platform changes?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

At some stations the biggest/best/fanciest screens aren't for train information, NR has put them up to announce engineering work.
The unique screen at Manchester Piccadilly (next train to all destinations alphabetically) is an improvement on the unreadable previous one, but it's still a wall of yellow low-res LEDS with no contrast.
I've seen SNCF screens with lines in alternating colours to increase readability.
And they are for ever abbreviating station names when there is no need (plenty of room for the full name on the display).
However I do like the large mobile digital screens which show document pages or images like TOC timetable alterations, or alternative route maps.
Caledonian Sleeper has one of those at Crewe which advertises its services, and TPE has one at Liverpool which usually shows weekend engineering alterations.

 

[talldave]

I noticed this week on Thameslink's new platform screens that St Pancras is being shown as "London Stpancras". Why? And who's fault is that?

 

[edwin_m]

I noticed this week on Thameslink's new platform screens that St Pancras is being shown as "London Stpancras". Why? And who's fault is that?

I am Stpancras

 

[mallard]

I am Stpancras

Reminds me of an odd malfunction I saw on the PIS system of a CrossCountry 170 the other week... Most, but not all, of the spaces were missing between text so it said things like "Callingat BirminghamNew Street". Even as a software developer, it's hard to imagine how that managed to happen.

 

[PR1Berske]

The Manchester Piccadilly wall of screens is something I would like to see elsewhere across the network, not sure if any other station has it?

 

[edwin_m]

Some Southern stations have a "next fast train to" but only about 20 desinations so nowhere near as impressive as the Manchester one.

 

[91103eastcoast]

Leeds has a display of next fastest trains to about 30-40 destinations

 

[jon0844]

I am Stpancras

It seems to be St.pancras and doesn't look very good.

 

[SodTheDrummer]

I'd just be grateful for any type of screen at Hall i' th' Wood! TVM would be nice too.

 

[CeeJ]

The Manchester Piccadilly wall of screens is something I would like to see elsewhere across the network, not sure if any other station has it?

London Bridge station definitely has it, and I believe the Thameslink section at 'Stpancras' does too.

 

[mallard]

The Manchester Piccadilly wall of screens is something I would like to see elsewhere across the network, not sure if any other station has it?

They're good for local journeys, but for longer distances ones, finding the correct train can be a royal pain. If you hold an Advance for a train that either follows another service fairly closely (in which case it shows up only after the train it follows departs, possibly only for a couple of minutes) or that gets overtaken (in which case it never shows up), those screens are worse than useless.