Too many announcements? BBC report

[Tom B]

If the operators actually wish people to pay attention to the announcements, make fewer. The number that go out at the moment, often involving dribble ("Security personnel tour this station 24 hours a day" - great, do they want a medal for it? "If you need any assistance, please speak to a member of staff" - really? you don't say!) means people just stop listening and therefore miss important things ("The 6.15 to Leeds will now depart from platform 6").

 

[Taunton]

One of the issues now is that the Autobabble, like some insidious weed, is spreading to actually suppress the useful information. For example, on the Docklands Light Railway the describers showing the next three trains, where it is useful to know how far behind other trains are so you can decide whether to take the first and change, or wait for the second if it's close behind, were obviously seen as fair game by the useless messages mob.

So now, after a recent change, in the last minute before the train arrives the detail of trains 2 and 3 is now suppressed, replaced by a bold "Stand clear train approaching" instead, when it's perfectly obvious that it is and when rail passengers have spent the last 150 years being able to actually recognise a train coming in when they see one.

 

[lookapigeon]

They should ditch all of the superflous annoucements, such as cctv, ticket inspections, the spiel abou the buffet car, not blocking the aisles, taking your property with you etc and just keep it short and to the point when announcing the next station.

On the continent, they're not subjected to so much verbal dihorrea (sp?) and the world doesn't end!

It was one of the things I loathed about a long train journey, I would have heard the same endless drivel upteen times.

 

[Taunton]

Whenever there is some gross unfairness applied on fare policy etc, that gets into the media, the rail spokesman wheeled out says, with that snide sort of tone in their voice if on the television, "this is stated quite plainly in the Conditions of Carriage". The fact that nobody, least of all said spokesman, and certainly not the regular passenger, has ever seen the Conditions of Carriage, or would even know how to get them, is apparently by the by. You are all expected to be fully conversant with them, at ALL times.

So, if this can be applied to stitching passengers up for a couple of hundred quid, can we not put all the autobabble stuff into the Conditions of Carriage as well. "938.37.1 : Passengers must always look around them for their possessions before leaving the train". "938.37.2 : Passengers must stand behind the yellow line". "938.37.3 : Passengers must know that there are CCTV cameras all around". "938.37.4 : Passengers who need assistance must speak to a member of staff". Etc etc etc. There, I've got rid of a whole lot of superfluous announcements already. If the HR department can be persuaded to only engage SENIOR Conductors if they have the name of Fred, that can go in the CofC as well, and we have got rid of another one.

 

[Delta558]

Not that long ago, I had a passenger fall when leaving the train. The first thing my manager wanted to know was not how they were, or even how I reacted - Had I made the 'correct announcement' regarding the gap before arriving at the station.
Unfortunately, that is what we are up against - I strongly believe that if you say 'mind the gap' at every station people will switch off. When there is a large gap or step the risk is then greater because they think 'not another gap warning'. I know the platforms in my area which pose a danger because they are larger than normal or because the step down is particularly steep, they get announced as such. Until there is an acceptance that not all accidents can be prevented by continuous warnings about things that are not outside the ordinary, these superfluous announcements will remain.

Having also seen a passenger fall whilst walking along an unobstructed platform, I'm surprised we don't get regular announcements to 'mind the perfectly level and non-slippy floor':roll:

 

[Hellfire]

I write as a regular traveller on Virgin Trains and suggest these are the announcements I hear regularly and that could be ditched.

"The train doors will not unlock until the train has stopped at the station"

"First Class is at the front of the train and Standard at the rear" ( or vice versa)

The full list of what is available at the buffet. Just tell us it is open and shut up.

Where stations are close together such as Preston, Wigan NW and Warrington BQ, why not wait until after the third station before the long diatribe. We usually hear the same spiel three times in 20 minutes.

Do VT have a script which determines what hast t be announced? In my experience, no two TMs make the same announcement.

 

[jon0844]

Probably not if they're always different. Staff are probably told what to talk about but left to use their own wording. Normally only safety related info is scripted in my experience.

I also assume that staff could opt to skip some things, but that's risky if you don't know who might be on the train.

Saying what's available at the bar isn't such a bad thing though. A menu at seat would be better, but it could just tempt someone to wander down. Indeed, it has done so for me before.

 

[RailAleFan]

Do I really need to "Remember to take all of your personal belongings with you when leaving the train"?

Agree that there are far too many announcements in general but I think this one is a must. I can't imagine how many mobile phones must end up in lost property these days.

I recently boarded a VT service at Liverpool Lime Street that was on a fast turnaround having been delayed inbound and won a free iPad found an iPad (which I gave to the train manager).

"Please familiarise yourself with the safety instructions displayed throughout the train" is probably an elf and safety requirement.

 

[MKB]

The Pendolino I was on last Sunday had replaced the irritating (and -- since the summer -- annoyingly loud) bing-bong that precedes announcements with an equally annoying series of four notes.

Did they have an internal competition to find the most annoying musical motif.

 

[infobleep]

Instead of all these billions of announcements, OK exaggeration there, how about actually announcing trains before the doors are closed and/or they depart. What good is it saying the calling points if a passenger cannot open the doors.

Sometimes you get platform staff shouting for customers to stand back as the automated announcements about calling points is on going. So do you want people to catch the train or not? Yes it might be late but surely that means one should have more time to play the automated announcements.

Yes passengers should arrive in good time but if they hear any announcement for calling points, one shouldn't be surprised if they then think they must be able to board the train. Perhaps they think they are lucky and can get an earlier train or perhaps they just turned up knowing they'd catch which ever train was first, without reference to a timetable.

 

[plastictaffy]

This is the xx:46 service to Crewe. Get on, sit down, shut up and hold on to something.

 

[Flamingo]

"All right, we're here. Bugger off the lot of you".

 

[TUC]

Announcements are very important for visually impaired passengers, even on short distances between stations. If a train has been held twice by signals, how else do you know you've actually arrived at the station? The fact that the train has stopped is not an indication in itself. Having said that, al that is needed is an announcement of what station it is, and a mention of any gaps if there is known to be likely to be one. Making a generic 'mind the gap' announcement at every station regardless of whether there is likely to be a significant one is no help to anyone.

 

[PHILIPE]

Announcements are very important for visually impaired passengers, even on short distances between stations. If a train has been held twice by signals, how else do you know you've actually arrived at the station? The fact that the train has stopped is not an indication in itself. Having said that, al that is needed is an announcement of what station it is, and a mention of any gaps if there is known to be likely to be one. Making a generic 'mind the gap' announcement at every station regardless of whether there is likely to be a significant one is no help to anyone.

Train information is what is important, I agree. All the other waffle is no use at all to them.

 

[infobleep]

Announcements are very important for visually impaired passengers, even on short distances between stations. If a train has been held twice by signals, how else do you know you've actually arrived at the station? The fact that the train has stopped is not an indication in itself. Having said that, al that is needed is an announcement of what station it is, and a mention of any gaps if there is known to be likely to be one. Making a generic 'mind the gap' announcement at every station regardless of whether there is likely to be a significant one is no help to anyone.

Perhaps they should announce when trains get held at signals for the benefit of blind passengers. That would of course require a guard to speak and he might be busy or not feel like announcing the train is being held.

 

[talldave]

Yesterday morning at Gatwick, there was an announcement about an incoming Gatport Airwick Express service from Victoria that had been cancelled. The announcement ended with "this train is due to terminate here"; so a little bit of work required on the system so that it's aware that cancelled trains don't arrive and hence can't terminate!!!