when should destination blinds be changed

[34D]

Relevant to buses aswell I guess: when should destination blinds be changed?

Where a train/bus arrives at its terminus (example Leeds), and goes back out shortly afterwards (to sheffield/Manchester/skipton/knaresborough/etc etc), when should its destination be changed?

Before arriving at the Leeds platforms
Immediately upon arrival
Shortly before departure with the new crew?

 

[cuccir]

From a passenger viewpoint:

After arrival, but as soon as possible after arrival ie after any safety critical tasks have been completed. Before arrival can be a little misleading (if I am in Leeds and the train says Leeds, then I know it's a terminating service, so everyone will be piling off it).

 

[Uzair]

On the Underground, many drivers change the destination of the train at the penultimate station for the return journey.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

From a passenger viewpoint:

After arrival, but as soon as possible after arrival ie after any safety critical tasks have been completed. Before arrival can be a little misleading (if I am in Leeds and the train says Leeds, then I know it's a terminating service, so everyone will be piling off it).

Luckily, the practice of setting the blind/screen at one end to A and the other end to B and then leaving them like that all day on shuttle services from A to B seems to have disappeared.
But it's still not unusual to find wrong destinations showing on, say, class 156 trains which need manual winding.
Better no information than wrong or misleading information.

I have been on LM 350s which are still in "next stop Birmingham New Street, terminate here, no smoking, thanks for travelling with LM" mode, when humming past Soho heading north to Liverpool!
They usually get it right by Wolverhampton.

I still don't think train crews get it.
My Pendolino out of Edinburgh yesterday said "next stop Milton Keynes" on its high-tech external displays, on arrival at Haymarket.

 

[DeeGee]

I would say that once the train's ready to accept passengers for the departing service, it should display that on the blinds then.

You know then, as a passenger, that the train's available to you.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Northern 158 3 car yesterday at Leeds had "Balloch" on the rear .......

 

[Anon Mouse]

there used to be a 158 knocking around with New York, Orlando, Moscow and Hong Kong on

 

[156441]

I tend to try and do mine on the way into the final station. The problem is if its your last trip on that particular unit you might not know where it is due to go next.

 

[SS4]

I have been on LM 350s which are still in "next stop Birmingham New Street, terminate here, no smoking, thanks for travelling with LM" mode, when humming past Soho heading north to Liverpool!
They usually get it right by Wolverhampton.

I was one such a service once, upon boarding at Marston Green it said the next station was either Birmingham or Lea Hall when it was actually going the other way and a manual announcement each time correcting it shortly afterwards! I got off at International so didn't care but imagine it all the way to Euston :\

As for changing the blinds anywhere between the penultimate and final stop on trains and at the terminus on a bus after passengers have alighted/boarded.

 

[156402]

Problem with the new stuff that has electronic information is that it usually relies on a GPS signal or similar but if that signal is interupted for some reason then it all goes out of sync.

 

[Matt Taylor]

On Desiros and 158/159s I do it after we have left the last station before the terminus station. Desiro PIS cannot be changed unless the driver has his key on.

 

[tsr]

Problem with the new stuff that has electronic information is that it usually relies on a GPS signal or similar but if that signal is interupted for some reason then it all goes out of sync.

In Southern Land, it often appears that the trains are keen to point out that the default next station and final destination is "Littlehampton", even when it isn't, although "London Victoria" is also often inaccurately displayed.

I have been on two Virgin Voyagers in the last few days which were (unfortunately slightly predictably) without seat reservation details or any information about the calling patterns, thus rendering almost all of the electronic displays entirely useless ("Interm. Station" is, for example, not useful!).

 

[455driver]

Northern 158 3 car yesterday at Leeds had "Balloch" on the rear .......

Surely a spelling mistake?

As for when the blind should be changed, it depends on the train, if its a windy blind then when the driver decides to, if its an electronic one when the driver is set up ready to take the train out. On some trains, if the code is inserted and the driver keys off some systems will have a fit and can lock up for the rest of the day unless the train is shut down completely to reboot the system.

So it isnt a question of when they SHOULD be changed but when they CAN SAFELY be changed.

 

[34D]

As for changing the blinds anywhere between the penultimate and final stop on trains and at the terminus on a bus after passengers have alighted/boarded.

Thanks to all.

My personal opinion is that no passenger should see useless information. For windy blinds (bus and rail) I'd say change after the penultimate stop and before the last stop (assuming the bus/train is going straight out again).

If however the system was linked to internal screens, then the change should be after the doors have opened (in my view).

In all cases, if the bus/train is to stable and _not_ be the next train/bus to the destination/route shown, then it should remain on Leeds or (better yet) sorry not in service.

 

[455driver]

So the train arrives and the crew go for their PNB, another crew are booked to take the train out, how are the incoming crew supposed to know where and when the train is going next so they can change the blinds on the approach/ as it arrives?

 

[Mutant Lemming]

Thanks to all.

My personal opinion is that no passenger should see useless information. /QUOTE]

On a Circle Line running back to depot I would purposely put Barking up at Mansion House W/B but that's only to annoy folk like yourself. Never got any complaints and it was the final destination of the train anyway. Of course had this been in Stalin's Soviet Union I may have received the punishment I so rightly deserved.

 

[voyagerdude220]

My Pendolino out of Edinburgh yesterday said "next stop Milton Keynes" on its high-tech external displays, on arrival at Haymarket.

I've a feeling that may be related to your Pendo's previous journey- 0843 Euston to Edinburgh, which is first stop Milton Keynes.

 

[34D]

So the train arrives and the crew go for their PNB, another crew are booked to take the train out, how are the incoming crew supposed to know where and when the train is going next so they can change the blinds on the approach/ as it arrives?

I would expect this information to be available. In the bus world its called a running board.

Thanks to all.

My personal opinion is that no passenger should see useless information.

On a Circle Line running back to depot I would purposely put Barking up at Mansion House W/B but that's only to annoy folk like yourself. Never got any complaints and it was the final destination of the train anyway. Of course had this been in Stalin's Soviet Union I may have received the punishment I so rightly deserved.

Indeed. And I never saw anyone do this during my time as a manager on the SSL otherwise you could well have received the punishment you deserved for causing concern and upset to passengers less capable that yourself.

 

[Mintona]

In the world of stock swaps etc, it isn't really feasible to change when the driver doesn't know where the unit is going next.

In my area, the destination will show as (eg. Victoria) for 60 seconds after the driver has taken his key off at Victoria, and will then remain blank until the next driver puts his key on and inserts the code for the new journey. Even if the incoming driver put the code in before changing ends it would still go blank after 60 seconds, and even if he changed in less than 60 seconds it would go blank again when he put his key on and light up when he re- inserted the code at the other end.

 

[Monty]

If I'm taking a train out for the first time I put in the PIS codes before the train is scheduled to leave the station, and for the return trip it change it after the train arrives at it's final destination. Knowing how sensitive Dorris can be she may just pack her bags and go home if I was to do it any earlier.

 

[A-driver]

I would expect this information to be available. In the bus world its called a running board.

Generally this info is not avaliable unless the same driver is booked back out with that same train. Otherwise a driver will have no idea where the train goes our to next.

Also, some managers frown quite heavily on destination blinds being changed in service as its one of many silly things counted as a distraction.

I do quite like playing with the destination blinds on 313s when running empty though-last time I was empties out if moorgate I found Spalding by 'sorry-not in service' so put that up instead. May try and find Lincoln next time. Kept me happy anyway!

 

[34D]

I do quite like playing with the destination blinds on 313s when running empty though-last time I was empties out if moorgate I found Spalding by 'sorry-not in service' so put that up instead. May try and find Lincoln next time. Kept me happy anyway!

There's a couple of weird places on 313s, something tells me Sleaford is on aswell. Peterborough and Cambridge are certainly on, and I don't think they've ever been booked to go to either (though I'm sure someone will give details on when 313s have been to both in service, as its bound to have happened).

 

[user15681]

Talking of destination blinds, the electronic ones on Southeastern can't get the correct spelling for my local station.

And, my train last night didn't have a destination. The electronic displays were blank. So I suppose, it doesn't matter when you do it... as long as you DO it, haha.

 

[A-driver]

There's a couple of weird places on 313s, something tells me Sleaford is on aswell. Peterborough and Cambridge are certainly on, and I don't think they've ever been booked to go to either (though I'm sure someone will give details on when 313s have been to both in service, as its bound to have happened).

It has been known for a 313 to head to Cambridge in service when they were really short of stock. Probably happen soon when the lack of maintenance over the Olympics starts to take effect! I believe a 313 even once formed a cruiser on occasion.

They rarely get past st Neots on the peterbourgh branch as they need the shoes and trip cocks removed to run past there due to the bridges. I'll try and find sleaford next time I work one empty.

 

[Bungle73]

Talking of destination blinds, the electronic ones on Southeastern can't get the correct spelling for my local station.

How so? Can't say I've noticed.

 

[Stonesourscotty]

Northern are murder for having the middle blinds set to wrong destination if a double set quite bad when there are no announcements at stations that serve a few lines.

 

[user15681]

How so? Can't say I've noticed.

On the Sheerness line, when the train is heading to Sittingbourne, the display blind shows Sittingborne. Not a huge problem, just a little thing.

 

[TheWalrus]

Before arrival so they know as soon as it arrives.

 

[Bungle73]

On the Sheerness line, when the train is heading to Sittingbourne, the display blind shows Sittingborne. Not a huge problem, just a little thing.

I'll have look when I catch one tomorrow. Maybe the name is too long to fit?

 

[user15681]

I'll have look when I catch one tomorrow. Maybe the name is too long to fit?

I had thought about that. But, IIRC, the destination blind and LED display look big enough. I know it's been spelt wrong more than once.