Alarm sound on GWR 800s when doors are released

[occone]

What's the deal with the alarm sound when the doors get released on the 800s? It's so loud and piercing and definitely sounds like something has gone wrong, and not an indication that you can now carry on your merry way following just the push of a button.

I guess it's an accessibility thing? Could they not have done the three beeps that most trains do? The Voyagers and 175/180s for example are much less alarming but still make the beeps. Has anyone got any insight I'm maybe missing?

I presume this was something that was decided on. Do all 800s do it or is it just GWR?

 

[Hadders]

It's all 800s, not just the GWR versions. It's an accessibility thing and applies to all new stock (eg Thameslink's 700s).

Voyagers and 175/180s are 20+ years old now so different standards apply.

 

[MCR247]

Interesting you mentioned the 175s and 180s as I’d say those are particularly loud, even more so when compared to classes of a similar age

 

[occone]

Interesting you mentioned the 175s and 180s as I’d say those are particularly loud, even more so when compared to classes of a similar age

I think it's because they sound more obviously like an informational sound, whereas the 800s sound like I've just tried to rob a self service checkout!

 

[800301]

On some 80X’s the sound will play for as long as you hold the release buttons in the cab after doing its standard amount of beeps, I do however think the sound is slightly annoying but there are many other annoying things with an 80X

 

[Silver Cobra]

It's all 800s, not just the GWR versions. It's an accessibility thing and applies to all new stock (eg Thameslink's 700s).

Voyagers and 175/180s are 20+ years old now so different standards apply.

The standards for the alarms must have changed during the construction phases of the 700s and the 717s. The 717s use the same alarm as the 80x series, while the 700s use a more basic single-tone alarm (the same alarm recently retrofitted to various Sprinters and the 365s in their latter years).

 

[class 9]

I would imagine it's for blind/partially sighted people, so they know the doors are released.

 

[MCR247]

The standards for the alarms must have changed during the construction phases of the 700s and the 717s. The 717s use the same alarm as the 80x series, while the 700s use a more basic single-tone alarm (the same alarm recently retrofitted to various Sprinters and the 365s in their latter years).

To be pedantic, it may not have been during the construction phase, but rather after the 700 design was locked down by the DfT (which was a few years before they started being built. Hence plug sockets and wifi not being considered important at the time of design but important by the time they were built)

 

[fgwrich]

Fully understand the reasoning behind it, but I wish it was more like the Desiro Bing Bing Bing than Ne-naw Ne-naw Ne-naw like a toy cop car!

 

[ChewChewTrain]

At least the interval between the two notes is an optimistic-sounding major 3rd. Imagine the panic if it were instead an augmented 4th, a.k.a. the Devil’s Tritone…

 

[Techniquest]

I had to think what the sound was, and I'd much rather the sound on an IET than the harsher sounding one on a 150 (for example)!

 

[Purple Train]

At least the interval between the two notes is an optimistic-sounding major 3rd. Imagine the panic if it were instead an augmented 4th, a.k.a. the Devil’s Tritone…

Devil's Interval according to Bill Bailey, the noted historian.

I'd prefer it to be an augmented second, then down by a tritone, then back up by a perfect fifth - it sounds nicely spooky if it starts on an F.
(I learnt musical theory on a cornet, so I may well have got something wrong; if so, apologies!)

I had to think what the sound was, and I'd much rather the sound on an IET than the harsher sounding one on a 150 (for example)!

Indeed!

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

I had to think what the sound was, and I'd much rather the sound on an IET than the harsher sounding one on a 150 (for example)!

I struggle to recall the door release sound on a 150, but on a 458 it is absolutely awful - a nasty, ear-piercing shrill if you're stood by the doors.

 

[Techniquest]

I struggle to recall the door release sound on a 150, but on a 458 it is absolutely awful - a nasty, ear-piercing shrill if you're stood by the doors.

I only had a tiny journey on some 458s recently, so I don't remember the sound. I was rushing to throw some rubbish into the bin to really pay much attention to the door noise, which I was stood right next to!

 

[Rhinojerry]

Merseyrail 777's as well..very annoying.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I struggle to recall the door release sound on a 150, but on a 458 it is absolutely awful - a nasty, ear-piercing shrill if you're stood by the doors.

I only had a tiny journey on some 458s recently, so I don't remember the sound. I was rushing to throw some rubbish into the bin to really pay much attention to the door noise, which I was stood right next to!

Depends which carriage you’re in. Ex Class 460 cars have the same whining PRM tone as fitted to Sprinters and Networkers. Ex 458/0 cars retain the unique Juniper door sound as heard here at 0:01

So on 501-530 you hear both play at the same time which is a bit of a racket.