Do drivers of Guarded Trains make announcements?

[387star]

Do you leave it to the Guard to make announcements concerning delays etc or do you update the passengers yourself? The latter is I guess sometimes quicker as you don't need to go through the Guard first.

Or do you never touch the PA?

 

[glasgowceltic1]

I always update the guard and they make an announcement if they see fit.

Saves people having to listen to me waffle on over the pa.

 

[43066]

Do you leave it to the Guard to make announcements concerning delays etc or do you update the passengers yourself? The latter is I guess sometimes quicker as you don't need to go through the Guard first.

Or do you never touch the PA?

Since moving to a guarded TOC I never touch the PA as a rule*. Doing so would be an unnecessary distraction, and would feel like treading on the guard’s toes. I suspect it would also, quite understandably, go down like a lead balloon with my on train colleagues!

What I will do is call the guard to relay any relevant information eg “the signaller has just called me and let me know that we’re waiting for another train to depart to give us a free platform”, which they can then disseminate as they see fit. Often the guard will know more than me, especially if they’re on the ball, and know to check Open Train Times on their mobile (which many but by no means all do).

*I’ve done so on one occasion at our London terminal, when the TM hadn’t yet arrived, and a fitter had asked me to close and re-release the doors to clear a fault.

Saves people having to listen to me waffle on over the pa.

That too.

 

[vikingdriver]

I won't make a PA announcement but will tell the guard and they can do what they want with the info. I'd be concerned that my PA announcement to the train might contradict what the guard has been telling the passengers and therefore put my colleague in an awkward situation/potentially create conflict.

 

[Roger1973]

When I was commuting regularly (South Western, 4 years ago) there was occasionally an automated / pre-recorded announcement on the PA along the lines of 'please can the guard contact the driver' (I can't remember the exact wording) - presume the driver would use this if the guard was away from a cab and couldn't be reached on the cab to cab phone.

This would usually be followed by the guard making some sort of announcement.

 

[43066]

When I was commuting regularly (South Western, 4 years ago) there was occasionally an automated / pre-recorded announcement on the PA along the lines of 'please can the guard contact the driver' (I can't remember the exact wording) - presume the driver would use this if the guard was away from a cab and couldn't be reached on the cab to cab phone.

This would usually be followed by the guard making some sort of announcement.

Yes indeed. On a lot of stock that announcement plays automatically if the driver tries to call the guard and they don’t answer within a certain time.

 

[Trainguy34]

Yes indeed. On a lot of stock that announcement plays automatically if the driver tries to call the guard and they don’t answer within a certain time.

As far as I know on 395s, as I found in a storm, there is a buzz code for "contact driver" or something similar.

 

[LowLevel]

Do you leave it to the Guard to make announcements concerning delays etc or do you update the passengers yourself? The latter is I guess sometimes quicker as you don't need to go through the Guard first.

Or do you never touch the PA?

Consistent messaging is important and that is hard to achieve with 2 people jumping on and off the PA.

I wouldn't appreciate my driver making announcements unless it was a) to attract my attention or b) a genuine emergency.

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

As far as I know on 395s, as I found in a storm, there is a buzz code for "contact driver" or something similar.

I can't speak for 395s, but on 455s the buzzer code is 3-3 for the guard to contact the driver (or indeed vice versa), to which the recipient then responds with another 3-3.

 

[skyhigh]

I can't speak for 395s, but on 455s the buzzer code is 3-3 for the guard to contact the driver (or indeed vice versa), to which the recipient then responds with another 3-3.

3-3 is the rulebook buzzer code, it's not unit specific.

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

3-3 is the rulebook buzzer code, it's not unit specific.

I see, wasn't aware of that. Thanks.

 

[Trainguy34]

Is there a way to find a copy of these buzzer codes, might have to resort to a sneaky photo of the guards panel next time I see one open.

 

[skyhigh]

Is there a way to find a copy of these buzzer codes, might have to resort to a sneaky photo of the guards panel next time I see one open.

There is a list in module TW1 of the rule book, I imagine there will be a copy online somewhere.

 

[LokiB]

Since moving to a guarded TOC I never touch the PA as a rule*. Doing so would be an unnecessary distraction, and would feel like treading on the guard’s toes. I suspect it would also, quite understandably, go down like a lead balloon with my on train colleagues!

What I will do is call the guard to relay any relevant information eg “the signaller has just called me and let me know that we’re waiting for another train to depart to give us a free platform”, which they can then disseminate as they see fit. Often the guard will know more than me, especially if they’re on the ball, and know to check Open Train Times on their mobile (which many but by no means all do).

*I’ve done so on one occasion at our London terminal, when the TM hadn’t yet arrived, and a fitter had asked me to close and re-release the doors to clear a fault.



That too.

Pretty much this, I'm a guard and only once have I ever had a driver use the PA on my train to inform of delays (he knew I was stuck in the middle of the train with noway to get to a PA handset).

 

[michael74]

Is there a way to find a copy of these buzzer codes, might have to resort to a sneaky photo of the guards panel next time I see one open.

Search buzzer codes on this site. I only ever remember three or four of them, rest are stuck to the back of my ID badge on my lanyard.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Is there a way to find a copy of these buzzer codes, might have to resort to a sneaky photo of the guards panel next time I see one open.

Buzzer codes

Railway national network driver/guard buzzer codes and their meanings

www.railwaycodes.org.uk

There used to be 7 which was correct vacuum indicated in rear guards van during test. I believe 8 was something about DEMUs.

 

[Gemz91]

Is there a way to find a copy of these buzzer codes, might have to resort to a sneaky photo of the guards panel next time I see one open.

Search bell code buzzer on Wiki, they are listed there, although I’ve not read it to check they are correct.

 

[Bigfoot]

When I was commuting regularly (South Western, 4 years ago) there was occasionally an automated / pre-recorded announcement on the PA along the lines of 'please can the guard contact the driver' (I can't remember the exact wording) - presume the driver would use this if the guard was away from a cab and couldn't be reached on the cab to cab phone.

This would usually be followed by the guard making some sort of announcement.

This has been removed from the swr desiro fleet much to both the guard and drivers irritation. If a guard is walking the train they can't hear the beep of the intercom request in the cab. Feels like a downgrade to me.

 

[SCDR_WMR]

This has been removed from the swr desiro fleet much to both the guard and drivers irritation. If a guard is walking the train they can't hear the beep of the intercom request in the cab. Feels like a downgrade to me.

Odd given the 350s still have it, must have been SWR who requested it be removed (or LNR requested to keep maybe) as I find it very useful

 

[Sly Old Fox]

I’ve made a couple of announcements regarding delays. It’s frustrating to give the guard a load of information about what’s going on, only for them to make no announcement at all, so occasionally I just step in and do it myself.

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

This has been removed from the swr desiro fleet much to both the guard and drivers irritation. If a guard is walking the train they can't hear the beep of the intercom request in the cab. Feels like a downgrade to me.

In my experience, the driver now just tends to make a manual announcement - "Please could the guard contact the driver".

 

[tiptoptaff]

I used to make PAs telling everyone it was my guard's birthday. A great prank, especially with a trainee.

Best time this happened was a day that a large group of very young primary-school children got on. No way my guard could tell 30 4year olds it wasn't really her birthday.

 

[Ashley Hill]

I used to make PAs telling everyone it was my guard's birthday. A great prank, especially with a trainee.

Best time this happened was a day that a large group of very young primary-school children got on. No way my guard could tell 30 4year olds it wasn't really her birthday.

I’ve had that done to me when a large Hen party joined the train,it was not unpleasant .

 

[AJD]

I've worked at two fully guarded TOCs and most guards and I happily agree to take it in turns to do PA announcements during major disruption. Those guards have gone on to say how they like the driver reinforcing what the guard has said and when passengers hear the issue from more than one person they're supposedly more understanding and appreciative (or so I'm told). Otherwise for a minor delay I just call the guard directly and pass on what information I can.

 

[DMckduck97]

This has been removed from the swr desiro fleet much to both the guard and drivers irritation. If a guard is walking the train they can't hear the beep of the intercom request in the cab. Feels like a downgrade to me.

The local belief on that is it put the passengers in a heightened state of panic (not sure why) so was removed and now only scrolls along the PIS sometimes..

A massive downgrade although I believe the signal bell works in the leading cab with a key on at all times so 3-3 could supplement this

 

[387star]

On planes pilots make the odd announcement despite having cabin crew on board

 

[Bigfoot]

The local belief on that is it put the passengers in a heightened state of panic (not sure why) so was removed and now only scrolls along the PIS sometimes..

A massive downgrade although I believe the signal bell works in the leading cab with a key on at all times so 3-3 could supplement this

It does, and 3-3 usually has a guard running to the front worried as its rarely heard on anything other than a 455

 

[12LDA28C]

On planes pilots make the odd announcement despite having cabin crew on board

That's rather off-topic but I would add that on all the flights I've made this year the pilot has made at least one pre-take off announcement detailing expected departure time and any anticipated delays as well as expected flight duration, a pre-landing announcement describing local weather conditions and a post-landing announcement welcoming us to wherever we had just arrived at, also a further announcement if we were going to be delayed getting to our stand. The cabin crew would not be privy to much of that information as it's the cockpit who are in contact with air traffic control in a similar manner to the driver being in contact with the signaller.

 

[Urban Gateline]

It does, and 3-3 usually has a guard running to the front worried as its rarely heard on anything other than a 455

Yep and from a saloon door control panel you can't make it live when moving over a certain speed so no way to return the 3-3 there, at least you can make cab-cab calls from the PA handset!

More of a challenge on a 458 with no PA handset in the Coach 3 (&8) Guard panels so if in the train somewhere you end up having to go back to a cab to contact the driver!

 

[Undiscovered]

In my experience, the driver now just tends to make a manual announcement - "Please could the guard contact the driver".

Similarly, some old hand drivers will PA '3-3 to the guard' or just '3-3' if they can't reach you on the cab to cab. It's so discreet enough to be unnoticed by passengers but is immediately discernable by the guard.