Even more announcements on SWR

[Ianmel1969]

Two new ones to add to the plethora of announcements that SWR seem to think we need to hear.
'Please keep your feet off the seats' and
'Please use the litter bins provided'.

How long will it be until we get one in the toilets saying,
'Please make sure you flush the toilet after use'.

I just want some peace and quiet when I board one of your trains SWR!

 

[bnc2018]

I took an SWR train for the first time in several years a couple of days ago and I couldn't believe the almost constant noise you're subjected to.

It was made even worse by the fact that the automated announcements for stations would play, and then the guard would do his own, entirely duplicated version of the same announcement

 

[800001]

Same with Elizabeth line. It’s a constant barrage of announcements .

Why, here in Uk do we have so many, yet when on European trains so few?

 

[DMckduck]

Two new ones to add to the plethora of announcements that SWR seem to think we need to hear.
'Please keep your feet off the seats' and
'Please use the litter bins provided'.

How long will it be until we get one in the toilets saying,
'Please make sure you flush the toilet after use'.

I just want some peace and quiet when I board one of your trains SWR!

As a counter to this if people bothered to put rubbish in the bin and keep feet off the seats, chances are these announcements wouldn't happen.

Like with most things, the minority often spoil it for the majority.

 

[Horizon22]

Yet people get annoyed by certain behaviours - indeed we have multi-page threads on it. Train crew cannot be everywhere at once so something has to give. Sure there’s a point at which the level of announcements means that individually each one has less impact, but to prevent behaviours people need to reminded.

And that’s all well and good saying “well this should be common sense and decency” but the rail industry can’t sort out societal and cultural problems!

This is one area the railway industry cannot really win.

As a counter to this if people bothered to put rubbish in the bin and keep feet off the seats, chances are these announcements wouldn't happen.

Like with most things, the minority often spoil it for the majority.

Exactly.

Same with Elizabeth line. It’s a constant barrage of announcements .

Why, here in Uk do we have so many, yet when on European trains so few?

I’d hate to say it but, better train etiquette? And really that goes into better social etiquette, full stop.

 

[Bikeman78]

As a counter to this if people bothered to put rubbish in the bin and keep feet off the seats, chances are these announcements wouldn't happen.

Like with most things, the minority often spoil it for the majority.

You don't seriously think that someone who chucks litter on the seats or the floor will take any notice of the auto announcements?

 

[Vexed]

The one good think about SWR's automated announcements is that they're quite quick compared with some others (I'm looking at you Thameslink).

 

[DMckduck]

You don't seriously think that someone who chucks litter on the seats or the floor will take any notice of the auto announcements?

Probably, but you'd like to think it would nudge people in the right direction and do the socially responsible thing.

There is a lot of drivel spewed out by automated announcements, but feet on seats and litter in bins are self inflicted and I don't have an issue with them.

 

[Parallel]

I took an SWR train for the first time in several years a couple of days ago and I couldn't believe the almost constant noise you're subjected to.

It was made even worse by the fact that the automated announcements for stations would play, and then the guard would do his own, entirely duplicated version of the same announcement

I think the SWR network is now the worst for verbal diarrhoea. The announcements at stations go on for a considerable duration with where lifts are out of service and now the platform zone announcements. Then really long manually recorded announcements about engineering works. Then at larger stations like Clapham Junction you get whole station broadcasts for things like See it, say it, sorted and no smoking, which cut off any useful announcements playing, and duplicates other announcements.

I can’t think of any other operators who subject passengers to the same ordeal.

 

[robbeech]

What they ought to do is very publicly talk about reducing unwanted announcements on trains and claim they’re going to do something about it. That’ll solve the problem.

 

[Russel]

Avanti have added a new one to the toilets on the Pendolinos, something like "Please take care when using the toilet, the train may stop or move suddenly."....

After 30 years of using train toilets without being reminded that a train may stop or move suddenly, I simply don't know how I'm still around to tell the tale.

As usual with these kind of things, I'm guessing it's just box ticking following some kind of incident.

 

[Goldfish62]

What makes the situation even worse with SWR is that the passenger information systems on their trains are so ancient that they can't be edited to account for engineering works diversions, skip stopping or any other out of course working.

So we get bombarded with stuff we don't want to hear, but there's silence when we could do with really useful information being broadcast!

 

[I_am_Nobody]

Two new ones to add to the plethora of announcements that SWR seem to think we need to hear.
'Please keep your feet off the seats' and
'Please use the litter bins provided'.

Which train were you on? (Specifically, the type of unit. I don’t want your journey details, feel free to keep those private! ). I don’t remember these being part of the scheduled automated announcements, they’re only on the system so that train crew can fire them off as requests.

 

[3141]

I only travel by train about a dozen times a year, but it's mostly in class 159s from Whitchurch, and on my last trip in February I really didn't think the announcements were excessive. If I needed to use a lift at a station I'd be glad to know whether the lifts there were working. Some people who leave litter on the tables may take it to a bin if they're reminded, though others won't, and the ones who put their feet on seats are probably less likely to take any notice about being asked not to. But I think the announcement is still worthwhile. Having automated announcements plus those from the guard may be an issue: the automated ones are usually clearer, but hearing something from the guard confirms that he is taking an interest.

 

[43066]

I only travel by train about a dozen times a year, but it's mostly in class 159s from Whitchurch, and on my last trip in February I really didn't think the announcements were excessive. If I needed to use a lift at a station I'd be glad to know whether the lifts there were working. Some people who leave litter on the tables may take it to a bin if they're reminded, though others won't, and the ones who put their feet on seats are probably less likely to take any notice about being asked not to. But I think the announcement is still worthwhile. Having automated announcements plus those from the guard may be an issue: the automated ones are usually clearer, but hearing something from the guard confirms that he is taking an interest.

They generally aren’t excessive in my experience either. They are a major bugbear of some contributors to this board, however.

 

[Kite159]

There was me thinking it would be something with the new automatic announcement about priority seats & automatic short platform announcements on some of the 159s.

 

[traji00]

they’re only on the system so that train crew can fire them off as requests.

Correct.
( I usually deploy the “Oyster & contactless not valid on this service” once leaving Surbiton.)

 

[Thames99]

I only travel by train about a dozen times a year, but it's mostly in class 159s from Whitchurch, and on my last trip in February I really didn't think the announcements were excessive. If I needed to use a lift at a station I'd be glad to know whether the lifts there were working. Some people who leave litter on the tables may take it to a bin if they're reminded, though others won't, and the ones who put their feet on seats are probably less likely to take any notice about being asked not to. But I think the announcement is still worthwhile. Having automated announcements plus those from the guard may be an issue: the automated ones are usually clearer, but hearing something from the guard confirms that he is taking an interest.

I think from Whitchurch there will only be a few stops to Waterloo so the list of stations will be short. Try getting on a a Waterloo train at Reading, for instance, to have all 15 or 20 stops announced and then the list slowly reducing at each station along the route. It's a torture!

 

[ScottGallagher]

Avanti have added a new one to the toilets on the Pendolinos, something like "Please take care when using the toilet, the train may stop or move suddenly."....

After 30 years of using train toilets without being reminded that a train may stop or move suddenly, I simply don't know how I'm still around to tell the tale.

As usual with these kind of things, I'm guessing it's just box ticking following some kind of incident.

Agreed! Someone must have fell over doing their business and put a claim in, no other logical reason, what times we live in.

 

[Russel]

Agreed! Someone must have fell over doing their business and put a claim in, no other logical reason, what times we live in.

The claim should have been rejected and the individual told to be more careful next time, but then, we can't have people taking responsibility for their own safety, can we.

 

[Goldfish62]

Try getting on a a Waterloo train at Reading, for instance, to have all 15 or 20 stops announced and then the list slowly reducing at each station along the route. It's a torture!

The list isn't repeated after every station, though.

 

[Taunton]

( I usually deploy the “Oyster & contactless not valid on this service” once leaving Surbiton.)

Can you have a word with your Elizabeth Line colleagues about "Oyster not valid beyond West Drayton" messages when the train is going to Heathrow, wholly within its validity.

 

[PaulJ]

Speaking as train crew (not SWR), I have noticed the amount of litter left on late evening services and the number of passengers that think it’s acceptable to put their clodhoppers on the seats. Generally, I don’t tend to overdo the announcements, but on a recent late night service out of London I thought I’d add in a pre-departure announcement about litter and feet. Throughout the journey I noticed a lot less feet on seats and later in the journey I noticed a marked reduction in the amount of litter left hanging around. Maybe the announcement worked!!
One thing I have noticed though, is that on board bins never seem to be big enough - either for volume or the width of the opening. One empty Costa cup makes the bin look full!

 

[I_am_Nobody]

The list isn't repeated after every station, though.

It will on the 701s! Good luck!

 

[styles]

Speaking as train crew (not SWR), I have noticed the amount of litter left on late evening services and the number of passengers that think it’s acceptable to put their clodhoppers on the seats. Generally, I don’t tend to overdo the announcements, but on a recent late night service out of London I thought I’d add in a pre-departure announcement about litter and feet. Throughout the journey I noticed a lot less feet on seats and later in the journey I noticed a marked reduction in the amount of litter left hanging around. Maybe the announcement worked!!
One thing I have noticed though, is that on board bins never seem to be big enough - either for volume or the width of the opening. One empty Costa cup makes the bin look full!

I suspect there's actually a reasonable amount of benefit to a 'manual' announcement from a guard or driver. It sounds human, it's a personal request, and you can put your own spin on it as well.

I'd be surprised if automated announcements made much difference; they'll just become background noise.

 

[Goldfish62]

It will on the 701s! Good luck!

True, assuming they ever get introduced on Reading services!

 

[farwest]

What makes the situation even worse with SWR is that the passenger information systems on their trains are so ancient that they can't be edited to account for engineering works diversions, skip stopping or any other out of course working.

So we get bombarded with stuff we don't want to hear, but there's silence when we could do with really useful information being broadcast!

I have purchased a good noise cancelling headset so I hear nothing. A GWR service from Penzance to Cardiff with a list of all the stations on route at every stop in Cornwall was the final straw. Luckily I was only going six stops!!

 

[Lockwood]

I was thinking about something quite daft yesterday. Fits in with this, sort of.

To be on topic... The platform announcements with the zones and stuff go on for ages. And waffle so much you forget if this is one of the weird services that skips a small station but calls at all the others...

And wanting to relax on the journey. One announcement finishes. You breathe. You sit back. "YOU MUST HAVE A TICKET!" blares out. Ok. That's over... Is there another? There isn't another. Good. Sit back. Breathe. Relax. "IF YOU SEE SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT..." Grr... Ok. That's fine. It's over. I can relax. It's all good. "We are now approaching..."


And on to the daft thought...

"Welcome on board this London Underground Waterloo and City Line service to Bank. This is Waterloo. The next station will be Bank. This is coach number three of four. If you see something that does not look right, speak to staff or text the British Transport Police on 61016. We'll sort it. See it, say it, sorted. We are now approaching Bank where this train will terminate. Please ensure you take all your personal belongings with you when leaving the train. Change here for services to........"

 

[800001]

Speaking as train crew (not SWR), I have noticed the amount of litter left on late evening services and the number of passengers that think it’s acceptable to put their clodhoppers on the seats. Generally, I don’t tend to overdo the announcements, but on a recent late night service out of London I thought I’d add in a pre-departure announcement about litter and feet. Throughout the journey I noticed a lot less feet on seats and later in the journey I noticed a marked reduction in the amount of litter left hanging around. Maybe the announcement worked!!
One thing I have noticed though, is that on board bins never seem to be big enough - either for volume or the width of the opening. One empty Costa cup makes the bin look full!

So all these auto announcements and manuel extra announcements as well? The noise never stops.

Massive annoyance for me is auto announcers does its job then guards repeating exactly the same information.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

This is one area the railway industry cannot really win.

And here we go again...

Of course the rail industry can win; simply reduce announcements to just things the average passenger needs to know (where the train's going and where it's stopping on the way) and get rid of the rest!