New First Capital Connect Announcements

[philjo]

The screens on platform 4 at Potters Bar this evening was saying that the 17:03 service to Welwyn Garden City would be formed of 9 coaches !!

The announcement also said 9 coaches.

A 6-car 313 arrived as usual.

 

[Aictos]

The system was displaying a engineering notice last week, seems Harringay has been renamed to Ha and New Barnet is now New Barnet new barnet!

It also likes certain services with a liking to advertise it 4 times on the departure screens.

It is a good system but I wish it didn't come with so much bugs.

 

[jon0844]

It's a system that has been in place for over six months now hasn't it? The poor customers (and staff) have had to put up with nonsense for that period of time - and surely that's not acceptable?

Finsbury Park now has platform specific announcements (but, for the standard safety ones they trigger about half a second part on each group of platforms - so you get a sort of weird echo!) but still manages to announce some services due in 10 minutes or so as coming before the one due in a few minutes - then the inevitable correction as the first train arrives. Staff have to manually announce the mistake and correct it, which must annoy them.

At Hatfield, there are still no announcements on platforms 2/3, but platform 1 gets all the 'stand clear' messages for platform 2 - which are quite plentiful given it's the down fast.

I accept teething problems with anything, but when does a teething problem become an inherent fault?

 

[Jordy]

Its half tempting to say its a poor system, it can be a bit poor compared to the likes of Ditra - however I think its more the fault of FCC here, its set up poorly. Compare to the LM system and you'll see what I mean.

 

[jon0844]

Yes, I'd accept that. Maybe they shouldn't have bought the system if they didn't know how to set it up (and they must have a pretty bad maintenance contract if they have to set it up on their own).

 

[causton]

I would list what would be ideal, but everyone seemed to be doing that many months ago in this thread and they still haven't been done!

The only good thing is you can identify how far a train is away by the presence of a gap between the announcements "stand well clear of the edge of [.......] platform 2"

If you have any enemies send them to Brookmans Park late at night to wait for a train, and put them there just after the previous train.... SO MANY announcements for trains on platforms 2 and 3 and drivers can't even stop there due to lack of OPO equipment! :/

 

[announcements]

I travelled up from Highbury & Islington to Palmers Green this evening and luckily managed to escape from hearing Anne. Palmers Green still has Phil installed.

 

[thefab444]

That's very interesting, was it Ditra style? E.g. "Palmers Green, this is Palmers Green."

 

[jon0844]

You'll still hear Phil doing safety announcements on stations to Moorgate from Drayton Park, but FCC still hasn't managed to get its new system to announce any trains.

Besides the VERY occasional manual announcements at Old Street, it's a case of looking at the screen or the front of the train. [sarcastic mode]Not that there's any chance of there being people who are visually impaired at Old Street of course.[/sarcastic mode]

The system for the Northern Line is excellent though. FCC customers will hear some of these too, when being told that there's a good service on all London Underground lines - but no info at all about delays or cancelled services on the very platform they're standing at.

 

[Blindtraveler]

may we have your attention please at FCC HQ. We are sorry to announce that your new customer information system, is a load of s**t. We appologise for the incompitance we have showed you.

The next postbag to arrive at, customer relations, wil be the, any time, any date, customer complaint communication, from, everyboddy. An at desk service, of light insults, is available!

Due to, a blind passenger getting on the wrong train, at, old street, services are being delayed. Will disabled customers intending to travel from this station, please write to your mp now, as fcc's rubbish technition is ready to leav.

Rip phil

 

[Jordy]

The system on the Moorgate branch (doing safety announcements only) appears to be Funkwerk (as used on Thameslink) - no idea why its there!

 

[Aictos]

Just to clear up 2 important points about the system:

1. FCC only uses ATOS's Anne Jermy for the automated announcements except of course for the manually recorded announcements which are done by either anyone from the Service Delivery Centre's or from one of the guys from West Hampstead SDC not including the ad hoc announcements which all station staff can do.

2. FCC no longer uses Funkwerk anywhere on it's network, the NCL is unique in it has two types of announcement equipment, the main one is a ASL system which means Kings Cross SDC can make specific announcements to any part of the station but there is also a older system based at Moorgate which I have been told by staff there enables them to announce to anyone as far as Drayton Park. All other stations including Palmers Green use the ATOS system.

 

[announcements]

That's very interesting, was it Ditra style? E.g. "Palmers Green, this is Palmers Green."

Not when my train arrived, however, I could hear him in the distance from the opposite platform announcing something but it was quite difficult to make out what he was saying as my train was just departing!

You'll still hear Phil doing safety announcements on stations to Moorgate from Drayton Park, but FCC still hasn't managed to get its new system to announce any trains.

Indeed, I heard Phil doing a safety announcement at Highbury & Islington

 

[Aictos]

I see no one here took any notice of my post above where I corrected two members, FCC no longer uses Phil at ANY of it's stations as only Anne is used for the automated announcements, this does not include the manually recorded announcements which the person at the CIS desk at the 3 Service Delivery Centre's can make which usually are for service disruption giving more information then Anne or to advise of timetable alterations, the only other regular voice apart from Anne is from one of the guys who works within one of the Service Delivery Centre's called Matt so in short the automated announcements are voiced by ATOS's Anne and FCC's Matt.

This also does not include the various ad hoc announcements that any station staff can do at all stations.

This was what the manager responsible for the CIS system team explained to me so I think he would have a better idea of what the system can do then some members do here, :roll:

 

[thefab444]

Manangement aren't all-knowing - SWT's CIS Managers are obviously unaware of Clapham Junction not being able to announce Imperial Wharf, yet it is common knowledge amongst members on here.

But if it was in the background then it was probably imagination/someone else.

 

[announcements]

I walked down to Palmers Green today to check if my ears were deceiving me but in the space of 30 min, no announcements were played at all. Perhaps I was hearing things with Phil, but ajax103 there was no need to act like I hadn't acknowledged your post because I had I totally appreciate the information you've provided us with.

 

[Aictos]

Manangement aren't all-knowing - SWT's CIS Managers are obviously unaware of Clapham Junction not being able to announce Imperial Wharf, yet it is common knowledge amongst members on here.

But if it was in the background then it was probably imagination/someone else.

It was just that, someone's imagination running wild!

As to the manager, seeing as he was responsible for the ATOS roll out, he ought to know what voice/s came with the system.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
My last posts on this thread were not directed at anyone personally but in general aimed at all.

 

[Skimble19]

So, is there any chance of Phil coming back then? Getting a little fed up of this Anne barking at me all the time..!

 

[Aictos]

So, is there any chance of Phil coming back then? Getting a little fed up of this Anne barking at me all the time..!

No chance, however there's always the manual announcing which offers a alternative to Anne

 

[londonmidland]

A video featuring the now long-gone Phil Sayer at Kings Cross Thameslink, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71u-vjZ0Big

 

[Skimble19]

Still don't like the new announcements.. being shouted at by the worlds most manly female prison warden to look out for suspicious packages is just annoying, let alone the fact that she's nowhere near as helpful as Phil!

 

[londonmidland]

Still don't like the new announcements.. being shouted at by the worlds most manly female prison warden to look out for suspicious packages is just annoying, let alone the fact that she's nowhere near as helpful as Phil!

Who provides the wording though, is is Atos, Network Rail or "Own words"?

 

[HST Power]

A video featuring the now long-gone Phil Sayer at Kings Cross Thameslink, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71u-vjZ0Big

Long gone, such a shame.

Sayer was the best. Anne should never have been allowed to seize power at FCC. It's a dictatorship, I'm telling you!

Anne's voice is very annoying. Half the time, she sounds like she has a cold.

Phil Sayer sounded professional, authoritative and firm. Anne....just sounds like a stuck record!

 

[jon0844]

OMG - I heard an actual voice message explaining disruption this morning and got it about 10 seconds BEFORE I received a text alert. What's going on? Is FCC trying to provide information to passengers now?

It was to apologise for electrical supply problems at Essex Road (although online it said Drayton Park). Okay, so it didn't mention if trains were able to still travel into Moorgate or give any other useful information but it would at least have made you want to check up.

The announcement was at 0855, but by about 0910 I had a text alert saying it was fixed!

Still, well done FCC for actually getting someone to set it up to say something - even if it was rather vague!

 

[HST Power]

I used to be signed up for FCC text alerts, but I stopped it a few months back. Though they are quite useful and punctual.

 

[jon0844]

Until recently I found they were always far too late (as in arriving 3-4 hours late) but it seems they must have fixed this issue.

Now it seems Twitter is the way to get the most up to date information, and obviously you get the benefit of being able to send messages back.

 

[HST Power]

Twitter is very good for information, and more useful than other social networks if you just want to view quick, simple updates.