Automated Announcements
 

Just wondered if anyone had any experiences with an automated system on a E/DMU? When the 175's were first being used FNW used an automated announcement on them, I was on a service to Blackpool North, and the announcements were all 'one stop behind' e.g. the 175 comes to Oxford Road, "this is Manchester Piccadilly". Now the 175's don't seem to use them anymore.

The 185's use automated announcements, wonder how long TPX will keep using it?:D

I think the automated systems on trains are better than what they used to be. I can rember going dow to London when the 165s were 'new' and they only had a visual screen and it kept repeating all the stoips until we got to London:D :D. But these new EMUS in use on the West Coast in the Midlands have a voice and it keeps up with the train!"!!

I live on the Manchester-North Wales line which is worked mainly by "Arriva Trains Wales" Class 175's. The automated announcement system is usually operating although I have experienced the fault you describe quite a few times. Maybe there is a train driver or conductor on the forum who can explain why this happens and why it can't be corrected once it starts. Talking of the actual announcements, I'm not sure which is worse........the sickly, artificial sounding, pieced together lady's voice or (when this breaks down) the broad Manc voice trying to get to grips with the Welsh place names:D
John.

Well the Southeastern Networkers (465/466) are still like that as they're based on a common design. It's late 1980's technology, and the diplay shows ALL the stations round and round ad infinitum :rolleyes: But at least they've got displays, as the 319 series (early 1980's) don't have any PIS or automated announcements at all.

More modern stock often has GPS incorporated, where the system 'removes' stations from the list once they've been visited. But no system is perfect, and the GPS can lose its fix - particularly in heavily built-up areas.

I caught a 175 a couple of months ago and they were using the automated annoucement system, they have made some modifications to them to include all the Welsh spellings and to program in routes like Manchester to South Wales which weren't programmed in when First North Western got them installed.

Central Trains also use them on some of there new trains (I forget the model no) but it announces "We will shortly be arriving at X" about 5 minutes before the train reaches X.

There’s also the refurbished 507s and 508s used by Mersey Rail that used automated PAs. I’ve never heard them making any mistakes. Although passengers unfamiliar with the routes get a bit confused by the Wirral line announcements.

This is because trains originating at Chester, Ellesmere Port, West Kirkby and New Brighton follow circular routes. They call at all stations to Liverpool James Street, then Liverpool Moorfields, Liverpool Lime Street, Liverpool Central, Liverpool James Street again, then all stations to where ever they originate from. This means that trains heading towards Liverpool state that they are going to Liverpool Central, but after they call at Liverpool James Street the first time they state they are going to Chester/Ellesmere Port/West Kirby/New Brighton.

The annoying thing with the 185s automated announcement system is that certain generic announcements such as discounted tickets cannot be bought on board, keep getting repeated after every station.

On the 175s I think the conductor has to press a button for the announcement to be made. An announcement could be missed and announced at the next station because they are still checking the tickets On the Manchester to Llandudno route this could happen a few times as the timings between some of the stations are as follows:
Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Oxford Rd: 3 minutes apart
Newton-le-Willows and Earlestown: 3 minutes apart
Runcorn East and Frodsham: 5 minutes apart
Frodsham and Helsby: 4 minutes apart
Llandudno Junction and Deganwy: 4 minutes apart

I was on a 185 going from Leeds to Manchester yesterday. Due to engineering works it went into Huddesfield and then back out the same way, before joinng the line through Rochdale down to Manchester Victoria. About two minuts after leaving Huddersfield it was announced that we where approaching Huddersfield station! And as for annoying annoucments the Northern services on the Airedale line must be the worst, they keep on going when the train is stationary! I'm sure that everyone who's experienced this will remember on ephrase above all others, "Welcome to the Skipton train"!

Adam

The Central 350s are interesting, "this is the service to Liverpool Lime Street, calling at................................................ ....................Wolverhampton e.t.c. The long wait for announcements.

I was at Nottingham today and they have the same auto announcer as Manchester and Leeds. Is there anywhere else that has this (can't remember if York had it or not)

Before Transpennine Express got their new trains the conductors sometimes made mistakes with annoucements.

On one occassion when I boarded a train the conductor announced "Welcome aboard this Transpennine Express service to Manchester emmmm. No sorry Liverpool Lime Street." On another the conductor announced while the train was stopped "This is the xx.xx Transpennine Express service to York." then after the train started moving "Welcome aboard this Transpennine Express service to Leeds. Any passengers for York should change at Leeds." The train was timetabled to terminate at Leeds, not York.

I remember onboard an MML sevie a couple of years ago, the feamel crew staff were laughing that much when trying to announce, ti took them a couple of times to get it right. Plus I was on a Virgin from London many years ago where the announcer said we would be going to "Manchester Victoria", then correcting himself "Piccadilly".

There is a station near where I live called Leigh, which is pronounced Lee by the conductor. The correct pronunciation of the station (and village) is Lye. There was an item about it in my local newspaper recently.

It's very easy to get your head in a bit of a muddlle. Our old trains still have roller blinds, so after leaving the penultimate stop your job is to change it to the destination for when the train is running the other way. The trouble with that is that it plants a seed in your mind, and since both destinations start with a 'B' I do occassionally announce that we're just arriving at the place we left two and a half hours ago.

You know as soon as you've done it though, because you can hear people in the carriage behind you laughing :o

I've noticed that the announcements at Manchester Piccadilly are done on an automated system, unless the woman doing them talks in a strange way and always repeats the same mistakes and is at the station all day every day.

Announcements for the Chester via Altrincham service always state "Platform XX for the XX:XX to Chester calling at Stockport ... Lostock (pause) Gra-lam (said unconvincingly) ... and Chester. Ashley, Mobberley, Lostock (pause) Gra-lam (said unconvincingly) and Delamere are request stops."

On one occasion the same voice did an announcement for what should have been a Transpennine Express service to Newcastle after there had been a crash at Newcastle. The announcement said "This train will terminate at Durham today." There was no mention of why or whether a replacement bus would be running.

One automated announcement at Warrington Bank Quay station made me laugh, as it kept getting repeated. It said "The (pause) XX:XX to (pause) Birmingham is delayed by approximately (pause) 40 (pause) eight (pause) minutes. I am very sorry for the severe delay to this service." I'm sure that all the passengers waiting for that service felt much better after getting an apology from an automated system and not being told why the train had been delayed.

At least you have rails to run on and cant actually get lost. :p Not like the poor old coach drivers who type the wrong name into their GPS and end up with all their passengers miles away from their intended destination. :D :D

Well it's never happened to me (touchwood), but I know of a few drivers who have been offered the wrong route and taken it. It must be a horrible feeling when you suddenly realise that you don't recognise where you are and it's going to take quite a bit of embarassing manoevring to sort it out.....in addition to an incident on your licence. :eek:

Were the 175 automated announcements ever used while the Airport-Blackpool/Cumbria service was TransPennine Express?

The announcements were frequently used on Llandudno runs during 2006 but I can't remember any of the 175s going to Blackpool or Cumbria using the automated in the months leading up to the 185 introduction.

I've taken the wrong route once, but in my defence I'll say that I had a more experienced man besides me acting as second man. I had stopped the train and was about to get off to go on the phone to tell the signalman about his error, but my assistant told me that I was okay to go this way cos there was another junction a few miles further along where I could get back on the right route. Needless to say he was wrong and we were off in the wrong direction. We had to propel back about a mile to get back on our proper route. :eek:

It taught me a very important lesson, which was to take my own advice in future.

On the subject of train announcers though, the worst one that I know is some guy who works at Darlington station. He starts off every announcement with the word "Ingamumum". If he was supposed to say "The train now arriving at platform one is the 13.58 trans pennine express to Liverpool lime street" he'd read it out as "Ingamumum platform one...." etc.

On the Wiral line with the loop the reason it changes at James Stret is because this is were they change the destination and the anouncement is all linked in the same system.

Like when they put it to Not In Service it comes up all through the train,
They come come out with some good ones though on Merseyrail, eg PLEASE MOVE DOWN THE TRAIN TO ALLOW PASSENGERS ON THAT ARE ABOUT TO BOARD THE TRAIN" This comes on when the train is bulging like this moring on the second train we got on at Bank Hall because the other one had a fault.

OTHERS INCLDE

"PICK POCKETS MAY BE OPERATING ON THIS TRAIN"

"PENALTY FARES ARE IN OPERATION ON THIS NETWORK"

"PASSENGERS ARE REMINDED TO KEEP THERE FEET OF THE SEATS"

"THANK YOU FOR TRAVELING WOITH MERSEYRAIL"