Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 09:35 29 Mar 2024
* Bus plunges off South Africa bridge, killing 45
* Easter getaway begins with flood alerts in place
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]
 02/06/24 - Summer Timetable starts
17/08/24 - Bus to Imber
27/09/25 - 200 years of passenger trains

On this day
29th Mar (1913)
Foundation of National Union or Railwaymen (*)

Train RunningCancelled
09:00 Gatwick Airport to Reading
09:46 Westbury to Swindon
09:54 Bedwyn to Newbury
10:22 Newbury to Bedwyn
10:55 Bedwyn to Newbury
11:05 Swindon to Westbury
11:29 Newbury to Bedwyn
11:57 Bedwyn to Newbury
12:17 Westbury to Swindon
12:52 Bedwyn to Newbury
13:15 Swindon to Westbury
14:19 Westbury to Swindon
15:14 Swindon to Westbury
16:23 Westbury to Swindon
17:36 Swindon to Westbury
18:37 Westbury to Swindon
20:13 Swindon to Westbury
21:16 Westbury to Swindon
22:30 Swindon to Westbury
Short Run
05:33 Plymouth to London Paddington
06:37 Plymouth to London Paddington
07:03 London Paddington to Paignton
08:35 Plymouth to London Paddington
09:37 London Paddington to Paignton
09:45 Bristol Temple Meads to Salisbury
10:35 London Paddington to Exeter St Davids
Delayed
05:03 Penzance to London Paddington
06:05 Penzance to London Paddington
07:10 Penzance to London Paddington
08:03 London Paddington to Penzance
08:15 Penzance to London Paddington
09:04 London Paddington to Plymouth
10:04 London Paddington to Penzance
11:03 London Paddington to Plymouth
PollsOpen and recent polls
Closed 2024-03-25 Easter Escape - to where?
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple MeadsBath SpaChippenhamSwindonDidcot ParkwayReadingLondon PaddingtonMelksham
Exeter St DavidsTauntonWestburyTrowbridgeBristol ParkwayCardiff CentralOxfordCheltenham SpaBirmingham New Street
March 29, 2024, 09:50:26 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[149] Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption el...
[64] would you like your own LIVE train station departure board?
[59] West Wiltshire Bus Changes April 2024
[58] Reversing Beeching - bring heritage and freight lines into the...
[52] Return of the BRUTE?
[36] 2024 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury...
 
News: A forum for passengers ... with input from rail professionals welcomed too
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: 1 [2] 3
  Print  
Author Topic: 68 mins at Bath Spa station yesterday.........  (Read 8391 times)
froome
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 901


View Profile Email
« Reply #15 on: August 30, 2018, 07:14:54 »

On my way back from Temple Meads to Warminster yesterday I spent 68 mins at Bath Spa - most of it open-mouthed at the shambolic goings-on at Platform 2 during that time.

Just how are platform announcements initiated - and from where ? It is a wonder that the loudspeakers didn't burn themselves out with the amount that they were in use. Unfortunately much of their output was "verbal diarrhoea" - unnecessary/irrelevant/repetitive/just plain wrong.

1. Announcement made that First Class on a forthcoming train would be in coaches 1, 2, 9 & 10 - you are ahead of me already, aren't you ?........... it was in coaches 4, 5, 6, & 7.   Utter shambles when all the people stood in the mid section of the platform found themselves confronted by a wall of First Class coaches. Many of these would-be travelers thought that they could board anywhere and walk through the train to find seats - wrong ! The staff in the First Class coaches were then trying to direct passengers to the extremities of the train (in good faith !) and explain that it was not possible to walk through the whole train.  Some passengers were starting to take umbrage at this - thinking that Standard Class ticket holders were not now being allowed to board the train through the First Class doors !

2. Announcement is made that the "train approaching" does not call at this station. Nothing appeared for some time.............then a brand new "5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit)" trundles in and stops - and the doors unlock. Platform staff and travelers look on somewhat bemused - then an announcement is made that this is an "additional service" to Paddington !

3. The trains to Weymouth and Portsmouth Harbour were both delayed. We were then subjected to a non-stop barrage of "apologies" for this. At one point 3 apologies were announced one after the other - with no break in between..........for a 13 min delay, then a 15 min delay, then a 13 min delay again - all for the same train !!!!  When a train is 29 min late starting its journey and was never better than 22 min late, why were such hopelessly inaccurate arrival times being announced ? - more clocks needing repair than usual perhaps.........   My grandson informed me that 25 apologies were made - I wouldn't doubt that for one minute ! (When the Weymouth, 2 car 150, finally left even Jeremy Corbyn wouldn't have found enough floor space to sit on !!)

The overwhelming impression was that no one at Bath Spa had a clue what was going on until an announcement was made - and even then that was not correct. It wasn't chaotic, it wasn't a disaster - it was just a display of an organisation that seems to have completely lost sight of what it is meant to be doing and how to do it. A most dispiriting display of how to run a railway.  GWR (Great Western Railway) is going downhill faster than Eddie the Eagle.................



Yes I've had very similar experiences at Bath Spa on many occasions. Just the day before you travelled, I stood on the platform there waiting for the London train, whose formation showed as being first class at the front. No announcements to say otherwise, and wanting to sit in the quiet carriage we were stood at the rear with Bromptons and bags The train arrives with first class at the rear, and all manner of a rush to get past others coming down the platform the other way.

The constant announcements are not just incessant, but the effect to those who don't manage to blank them out completely, is that they are nonsense and thus even more irritating. How can a train be delayed an extra 2 minutes 2 seconds later and then catch up 2 minutes another 2 seconds later, yet that is often what is announced.
Logged
froome
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 901


View Profile Email
« Reply #16 on: August 30, 2018, 07:19:01 »

Oh how I feel for station staff having to put up with these constant announcements. I can only think you train yourself to block them out from your hearing.

The worst for me is waiting on platform 4 at Swindon. Every time somebody steps onto the stairs, which obviously means almost constantly, the announcement about "Please use the handrail..." echos down the lobby at the top where everyone waits. I would be a complete nervous wreck if I had to work up there.
Logged
PhilWakely
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 2007



View Profile
« Reply #17 on: August 30, 2018, 08:06:37 »

Oh how I feel for station staff having to put up with these constant announcements. I can only think you train yourself to block them out from your hearing.

The worst for me is waiting on platform 4 at Swindon. Every time somebody steps onto the stairs, which obviously means almost constantly, the announcement about "Please use the handrail..." echos down the lobby at the top where everyone waits. I would be a complete nervous wreck if I had to work up there.

I can hear it now...........
"We regret to announce that....When on the stairs....If you see anything suspicious...Stand behind the yellow line.... Hold the hand rail and take care..Sorted!"
Logged
chuffed
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1499


View Profile
« Reply #18 on: August 30, 2018, 08:24:09 »

Well, it could be worse. We don't seem to have the hologram lady who tells us to take care on the escalator and to use the lift for luggage.
Logged
Timmer
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6293


View Profile
« Reply #19 on: August 30, 2018, 08:26:38 »

Well, it could be worse. We don't seem to have the hologram lady who tells us to take care on the escalator and to use the lift for luggage.
Nanny state at her best.
Logged
Clan Line
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 858



View Profile
« Reply #20 on: August 30, 2018, 08:39:56 »

I can hear it now...........
"We regret to announce that....When on the stairs....If you see anything suspicious...Stand behind the yellow line.... Hold the hand rail and take care..Sorted!"

........at least they have given up on the ludicrous  "please fold your buggy before boarding the train ". That one showed just perfectly how completely out of touch a lot of the people who are meant to be running the railways are - on another planet !
Logged
chuffed
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1499


View Profile
« Reply #21 on: August 30, 2018, 09:48:15 »

I wonder if GWR (Great Western Railway) are working on a hologram of Mark Hopwood to be rolled out at all stations...or do you think they, like the rest of us, can't find the real thing ? Huh
Logged
Timmer
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6293


View Profile
« Reply #22 on: August 30, 2018, 09:54:54 »

I wonder if GWR (Great Western Railway) are working on a hologram of Mark Hopwood to be rolled out at all stations...or do you think they, like the rest of us, can't find the real thing ? Huh
Here he is in action yesterday:
https://twitter.com/networkrailwest/status/1034903055500804097?s=21
Logged
Louis94
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 446


View Profile
« Reply #23 on: August 30, 2018, 12:17:39 »

Most stations will operate like that because the announcements are automated and triggered by the train passing certain points on the network.

The announcements are automated and programmed the week or a few days before.  The delayed announcements are automatic by the system unless altered by Swindon control.

The announcements on GWR (Great Western Railway) have been largely the same since the new system was installed, the majority of them are timed based on the trains expected arrival time. This mean that if this time is wrong then the announcements are played at the wrong time. Announcements regarding train stops and formation are typically 3 minutes before expected arrival time, 1.5 minutes (for the slightly shorter announcement), and then on triggering the arrival report. The latter being the only one that is actually triggered by any train movement, the former 2 could play even if the train is stood at a red signal and actually being delayed. Announcements regarding delays are influenced by a range of factors including, but not limited to, how late the train currently is and its current expected arrival time.

At one point 3 apologies were announced one after the other - with no break in between..........for a 13 min delay, then a 15 min delay, then a 13 min delay again - all for the same train !!!! 

This typically occurs when the train is passing through a station on its route, the train running reporting system only understanding trains arriving and departing. Therefore when the train reports as it passes a station an arrival report is made, this pushes the delay up as this is based on the train coming to a stand. Once the train has passed said station a departure report is made and this, in simple terms, cancels out the effect of the arrival report. The train then returns to its previous lateness or what the system has decided based on the time reported at that location.

When you combine this with that at some station where a train isn't timed the system still has an expected passing time and this time isn't always accurate, so results in inaccuracies in the calculation of the trains delay.

When a train is on time you typically won't notice the impact of this, this is because often this will be absorbed by the dwell time at the relevant location or because the system will not announce short delays.

Logged
Gordon the Blue Engine
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 752


View Profile
« Reply #24 on: August 30, 2018, 13:37:50 »

So a couple of posters have told us how the automated announcement system works and why it goes wrong sometimes.  However, this is of no consolation to passengers who get no information, too much information (eg repeated apologies) and disinformation (eg First Class wrong end).

This is another example of a system which GWR (Great Western Railway) has put in but seem incapable of running reliably (bit like train crew rostering).  Management is there to manage and sort things out. The posts above show they know why things go wrong, their job is not just to explain and apologise when their systems fail, but to take action to fix the issues that cause the system failures. 
Logged
Timmer
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6293


View Profile
« Reply #25 on: August 30, 2018, 15:19:32 »

So a couple of posters have told us how the automated announcement system works and why it goes wrong sometimes.  However, this is of no consolation to passengers who get no information, too much information (eg repeated apologies) and disinformation (eg First Class wrong end).

This is another example of a system which GWR (Great Western Railway) has put in but seem incapable of running reliably (bit like train crew rostering).  Management is there to manage and sort things out. The posts above show they know why things go wrong, their job is not just to explain and apologise when their systems fail, but to take action to fix the issues that cause the system failures. 

At times of disruption it’s about as useful as a chocolate teapot. I’ve been a Bath Spa when a human takes over making the announcements making a lot more sense, just like it did when I was a youngster travelling by train in the days before automation.
Logged
Clan Line
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 858



View Profile
« Reply #26 on: August 30, 2018, 20:34:11 »

As I said in an earlier post, I went to Salisbury today - what a difference to Bath Spa. Quite a lot going on; trains arriving/leaving, trains splitting, platform changes.........but I don't think I heard any announcement made more than twice. There was one train running late - GWR (Great Western Railway) of course ! This too was announced only twice - it was also on the platform CIS (Customer Information System), for all to see. I had to wonder how many times the late running of this train, minute by minute,(34 of them) was blasted out to the people waiting at Bath...............as the train came all the way up from Portsmouth !!!
My train to Salisbury from Warminster was also late: 1 min: 2 min: 3 mins all the way up to 6 mins - then it became "delayed". It actually turned up two minutes adrift. Mind you, it had come a long way - started at Westbury  Roll Eyes

Perhaps someone from GWR should go to Salisbury and see/hear how station/train information to passengers should be done.....fat chance, I fear.
Logged
Trowres
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 750


View Profile
« Reply #27 on: August 30, 2018, 21:48:56 »

From somewhere near Bath (messages not exactly as announced but you will get the drift):

Quote
Next train at platform 1 not scheduled to stop. Please stand clear...
Freight train rolls through
Quote
Next train at platform 1 not scheduled to stop. Please stand clear...
End of freight receding
Quote
Next train at platform 1 not scheduled to stop. Please stand clear...
Freight long gone
Quote
Mind the gap...
Quote
Doors may close 40 seconds...
<several minutes>
Quote
Next train at platform 1 not scheduled to stop. Please stand clear...
IET (Intercity Express Train) rolls in.
Quote
Train at platform 1 is for Bristol Temple Meads

 Roll Eyes

Logged
froome
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 901


View Profile Email
« Reply #28 on: August 31, 2018, 08:19:22 »

Another frequentannoyance at both Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads is that there are often more than one announcement made at the same time, on different platforms. The effect of this is either, that you can't hear the one on your own platform because the other is louder and drowns it out, or you end up with two different announcements competing against each other in your ears and you not being able to take in either. At Temple Meads I've often heard an announcement about the train I'm waiting for start, and just as it reaches the crucial point, another one comes over it and you are left wondering whether the announcement was going to tell you something important, such as a platform change or a change in the set up of the train, or something more routine.
Logged
devonexpress
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 294


View Profile
« Reply #29 on: September 03, 2018, 20:23:09 »

Another frequentannoyance at both Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads is that there are often more than one announcement made at the same time, on different platforms. The effect of this is either, that you can't hear the one on your own platform because the other is louder and drowns it out, or you end up with two different announcements competing against each other in your ears and you not being able to take in either. At Temple Meads I've often heard an announcement about the train I'm waiting for start, and just as it reaches the crucial point, another one comes over it and you are left wondering whether the announcement was going to tell you something important, such as a platform change or a change in the set up of the train, or something more routine.

Its the same as Newton Abbot in the early morning Paignton local arrival announcement, halfway through a London Paddington service announcement with Roger's voice beckoning the entire station.
Logged
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: 1 [2] 3
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules (email link to report). Forum hosted by Well House Consultants

Jump to top of pageJump to Forum Home Page