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Author Topic: Our, your,the next station stop is confusing  (Read 7821 times)
Reading General
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« Reply #15 on: December 15, 2019, 06:23:37 »

Why does it even need all the waffle? "Next Stop Didcot" simple. Works on Swedish trains just fine.
Because a private railway has customers rather than passengers, and your journey on a train, to them, is an onboard experience. If you go into a well known brand shop you will hear the person behind the counter reel off the same waffle each time you go in, I guess somewhere it gets results, probably in industry consumer surveys done by mystery shoppers. Someone is listening to that train manager or announcement and marking the company down for points.
At Reading Transport, so much effort was put into impressing mystery travellers for the sake of industry awards that it could have an effect on actual service. Loading the buses as quickly and efficiently as possible was of no importance. What you said, did and how you were dressed on the other hand was how you were judged on doing the job, not whether the vehicle moved. Drivers would be summoned to the office, not for passenger complaints, just to be told what an anonymous judge thought of them. It would vary wildly in different opinions too, even if you did the same thing each time. Now I imagine that TOC (Train Operating Company)’s are under the same scrutiny for the same stuff, probably required for industry awards and possibly operating licenses. The sooner consumer choice is taken out of public transport the better.
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CyclingSid
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« Reply #16 on: December 15, 2019, 08:55:20 »

Also I have heard on Cotswold trains coming into Reading; change at Reading for Basingstoke, etc and Oxford. Then having to tell tourists to stay on the train because the announcement means stations to Oxford.
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Reading General
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« Reply #17 on: December 15, 2019, 09:36:03 »

Also I have heard on Cotswold trains coming into Reading; change at Reading for Basingstoke, etc and Oxford. Then having to tell tourists to stay on the train because the announcement means stations to Oxford.
Yes I’ve noticed some IET (Intercity Express Train) announcements telling coming from the west telling you to change for where you have just come from. There doesn’t seem to be much attention to detail with these things as I guess they are programmed by somebody not familiar with what’s happening who’s just getting on with a job. It appears to be viewed that all information, even if unnecessary, is a good thing.
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Bmblbzzz
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« Reply #18 on: December 15, 2019, 18:40:12 »

Also I have heard on Cotswold trains coming into Reading; change at Reading for Basingstoke, etc and Oxford. Then having to tell tourists to stay on the train because the announcement means stations to Oxford.
That is far worse than any mix up of pronouns or articles.
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didcotdean
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« Reply #19 on: December 15, 2019, 19:28:53 »

Also I have heard on Cotswold trains coming into Reading; change at Reading for Basingstoke, etc and Oxford. Then having to tell tourists to stay on the train because the announcement means stations to Oxford.
Yes I’ve noticed some IET (Intercity Express Train) announcements telling coming from the west telling you to change for where you have just come from. There doesn’t seem to be much attention to detail with these things as I guess they are programmed by somebody not familiar with what’s happening who’s just getting on with a job. It appears to be viewed that all information, even if unnecessary, is a good thing.
Happens all over the place being advised to change when the train actually goes there. Didcot for Oxford, Swindon for Cheltenham etc.

I was told by GWR (Great Western Railway) that this behaviour is considered a non-compliance in the software and it is to be fixed presumably by Hitachi, but it seems a really long time coming. Perhaps the next update Smiley
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JontyMort
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« Reply #20 on: December 15, 2019, 21:07:12 »

Also I have heard on Cotswold trains coming into Reading; change at Reading for Basingstoke, etc and Oxford. Then having to tell tourists to stay on the train because the announcement means stations to Oxford.

Well, "Rudy" on "Crime of the Century" had this much better organised. The announcement says "passengers for Radley change at Didcot". The connecting train at Didcot was actually going to Oxford but you could get to Oxford more quickly on a through train from Paddington.

Good excuse to listen to it again.
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Celestial
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« Reply #21 on: December 15, 2019, 21:34:03 »

Also I have heard on Cotswold trains coming into Reading; change at Reading for Basingstoke, etc and Oxford. Then having to tell tourists to stay on the train because the announcement means stations to Oxford.

Well, "Rudy" on "Crime of the Century" had this much better organised. The announcement says "passengers for Radley change at Didcot". The connecting train at Didcot was actually going to Oxford but you could get to Oxford more quickly on a through train from Paddington.

Good excuse to listen to it again.
Maybe they wanted to Take The Long Way Home.
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