On-train announcement timing

[MrX]

Just a query.. What is the point in announcing "This is the X service to Y--serving X,Y,Z" after the train's pulled out of the station and the doors have closed?

Seems all DARTs do this as do any of the commuters that I have heard auto-announcements on.

There's very little point in going "This train is for Bray" after you've been en-route for 10 mins!

Surely these announcements should go off while the doors are open and the train is at the platform to allow passengers to get off if they're on the wrong train.

L.U tubes all work this way as do any long distance trains I've heard do it in the UK or elsewhere.

Even the new MK4 / CDE seems to get it right.

[Mark Gleeson]

Well as we have tried to point out to IE the DART announcements are not compliant with the RVAR accessibility guidelines

The 29000 railcars trigger after a slight pause This train is for Maynooth calling at ....... which is correct no reason why the same software version can't be used everywhere

The regulations require that the displays be turned off to avoiding annoying people thus on the new Cork train the display goes to sleep between stations

[Thomas J Stamp]

Well, at least you get them on the DART, even if late,and you can always get off at the next stop.

Countless now are the times that I have been on a train which loads up and pulls off and no-one announces over the PA what train it is or where it is stopping. Most times if you are lucky it'll be done as you're going past Inchicore. Bit of a worry if youre on the 1710 to Limerick as the first stop is Templemore.....

[James Shields]

In Pearse, Tara Street and Connolly (I'm not sure about other statoins), there are automated announcements for commuter trains which state:

The next train on platform X is the HH:MM train for Y, calling at Z...

Followed, when it's in sight, by...

The train now approaching platform X is the HH:MM train for Y, calling at Z...

And when it stops...

The train now standing on platform X is the HH:MM train for Y, calling at Z...

These are quite helpful, though I don't see that they really need to be repeated so many times.

More to the point, why are they only for commuter trains? Why not have them for DARTs? Three announcements might be overkill, but one would certainly be useful, especially when the order of trains has a subtle tendency to change at the last second. Regular commuters know that a DART won't take them to Drogheda, but I'm sure one or two tourists have ended up in Howth because the on-platform PIS had told them they were getting on the Drogheda train until seconds before the doors opened.

[MrX]

The on-platform stuff should say "The Train at platform X is the DART service to Howth, calling at all station to Howth" or whatever.

I suppose they don't need to say "the XX:XX service" for DARTs but, it could be done if necessary. The main thing is to distinguish them from non DARTs.

It'd be useful if it said "Commuter" and "Intercity" etc as appropriate. Although, I can see that IE probabally don't want to embarass themselves with

"The 19:25 Commuter Service to Sligo calling at..."

I think the PIS should announce the train approaching at non-major hub stations too though as it would be very useful for blind passengers and it is installed at most if not all stations.

I really think that the use of external speakers on the trains themselves isn't a bad idea either. "This is the X:XX service to X, calling at ...." should be announced from the train coaches themselves. It was done on the new busses in Boston and it made a fantastic difference.

"This is the 35 bus to ..."


"Another benefit to equipping the BUS fleet with AVL's is that it will help BUS to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. BUS is required by law to ensure that all citizens have access to their services and facilities. This includes not only removal of physical barriers but also addressing howinformation about transit services is made available. The buses equipped with AVL's will allow BUS to install an automatic public announcement system on all of our fixed route buses. These systems usually perform several functions. They automatically announce the next bus stop on internal bus speakers; at the same time a visual stop announcement appears on a lighted digital display sign located inside the bus; and when the bus door opens, it triggers an external speaker that announces the bus route to passengers waiting at the stop. This system helps to make transit available to persons whose disabilities are sensory, such as being sight or hearing impaired."

There is absoltutely no reason why CIE, LUAS and anyone else operating public transit here couldn't be required to do this. It's federal law in the US now.

I know CIE tendered for an "AVL" system for Bus Eireann etc, but it seems very slow to implement such technologies and when it does it tends to get them badly wrong / not bother to use them.


Have a read through : http://www.access-board.gov/transit/html/vguide.htm

Gives you an idea of the scope of the "Americans With Disabilities Act" and how it's impacted upon public transit operators.