|
Post by pimlico on Dec 22, 2012 20:03:19 GMT
Today I traveled on the Victoria line and noticed that the really old, announcements were back on the 09 stock. If any of you travelled on the first ever 2009 stock, you will remember them. I really don't like these announcements as they seem out of place and the order of them is slightly odd. For example at warren street the DVA will announce, The next station is Warren street, Doors will open on the Left hand side change for the Northern line , (Delay) Exit for university collage hospital. Then the doors will open and the announcement will be, This is warren street change here for the Northern line, This is a Victoria line train to Walthamstow Central, (Delay), Exit here for university collage hospital, (this bit is announced in a completely different tone, to what it is usually announced in. There are also new announcements at Kings X, Green park, Tottenham hale, Pimlico and at Brixton, it's even more stranger. It sounds like a completely different woman saying, the next station is Brixton where this train terminates all change please. Then the old announcement comes back on and announces, change for national rail services, this station has step free access, please remember to take all your belongings with you when you leave the train all change please. Could anyone tell me why these announcements are back, sorry if this has been mentioned all ready I only use this line once in a blue moon.
|
|
|
Post by Alight on Dec 23, 2012 20:39:14 GMT
These sound interesting - did you manage to record any of it? To my knowledge, from the day the '09 stock line entered service the announcer was (and has been since) Sarah Parnell although the formatting changed slightly. 1) If you look at this video of the '09 stock's first day of service, you'll see the screen would have the next station name in static form until you reach the station. Once the doors open at the station it then spells out on the screen "This is X. Change here for x. This is a Victoria line train to x" (this is read by the announcer all in one go with no pauses). Back then, the announcer announced the next station as soon as the train enters the tunnel; the message scrolled once before becoming the static name of the station. 2) It wasn't long before they changed this so that the name of the station appears in static motion while at the station. Then there was a pause before the destination was read out (usually as the train was accelerating into the tunnel). While in the tunnel travelling to the next station, the screens continuously scroll the destination until the next station is read out, which this time is just as you're approaching the station. 3) They soon got rid of the pause between reading out the station name and destination, however the dot matrix pattern stayed the same. Is what you heard identical to this? It is the same voice throughout but sounds as though it was recorded at a separate time.
|
|
slugabed
Zu lang am schnuller.
Posts: 1,480
|
Post by slugabed on Dec 24, 2012 8:15:50 GMT
To my knowledge, from the day the Victoria line entered service the announcer was (and has been since) Sarah Parnell At the risk of sounding pedantic,when it entered service,the Victoria Line had,mercifully,no pre-recorded announcements,and didn't for the next 30 years or so. I didn't use the Underground much from the late 80s to the late 90s,and the noise levels of door chimes and superfluous announcements seemed to have risen substantially by the time I returned.
|
|
|
Post by jamesb on Dec 24, 2012 9:01:35 GMT
To my knowledge, from the day the Victoria line entered service the announcer was (and has been since) Sarah Parnell At the risk of sounding pedantic,when it entered service,the Victoria Line had,mercifully,no pre-recorded announcements,and didn't for the next 30 years or so. I didn't use the Underground much from the late 80s to the late 90s,and the noise levels of door chimes and superfluous announcements seemed to have risen substantially by the time I returned. But so have the number of blind and disabled people using the tube increased since the Victoria Line was opened, which is obviously a good thing.
|
|
|
Post by pimlico on Dec 24, 2012 9:08:36 GMT
These sound interesting - did you manage to record any of it? To my knowledge, from the day the Victoria line entered service the announcer was (and has been since) Sarah Parnell although the formatting changed slightly. 1) If you look at this video of the '09 stock's first day of service, you'll see the screen would have the next station name in static form until you reach the station. Once the doors open at the station it then spells out on the screen "This is X. Change here for x. This is a Victoria line train to x" (this is read by the announcer all in one go with no pauses). Back then, the announcer announced the next station as soon as the train enters the tunnel; the message scrolled once before becoming the static name of the station. 2) It wasn't long before they changed this so that the name of the station appears in static motion while at the station. Then there was a pause before the destination was read out (usually as the train was accelerating into the tunnel). While in the tunnel travelling to the next station, the screens continuously scroll the destination until the next station is read out, which this time is just as you're approaching the station. 3) They soon got rid of the pause between reading out the station name and destination, however the dot matrix pattern stayed the same. Is what you heard identical to this? It is the same voice throughout but sounds as though it was recorded at a separate time. Hi there. Indeed I can remember what you are talking about now. What happens with the screens now is that they do what they did before, but now they will show information about step free access, and what you can exit here for. Unfortunately I did not manage to get a recording although I will keep my eye out on YouTube and when someone adds a video with the announcements audible. I have watched your video and unfortunately, it did not sound like that at all It was really like a completely different tone to all the rest of the announcement. It's like a really high pitched Sarah who is speaking really, really slow. It sounds really odd, and you know at Blackfriars, you get 2 VoiceOver artists playing on the same announcement, it's sort of like that. I shall be going back on the Victoria line in January some time, so I will record that announcement for you, and see what you think off it.
|
|
|
Post by Alight on Dec 24, 2012 12:08:02 GMT
At the risk of sounding pedantic,when it entered service,the Victoria Line had,mercifully,no pre-recorded announcements,and didn't for the next 30 years or so. I would hope you'd have appreciated, given the context of the post, that I meant to say 2009 stock. The "entered service" part insinuates this. I apologise for the confusion! I've edited accordingly.
|
|
|
Post by Alight on Dec 24, 2012 12:19:09 GMT
I have watched your video and unfortunately, it did not sound like that at all It was really like a completely different tone to all the rest of the announcement. It's like a really high pitched Sarah who is speaking really, really slow. It sounds really odd, and you know at Blackfriars, you get 2 VoiceOver artists playing on the same announcement, it's sort of like that. I shall be going back on the Victoria line in January some time, so I will record that announcement for you, and see what you think off it. Interesting, well I guess it is certainly possible that the screens have reverted back to their original pattern (which I preferred!) The additional announcements at Blackfriars can be heard in this clip. You'll notice that again it is Sarah who has been used for the new recordings, not least so they could make the announcement blend into the original Emma Clarke ones.
|
|
|
Post by superteacher on Jan 1, 2013 10:48:12 GMT
At the risk of sounding pedantic,when it entered service,the Victoria Line had,mercifully,no pre-recorded announcements,and didn't for the next 30 years or so. I didn't use the Underground much from the late 80s to the late 90s,and the noise levels of door chimes and superfluous announcements seemed to have risen substantially by the time I returned. But so have the number of blind and disabled people using the tube increased since the Victoria Line was opened, which is obviously a good thing. Fair point, but most blind people don't rely on the DVA on the train because they know exactly how many stops it is before they reach their destination. I think the platform DVA's, which announce the trains destination, are far more useful to blind people. I'm not anti DVA's, but they are not anywhere near as useful as they are made out to be.
|
|
|
Post by Alight on Jan 5, 2013 16:46:55 GMT
Right I travelled on the Victoria line today and I noticed that what has changed is the 'exit here' messages are announced after the terminus e.g. "This is Warren Street. Change here for the Northern line. This is a Victoria line train to Brixton. Exit here for University College Hospital"
The step-free access messages are announced directly after the interchange options but before the terminus.
|
|
Ben
fotopic... whats that?
Posts: 4,282
|
Post by Ben on Jan 5, 2013 17:04:34 GMT
Hmmm. Its a tricky one that. Being charged with emotion, morality and politics, it'd be pretty much impossible to point out any drawbacks without being smeared as some kind of monster.
[/off topic]
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2013 17:50:49 GMT
So are the step-free access messages played all the time now, not just in off-peak?
|
|
|
Post by Alight on Feb 9, 2013 18:40:04 GMT
Sorry for late response - I was on the Victoria line yesterday and noticed that you're right in saying that the step-free access announcements are now played at all times - off peak and peak.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2013 4:19:04 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Alight on Apr 5, 2013 19:45:12 GMT
There isn't actually any discussion in this thread about the spacious claim? An interesting thread you've linked us to in any case.
Going back on topic, some might have noticed that a new message has been added at Green Park to inform customers of the restricted access to the Jubilee line. This announcement is noticeably quieter than the rest, making it obvious that it has been slotted in.
|
|
|
Post by rsdworker on Apr 6, 2013 15:41:18 GMT
There isn't actually any discussion in this thread about the spacious claim? An interesting thread you've linked us to in any case. Going back on topic, some might have noticed that a new message has been added at Green Park to inform customers of the restricted access to the Jubilee line. This announcement is noticeably quieter than the rest, making it obvious that it has been slotted in. retricted access? - on TFL website says only is lift at green park being out of service
|
|
|
Post by Alight on Apr 6, 2013 16:20:29 GMT
retricted access? - on TFL website says only is lift at green park being out of service "Green Park has reduced interchange access to the Jubilee line" is the message.
|
|
|
Post by rsdworker on Apr 7, 2013 12:07:13 GMT
wierd - because website didn't mention reduced interchange access
|
|
|
Post by Alight on Apr 12, 2013 17:37:19 GMT
Well I went past today and the announcement has been removed but in its place is heads up for Victoria: "Victoria has reduced escalator facilities" (the announcement is repeated on approach and at Victoria)
|
|
|
Post by pimlico on May 19, 2013 7:22:58 GMT
Before I forget, there was a new announcement being played at Finsbury park SB, Kings X NB and Highbury and Islington both directions yesterday. The message is "Highbury and Islington has reduced escalator Facilities".
|
|
|
Post by snoggle on Jun 24, 2013 16:08:24 GMT
Apologies if this has been discussed before but I used the Victoria Line on Sunday and noticed there were additional messages, relevant to engineering works, programmed into the DVA / VDU system. The messages referred to the "Northern Line being suspended due to engineering works" and then later changed to "Northern Line suspended" coupled with "National Rail services from Tottenham Hale are suspended" then when north of Kings Cross just references to the Tottenham Hale suspension. Well done for the intention behind these messages and very neat to have them tailored to location so, for example, no references to the Northern Line once past KX on the n/b.
I don't know if there is a capacity issue which limits message size but I did feel the messages were not quite correct. The Northern Line was not completely suspended although there was no central area service. There was also no reference to the existence of rail replacement services for the outer sections which were suspended. The National Rail announcement also did not refer to engineering works as the cause nor did it suggest using Seven Sisters for alternative services. The driver made an announcement but it was lost amongst tunnel and track noise. I fully appreciate there is a balancing act in getting a good message but I did feel that a bit of fine tuning would have made the message content that bit more helpful.
Is this a new facility or just a trial?
|
|
|
Post by Alight on Jun 26, 2013 11:24:07 GMT
I believe it is a new facility rather than a trial. It has always been intended for the '09 stock to play such messages but has taken until now to come into fruition. I believe the intention was for control room at Oxford Circus to send radio signals to the trains to alter the messages, however there is a possibility that such messages can be selected by the T/Op.
I've noticed the S stock seems to have picked up this facility in recent months too; on a Metropolitan line train the other day it kept playing "there is a good service on all London Underground lines" at every station!
|
|
|
Post by snoggle on Jun 27, 2013 16:32:06 GMT
I believe it is a new facility rather than a trial. It has always been intended for the '09 stock to play such messages but has taken until now to come into fruition. I believe the intention was for control room at Oxford Circus to send radio signals to the trains to alter the messages, however there is a possibility that such messages can be selected by the T/Op. I've noticed the S stock seems to have picked up this facility in recent months too; on a Metropolitan line train the other day it kept playing "there is a good service on all London Underground lines" at every station! Thanks for the reply. I was aware of an earlier proposal to provide "real time" updates on 09 stock but I thought it had been scrapped. What I saw on Sunday was rather less sophisticated than the previous proposal but it's a good step in the right direction. The messaging just needs a bit of fine tuning.
|
|
|
Post by Alight on Jun 27, 2013 21:55:03 GMT
I am referring to the 'real time' update proposal; it has now materialised as I was on a Victoria line train earlier back in April that broadcast a message about the Central line currently being suspended, seamlessly omitting it as an interchange option at Oxford Circus. PM me if you'd like a recording.
This idea of it being a 'proposal' goes back as early as 2008 when I questioned TfL on the matter. Here was their response:
"An entirely new CIS system will be in use on the 2009 stock. This will be via a visual display screen and automatic voice announcements. This will enable timely, accurate and accessible real-time information to be displayed.
In addition, it is hoped that staff from the Service Control Centre will be able to input information directly to the trains for in-car display. This will enable customers to receive service information including disruption information in a more timely and reliable manner.
The system will also be of an intelligent nature and will only display such messages to trains that are carrying customers towards the area affected by any disruption. For example, should a situation occur on either the Central or Bakerloo lines in the central area only trains approaching Oxford Circus where there is an interchange will receive and display the information. Trains that are either north of Oxford Circus on the northbound route or south of Oxford Circus southbound will not display the information."
|
|