S stock delivery & introduction - discussion

Jul 3, 2017 7:42:31 GMT class411 said:

Jul 2, 2017 18:33:38 GMT t697 said:

Well you may think it daft, but it is actually for a good reason and not really "before the train starts to decelerate", it's later than that.
The approaching station message, audio and visual, is triggered at nominally 250m or 350m to go to the stopping position. This message gives the next station, the lines you can interchange to, any "exit here for..." message, any SDO doors not opening message and any Mind the Gap message. By the time that has all scolled off the dot matrix indicators, there usually isn't time to play it again without delaying the start of the 'at station' one. LU Standards state that messages should complete and not be interrupted.
Assuming one doesn't interrupt a second or subsequent scoll through of the approach messages, the delay to the 'at station' message causes more problems for passengers. It also means the messages would be potentially non compliant with RVAR becaise of the increased risk they don't complete until after the doors close for departure.

On the S-Stock, the 'next station' message is cutting out much sooner than would be necessary for what you mention above.

I actually thought they were out of action because they stayed blank for so long.

A sensible solution to the 'no interruption' rule would be to have a shorter "Next Station Xxxxxx" message without all the ancillary detritus that would display, to avoid the long blank periods that are happening at the moment.

Or just cycle "Approaching Xxxxx" until the front of the train reaches the platform - there would be plenty of time for the 'approaching' to scroll out of the way before the train stopped.

The current method may well have been implemented for 'a good reason', but it is sub optimal and can leave passengers without information.

And, don't forget, these passengers are not aware of the 'good reason', and, if caught out, are probably thinking "why do these muppets stop the information just when you need it most?"

It's not particularly nice to be referred to as a muppet on here, but nevertheless I'll offer some more thoughts.

1. The visual message is not cutting out earlier than I described. Obviously if the train is held at the home signal after the approach message has started, the time duration of the blanking is extended, but the trigger point is as I described.
2. You queried why there is so much information in the approach message. Again, LUL specifies what is to be announced and in some cases when, also RVAR sets various similar but not identical requirements. To best comply with the RVAR requirement to announce the next station whilst 'at station' and before the doors close, the interchange and 'exit for' messaging is given in the approach message.  LUL tries to keep to relatively short platform dwell times so as to be able to run its frequent services and indeed to allow the service frequency to be increased with the new signalling.
3. If you feel it is better to continue to repeat scroll the approach message and maybe just overwrite it potentially unfinished immediately when the 'at station' message should start, straight after the doors open, that is an alternative if LU accepted not completing a run through of the scrolling message.  I suggest you raise it as a suggestion direct with LUL.