General DVA question

I'd have thought that alphabetical would be the most usual, for example I think the order at Baker Street on the Bakerloo Line is "Circle, Hammersmith & City, Jubilee and Metropolitan Lines"

The one that gets me wondering is at Kings Cross where the big railway connections are given as "mainline national, suburban and international". In order of priority I'd suggest international, national and then suburban; and the best sounding would (imho) be national, international and suburban.

I know when I have to make an announcement at Kings Cross (several of our trains have dodgy DVA software that tends to not work at the stations where you need it most - Kings Cross, Hammersmith, Acton and Hounslow West are the ones it generally fails at) it comes out as "change for the Northern, Victora, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan and Circle lines and National and International Rail services". I occasionally get the SSL's a different way around, but I presume I've picked up putting Northern and Victoria first from the DVA (although to be honest, sitting here I couldn't actually guarantee that.. I'll have to listen tonight when I go in), since I try to keep replacement announcements as close as possible to what I remember the 'normal' announcement to be. "National and International rail services" is definitely the Picc Line DVA wording at Kings Cross, though.

Edited to add: the Picc order is Victoria, Northern, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan and Circle Lines. Which would be reverse alphabetical if not for that pesky Met Line! Although it does stick the extra "and" for the H&C into the middle to, uh, even out the message?

Angel Islington:

I believe it is no doubt random. Another classic is the Piccadilly Line at South Kensington: "Change for the District and Circle Lines" - everyone always seems to put the District before the Circle.

Chris M:

The announcement you are referring to is the Northern Line which reads as "Mainline intercity, suburban and international rail services". Don't forget suburban is still a type of "national". All other lines state "and national and international rail services" as undergroundgal rightly pointed out.

Undergroundgal:

Yes, I have always wondered about that strange order on the Piccadilly Line - I recon it is what they feel sounds best. The Victoria Line does it in alphabetical order which I feel sounds more boring xD

My thoughts would be something along the lines of the fact circle shares between different lines, so the top/eastern part are 'owned' by the "metropolitan" and the lower/western parts are 'owned' by the "district".