Those people who do those station announcements........

[XPTE]

Yes, those auto recorded messages. Most likely, the driver probably presses a button.

[the142fan]

you can instantly tell its automatic the way they say they say it, and the different volumes of each word. one even said (i forget the station names, ill use random words for argument sake):

...and Stockport where this train will terminate due to engineering works. A bus replacement will then go to And Crewe'

the end bit made no sense lol!

[DPM9876]

The on train announcements are triggered as the trains computer knows exactly where it is via GPS. This is also helps the trains use the Selective Door Opening system which controls how many doors are allowed to open at stations.

[martinhodgson]

I thought it might be GPS... always seemed too accurate to be driver controlled - evidently not to the stage of updating itself automatically when the train doesn't call at certain stations yet though!

[DPM9876]

You got to love these little software bugs.

These type of GPS systems have also made there way down to buses, as Brighton & Hove Buses are installing signs on their buses showing what stop is next (which does update properly).

[saddletank]

It's instant fame

'tis not since no-one has a clue who they are!

And is that terrible recorded voice at the other end of the Odeon film booking line Anthea Turner? She sounds so falsely cheerful it makes me ill!

[martinhodgson]

There was an article in the Sunday Times motoring section about the woman who does the GPS voice, quite interesting.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/ ... 86,00.html

[jdjonny]

It's instant fame

'tis not since no-one has a clue who they are!

Lol, you mean you wouldnt recognise their voice if one came up to you and asked;

"Is the next train on platform two, the 14:56 alphaline service to ... Penzance?"



JDJonny

[philbozz]

You got to love these little software bugs.

These type of GPS systems have also made there way down to buses, as Brighton & Hove Buses are installing signs on their buses showing what stop is next (which does update properly).

Yea, some of our buses used to have that...theyve been replaced though, already, by even newer ones...whereas im stuck with sh!tty Metrobuses on my route

[nwallace]

And is that terrible recorded voice at the other end of the Odeon film booking line Anthea Turner? She sounds so falsely cheerful it makes me ill!

Yup

[ianmacmillan]

The announcements on the Strathclyde 334s must be the worse in the country.
She sounds so bored.

[FGWDriver929]

the trains computer knows exactly where it is via GPS. This is also helps the trains use the Selective Door Opening system which controls how many doors are allowed to open at stations.

The SDO is operated by the driver using a switch in the cab, at least thats how it works in our 180's and Virgin's Voyagers and Pendolinos.

[DPM9876]

The SouthCentrals 377s use GPS for SDO.http://www.southcentraltrains.co.uk/abo ... 5193730014.

[tigermon]

These type of GPS systems have also made there way down to buses, as Brighton & Hove Buses are installing signs on their buses showing what stop is next (which does update properly).

In Loughborough we have StarTrak, it should say when your Bus arrives, and when you are on the Bus, where it goes and what the next stop is.

And surprise surprise, It's don't bloody work, so in our town centre we have all these green big massive signs at Bus Stops with a four pronges star shape and a black box beside the route number (4, 7, 127 and Rainbow 5 at the moment) and all we ever get is a small for LED orange circle.

On the odd occasion it does work, the Bus Driver gets sick of the voice and turn it off, therefore knackering the whole system till the next day.

Even more hilarious is the fact that the company who run the Number 4, KinchBus, after investing a good few grand in the system, are scrapping the whole route

[Elojikal]

Quite a few British trains have announcements like that "We will shortly be arriving at Reading, please change here for Oxford, Banbury, Guildford, Basingstoke (etc)". I think it's just done by train staff though.

Quite a few modern trains do now have it as well as most London Underground stock.

It's actually programmed into a computer and before departure the driver sets which programme to play (if you ever wondered what those computer consoles are for.) The computer then measures how far a train has travelled from point X and when it reaches a certain distance the appropriate announcement is played - ie. if a train is travelling from Station A to Station B which is 20.6 miles away then after say about 0.5 miles the computer will play "The next station is Station B" and then after 20.1 miles the computer will play the "We are now approaching Station B."

You got to love these little software bugs.

These type of GPS systems have also made there way down to buses, as Brighton & Hove Buses are installing signs on their buses showing what stop is next (which does update properly).

I wish! I was waiting for a 26 bus one morning and the display said it'd be there in 5 minutes even though that meant it'd be late. It counted down until eventually the bus was due and the bus never turned up! My suspicion is it'd left the stop early.

Gotta love it when the display says a bus is due in 3 minutes and then it goes up to 4 minutes then 3 minutes and 5 minutes later it still says 3 minutes. This information system would be a lot better if it could some how incorporate information about delays into the estimated time of arrival.