CityRail announcements
pmc...@my-dejanews.com
around the CityRail network differ from those previously installed? I was
surprised to see that Martin Place has a new system superseeding the version
installed on the ESR & City Circle. Will this new system become standard at
all stations?
Thanks.
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Eben Levy
like wise the ones at bankstown sound like the ones on the wharfs at the Qauy,
loud, deep and easy to understand.
My favourite is platform 3&4 at strathfield. "the next train to arrive on
platform thrre goes to Wyong, first stop then Epping....."
Spot the stuff up :-}
pmc...@my-dejanews.com wrote:
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Eben
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David Johnson
> Does anyone know how the new digital announcement systems being installed
> around the CityRail network differ from those previously installed?
The old system was cartridge based, and a three digit number was dialled up to
play a certain announcement. The new system runs from a PC running Windows NT.
The new system allows stations to make their own announcements, using the word
library.
> Will this new system become standard at
> all stations?
All CityRail stations now have the new "DVA" computers.
--
David Johnson
CityRail Guard
trai...@ozemail.com.au
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~trainman/
Wollongong Quokka
<6pp3c6$ttb$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>...
>Does anyone know how the new digital announcement systems being installed
>surprised to see that Martin Place has a new system superseeding the
version
at
>all stations?
I heard the new Martin Place one this evening... a huge improvement. Much
clearer and more natural sounding. The annoying "First StoTown Hall" has
gone with it too.
As for other stations... last Sunday I was interested to hear an automated
announcement for the first time in months at North Wollongong. The station
is unmanned on Sundays and the announcement was made about 6 minutes ahead
of the service. The announcements also use a completely different voice,
highlighted by it being female.
Anyone know the story here... and if it is a permanent feature?
--
Robs the Wollongong Quokka
http://profiles.yahoo.com/Wollongong_Quokka/
--
"A Quokka is a marsupial, sort of like Dilbert"
-- MegaHALv8
C. Dewick
>Does anyone know how the new digital announcement systems being installed
>around the CityRail network differ from those previously installed? I was
>surprised to see that Martin Place has a new system superseeding the version
>installed on the ESR & City Circle. Will this new system become standard at
>all stations?
Yes, and it's the same system that will eventually be installed in our
trains. The 4GT will reportedly come as standard with integrated DVA
equipment fitted.
It's planned to integrate station announcements, platform indicators,
on-train announcements and on-train destination indicators together, much
like the system that's used in Perth, but a higher level of integration
between each component.
Regards,
Craig.
--
Craig Ian Dewick | Stand clear - jaws closing
Send email to cra...@lios.apana.org.au | Visit my Australian rail transport
Professional Train Driver, Cityrail | and rail modelling web site:
and HO scale rail modeller | http://lios.apana.org.au/~craigd
Stephen Burden
> Yes, and it's the same system that will eventually be installed in our
> trains. The 4GT will reportedly come as standard with integrated DVA
> equipment fitted.
>
> It's planned to integrate station announcements, platform indicators,
> on-train announcements and on-train destination indicators together, much
> like the system that's used in Perth, but a higher level of integration
> between each component.
>
> Regards,
>
> Craig.
> --
> Craig Ian Dewick | Stand clear - jaws closing
> Send email to cra...@lios.apana.org.au | Visit my Australian rail transport
> Professional Train Driver, Cityrail | and rail modelling web site:
> and HO scale rail modeller | http://lios.apana.org.au/~craigd
All sounds very impressive! I work on the Automatic PA announcements for QR
and have been wondering for a while what Westrail have done with platform
announcements/
displays because there is been talk here of doing similar. Is it possible someone
can tell me
how the passenger information system works at Perth stations? I've had no luck in
finding
out about it from the web.
Steve Burden
pmc...@my-dejanews.com
> last Sunday I was interested to hear an automated
> announcement for the first time in months at North Wollongong. The station
> is unmanned on Sundays and the announcement was made about 6 minutes ahead
> of the service.
I believed that even the latest system requires a station to be staffed for
it to operate - at least this is the reason I heard why North Strathfield
failed to use it on a regular basis. I definately know this is the case at
Chatswood which has yet another type of system.
> The announcements also use a completely different voice,
> highlighted by it being female.
The only female voice I have heard is the one at Sydney Terminal for
Countrylink services, which I think is a straight recording rather than sound
bites joined together. I think the regular voice is by a bloke named Grant
Goldman.
-------------------------
Paul McCabe
boofhe...@yahoo.com.au
David Bradshaw
> announcement for the first time in months at North Wollongong. The station
> is unmanned on Sundays and the announcement was made about 6 minutes ahead
> highlighted by it being female.
>
Could the voice possibly have been a human, utilising a "long-line" PA system?
As part of CityRail's new security programme, all stations were/are supposed to be equiped with long-line capabilities (or something like that.....).
David Bradshaw.
David Bradshaw
> Does anyone know how the new digital announcement systems being installed
> around the CityRail network differ from those previously installed? I was
> surprised to see that Martin Place has a new system superseeding the version
> installed on the ESR & City Circle. Will this new system become standard at
> all stations?
Not that long ago (2mnth?) I heard automated announcements at Clyde (my *favourite* station) for the first ever time.
Compared with the old announcements in place at, say, City Circle stations, "The Voice" sounded clunky and bites didn't appear to blend well into each other.
David Bradshaw.
Wollongong Quokka
<6prr1k$7qi$1...@reader1.reader.news.ozemail.net>...
>> As for other stations... last Sunday I was interested to hear an
automated
>> announcement for the first time in months at North Wollongong. The
station
>> is unmanned on Sundays and the announcement was made about 6 minutes
ahead
>> of the service. The announcements also use a completely different voice,
>> highlighted by it being female.
>>
>> Anyone know the story here... and if it is a permanent feature?
>
>Could the voice possibly have been a human, utilising a "long-line" PA
system?
I seriously doubt it, but obviously not having seen anyone actually push a
button I can't say it isn't.
My doubts come from the fact that, although it sounds very clear and flows
nicely, it contains excessive amounts of information. Indeed it could be
said that the fact that it's so clear and nicely paced (indeed it's almost
cheery) that it couldn't possibly be human... but that's possibly a bit
unfair. :)
From memory it goes something like "The next train to arrive on platform 1
goes to Sydney Terminal. First stop Fairy Meadow.... etc." Oh yes... and
it lists *every* station... no "then all stops to" business. Given that the
whole thing isn't rushed, for an all stops to Waterfall, then Sutherland,
Hurstville and Sydney Terminal service, the announcement is quite lengthy
indeed. I have never heard a human give such a normal announcement using
more than half the time that this does.
It's quite bizzare at a station with possibly 10 people on the platform and
no trains in sight in either direction.
It would be nice if it was a regular feature... but I've only heard it 2 or
3 times over the last 12 months. I've never heard it used when the station
is manned.
--
Robs the Wollongong Quokka
http://profiles.yahoo.com/Wollongong_Quokka/
--
"A Quokka is a marsupial found only in reptiles, birds, and mammals. The
claws of mammals like the cat are similar to these primitive stars in that
they lack heavier elements, the scientists said."
-- MegaHALv8
ROY HOWARTH
was the trial for this new system (is this correct?). The new
announcements are certainly easier to understand, but not quite as loud
(especially at Martin Place).
One question - when will we have digitised PA's on the trains as well???
Roy H
Wollongong Quokka
>The new announcements are certainly easier to understand,
>but not quite as loud
Which stops them getting all crackly and impossible to understand. :)
--
Robs the Wollongong Quokka
http://profiles.yahoo.com/Wollongong_Quokka/
--
pmc...@my-dejanews.com
> Compared with the old announcements in place at, say, City Circle stations,
>"The Voice" sounded clunky and bites didn't appear to blend well into each
>other.
I agree - that's why I wasn't sure if the system was to become standard.
Sure the sound bites are clearer, but when joined together sounds disjointed.
The best example is when trackwork is happening, i.e. "Please, use, the,
northern, entrance, of, this, station, for, buses, to, Carlingford" and
finishing in an upward tone (this was said at Clyde 2 weekends ago). It also
treats XPT services as three sound bites for each letter rather than a phrase
- "The, X, P, T..."
The system is definately Windows based, as I saw the station assistant on
18/19 at Central playing Solitare on one of the currently unused PC's :)
Albert Alcoceba
wrote:
>My favourite is platform 3&4 at strathfield. "the next train to arrive on
>platform thrre goes to Wyong, first stop then Epping....."
>
>Spot the stuff up :-}
Should be:
"the next train to arrive on
platform three goes to the Central Coast and Wyong, first stop then
Epping....."
hehe :)
Albert Alcoceba
<><
alb...@zip.com.au
http://homepages.tig.com.au/~alberta
David Bradshaw
> Sure the sound bites are clearer, but when joined together sounds disjointed.
> The best example is when trackwork is happening, i.e. "Please, use, the,
> northern, entrance, of, this, station, for, buses, to, Carlingford" and
> finishing in an upward tone (this was said at Clyde 2 weekends ago). It also
> treats XPT services as three sound bites for each letter rather than a phrase
> - "The, X, P, T..."
You'd have to wonder why the Carlingford bite is in an unfinished tone, considering Carlingford is the end of the line!
David Bradshaw.
ROY HOWARTH
"First stop Redfern, then Kingswood and all stations to Penrith, then
all stations to Springwood"
Is the DVA aware of "secret" stations on the Cityrail network that
everyone else is not??
Roy H :-)
________________________________________________________________________
Ben Staples
wood).
Ben Staples
David Bradshaw wrote in message
<6q136t$iho$1...@reader1.reader.news.ozemail.net>...
Wollongong Quokka
>David Bradshaw wrote in message
>>system?
>
>I seriously doubt it, but obviously not having seen anyone actually push a
>button I can't say it isn't.
Okay, now I'm certain that it's recorded.
Sunday 2/8, Thirroul Station (staffed)
1:00pm
Tangara G7 still on platform 1, having just terminated ex Port Kembla.
"[Annoying two tone sound] Attention passengers. The next train to arrive
on platform 1 goes to Martin Place...."
1:03pm
G7 still sitting on up main, just up of the points.
(Same automated message)
When G7 got back to platform 3, a male voice gave the normal Thirroul
announcement "Train now standing on platform 3 is the (whatever)pm Port
Kembla service...."
1:08pm
Sydney train arrives, normal announcement with male voice "Train now
approaching platform 1 is the 1:05pm Sydney service going to Martin
Place..."
--
Robs the Wollongong Quokka
http://profiles.yahoo.com/Wollongong_Quokka/
--
pmc...@my-dejanews.com
> You'd have to wonder why the Carlingford bite is in an unfinished tone,
considering Carlingford is the end of the line!
All station names were recorded at least twice - one with an upward inflection
and one with a downward for use at the end of a sentence. Though this is
pointless when staff don't use it right. Carlingford and other terminii
stations are recorded twice for use in "supplementary" messages.
Derek Woodlands
wrapping gaffer tape around gerbils and wrote:
> My favorite was...
>
> "First stop Redfern, then Kingswood and all stations to Penrith, then
> all stations to Springwood"
>
> Is the DVA aware of "secret" stations on the Cityrail network that
> everyone else is not??
>
Eastwood..."
Catchya
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~kingpin1
> The home of #The-Pit <
> Home of the Aussie Dropbear Page <
Wollongong Quokka
> I heard a good one at Epping yesterday. "This train goes all stations to
>Eastwood..."
Speaking of which, the announcement at Edgecliff Platform 2 used to go "The
train on platform 2 goes to Bondi Junction... ONLY!". This appears to have
been modified to just simply "The train on platform 2 goes to Bondi
Junction".
It still doesn't beat the Non-smoking announcement played at Hurstville
after any southbound train announcement (Something about southbounders being
heavy smokers?). After a long winded announcement about not smoking
ANYWHERE you can think of, which is pretty much self-contained, they've
tacked on "or any", "Hurstville" and "platform". Took me several weeks to
make it out since the grabs are so poorly cobbled together and are different
volumes.
Kim Mihaly
ROY HOWARTH wrote in message <6q1ao7$o66$1...@toto.tig.com.au>...
>My favorite was...
>
>"First stop Redfern, then Kingswood and all stations to Penrith, then
>all stations to Springwood"
>
>Is the DVA aware of "secret" stations on the Cityrail network that
>everyone else is not??
>
Mine always was heard at Redfern .. This a traina she stops (click buzz
silence).
Or the guards (5 years ago) on the Fish approaching Central ... Wakee wakee
we're there !
Kim
Malcolm Purvis
Quokka> Speaking of which, the announcement at Edgecliff Platform 2 [...]
Which reminds me, has anyone else noticed the disapproving tone used to
announce Kings Cross station? It seems to suggest that people only have one
reason to go there!
--
Malcolm Purvis (malc...@abc.gov.au) - ABC Technology Research and Development
"I don't want it to be practical, I want it to be *expensive*."
-- my wife.
Eddie Oliver
announcement offered
"First stop Eastwood, then Epping, West Ryde, Meadowbank..."
After tolerating this geographic impossibility for some time to see whether it
would ever get fixed by the staff themselves, I finally challenged the SM
about it. His first response was disbelief. He said he programmed it
himself, so it couldn't possibly have been wrong.
After he played it and discovered that it did indeed say what I reported,
he said that someone else must have stuffed up his programming.
Strange thing is that since then, I haven't heard the system being used at all.
Eddie Oliver
David Johnson
> After Cheltenham got its modernised PA system a few weeks ago, one standard
> announcement offered
>
> "First stop Eastwood, then Epping, West Ryde, Meadowbank..."
>
> After tolerating this geographic impossibility for some time to see whether it
> would ever get fixed by the staff themselves, I finally challenged the SM
> about it. His first response was disbelief. He said he programmed it
> himself, so it couldn't possibly have been wrong.
When he programmed it, it was probably correct. He has then edited it for some
reason, and due to a bug in the software, the first two stations have been
transposed. It wasn't his fault, but the software.
C. Dewick
>> I agree - that's why I wasn't sure if the system was to become standard.
>> Sure the sound bites are clearer, but when joined together sounds disjointed.
>> The best example is when trackwork is happening, i.e. "Please, use, the,
>> northern, entrance, of, this, station, for, buses, to, Carlingford" and
>> finishing in an upward tone (this was said at Clyde 2 weekends ago). It also
>> treats XPT services as three sound bites for each letter rather than a phrase
>> - "The, X, P, T..."
>You'd have to wonder why the Carlingford bite is in an unfinished tone,
>considering Carlingford is the end of the line!
When the new destination indications were introduced on the S-sets about 2
years ago the list of possible destinations included such gems as Hornsby
via Carlingford, as well as then-new Olympic park and NSR routings. It's
quite possible that a whole series of phrases were recorded for the second
revision of the DVA system, and they probably did include some for the
proposed extension of the Carlingford line.
David Bradshaw
> When the new destination indications were introduced on the S-sets about 2
> years ago the list of possible destinations included such gems as Hornsby
> via Carlingford, as well as then-new Olympic park and NSR routings. It's
> quite possible that a whole series of phrases were recorded for the second
> revision of the DVA system, and they probably did include some for the
> proposed extension of the Carlingford line.
This brings up another question - why are these indicators often not used, or displaying incorrect information? And whose responsibility are they?
Thanks,
David.
C. Dewick
At present most of them are either not connected, or the displays have been
removed, much like what has happened with the Tangara destination
indicators. I'm not sure why this has happened.
ROY HOWARTH
Which proves (not that any proof is needed) that those desto's were a
profound waste of money!
The whole idea of destination indicators on Sydney's trains seems
pointless. We've never had to rely on them in the past, like Melbourne
has since 1919 (or earlier) so why start now? The Citydecker ones can't
be relied upon now, will they be relied upon in the future? I don't think
so!
Another point re destination indicators. Situated at the extremity of an
8-car train, they are only of benefit to passengers watching the train
pull into a station. Once the train's at a platform, it can't be seen.
What I'm getting at here is that if desto's are to be of any real
benefit, they need to be fitted onto the SIDES of the cars. But that
would involve the sort of expense CityRail could well do without.
Unfortunately, logical solutions to complex (and even not-so-complex)
problems don't come into the picture when cost cutting's involved....
Roy H
Albert Alcoceba
>The whole idea of destination indicators on Sydney's trains seems
>pointless. We've never had to rely on them in the past, like Melbourne
>has since 1919 (or earlier) so why start now? The Citydecker ones can't
>be relied upon now, will they be relied upon in the future? I don't think
>so!
Well we used to be able to use the marker lights on trains as a guide,
but that is not possible any more.
The Sydney system now is far more complex than it was in 1926 with
more cross-country lines.
We have a lot more stations now which are unstaffed compared to back
then.
The need for destination indicators has come about from changes in the
system.
boofhe...@yahoo.com.au
ROY HOWARTH <rhow...@tig.com.au> wrote:
> The whole idea of destination indicators on Sydney's trains seems
> pointless. We've never had to rely on them in the past, like Melbourne
> has since 1919 (or earlier) so why start now? The Citydecker ones can't
> be relied upon now, will they be relied upon in the future? I don't think
> so!
The only reason that the indicators are pointless is because they are not
used properly by CityRail staff! Perhaps the reason Melbourne tends to
"rely" on their destination signs is because most of the time they are in
fact correct and not displaying pointless messages like ours are, i.e.
"CITYRAIL", "CITYDECKER" or just plain blank.
> Another point re destination indicators. Situated at the extremity of an
> 8-car train, they are only of benefit to passengers watching the train
> pull into a station. Once the train's at a platform, it can't be seen.
> What I'm getting at here is that if desto's are to be of any real
> benefit, they need to be fitted onto the SIDES of the cars. But that
> would involve the sort of expense CityRail could well do without.
Fair enough - it would be great if the signs were on the side too, but we
cannot be guaranteed that these would be used either. I still think a large
number of passengers see their train arrive, and depending on the station the
front and/or back may be able to be seen from stairways, entrances etc. They
are still not utilised even on a 4-car train when they are needed the most
during evening and weekend services when stations are not staffed. The
system's success comes down to one thing - being used all the time and
accurately by staff, and being enforced by the powers that be in CityRail.
Otherwise the signs might just as well display "Stupid taxpayer - you paid
for THIS?!) :)
Wollongong Quokka
>The whole idea of destination indicators on Sydney's trains seems
>pointless. We've never had to rely on them in the past, like Melbourne
>has since 1919 (or earlier) so why start now?
Not quite the same... but wasn't it only recently that you could tell what
line a train was operating by the orientation of lights at the front? I
seem to remember ESR trains used to have one white light at the top (where
they are now) and one at the bottom, but I can't remember which side was
which.
Why was this system phased out anyway? Too many lines to be designated?
--
Robs the Wollongong Quokka
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David Johnson
> Not quite the same... but wasn't it only recently that you could tell what
> line a train was operating by the orientation of lights at the front? I
> seem to remember ESR trains used to have one white light at the top (where
> they are now) and one at the bottom, but I can't remember which side was
> which.
>
> Why was this system phased out anyway? Too many lines to be designated?
Tangaras were built with only two marker lights, and a wonderful destination
indicator board. In 1992, after all the destination indicators had failed, they
ordered drivers to change the marker lights to left and right only (Western line
indication).
ROY HOWARTH
The conventional double-deckers were altered to display top left & right
lights mainly to match the Tangaras, am I not correct?
Anyway, the old marker light system could only be a guide to those "in
the know"...they wouldn't have meant much to the ordinary passenger.
Certainly their meaning was never diaplyed in public timetables, for
example!
I still maintain there's no point spending that sort of money on
destination indicators if there's a crisis in confidence in their
reliability which won't be resolved overnight.
As an aside, it's interesting to note that, despite the need for only the
top left & right marker lights, that all four pairs of lights were
retained on the "Citydecked" power cars. You may recall a few single-deck
Intercity (U-boat) power-cars had the bottom left marker lights removed
from lack of use.
Roy H
David Johnson
> The conventional double-deckers were altered to display top left & right
> lights mainly to match the Tangaras, am I not correct?
Yep.
> As an aside, it's interesting to note that, despite the need for only the
> top left & right marker lights, that all four pairs of lights were
> retained on the "Citydecked" power cars. You may recall a few single-deck
> Intercity (U-boat) power-cars had the bottom left marker lights removed
> from lack of use.
The CityDecked power cars with destination indicators had the centre light removed,
and the switch in the drivers cab turned into a second heater switch.