- Government to review and remove train announcements that add
unnecessary noise and disruption to journeys
- The DfT will ensure train operating companies retain
important safety messages and work with accessibility groups so
that passengers receive the necessary information
- Announcement follows the publication of the Government’s Plan
for Rail which puts passengers back at the heart of the railways
Quieter train journeys are set to become the norm after the
Government announced it will identify and remove repetitive and
unnecessary on-board announcements on trains in England.
The changes mean that passengers will no longer be bombarded with
unnecessary ‘tannoy spam’ that distracts from important
safety-critical messaging.
Working closely with the Rail Delivery Group, passenger groups
including Transport Focus, and train operators, the Department
for Transport will identify how the vast number of announcements
can be cut or reduced, while maintaining vital obligations to
ensure train travel remains accessible for all. Messages
that play a safety critical role, or that ensure the railways are
accessible for all, will remain.
The review will take place over the course of this year, with
redundant messages identified and starting to be removed in the
coming months.
Banal announcements set to be culled include self-evident
instructions, such as having your ticket ready when leaving the
station and contradictory calls for passengers to keep volume
levels low while on-board announcements blare out. There will
also be new curbs on the maximum frequency at which
remaining announcements will be heard.
Transport Secretary said:
“Train passengers are all too often plagued by an endless torrent
of repeated and unnecessary announcements.
“In line with the passenger improvements we are rolling out with
our Plan for Rail we want to see improvements to the railways for
those who use them day in day out.
“That’s why I’m calling for a bonfire of the banalities to bring
down the number of announcements passengers are forced to sit
through and make their journey that little bit more
peaceful.”
As passengers come back to the railways the DfT will continue to
ensure journeys are more comfortable to all users, and that
passengers continue to receive the important information that
they need about their journey. Officials will work with
accessibility groups to ensure that access for all is maintained.
The Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail, launched last year, puts
passengers at the heart of the railway. To improve the comfort
and enjoyment of train travel, customer service will be
modernised and upgraded across all stations and, on trains,
focused on providing passengers with better communication and a
more personalised service.
, Chief Executive of the
independent watchdog Transport Focus, said:
“Passengers will welcome a review intended to cut out unnecessary
announcements. Transport Focus looks forward to helping with the
review so passengers get the information they want, including
those with additional accessibility needs.”
Jacqueline Starr, CEO of the Rail Delivery Group,
said:
“We know people want the most relevant and timely messages on
their journeys and to help with this, train operators are
continuing their work to improve customer information, including
cutting unnecessary onboard announcements.
"We’re also going further by asking customers what they want to
know and using their responses to plan more useful and consistent
announcements across the network, helping people have a better
experience travelling by train.”
