Imagine an experiment which presented 31 announcements in 32 minutes to participants who were trying to relax. Well, you don't have to if you were on a South West train from Portsmouth to Petersfield, where passengers were asked to keep aisles free and reminded that they must have a ticket. MP David Willetts has complained to the rail watchdog, claiming he endures around 50 announcements on his 80 minute journey from Havant to London Waterloo. He is now calling on South West Trains to cut the number of announcements which cause "considerable irritation" and make relaxation impossible. In a letter to the rail consumer watchdog Passenger Focus, he added: "I travel across the country a lot and have been struck by the intrusiveness and frequency of passenger announcements on South West Trains."
South West Trains admitted customers have complained that there are too many announcements. The company says they are in accordance with EU regulations, which state all trains have to display and announce information regarding the destination and upcoming stops. Spokeswoman Emma Knight said: "Unfortunately passengers who join at the beginning of the journey will have to hear a number of repeats due to the need to inform passengers joining en-route. The information given and the quantity is reviewed on a regular basis but there are clear guidelines that South West Trains has to follow." She said other announcements were to keep passengers in the know. Source: Telegraph, 7 August 2009. tinyurl.com/lq6qxe
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