Trains bombard passengers with announcements

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

Washington Metro crash highlights automation paradox

A collision on the Washington Metro on 22 June killed nine people and injured 76. According to The Washington Post, early indications suggest a computer system may have malfunctioned, and various accounts have raised questions about whether the driver of the speeding train applied the brakes in time. Investigations often focus attention on discrete aspects of machine or human error, whereas the real problem tends to lie in the relationship between humans and their automated systems. "It is easy to focus on the last act that may or may not have prevented the collision," said John D. Lee, professor of industrial and systems engineering at the University of Wisconsin. "But you can trace the accident back to purchasing decisions, maintenance decisions and track layout. To lay the blame on the end result of when and how quickly someone activated the brake may not help with improving safety." Lee pointed out that making automated systems safer leads to a paradox at the heart of all human-machine interactions: "The better you make the automation, the more difficult it is to guard against these catastrophic failures in the future, because the automation becomes more and more powerful, and you rely on it more and more." John Lee is joined by Greg Jamieson and Raja Parasuraman later in the article to acknowledge the consensus that automated systems should be designed to enhance human performance rather than to supplant operators or make them complacent. Source: Washington Post, 29 June 2009. tinyurl.com/lghtq9

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Passengers unhappy with poor design

Cramped, poorly designed lavatories and a lack of luggage space on long-distance trains are biggest source of passenger discontent, a survey by Passenger Focus has found. The study investigated passengers' experience of nine existing long distance rail operators. It comes as industry awaits delivery of the next generation of carriages to replace the ageing Inter City fleet. The survey found that nearly two out of three of passengers who used Virgin's Pendolino trains between London and Scotland were unhappy. Even though train lavatories were considered largely clean and well maintained, passengers were unhappy about their design, particularly small size, and the washing and drying facilities. There were also complaints about poor signage to the lavatories and the lack of instructions about how to lock the door. In some cases the poor design meant that the floors were wet. Passengers on South West Trains were particularly unhappy with the “cramped” vestibule area by the doors, with some passengers facing difficulties manoeuvring luggage and push chairs. Passengers were also unhappy with security, accessibility and amount of stowage space. Anthony Smith, Passenger Focus chief executive, said the findings should be taken into account when the detailed designs are put together for the new fleet of long distance carriages. Source: Telegraph, 06 May 2009. tinyurl.com/oqebdo

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