On 1 Sep 2006 04:09:16 -0700, wrote:

Peter Smyth wrote:
Presumably though the new trains will all have in-car displays and automatic
announcements about the next station so there shouldn't be any need to look
out of the window to see where you are.

But will they have the innovation I've seen in Germany, of having
electronic arrows pointing at which side of the train the platform will
be on? Never really understood why this doesn't happen in the UK:
gradually I'm remembering which sides I want but arrows would greatly
help people flow.

I believe that Chicago and New York have tacked on "Doors open on the
(left/right)" to their announcements.
--
Chris Hansen
chrishansenhome at btinternet dot com

wrote:
Peter Smyth wrote:
Presumably though the new trains will all have in-car displays and
automatic announcements about the next station so there shouldn't
be any need to look out of the window to see where you are.

But will they have the innovation I've seen in Germany, of having
electronic arrows pointing at which side of the train the platform
will be on? Never really understood why this doesn't happen in the
UK: gradually I'm remembering which sides I want but arrows would
greatly help people flow.

Greatly? It's a marginal benefit. If the train is crowded, then you
can't in practice move to the correct doors before the train stops, and
if it's not crowded, you can easily see which side the platform is as
the train enters the station and move towards that side before the doors
open.

--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)

Barry Salter wrote:
Plus people actually like to be able to look out of the windows, at
least on the surface sections that make up over 50% of the LU network.

I bet they like windows even on the underground bits, as it seems to
make people feel safe if they can see their environment.

A Concorde pilot once gave a speech saying that any future supersonic
plane should probably not have windows as they produce so much wind
resistance and weaken the shell. Even the pilots could potentially do
without, opting to use cameras (which could also give passengers a view
of outside) to see.

It wouldn't happen because nobody would feel safe (even I figured the
cockpit bit might be a step too far), even though the windows aren't
actually 'useful' for passengers.

Jonathan

Christian Hansen wrote:
I believe that Chicago and New York have tacked on "Doors open on the
(left/right)" to their announcements.

Not New York, unless there's something about the brand new R-160 cars
(which first entered their testing phase and were then pulled from
testing both while I was in London) that I'm unaware of.
--
David of Broadway
New York, NY, USA

In message . com, John
B writes

I don't think I've ever been on a Vic train where the announcements
have gone wrong (and barely ever one where they've been dead), and I've
been commuting daily on the Vic for the last two years. I agree this
can vary - I've heard things go wrong on the District, and the one on
the Picc is pretty much never in service.

Plus people actually like to be able to look out of the windows, at
least on the surface sections that make up over 50% of the LU network.

Not on the Vic it doesn't - unless people are stowing away on
out-of-service trains to Northumberland Park...

In which case, the ahem driver would be in deep trouble if a passenger
could see out of the window.
--
Steve Fitzgerald has now left the building.
You will find him in London's Docklands, E16, UK
(please use the reply to address for email)