7000 Series door opening announcement

[Chris Brown]

So I ride the red line all the time and end up on 7000 series trains more often than any other lately.

I have noticed whenever the doors open, the operator will skip the automatic announcement so that it goes straight to "This is a Red line train to [insert destination]".

Clearly they WMATA needs to change that announcement so that train operators don't need to do this. But what I really want to know is who was the GENIUS who thought it was necessary to have a hour-long automatic speech telling people how to enter and exit a train. I see this as yet another example of deep, dense and even breathtaking stupidity.

[wrivlin]

I do think that in most places, it's silly to announce which line the train is on- you can't board an Orange Line train at Silver Spring or a Red Line train at Tysons Corner. It's really only useful at transfer stations or stations where multiple lines run on the same tracks. That said, people do seem to have trouble properly boarding trains. Whenever I board a crowded train, it seems that everyone crowds around the doors, even when there is ample space in the middle. I am currently living in St. Petersburg, Russia, and the metro trains here also make an announcement to move to the center of the car. There are also announcements to remind people that priority seating is only for people who need it, but those are made between stations. When arriving at a station, the only announcement is the station name. Then "caution- doors closing," and once the doors close, "next stop, ___." It's a much more efficient system.

[Chris Brown]

I do think that in most places, it's silly to announce which line the train is on- you can't board an Orange Line train at Silver Spring or a Red Line train at Tysons Corner. It's really only useful at transfer stations or stations where multiple lines run on the same tracks. That said, people do seem to have trouble properly boarding trains. Whenever I board a crowded train, it seems that everyone crowds around the doors, even when there is ample space in the middle. I am currently living in St. Petersburg, Russia, and the metro trains here also make an announcement to move to the center of the car. There are also announcements to remind people that priority seating is only for people who need it, but those are made between stations. When arriving at a station, the only announcement is the station name. Then "caution- doors closing," and once the doors close, "next stop, ___." It's a much more efficient system.

For Metro, I think it would make much more sense to have the "Move to the center of the car" announcement go on when the doors are closing. It makes no sense when the doors are opening. This is how I believe those announcements should play:

"Doors opening. This is a Sliver Spring bound red line train"

"Doors closing. Please move to the center of the car. Priority seating is for the disabled. The next stop is Union Station"

The order in which the information is currently given makes no sense. That is why the train operators always have to skip it.

[MCL1981]

I've been meaning to post about this too. The train operator his hitting their own announcement button to cut off the boarding announcement. So you hear "Doors opening, step back to---- bong--- This is a red line train to shady grove".

I agree with Chris (it happens on occasion) . But I would just dump whole moving to the center of the car speech all together. It's useless.

[tommyboy6181]

I've been meaning to post about this too. The train operator his hitting their own announcement button to cut off the boarding announcement. So you hear "Doors opening, step back to---- bong--- This is a red line train to shady grove".

I agree with Chris (it happens on occasion) . But I would just dump whole moving to the center of the car speech all together. It's useless.

The move to the center of the car announcement is useless as half the time it gets cut off anyways. Even when Randi Miller did the announcements on the older trains, the TO's would talk over it in many cases.

If it were me, the automated announcements should be like this:
"Doors opening. This is a red line train to Shady Grove. The next stop is White Flint."
"Step back, doors closing."
"This is Cleveland Park. Doors open left side."

I'd also change the door opening chimes to be more similar to what is used on the older cars. Then, I'd look at getting Randi Miller to do the announcements again with maybe having a different voice for the doors opening/doors closing announcements.

[Chris Brown]

I've been meaning to post about this too. The train operator his hitting their own announcement button to cut off the boarding announcement. So you hear "Doors opening, step back to---- bong--- This is a red line train to shady grove".

I agree with Chris (it happens on occasion) . But I would just dump whole moving to the center of the car speech all together. It's useless.

The move to the center of the car announcement is useless as half the time it gets cut off anyways. Even when Randi Miller did the announcements on the older trains, the TO's would talk over it in many cases.

If it were me, the automated announcements should be like this:
"Doors opening. This is a red line train to Shady Grove. The next stop is White Flint."
"Step back, doors closing."
"This is Cleveland Park. Doors open left side."

I'd also change the door opening chimes to be more similar to what is used on the older cars. Then, I'd look at getting Randi Miller to do the announcements again with maybe having a different voice for the doors opening/doors closing announcements.

I agree with getting a different voice. The current robocop voice is awful.

If "Move to the center of the car" is ever used.. it should be while the train is already in motion to remind people. But people will do whatever they want in the end so it really is a totally useless announcement. Didn't work in the old trains.. why would it work now? Just give people the important information like where the train is going and what side the doors will open.

[MCL1981]

The speech output they chose is embarrassing. That would have sounded modern and high tech about 15 years ago.