I noticed when I was in Sydney on the Circle line via Circular Quay that the automated voice announcements even announce trains running 3 mins late.
Fast Facst -
Trains run every 5 mins or better all day via the circle line now
Voice announcements the same on trains as they are in trams and stations. (Announcing disruptions and delays as well as arriving vehicles).
I wonder if Translink are testing new automated voice over announcements across modes in line with the ETCS 2 testing and Next Bus software?
Werenât they going to test some new PIDs and Voice over tech at the Ferry Terminals?
The QTMP units will have brand new PIDs, the tender was recently awarded:
Whatâs interesting is that they have an AI assisted camera system for counting passengers and estimating capacity in each carriage which is seemingly also going to be a part of the tender, so the new PIDs will very possibly incorporate some kind of carriage occupancy display which may even be displayed on the platform when a QTMP train is approaching, which would be cool.
Edit: One thing I forgot to include is that it also seemingly includes a new voice announcement system. Wonder if thatâll roll out to the NGRs too eventually.
^^Hopefully
I think this is the same system they have in place on Sydney Metro as well as for monitoring the fare gates.
Queensland Train Manufacturing Program (QTMP). ST Engineering Urban Solutionsâ contracted scope has commenced and is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2030
^^Now we know when the new trains will likely be in service
Decided to make a new thread about the absurd announcements made on the trains since they have been getting so much attention in the âOn the networkâ thread.
I noticed that when the trains play the announcements that include the new busway announcements, the intonation of the âNow arriving at..â sounds a bit sarcastic compared to the announcements when the trains approach other stations.
When the âNow arriving at..â has a sarcastic tone, it most likely indicates that the announcement is temporary. Some previous sarcastically intonated announcements that I heard included âNow arriving at Boggo Road/Park Road stationâ (for the name change from Park Road to Boggo Road), and âNow arriving at Central. This is a Shorncliffe train, stopping all stations except for Banyoâ (during reconstruction of Banyo station).
This must imply that QR intends on making a permanent busway announcements that is more concise than the one we currently have now.
Does QR have any evidence that suggests these longer announcements are helpful for anyone?
For frequent or regular users they seem full of unnecessary information.
For infrequent or new users they seem unlikely to happen to cover the specifics they might find helpful for their trip. They still assume a lot of knowledge (like what high frequency services along the south East and eastern busways meansâŚ). And they have to be listening closely to pick it all up. Surely decent PIDs and maps do this better onboard then audio announcements.
The overly verbose train announcements are one of the most irritating things about using trains in Brisbane (behind the appalling off-peak frequency).
When I catch the train with my family we often read aloud a book together. We have to pause for each announcement. In the inner network with short stop spacing, there is more time spent waiting than reading.
Why do we need three separate reminders of the next station? Contrast this with buses, which donât tell you anything and would be far more helpful as itâs hard to know when to press the âstopâ button when youâre on a new route.
Is it really true that when the Cleveland line approaches Buranda station, the announcement goes:
âThe next station is Buranda. Change here for the high frequency Buranda busway stations, with connections to the high frequency South, Northern, and Eastern busways. If this is your station, please disembark.â
I donât travel on the Cleveland line often so I wouldnât know 
We can assume that. I regularly catch the train to South Bank from the north. The verbose announcement plays for all the stations with a busway stop (Roma St, South BNE CC, South Bank), so itâs safe to assume that they do this for all stations with decent busway stops.
It would be hell but also funny if they did this with transfer points with the BUZ network as well: âNow arriving at Zillmere. Change here for the high-frequency 330 Bracken Ridge BUZ bus service that connects with Bracken Ridge and Chermside along with other northern suburbs, and runs express from Chermside to Brisbane City via the Airport Link Tunnel and Inner Northern Buswayâ.
However, I am kind of for announcements that indicate if the train station offers a decent transfer point with a BUZ route something along the lines of: âNow arriving at Zillmere station. Customers for the 330 Bracken Ridge bus, please disembark hereâ.
Yes. It does. Not sure about Northern busway specifically as I try to zone outâŚbut the verbose announcement definitely plays for Buranda.
I had the pleasure the other day coming into South Brisbane the other day and getting in immediate succession:
Something short and specific like that would be fine.
But this idea of announcing in lengthy detail the idea you can transfer to some bus at this station using generic terms like âfrequent servicesâ and labels that are little used by the travelling public like âeastern buswayâ is an absolute joke.
If you havenât planned your journey already, it doesnât help you enough. If you have planned you journey, it isnât necessary.
Almost as if these announcements are more to promote buses over train due to their higher frequency rather than provide decent information about transfers with buses. If they want to announce useful info about bus transfers, they shouldâve kept the âCustomers for the busway station, please disembark hereâ.
It spreads to Boggo RoadâŚ
No âCustomers for the Cleveland, Beenleigh, or Gold Coast lines, please change trains here?â
Iâm aiming to go to Coorparoo station tomorrow or sometime then to film the Buranda station one (if it even exists) 
âBuranda station. Change here for the high frequency Buranda busway station, for frequent services to the University of Queensland, south east, and eastern busways.â
You should film the entire journey from Coorparoo to Central to provide us with some insight on what Cleveland line commuters have to endure.
Noise cancelling headphone sales go up out this way in Cleveland line territory 
Good idea actually !