Today I am writing both a suggestion and a complaint about Metrorail. First the complaint part (mostly to vent). Daily I listen to the Metrorail operators get on the microphone to tell us passengers what the next stop is and/or if there is a transfer to another Metrorail line. Most days the sound coming from the speakers inside the rail-cars is a combination of speaking, voices from a walkie-talkie in the background, and various bells and whistles that are operating inside the operator's cabin. To say this is a daily assault on my hearing is an understatement. I have rarely witnessed a train driver that conscientiously thinks about the sound of his or her voice and the other noises within range of the microphone. Mostly it sounds like a SWAT team yelling into a bullhorn during a hostage crisis.
With the venting out of the way, let’s talk about a solution. General Manager Catoe or some high-level Metro executive should travel to London to observe a first-rate announcement system in action. The Underground (or “Tube” as it’s affectionately called by Londoners) uses a recording to announce the impending stops and/or possible transfers – similar to the voice recording Metro uses to announce when the doors are opening and closing. In addition to saving the hearing of thousands of Washingtonians who ride Metrorail daily, there are multiple other added benefits to using a voice recording over placing that duty upon train operators.
Firstly, as recent events have shown, driving a train is dangerous as many lives are at stake. Train drivers should be focused on ensuring that all automated computer devices are operating correctly, paying special attention to safety measures where human intervention can safeguard against automated failures. The recent Metrorail Red Line disaster this summer provided the worst education on this point with many losing their lives and more injured. Relieving train drivers of the burden of thinking about what station is impending and what they need to say over the microphone to passengers will permit them to focus more succinctly on their driving duties. Metrorail’s safety record is respectable, but after reading about the many crashes during its rather short existence I suspect it pails in comparison with the safety reports of other world-class rapid transport systems (e.g. London’s Underground averages 1 fatal accident per 300 million journeys). I note that I tried to find a similar fatality rate on Metro’s website (http://www.wmata.com/) but came away with nothing. Make no mistake about it; changing the Metro announcement system is foremast a matter of safety.
Moreover, while some train drivers do well at clearly communicating to passengers all relevant information about an impending rail-stop, anyone who has ridden Metrorail can testify that uniformity is something lacking in Metrorail communications. Some drivers speak too fast, others speak too soft, others too loud, and others just plain communicate the wrong information. Again the use of an automated system to make announcements will ensure uniformity in the communication process. Again I refer the Metro leadership to the London Underground system, which has more travelers (1 Billion per year to Metrorail’s 215 Million), more train lines (11 to Metrorail’s 5) and stops (270 to Metrorail’s 86) to account for, yet the Underground is a marvel of simple communication. Find out more about London’s Underground at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Underground.
In addition, Metrorail’s primary purpose is, of course, to safely and efficiently transport people in and around greater Washington. Using empirical observation I can honestly say that driver announcements hinder this overarching goal to some measurable degree. For example, at the point when those doors close on all train cars and the train begins to depart from its station, the train driver inevitably announces on the microphone what the next station will be and any possible transfer options. Through simple powers of observation I have noticed a simultaneous hesitation or lull in the propulsion of most trains while the train driver is making his or her announcement about the next station. Automating the station announcements takes this burden off the train drivers so they can “hit the gas” or whatever switches they use to propel that puppy forward towards its next destination.
Finally, as we all have observed, many people utilize their daily commute as a time for all sorts of endeavors. There are vociferous novel readers on Metrorail; people catching up on their favorite TV show; and students cramming for upcoming examinations. There is simply a lot happening on every single Metrorail train everyday. Moving from a driver announcement on impending stops to a recorded method like that used on the London Underground will better enable all Washingtonians to predict with certainty when to exit Metro.
I end noting that I love Metrorail and find it almost inconceivable that I could move from DC to another city that does not have a comparable public train system. Therefore my choices in the U.S. are limited to a handful of locations that value such a thing (e.g. New York, Chicago, San Francisco, etc.). I hope anyone reading this does not conclude that I think Metrorail is anything less than an excellent public transportation system. I merely thought it useful to point out something that could be done better. Certainly the London Underground is not without its faults – something I could write another entire post about. But since I live in DC rather than London, I intend to write about ways to make DC even greater than it already is (and it is a great city overall).
With the venting out of the way, let’s talk about a solution. General Manager Catoe or some high-level Metro executive should travel to London to observe a first-rate announcement system in action. The Underground (or “Tube” as it’s affectionately called by Londoners) uses a recording to announce the impending stops and/or possible transfers – similar to the voice recording Metro uses to announce when the doors are opening and closing. In addition to saving the hearing of thousands of Washingtonians who ride Metrorail daily, there are multiple other added benefits to using a voice recording over placing that duty upon train operators.
Firstly, as recent events have shown, driving a train is dangerous as many lives are at stake. Train drivers should be focused on ensuring that all automated computer devices are operating correctly, paying special attention to safety measures where human intervention can safeguard against automated failures. The recent Metrorail Red Line disaster this summer provided the worst education on this point with many losing their lives and more injured. Relieving train drivers of the burden of thinking about what station is impending and what they need to say over the microphone to passengers will permit them to focus more succinctly on their driving duties. Metrorail’s safety record is respectable, but after reading about the many crashes during its rather short existence I suspect it pails in comparison with the safety reports of other world-class rapid transport systems (e.g. London’s Underground averages 1 fatal accident per 300 million journeys). I note that I tried to find a similar fatality rate on Metro’s website (http://www.wmata.com/) but came away with nothing. Make no mistake about it; changing the Metro announcement system is foremast a matter of safety.
Moreover, while some train drivers do well at clearly communicating to passengers all relevant information about an impending rail-stop, anyone who has ridden Metrorail can testify that uniformity is something lacking in Metrorail communications. Some drivers speak too fast, others speak too soft, others too loud, and others just plain communicate the wrong information. Again the use of an automated system to make announcements will ensure uniformity in the communication process. Again I refer the Metro leadership to the London Underground system, which has more travelers (1 Billion per year to Metrorail’s 215 Million), more train lines (11 to Metrorail’s 5) and stops (270 to Metrorail’s 86) to account for, yet the Underground is a marvel of simple communication. Find out more about London’s Underground at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Underground.
In addition, Metrorail’s primary purpose is, of course, to safely and efficiently transport people in and around greater Washington. Using empirical observation I can honestly say that driver announcements hinder this overarching goal to some measurable degree. For example, at the point when those doors close on all train cars and the train begins to depart from its station, the train driver inevitably announces on the microphone what the next station will be and any possible transfer options. Through simple powers of observation I have noticed a simultaneous hesitation or lull in the propulsion of most trains while the train driver is making his or her announcement about the next station. Automating the station announcements takes this burden off the train drivers so they can “hit the gas” or whatever switches they use to propel that puppy forward towards its next destination.
Finally, as we all have observed, many people utilize their daily commute as a time for all sorts of endeavors. There are vociferous novel readers on Metrorail; people catching up on their favorite TV show; and students cramming for upcoming examinations. There is simply a lot happening on every single Metrorail train everyday. Moving from a driver announcement on impending stops to a recorded method like that used on the London Underground will better enable all Washingtonians to predict with certainty when to exit Metro.
I end noting that I love Metrorail and find it almost inconceivable that I could move from DC to another city that does not have a comparable public train system. Therefore my choices in the U.S. are limited to a handful of locations that value such a thing (e.g. New York, Chicago, San Francisco, etc.). I hope anyone reading this does not conclude that I think Metrorail is anything less than an excellent public transportation system. I merely thought it useful to point out something that could be done better. Certainly the London Underground is not without its faults – something I could write another entire post about. But since I live in DC rather than London, I intend to write about ways to make DC even greater than it already is (and it is a great city overall).
