TfL Ref: FOI-2520-2223
Thank you for your request which we received on 5 January 2023.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold the information you require. You asked:
The Elizabeth Line platform opposite my home runs automated arrival announcements for every train during the day. These stop at a certain time in the evening (there are definitely none of these announcements after 23:00 but possibly they stop earlier than that). However, the announcements start with the first train in the morning (05:30).
The fact that they stop at night suggests that platform announcements are not deemed strictly necessary at all times of day. Does TFL have policy or guidance on when platform arrival announcements should start in the morning and end in the evening (where announcements may disturb local residents at unreasonable hours)?
Guidance on service announcements is set out in our policy document G148 – ‘Management of noise due to public address systems’, which is attached for your perusal. Service announcements are used to ensure passengers remain safe and informed while using the station. However, where a station is deemed noise sensitive (for example, a surface station in close proximity to a residential area) the policy recommends that between the hours of 23:00 and 07:00 only essential announcements take place.
For Elizabeth line stations, the operator’s policy is that no announcements should be made outside of traffic hours – that is, between the first and last trains. At some stations announcements are still in the process of being updated to new traffic hours, following the timetable changes last November, and therefore currently follow the previous timetable, stopping at 23:00 and recommencing at 05:30.
In those cases, any changes undertaken to align announcements with the new timetable will be made in reference to the policies set out in the G148 document, taking account of both passenger needs and local concerns.
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
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Yours sincerely
Eva Hextall
FOI Case Management Team
General Counsel
Transport for London
