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1233 Queen East | ?m | 8s

It's about time. I've always been confused by the doors. Do I exit at the left or right? Maybe the back or front of the train? Ugh.

I wish they'd also include announcements about how to use the chairs. I keep trying to sit in them by diving head first, and now I'm having all kinds of neck problems. Chairs are difficult.
 
It's about time. I've always been confused by the doors. Do I exit at the left or right? Maybe the back or front of the train? Ugh.

I wish they'd also include announcements about how to use the chairs. I keep trying to sit in them by diving head first, and now I'm having all kinds of neck problems. Chairs are difficult.

I wish I could up-vote this post.


That said, the door announcements are useful for the blind (they know which direction they'll get bumped from crowds before doors open), but a simple "bing" coming from one side of the train or the other as it pulls in to stop would have been sufficient.
 
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Many systems around the world announce what side of the trains the doors will open on. Just because you've never left the city, and ride the Toronto subway every day and don't see the need for it doesn't mean that others who are visiting from out of town wouldn't find it helpful.
 
Many systems around the world announce what side of the trains the doors will open on. Just because you've never left the city, and ride the Toronto subway every day and don't see the need for it doesn't mean that others who are visiting from out of town wouldn't find it helpful.

Bingo! And its not like people don't have a problem with figuring out which side the doors open from. I see people standing on the wrong side all the time.
 
So they've once again changed the announcements for the Toronto Rocket. Now saying what side will the doors open. I was so memorized by them that I recorded it myself. Now instead of saying Bloor Danforth, its now Line 2.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/aaf3l4jyjkzh7hs/Toronto Rocket New Announcements.mp3?dl=0 <<<<<Listen Here at your own wish

They really need to make the announcements sound more fluid. It reminds me of a speech program I played with on my 486
 
That said, the door announcements are useful for the blind (they know which direction they'll get bumped from crowds before doors open), but a simple "bing" coming from one side of the train or the other as it pulls in to stop would have been sufficient.

The previous models of Toronto subway train have had dedicated door chime speakers above each door, so the door opening "bing" gave directional audio information. Instead, the TRs play that bing over the PA system, making it completely useless.

<rant>
It is also really annoying how loud and frequent the sounds and announcements are on the TRs. With dedicated door chime speakers, the door chime sounds were loudest around the actual door, which is where they are actually relevant. The PA system is in the centre of the car, so the chimes and door closing announcement need to be oppressively loud in order to be easily audible to someone approaching the train from the outside.

And there is also no point in that "Please stand clear of the doors" announcement, - that's why we have the iconic three-tone door chime in the first place. And the doors have already started closing by the time the announcement comes on anyway.
</rant>

On a more positive note, I was impressed with the visual information systems in the train this evening. Trains were skipping Spadina, Dupont and St. Clair West stations, and this was clearly displayed on the route maps, which definitely helped some tourists understand the announcements. And I was pleasantly surprised that the next stop announcements were updated as well, they said "next stop, Eglinton West station" right as we left St. George and did not call out the skipped stations.

Route map northbound at St. George:
TRMap_StGeorge.jpg


Northbound at Downsview:
TRMap_Downsview.jpg
 

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TOn a more positive note, I had a positive experience with the visual information systems in the train this evening. Trains were skipping Spadina, Dupont and St. Clair West stations, and this was clearly displayed on the route maps, which visibly helped some tourists understand the announcements. And I was pleasantly surprised that the next stop announcements were updated as well, they said "next stop, Eglinton West station" right as we left St. George and did not call out the skipped stations.]

Out of curiosity, how long did it take you to travel from St. George to Eglinton West?
 
<rant>
It is also really annoying how loud and frequent the sounds and announcements are on the TRs. With dedicated door chime speakers, the door chime sounds were loudest around the actual door, which is where they actually relevant. The PA system is in the centre of the car, so the chimes and door closing announcement need to be oppressively loud in order to be easily audible to someone approaching the train from the outside.

And there is also no point in that "Please stand clear of the doors" announcement, - that's why we have the iconic three-tone door chime in the first place. And the doors have already started closing by the time the announcement comes on anyway.
</rant>

I do know that some train sets have the chimes played outside the door instead of from inside.

The automated verbal announcements (All of them!) are quite annoying as they override operator announcements (and has been the case since they were first introduced, and not yet fixed) ...which is quite bad if you need to know about delays.
 
Out of curiosity, how long did it take you to travel from St. George to Eglinton West?

Sorry, I didn't time it. Which is a bit odd for me, I'm constantly measuring my travel times.

I do remember noting that it was the longest stop spacing on the subway system - an impressive 5.2 kilometres.

I don't think it was much faster than usual, we did have to slow to a crawl through the skipped stations. The stations' lights were all out save for the emergency lights at each stairwell, which would have made blasting through at full clip a bit questionable.
 
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