QUIETER TRAIN journeys are set to become the norm after the government announced it will identify and remove repetitive and unnecessary onboard announcements on trains in England.

The changes mean that passengers will no longer be bombarded with unnecessary ‘tannoy spam’ that distracts from important safety-critical messaging.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: "Train passengers are all too often plagued by an endless torrent of repeated and unnecessary announcements.

In line with the passenger improvements, we are rolling out with our Plan for Rail we want to see improvements to the railways for those who use them day in day out.

That’s why I’m calling for a bonfire of the banalities to bring down the number of announcements passengers are forced to sit through and make their journey that little bit more peaceful."

Working closely with the Rail Delivery Group, passenger groups including Transport Focus, and train operators, the Department for Transport (DfT) will identify how the vast number of announcements can be cut or reduced while maintaining vital obligations to ensure train travel remains accessible for all.

Messages that play a safety critical role, or that ensure the railways are accessible for all, will remain.

Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) trialed a similar approach in 2019 which turned out to be a success.

A Leeds Bradford Airport spokesperson said: "LBA has moved to a silent terminal generally on the back of the successful trial, notifying customers via signage and notes on the flight information display system as opposed to telling every customer at check in.

We are continually reviewing our customer experience and the silent terminal trial was designed to create a quieter travel experience and enhance passenger wellbeing.”

One customer who boarded a flight during the trial said it benefitted her two children, one who is autistic and the other that 'struggles with loud noises.'

The review into train announcements will take place over the course of this year, with redundant messages identified and starting to be removed in the coming months.

Officials will work with accessibility groups to ensure that access for all is maintained.

Jacqueline Starr, CEO of the Rail Delivery Group, added: “We know people want the most relevant and timely messages on their journeys and to help with this, train operators are continuing their work to improve customer information, including cutting unnecessary onboard announcements.

"We’re also going further by asking customers what they want to know and using their responses to plan more useful and consistent announcements across the network, helping people have a better experience travelling by train.”

Banal announcements set to be culled include self-evident instructions, such as having your ticket ready when leaving the station and contradictory calls for passengers to keep volume levels low while onboard announcements blare out. There will also be new curbs on the maximum frequency at which remaining announcements will be heard.