Trains told to get rid of torrent of 'Tannoy spam'

If you're a commuter returning to the office after a long period of working from home, you may soon notice a subtle difference on your morning train.

In the next few months, rail chiefs will be getting rid of unnecessary announcements to make journeys quieter.

Examples of so-called "Tannoy spam" include telling passengers to have their tickets ready and, ironically, to keep the noise down.

But the Department for Transport (DfT) said key safety messages would remain.

The DfT said it would be working closely with the Rail Delivery Group and passenger groups such as Transport Focus, as well as train operators, to identify how the "vast number" of announcements could be cut or reduced.

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

"As passengers come back to the railways, the DfT will continue to ensure journeys are more comfortable to all users, and that passengers continue to receive the important information that they need about their journey," the department said.

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

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said train passengers were 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," he added.

"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."

The move was welcomed by Transport Focus and the Rail Delivery Group.