Angie Bray Speaks Out On Noisy Tube Station Announcements

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Leader of the Conservative London Assembly takes up growing issue

Angie Bray, Leader of the Conservative London Assembly members and Conservative candidate for Ealing Central and Acton, has been appointed as rapporteur to the London Assembly Environment Committee on the issue of noisy tube station announcements. 

Angie told EalingToday.co.uk the problem of noisy tannoy announcements appears to be a growing one - 'especially (for obvious reasons) around stations sitting above ground.' 

"The biggest culprit appears to be the District Line although there have been complaints from some residents near Piccadilly line stations too," said Angie.   "But certainly we have had emails/letters from residents near Ealing Common and Chiswick Park tube stations in Ealing as well as many other stations beyond including Turnham Green, Ravenscourt Park and further away, Putney Bridge and a big source of problems, Earls Court."

The plan is that pending final approval from the Business Managers Committee at City Hall (which should be just a formality), Angie will set to work to examine the complaints, the TFL response to date (and of course those who have replaced Metronet who put in the original new tannoy systems) plus local authorities where the problems have arisen.

"I will also work closely with the UK Noise Association who by coincidence have been following up some of the same problems in a separate report," added Angie. "We will then work to come up with some sensible recommendations also in the report."

She has also come across a separate problem concerning the volume levels actually on the Piccadilly line trains which she has been following.

"The problem is partly about the volume levels but also about the growing frequency of announcements some of which are nothing to do with health and safety," she said. "Over the last year or so I have struggled to get TFL to recognise the problem (which seems linked to new tannoy systems being rolled out across the tube network). They now do, but they themselves seem to be struggling to tackle it.  

November 2, 2007