'˜The train now arriving at Platform 2 is the ... ???'

Travellers say that some passengers have become startled and flustered by the unannounced and sudden arrival of trains, leading to them having to scramble to get on board and find a seat.

One angry traveller said he had queried the sudden suspension of announcements with platform staff who said they had been told to stop announcements, but had not been told why.

He said not everyone could read visual displays which were smaller than previous ones. He added: “This increases customers’ reliance on the verbal announcements.”

A spokesperson for Govia Thameslink said: “Soon after we began making announcements about the timetable changes coming in May, we became aware that they sometimes clashed with train arrivals and departures.

“We made adjustments to rectify this but the fault has recurred recently and we are working to put it right as soon as possible.

“We apologise to passengers for any inconvenience this fault has caused.”