Nobody knows, not even those of us with an interest in such things!
I just refer to him as 'TPE guy'
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New Announcer at Victoria, *sigh*
- Thread starter Alteran Ancient
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Nobody knows, not even those of us with an interest in such things!
I just refer to him as 'TPE guy'
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R
RailUK Forums
That would be Anne and Rodger at Plymouth - these are the new voices following the CIS upgrade.
The previous station announcer at stations previously managed by Wessex Trains, which included all stations in Cornwall were voiced by Ruth, these were orignally controled by Arriva Trains Wales in Cardiff on FGWs behalf - however since the new CIS contract with Telnet, FGW have taken it on themselves, and changed the voice in line with the CIS upgrade.
I think Gravesend has this upgrade too.. I noticed when the service to Charing cross it goes something on the line of..
Platform 1 for the 16.48 service to.........................(pause)........................ London Charing Cross calling at xxx,xxx,xxx,xxx etc & (pause) London Charing Cross..
Platform 1 for the 16.48 service to.........................(pause)........................ London Charing Cross calling at xxx,xxx,xxx,xxx etc & (pause) London Charing Cross..
CC 72100
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gogogoadam
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Anne's not too bad, Rodger sounds very automated in my opinion
Anne is terrible, insipid, boring. Bring back Ruth !
Rodger is OK but there is no need to say 'First Great Western' so slowly, as it is in every announcement!
Last chance to hear Phil and Celia on FGW, Bristol Temple Meads is changing over in a few weeks.
But if the new voice at London Victoria isn't Anne, maybe they are replacing her now?
Adam
CC 72100
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Ruth was alright too. Last chance? You sure? Exeter SD still had Phil + Celia a fortnight ago, or have they been replaced now too? :cry:
Alteran Ancient
Member
This. Anne's VA isn't from Essex, by any chance? (I mean no offensive to anyone who is actually from Essex!)
From what I hear, the new system (and VA) was specifically selected. They didn't just use a default out-of-the-box option like Anne and Roger with ATOS. Victoria now has a VA we've apparently never heard before. It's likely been thought-out based on any staff and customer-feedback, as well as the fact that the Olympics are just around the corner.
Like I said - there's nothing especially wrong with it, but from a nostalgia point of view... ...that, and Victoria sounds like an airport now!
Let's hope they keep Phil and Celia at Clapham Junction for a bit longer. The voices of a true railway, and not an airport.
Blindtraveler
Established Member
They have gone at Birmingham now too. RIP
Exeter St Davids will probably be Anne and Rodger now, the CIS upgrade was nearly complete last week and the PA tends to be changed around the same time. I think FGW Rodger, rather than other ATOS Roger sounds quite good but he is too slow, if he was sped up he would be better.
Downsman
Member
I doubt if anybody else is still alive who remembers Gatwick Airport station when it opened in 1958.
The announcer who spoke with a 'cut glass' accent, gave information in both English and French.
The announcer who spoke with a 'cut glass' accent, gave information in both English and French.
Solent&Wessex
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fgwrich
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Anne's not too bad, Rodger sounds very automated in my opinion
Shame, i liked the smoother sound of Ruth, she had a nice voice!
Unlike Anne & Rodger, Anne i'll agree is too slow and still cannot pronounce certain stations correctly. As for Rodger, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. His voice is far too slow and disjointed, hence the increase in sounding very automated.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7bmTv-vLBA
Fortunatly, Basingstokes announcements are still carried out by Phil & Celia as it's an SWT managed station, unlike Reading - fgw. (I never thought id be backing Celia Drummond, as ive never been keen on her voice!)
The way yonder woman on that clip says "Exeter St Thomas" is the same way "Buckshaw Parkway" has been shoe-horned into announcements by her up north
I'm used to her by now but she is very robotic
That bloke sounds half asleep..........Or stoned
I'm used to her by now but she is very robotic
That bloke sounds half asleep..........Or stoned
Downsman
Member
Many thanks for link to the York film (& incidentally the other videos on same You Tube page). The lady announcer at York in 1953 must be a cousin of the Gatwick chap.
Back in the 1950's I enjoyed a couple of late evening trips on a line from Fratton (near Portsmouth) to Eastleigh via Botley. Typical steam hauled local at a leisurely pace, rolling into stations with gaslights and a deep 'Hampshire' voice announcing the station name as if bidding us to pray. Ten years later I lived in Steyning Sussex, and travelled on a similar local line. Sadly Steyning line is long gone & Botley is now on a 'main line'.
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Actually, from the clip I heard the actual voice at Victoria isn't new. She's been at several Virgin Trains and one Northern Rail station in the North West for a good few years now and is infamous for saying "only" at the end of the calling points (regardless of how many places the train is stopping at!).
Heard several times in this video at Warrington Bank Quay: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPbrQQXGHnk
Mintona
Established Member
No idea who the new announcer is at north Kent stations, but it's someone different to Victoria. The Victoria one is alright but the North Kent stations one just sounds wrong pronouncing some stations - Albainy Park and Beckasbourne instead of the correct Albuny Park and Beeksbourne.
Southeastern have recently been installing a text-to-speech system at some of their stations, I'm not sure whether these locations are included but SE are currently updating their announcements.
A classic of its kind.
I have stood at Wigan North Western and heard, countless times this :
"Calling at
Euxton Balshaw Lane
Leyland
Preston
Kirkham and Wesham
Poulton-le-Fylde
Layton
and Blackpool North
ONLY"
There's nowhere else to call at unless you want to be hyper pedantic and say Salwick..........
Phil is back for the duration of the Olympics. The new system is apparently provided by AMEY and is proving temperamental - thus the old DITRA system is being reactivated, as it remains in working order (thankfully!).
ChrisTheRef
Established Member
So the gaps between stations are too long and staff have to manually announce one train?
Find something else to complain about!
I hope Southern take this as a sign to keep Phil for good.
I will definitely be writing to Southern.
Alteran Ancient
Member
Way to reply to a one month old message with a very sarcastic and unfriendly approach; a message that is no longer truly relevant for two reasons: 1. In a later message, I demonstrated (with a video) that the new system is unreliable, and 2. Phil Sayer has been brought back, as demonstrated below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElyJuGzEovw&feature=youtu.be
Robinson
Member
I too, hope Phil Sayer is kept. However, I hope that they can adjust the annoucements so that Phil is able to say "Southampton Central" correctly (whenever I've been there it's just been "Southampton").
Yeah I agree, it's alright, it's very clear.. but pronunciation is awful. Not to be pedantic, because it really doesn't bother me, it's just funny, but it announces the 0800 service to Victoria as 00800 (she says 'oh zero eight hundred'), adding in an extra unnecessary 0. Every morning you get confused looks and laughs, even from the regulars. Ironically, she then announces the 0806 service to St Pancras correctly (says 'oh eight oh six').
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