New ScotRail Train Announcements

https://x.com/ScotRail/status/1924075333558390859

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Fancy hearing all 3,373 of our automated on-train announcement files? If you do, then you're in luck! They're available to download, following a Freedom of Information request.

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800001 said:

Are these the new announcements?
Scotrail have tweeted a file of all onboard announcements.
Tweet attached below


Attached to the tweet is a link which takes you to the files that you can then save.

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stadler said:

No those are the old Fletcher Mathers sound files. That is the voice that is being replaced with a Text To Speech voice. They released those sound files on a Freedom Of Information Act request over a year ago.

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endecotp said:

I’ve just been to Arisaig and back, and it honestly wouldn’t matter whether the voices were live, traditional recordings or new-fangled “AI” stuff because the volume was not at any stage loud enough to be audible. Just a faint background warble.

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'Give it time' - ScotRail defends AI announcer Iona

A new synthetic voice is being introduced across Scotland's trains to deliver onboard announcements.

www.bbc.co.uk

'Give it time' - ScotRail defends AI announcer Iona

Passengers on ScotRail trains have been noticing a new voice announcing the station arrivals and some have not been pleased.

The new announcer, called Iona, has recently taken over on some routes. But unlike her predecessors, she is not real.

Previously announcements were pre-recorded by a Scottish voice artist, but Iona is a synthetic voice which uses an AI model to deliver typed messages in a "Scottish accent".

ScotRail urged passengers to "give it time and it may grow on you".

It said tricky place names such as Milngavie and Achnasheen are inputted phonetically as "Mill-guy" and "Akna-sheen" to help the software avoid embarrassing mistakes.

Although the technology has not yet been fully implemented, some passengers have already voiced their unhappiness with the change.

One passenger told BBC Scotland: "It was weird. I could tell it was AI because it sounded so robotic."

Another posted on X that the voice sounds unsure of what it is saying and questions everything.

One passenger described it as an "AI lassie" that was "so horrible and unnatural".

In response, ScotRail said: "Sorry you're not a fan. I love the new voice but appreciate it may not to be everyone's liking. Give it time and it may grow on you."

The new announcer was developed by global technology company, ReadSpeaker, which has over 50 language iterations of its text-to-speech software.

The team also AI-generated an image that matched the name Iona to feature on their website.

The end result is a red-haired woman wearing a woolly orange scarf and green jacket stood in the middle of a Scottish glen.

The technology means drivers or operators can type customised announcements on a computer and Iona then reads them out.

The first service featuring Iona was trialled quietly in July 2024, but a recent extension of the technology has led to more passengers noticing the change.

Only certain services from Glasgow's train stations currently feature the technology.

Among the first passengers to notice the change are on the Glasgow Central services to Ayr, Largs, Ardorssan, Barrhead and Paisley.

From Glasgow Queen Street, Iona has been heard on trains bound for Inverness, Dundee and Aberdeen.

This system is only used on ScotRail trains and will not include stations.

'Replacing real humans'

Rachel Nicholson, a voice coach and former actress based in Edinburgh, said replacing human announcers with an AI voices affects both jobs and identity.

"It's really sad that they want to replace real humans and put them out of work," she said.

"Just because it saves money doesn't mean it's the right thing to do."

Ms Nicholson has spent more than 15 years working in the creative industries and said the topic of AI voices is often a tricky one in her world.

"It's a bit taboo, honestly," she said.

"This is a real voice, a human voice, being replaced that was doing a perfectly good job."

Ms Nicholson said the new ScotRail voice is clear and easy to understand but questioned whether clarity was enough.

"They're clearly struggling with some of our more unique names like the 'ch' in 'loch'.

"If someone's travelling around Scotland, don't we want them to hear those names said the way we actually say them?"

For her, this goes beyond speech - it's about preserving a sense of place.

"We should be proud of our languages and place names. What this might be doing is diluting how those names are remembered, and I think that's a real shame."

Ms Nicholson, who is also an accent coach, is often asked to teach a "general Scottish" accent - something she says she finds a bit odd.

"I don't know any Scot who'd describe themselves as 'general'.

"It feels like they're going for something neutral but it ends up feeling like a missed opportunity. Why not regional?

"I don't think I could pin Iona's accent on a map."

Lifelike voices

Prof Peter Bell, a speech technology expert at the University of Edinburgh, said the growing power of artificial intelligence has made it significantly easier - and cheaper - to create synthetic voices.

"We can now give a system just a couple of sentences of someone's voice and it can immediately start to speak like them," he said.

The technology is now capable of producing speech that sounds convincingly human, with companies able to generate voices at a fraction of the cost of earlier systems, he said.

But despite the progress, some synthetic voices don't always resonate with listeners.

"People care a lot about the identity of an accent or a speaker, so they often treat it differently from other types of AI, as they don't want to be fooled in that way," he said.

"Even when a voice is very good, there's this uncanny feeling - is it a real voice, or is it not?"

Prof Bell believes cost savings are a major motivator for companies switching to use new technology instead of previously hiring "expensive" voice talent.

'Local' voices onboard trains

ReadSpeaker said ScotRail first made inquries three years ago about adopting their technology.

"We use AI just to train the voice, but at the base it is a real human speaker. That's important to us," said Roy Lindemann, co-founder of ReadSpeaker.

Much like early adoptions of text-to-speech, he said they worked with voice talent to create their synthetic Scottish character.

The firm says in future the technology could allow for "regional" and "local" voices across any network.

"It is definitely a path forward," Mr Lindemann said.

Phil Campbell, ScotRail's customer operations director, said the new system would allow "flexibility" and "consistency" across its network.

He said: "ScotRail has always used automated announcements in relation to customer information.

"It doesn't replace human interaction through either pre-recorded audio or staff on trains."

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David M said:

I'm not sure I understand the need for it - as an example, a train from Tweedbank to Waverley already has all the voice stuff in situ - why the need to change it from the current voice to the new voice?

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David M said:

I'm not sure I understand the need for it - as an example, a train from Tweedbank to Waverley already has all the voice stuff in situ - why the need to change it from the current voice to the new voice?

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stadler said:

A new article and video has been posted on the BBC now about this voice:

'Give it time' - ScotRail defends AI announcer Iona

A new synthetic voice is being introduced across Scotland's trains to deliver onboard announcements.

www.bbc.co.uk

View attachment 180591


I see the BBC are making the same mistake of calling it an AI voice when it is in fact just a simple TTS voice.

Interestingly it says that the voice was trialled in July 2024 on a few trains. I was completely unaware of this. It must have been a very brief trial.

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From Glasgow Queen Street, Iona has been heard on trains bound for Inverness, Dundee and Aberdeen.

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'Stop using my voice' - New train announcer is my AI clone
Gayanne is in a recording booth with black foam panels. She is sat beside her silver microphone which his hanging upside down with a black pop shield in front. She has brown hair, blue eyes and is wearing a blue top that says "The Bubbling Toad."
Image caption,

Gayanne Potter claims recordings of her voice were used unknowingly to train an artificial Scottish speaker called Iona
Jamie Russell
BBC Scotland News

Published
1 hour ago

A woman who believes her voice has been used to create ScotRail's new AI-generated announcement system is calling for it to be removed from trains.

ScotRail recently introduced a synthetic Scottish voice to make onboard announcements in place of pre-recorded human announcers.

Voiceover artist Gayanne Potter said the artificial announcer - which is marketed as an imaginary character called Iona - was trained by Swedish technology firm ReadSpeaker using her voice.

ReadSpeaker told BBC Scotland News it had already addressed Ms Potter's concerns "several times".

ScotRail said it had no plans to remove "Iona" and the dispute was between the company and the voiceover artist.
Media caption,

Listen to Gayanne Potter and the new AI voice Iona read train announcements

Ms Potter said she did some work for ReadSpeaker in 2021 which she was told would be used for accessibility and e-learning software.

But two years later, when the job was largely forgotten, a friend sent her a link to ReadSpeaker's website.

Ms Potter opened the page to find Iona - a text-to-speech programme marketed as a red haired woman standing in a Scottish glen.

"It is my voice - I'm absolutely certain it's my voice,” she said.

"I was horrified - the quality of it was dreadful."
An AI-generated image of the imagined woman behind the synthetic voice used on ScotRail trains. The woman has long red hair and wears a brown scarf and a green coat. She is stood against a blurred background that looks like the Scottish outdoors with the shadow of mountains and moorland.Image source, ScotRail
Image caption,

ReadSpeaker AI-generated an image to visualise the Iona voice

Last week Ms Potter discovered the voice was being introduced across ScotRail after reading a BBC Scotland online story.

It told how some passengers had expressed unhappiness with the new artificial announcer.

One passenger said: "It was weird. I could tell it was AI because it sounded so robotic."

Ms Potter, who said she had been in dispute with ReadSpeaker for two years, revealed that after reading the online story she burst into tears.

'Give it time' - ScotRail defends AI announcer Iona

"After the years that I've gone through to try to have my data removed - it's still being used," she said.

"I also have to look on social media and see people mocking it, berating it.

"They don't realise it's actually a real person who's been put through a dreadful voice app."

Ms Potter added: "It's hard enough for people in the creative industry to sustain careers but to be competing with a robotic version of yourself just adds insult to injury."
Media caption,

Last week passengers reacted to the new AI announcer on ScotRail trains

ReadSpeaker markets its products, including Iona, as an "AI voice generator," but it said all of its programmes are based on "human voice talent".

The firm uses a text-to-speech model, that means a user can type anything and Iona will read it out loud.

The technology uses artificial intelligence learning but AI needs something to learn from.

In this instance, it is voice recordings of an accent or language it is trying to emulate.

In response to the complaints, the tech firm said: "ReadSpeaker is aware of Ms Potter's concerns, and has comprehensively addressed these with Ms Potter's legal representative several times in the past."
Gayanne is sat at her desk, staring at a computer screen which has the ReadSpeaker website opened. It says "Scottish English Text to Speech with Lifelike Accent".
Image caption,

Ms Potter was upset when she discovered a Scottish "AI voice" that sounded like her own

Jennifer Cass, a partner at law firm Dentons, said there was a gap when it came to some protections against AI usage.

She said copyright extended to literary and artistic works but not "likeness or image".

"At the moment, there is no protection for image and voice in the UK," Ms Cass said.

"It is something that is being considered in the context of the AI copyright consultation which recently closed."

Ms Cass added: "There is a question about whether copyright should be expanded to cover likeness and image and to prevent the creation of digital replicas as well."
Historical contracts
Liam is looking at the camera through Zoom with a plain white background. He has well-kept short brown hair in a quiff, and a full beard that is greying near his chin. He is wearing a black suit, white shirt and red spotted tie.
Image caption,

Liam Budd says AI can displace creatives from their own industry

Liam Budd is an industrial official for recorded media at UK trade union Equity, which represents 50,000 workers throughout the creative industries.

He said: "Sadly this is just one example of many performers who have their image or voice used to generate digital replicas without their full or informed consent.

"This is a real concern.

"Our members are effectively competing in a marketplace with AI systems that have been trained on their own image and voice without their consent.

"Their likeness is effectively being hijacked."
An image of a blue ScotRail train at a small passenger train station. The station looks new and clean. There is a staircase and lifts that connect the platforms above the train.
Image caption,

ScotRail's new AI announcer currently runs on trains to and from Glasgow

Ms Potter said that AI had developed massively in the past four years and a lot of historical contracts were not fit for purpose.

She added: "Why would I give my voice away that was going to do me out of work forever? That's nuts."

Ms Potter also believed that her work should be covered by GDPR - UK and EU data protection regulations - and that her consent should have been required for ReadSpeaker to sell a commercial programme.

She contacted the Information Commissioner's Office, the regulatory body which advises on data protection rights established by UK law.

But it said that the case was outside its jurisdiction as the data was controlled by ReadSpeaker.

Ms Potter said she was now asking her lawyers to approach ScotRail to request the announcements be removed.

She said: "If ScotRail want to do the right thing, I'm happy to do their voice announcements.

"At least I know how to say Milngavie."

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applepie2100 said:

The issue with the new TTS (Text To Speech) announcements has taken a new turn as the person who originally worked with the supplier is claiming that they were not permitted to use her voice for this purpose:

The link below is to a BBC Scotland News Article:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn4q7984nq1o



From what I've seen locally ScotRail have said they've no plans to remove the announcements as the dispute is between the creator and the supplier but I can't help but wonder if this leaves them on a bit of a shoogly peg to use a Scottish turn of phrase?

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applepie2100 said:

The issue with the new TTS (Text To Speech) announcements has taken a new turn as the person who originally worked with the supplier is claiming that they were not permitted to use her voice for this purpose. (...) From what I've seen locally ScotRail have said they've no plans to remove the announcements as the dispute is between the creator and the supplier but I can't help but wonder if this leaves them on a bit of a shoogly peg to use a Scottish turn of phrase?

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Mrwerdna1 said:

Yeah, no this is completely unacceptable. Shame on you Scotrail!!

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D6130 said:

I wonder what our resident voice artist @TT-ONR-NRN thinks about all this?

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TT-ONR-NRN said:

I'd be flattered but would want to have been asked first at least. But who's to say she didn't already sign off permission unknowingly and didn't read the small print? Often catches people out.

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DanielTheEMid said:

I think City transport might be in hot water too. It's likely they cloned the Supertram Yellow woman. The inflections give it away.

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Mrwerdna1 said:

Very possible, but I do not think this is a hill to die on for Scotrail, especially not now post-nationalisation when in the public's eyes, they are supposed to be directly accountable to the public (yes, more perception than reality). The point has been made before and I think it is valid: the cost savings are just not worth all this drama. And I don't think the wider public appreciates the changes in the first place. Yes, TTS has come on leaps and bounds, but before it starts sounding a little more human, I am really not keen on the new announcements. And I think most habitual Scotrail users will feel the same.

So, given it is, at this stage, a significant downgrade from what they had previously and given that the voice actor in question is also clearly very upset by her voice being used, I don't know how to feel about it if Scotrail just carry on blindly with the roll-out, with no compensation offer, apology or adaptation otherwise made. Very uncomfortable, to say the least.

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stevenedin said:

I agree. There was nothing wrong with the current voice. They could have just used that. It's well loved. Another example of why change something that is fine and works.

I've noticed that Lothian Buses have gone down this route as well now woth text to speech. It sounds too robotic at times and is mispronouncing place names.

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DanielTheEMid said:

And that has gone down badly too. Diane Brooks has said that her voice has also been found on the buses without her knowing. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/scots-voiceover-artist-claims-edinburgh-35321206

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Company forced to fix AI train announcer after woman recognised her own voice

The voice actress had been told by ScotRail earlier this week that the matter was between her and ReadSpeaker

www.independent.co.uk

ScotRail is working to rectify its AI train announcer, named Iona, following allegations that it uses a woman's voice without her consent, according to First Minister John Swinney.

The issue arose after Scottish voiceover artist Gayanne Potter claimed that the publicly-owned rail operator based Iona on recordings she made in 2021.

Responding to concerns raised by Fiona Hyslop, Swinney stated, "The Transport Secretary tells me they’re fixing it, so they will be fixing it."
Ms Potter has welcomed this commitment as a “meaningful step forward”.

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bleeder4 said:

Issue was raised in the Scottish parliament and ScotRail have told ministers they will be "fixing it". Reported in many places, here's one:

Company forced to fix AI train announcer after woman recognised her own voice

The voice actress had been told by ScotRail earlier this week that the matter was between her and ReadSpeaker

www.independent.co.uk

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generalnerd said:

I don’t see why they used AI in the first place, it was obviously going to be controversial and doesn’t sound great.

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bleeder4 said:

Issue was raised in the Scottish parliament and ScotRail have told ministers they will be "fixing it". Reported in many places, here's one:

Company forced to fix AI train announcer after woman recognised her own voice

The voice actress had been told by ScotRail earlier this week that the matter was between her and ReadSpeaker

www.independent.co.uk

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