"Anne" Station announcements

[Starmill]

Hi

I believe that the posh sounding, female automatic announcer who certainly does Manchester Piccadilly, Leeds and Liverpool Lime Street - as well as Euston, Liverpool Street and King's Cross - is the one known as "Anne". I have noticed recently that she's gotten around all sorts of strange places, like Waterloo East and Stratford, as well as sharing at Birmingham New Street and St Pancras International's Thameslink platforms. Can anyone offer more locations where she can now be heard? Or a theory as to why many stations appear to be using two different voices?


But my main reason for posting is this:

Please do not leave luggage unattended on the station. Luggage left unattended may be removed without warning, or destroyed or damaged by the security services. A secure left luggage facility is available on platform 10 for passengers to store their luggage.

Due to today's wet weather, please take extra care whilst on the station. Surfaces may be slippery.

Manchester Piccadilly is a no smoking station. Please refrain from smoking whilst at this station.

24 hour CCTV recording is in operation at this station, for the purpose of security and safety management.

Security personnel tour this station 24 hours a day.

Ticket checks are in operation at this station. Please have your ticket available for inspection.

It is not permitted to cycle, skateboard or rollerblade within this station building.

I've compiled it from memory of Manchester Pic, have I made any mistakes or omissions? Did there used to be one about "short and long stay car parking"? Is anyone else sad enough to know this sort of thing?

Thanks if you do! )

 

[causton]

Sounds like most of the announcements are correct, except the secure left luggage facility being different depending on which station

 

[Manchester77]

I thinks he can be heard at all of the network rail managed stations

 

[Temple Meads]

I believe this announcer is the one named "Anne": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYdn1ACsdN4&list=UUyeQu0QAfDNYWkpmSvcqPnA&index=83

Not exactly what I'd describe as posh to be honest, so is this the one you describe?

 

[Starmill]

I believe this announcer is the one named "Anne": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYdn1ACsdN4&list=UUyeQu0QAfDNYWkpmSvcqPnA&index=83

Not exactly what I'd describe as posh to be honest, so is this the one you describe?

It's posh to us Mancs

 

[ainsworth74]

I've always liked 'Anne' as I think she's very clear on most station environments (and where she isn't just about any would struggle to be heard). It also might be because I used to go through Leeds on my way home from school so she's become associated with a happy event

She can be heard, as far as I'm aware, at all Network Rail managed stations and a lot of the FGW network.

 

[142056]

Anne is no way as posh as 'Celia' who has made it onto some stations, even my little local station Trafford Park. Her here - http://youtu.be/DbryZtRN9W0?t=2m8s then 'Boofay' lady who follows is posh when she says buffet.

 

[CC 72100]

Anne is no way as posh as 'Celia' who has made it onto some stations, even my little local station Trafford Park. Her here - http://youtu.be/DbryZtRN9W0?t=2m8s

Her and Phil Sayer were the best pair. Anne and the really slow, almost text-to-speech sounding bloke are no comparison

 

[Starmill]

Her and Phil Sayer were the best pair. Anne and the really slow, almost text-to-speech sounding bloke are no comparison

Do you mean this guy? Is it Mike? Him and Anne are the current at BHM no? Is this man also not present at London Bridge? With a different woman!

But yeah, he sounds totally dead inside, I much prefer Anne!

Has she made it to the Scottish NR-managed stations?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Oh, I almost forgot:

"This is a safety announcement. Please take care when using the escalators on the station. If you have luggage, or a bicycle, then please use the passenger lifts and ask for assistance if you need it. Thank you."

 

[Sidious]

Aargh. She does my head in.

"This station operates a no-smoking policy"

No it doesn't. Stations don't operate policies of any kind. It's just bad grammar, jiberish and nonsense.

"Please take extra care when moving around the station, due to todays wet weather steps and surfaces may be slippery".

No s**t! For years people must have been dropping like flies on wet days around the railway network, falling down the stairs and onto the tracks. It's a good job that these announcements are made to save people from themselves.

 

[Mojo]

I didn't think she was posh. Certainly I always thought she said place names in a northern accent.

 

[fgwrich]

Her and Phil Sayer were the best pair. Anne and the really slow, almost text-to-speech sounding bloke are no comparison

I agree, although i quite liked Ruth too. Anne is Ok on FGW, but Rodger is too slow. And there still missing the trains on the 'The Next Train On Platform 2 Does Not Stop Here, Please Stand Well Back From The Platform Edge' announcement. :roll:

Fortunately, Whilst First Group seem to have gone over to ATOS on both FCC & FGW, Celia and Phil can still be found across the South West Trains network, even if to put it bluntly - she never shuts up on some of the 159s!

Who does First Scotrail's announcements now that 'Sonia' has left?

 

[CC 72100]

I agree, although i quite liked Ruth too. Anne is Ok on FGW, but Rodger is too slow. And there still missing the trains on the 'The Next Train On Platform 2 Does Not Stop Here, Please Stand Well Back From The Platform Edge' announcement. :roll:

Ruth! Now that is bringing back some memories of days out 10 + years ago! She still does the English announcements at Cardiff central, among others. The new guys do sound a bit 'cheap' - Rodger is very slow!

 

[fgwrich]

Ruth! Now that is bringing back some memories of days out 10 + years ago! She still does the English announcements at Cardiff central, among others. The new guys do sound a bit 'cheap' - Rodger is very slow!

Tell me about it! Like SWT, FGW are using the Anne & Rodger combination in the same way as SWT use Phil for the up and Celia for the down. Which means at Bramley, we have some services announced before the train turns up and others when the arrive! Anne is on the Up Reading and Rodger on the down.

Plattt form Two for the Twelve Fifty Six First Great Western service to Basing stoke.

 

[Manchester77]

Does Celia also do the northern line announcements?

She is the best IMO she pronounces very clearly

 

[Muzer]

I don't think many stations have Phil for the up and Celia for the down.

At Salisbury, Celia does platform 2 (Waterloo + Portsmouth), platform 3 (Exeter + Portsmouth) and platform 6 (Waterloo + Southampton "Salisbury 6" locals), where Phil just has platform 4 (usually SWT that don't go all the way to Exeter but terminate at Salisbury, Gillingham or Yeovil, and FGW to Cardiff Central). At most smaller stations they usually seem to choose between Celia or Phil.

Some of Celia's more memorable (to me) ones:

Please do not leave cases or parcels unattended anywhere on the station. Any unattended articles are likely to be removed without warning.

Platform 2 for the 0744 South West Trains service to Gillingham (Dorset). Calling at Grateley, Salisbury, Tisbury and Gillingham (Dorset). Customers for Bristol Temple Meads and Cardiff Central should change at Salisbury. This train is formed of three coaches. Platform 2 for the 0744 South West Trains service to Gillingham (Dorset).




I do wish Celia announced the trains to Cardiff from Salisbury, though, due to her pronouncing "the" as "thee"; then it would be:

"Platform four for thee fourteen forty"

(As it is, it's still funny to hear even with the "the" when Phil says it)





I don't like Anne personally. She features at Romsey, the last time I checked at least, and I think in most of FGWland.

 

[High Dyke]

'Digital Doris' does yer tree in. I recently changed trains at Nottingham; in the space of 20 minutes i had to endure 3 'security staff...', 2 'unattended luggage...' and 3 'smoking is...' announcements as well as all the train departure announcements.

She is outsourced to unstaffed stations such as Newark Castle to make announcements. It's a blessing when the computer link fails and she remains silent.

 

[fgwrich]

'Digital Doris' does yer tree in. I recently changed trains at Nottingham; in the space of 20 minutes i had to endure 3 'security staff...', 2 'unattended luggage...' and 3 'smoking is...' announcements as well as all the train departure announcements.

She is outsourced to unstaffed stations such as Newark Castle to make announcements. It's a blessing when the computer link fails and she remains silent.

Try going on a SWT 159 With Celia all the way to Exeter then, now that really does your nut in! I've heard unattended luggage, Valid Ticket announcements mixed in with the all stations announcements. Fortunately, the last time i went down to Exeter on one recently, she seemed to be haunted by something, rather making a small but high pitched noise every time she was supposed to say anything.

 

[fusionblue]

At a lot of southeastern stations the voice system has changed from all the more recognisable ones to a new one that sounds like a robot.

Does anyone have any details/info about it?

 

[dvboy]

The male announcer at Birmingham New Street is a local who previously did the non-automated announcements, I don't think he is heard anywhere else. The other voice heard at Birmingham New Street is Anne, but Celia was previously heard there for a short while alongside the local, and before that it was all Phil Sayer. There are two other regular non-automated announcers, both female, one sounds very dreary and local, and the other sounds like a young Asian woman.

 

[185143]

But my main reason for posting is this:


I've compiled it from memory of Manchester Pic, have I made any mistakes or omissions? Did there used to be one about "short and long stay car parking"? Is anyone else sad enough to know this sort of thing?

Thanks if you do! )

Another one for you heard today 6/3/13

Platform 4 for the 17:42 First Transpennine Express servce to Hull calling at ........... will passengers intenting to travel on this service please board the train now, as it is ready to leave

 

[Starmill]

Another one for you heard today 6/3/13

Platform 4 for the 17:42 First Transpennine Express servce to Hull calling at ........... will passengers intenting to travel on this service please board the train now, as it is ready to leave

*Waiting for train at Piccadilly* "This is a platform alteration. The 1518 service from Manchester Piccadilly will now arrive on platform 3".

How helpful!

 

[Gareth]

I take it Anne's the one the sounds like Holly from Red Dwarf and by just spending five damn minutes at Liverpool Lime Street you end up tearing your hair out because she does not shut up ever. Being a busy station, there's always some service about to depart but even in the short gaps inbetween, she'll just throw in endless inane announcements about luggage, litter, security whatever. I'd hate to have to work there and hear that 8 hours a day.

 

[TEW]

At a lot of southeastern stations the voice system has changed from all the more recognisable ones to a new one that sounds like a robot.

Does anyone have any details/info about it?

It is pretty much a robot, the majority of Southeastern stations now use a text-to-speech based system.

 

[dvboy]

I noticed text-to-speech being used at Newark Castle the other week.

 

[33109]

Here's a tricky 1 for folks to figure out

Anybody know who the female announcer is at crewe, she's got a really soft sounding kinda quiet voice:roll: Any ideas who she is plz????

 

[gimmea50anyday]

Tpe's stations announcer is rob while on train it is mainly Kath. Rob is a competence assessor while Kath is in charge of contracts with third parties

 

[317666]

TPE's stations announcer is Rob

You mean the one at Ulverston? "Calling. At. Cark, KENTSBANK, Grangeoversands, Arrrrnside, SILVERDALE CARNFORTH..." very badly edited!

Cambridge, and other stations on the West Anglia such as Whittlesford used to have an older version of Celia, which went like:

"The 09:43 service to Ipswich, will depart from Platform 6. Calling at Dullingham, Newmarket, Bury St Edmunds, Thurston, Elmswell, Stowmarket, Needham Market and Ipswich. The 09:43 service to Ipswich, will depart from Platform 6."

When Coleshill Parkway station opened, the announcement for Birmingham trains didn't have it added. I also remember that before doing the unattended luggage announcement, it started with "May I have your attention please. This is a special announcement."

Bishops Stortford and Seven Sisters until very recently both had the old NSE announcements. I've got a recording of the Bishops Stortford one somewhere.

"Bishops Stortford, this is Bishops Stortford. The train at Platform 2 calls at Sawbridgeworth, Harlow Town, Broxbourne, Cheshunt, Tottenham Hale and Liverpool Street. Sawbridgeworth, Harlow Town, Broxbourne, Cheshunt, Tottenham Hale and Liverpool Street the train now at Platform 2."

 

[Starmill]

"Bishops Stortford, this is Bishops Stortford. The train at Platform 2 calls at Sawbridgeworth, Harlow Town, Broxbourne, Cheshunt, Tottenham Hale and Liverpool Street. Sawbridgeworth, Harlow Town, Broxbourne, Cheshunt, Tottenham Hale and Liverpool Street the train now at Platform 2."

Oh my God. This, I have never understood! I'm guessing its a southern (with a small "s") phenomenon, because I cannot think of any reason why its nessecary!

 

[Lrd]

Oh my God. This, I have never understood! I'm guessing its a southern (with a small "s") phenomenon, because I cannot think of any reason why its nessecary!

It's from the slam door days when trains had openable windows and no auto announcer on board, so they announced the station name as the train was pulling in so people on board knew where they were.

Doesn't quite work when the announcement goes off before the train is anywhere near the platform though.