Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
It's probably like the fictional "security services" who will "destroy or damage" "unattended luggage". IOW a vaguely threatening sounding generic term.
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Automated announcements at VTWC (Virgin Trains West Coast) stations
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Blindtraveler
Established Member
Stafford now has these too. Dreading the day Carlisle gets them as there are some genuinely good announcers there.
Galvanize
Member
Whenever I'm there it's the same guy doing the announcements...
"Next Train to arrive at Platform 4 will be the 17:53 Virgin Pendolino service to London Euston...this train is the 16:40 from Glasgow Central!"
Could be worse...at least it's not Anne that's gracing VTWC stations, I do quite like the "Amey" announcer nowadays.
Blindtraveler
Established Member
Shes alright, sadly no recordings for some TOCs though, she cant say East Midlands Trains at Crewe for example and I'll bet the only TOCs she can say at Carlisle should she come will be Virgin and Northern.
greaterwest
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She can announce EMT, XC and ATW at Stockport, so it's bizarre that she can't at Crewe.
Blindtraveler
Established Member
She gets ATW at Crewe fine but doesnt seam to have EMT, based on 3 visits within 4 weeks at times when the EMT service is departing.
greaterwest
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She can also announce TransPennine services at Wigan NW, where I last heard her live (though hasn't she been live there for a while, also at Lancaster and Warrington BQ?)
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
I still remember my hair standing on end getting off the early Pendolino at Carlisle to "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the borderlands city of Carlisle". There was just something really proud and old fashioned about it.
On the other hand, "Wiganwallgategathurstappleybridgeparboldhoscarburscoughbridgenewlanebescarlanemeolscopansouthport" in one breath is impressive enough but not very useful if you actually wanted to hear any of it. All the new autoannouncers are designed to be clearly audible and indeed are.
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southern442
Established Member
That's a problem with several manual announcements - many of the people doing it are just station employees who (I imagine) take little to no interest in the job. There are a few staff both on and off train who do a really good job of it, but several of them (for want of a better way to put it) don't take the job seriously enough. With regards to these specific announcements, I pass through East Croydon station at least once on most days and I've gotten used to them. They're not bad, not as good as Phil and Celia but she's quite clear and better than Anne and some of the others out there.
Blindtraveler
Established Member
A croud of intoxicated Xfactor rejects would be better than Anne, oh and the TPE onboard lady!
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
I really don't like the TPE woman, she is rude, clipped and arrogant sounding - summed up the previous instance of TPE and its corporate attitude nicely, though it seems to be softening a bit.
There are so many nice soft Northern accents, too, that that makes it all the worse. You could even be clever and do Lancashire places in a Lancashire accent and Yorkshire places in a Yorkshire one (and Ny'castle in a Geordie one
)On another note I miss the Aussie who used to do the announcing at Euston before the current autoannouncer came along - was a nice reminder of how international a place London is.
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Blindtraveler
Established Member
I remember him!
I like the Northern woman who can be found on 319/321/322 units and I assume on the sprinters when they go live and would like to hear more of her.
As to TOCs like TPE using regional accents what would you use for the Scotland service? A posh Edinburgh accent, a moaning old bugger from Glasgow or perhaps a Cumbrian accent to reasure travelers that the border is only a n hour away
The latter bit of the above said very much in humour before anyone gets upset!
I like the Northern woman who can be found on 319/321/322 units and I assume on the sprinters when they go live and would like to hear more of her.
As to TOCs like TPE using regional accents what would you use for the Scotland service? A posh Edinburgh accent, a moaning old bugger from Glasgow or perhaps a Cumbrian accent to reasure travelers that the border is only a n hour away
The latter bit of the above said very much in humour before anyone gets upset!
On the 319s when they were first introduced she was a bit tedious.
"This train is the... Northern Electrics service to... Liverpool Lime Street! The next station stop is. ECCLES! If you see anything suspicious or anything that concerns you, please report it to a member staff. We will shortly be arriving at ECCLES! If you're leaving us here at. ECCLES! Please make sure you take all of your personal belongings and hand luggage with you"
And don't forget "If you have boarded the train here, in line with National Conditions of Carriage, we are only able to sell you an undiscounted ticket...." repeated over and over!
furgus2
Member
Oh yes, she had a really nice accent and tone which helped make her announcements clear and, even, enjoyable to listen to. By the way, after leaving that job, she became, for a time, a Train Manager for Virgin Trains.
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