Out of interest which stations do not have next train announcements? Is there a list?
Yes i have a list based on my own observations. I posted it about two months ago in the London Underground station announcements thread in the automated announcements section. But i will post it again here as i do not think all members have access to that part of the forum.
I spent around five or six months from early 2024 to mid 2024 going around to all 272 of the London Underground stations to ascertain the current status of the automated announcements.
This is my findings below:
Stations with Anne Jermy next train announcements (on the Worldline system):
• Gunnersbury - P1 P2
• Harlesden - P1 P2
• Harrow & Wealdstone - P1 P2
• Kensal Green - P1 P2
• Kenton - P1 P2
• Kew Gardens - P1 P2
• North Wembley - P1 P2
• Queens Park - P1 P2
• Richmond - P3 P4 P5 P6 P7
• South Kenton - P1 P2
• Stonebridge Park - P1 P2
• Wembley Central - P1 P2
• Willesden Junction - P1 P2 P3
Stations with Elinor Hamilton next train announcements using the Metronet script (note that Pauline Cavilla was previously at most of these stations):
• Bayswater - P1 P2
• Maida Vale - P1 P2
• Marble Arch - P1 P2
• Notting Hill Gate - P1 P2
• Preston Road - P1 P2
• Regents Park - P1 P2
• Shepherds Bush - P1 P2
• St Pauls - P1 P2
• Victoria - P1 P2 P3 P4
• Wanstead - P1 P2
• White City - P1 P2 P3 P4
• Wimbledon - P1 P2 P3 P4
Stations with Elinor Hamilton next train announcements using the Tubelines script (these stations never had Pauline Cavilla previously):
• Angel - P1 P2
• Archway - P1 P2
• Arnos Grove - P1 P2 P3 P4
• Arsenal - P1 P2
• Balham - P1 P2
• Bank - P3 P4
• Battersea Power Station - P1 P2
• Belsize Park - P1 P2
• Borough - P1 P2
• Bounds Green - P1 P2
• Brent Cross - P1 P2
• Caledonian Road - P1 P2
• Camden Town - P1 P2 P3 P4
• Chalk Farm - P1 P2
• Clapham North - P1 P2
• Cockfosters - P1 P2 P3 P4
• Colindale - P1 P2
• Colliers Wood - P1 P2
• Covent Garden - P1 P2
• Debden - P1 P2
• Earls Court - P5 P6
• East Finchley - P1 P2 P3 P4
• Edgware - P1 P2 P3
• Euston - P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6
• Farringdon - P1 P2
• Finchley Central - P1 P2 P3
• Finsbury Park - P1 P3
• Gloucester Road - P1 P2 P3 P4 P5
• Goodge Street - P1 P2
• Green Park - P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6
• Hamstead - P1 P2
• Hendon Central - P1 P2
• High Barnet - P1 P2 P3
• Highgate - P1 P2
• Holborn - P1 P2 P3 P4
• Holloway Road - P1 P2
• Hyde Park Corner - P1 P2
• Kennington - P1 P2 P3 P4
• Kentish Town - P1 P2
• Kingsbury - P1 P2
• Knightsbridge - P1 P2
• Leicester Square - P1 P2 P3 P4
• Mile End - P1 P2 P3 P4
• Mornington Crescent - P1 P2
• Nine Elms - P1 P2
• Northwick Park - P1 P2
• Old Street - P1 P2
• Golders Green - P2 P3 P4 P5
• Greenford - P1 P3
• Mill Hill East - P1
• Monument - P1 P2
• Oakwood - P1 P2
• Oval - P1 P2
• Paddington (Bakerloo/Circle/District) - P1 P2 P3 P4
• Paddington (Circle/H&C) - P15 P16
• Piccadilly Circus - P1 P2 P3 P4
• Queensbury - P1 P2
• Russell Square - P1 P2
• St Johns Wood - P1 P2
• Stanmore - P1 P2 P3
• Stratford - P13 P14 P15
• Stockwell - P1 P2 P3 P4
• South Wimbledon - P1 P2
• Southgate - P1 P2
• Swiss Cottage - P1 P2
• Tooting Bec - P1 P2
• Tooting Broadway - P1 P2
• Tottenham Court Road - P1 P2
• Totteridge & Whetstone - P1 P2
• Tufnell Park - P1 P2
• Turnpike Lane - P1 P2
• Waterloo - P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6
• West Finchley - P1 P2
• Westminster - P1 P2 P3 P4
• Whitechapel - P1 P2
• Wood Green - P1 P2
• Woodside Park - P1 P2
Stations with no next train announcements at all:
• Acton Town - P1 P2 P3 P4
• Aldgate - P1 P2 P3 P4
• Aldgate East - P1 P2
• Alperton - P1 P2
• Amersham - P1 P2 P3
• Baker Street - P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8 P9 P10
• Bank - P5 P6 P7 P8
• Barbican - P1 P2
• Barking - P1A P2 P3 P6
• Barkingside - P1 P2
• Barons Court - P1 P2
• Becontree - P1 P2
• Bermondsey - P1 P2
• Bethnal Green - P1 P2
• Blackfriars - P1 P2
• Blackhorse Road - P1 P2
• Bond Street - P1 P2 P3 P4
• Boston Manor - P1 P2
• Bow Road - P1 P2
• Brixton - P1 P2
• Bromley By Bow - P1 P2
• Buckhurst Hill - P1 P2
• Burnt Oak - P1 P2
• Canada Water - P1 P2
• Canary Wharf - P1 P2
• Canons Park - P1 P2
• Canning Town - P5 P6
• Cannon Street - P1 P2
• Chalfont & Latimer - P1 P2 P3
• Chancery Lane - P1 P2
• Charing Cross - P1 P2 P5 P6
• Chesham - P2
• Chigwell - P1 P2
• Chiswick Park - P1 P2
• Chorleywood - P1 P2
• Clapham Common - P1 P2
• Clapham South - P1 P2
• Croxley - P1 P2
• Dagenham East - P1 P2 P3
• Dagenham Heathway - P1 P2
• Dollis Hill - P1 P2
• Ealing Broadway - P5 P6 P7 P8 P9
• Ealing Common - P1 P2
• Earls Court - P1 P2 P3 P4
• East Acton - P1 P2
• East Ham - P1 P2
• East Putney - P1 P2
• Eastcote - P1 P2
• Edgware Road (Bakerloo) - P1 P2
• Edgware Road (Circle/District/H&C) - P1 P2 P3 P4
• Elephant & Castle - P1 P2 P3 P4
• Elm Park - P1 P2
• Embankment - P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6
• Epping - P1 P2
• Euston Square - P1 P2 P3 P4
• Fairlop - P1 P2
• Finchley Road - P1 P2 P3 P4
• Finsbury Park - P2 P4
• Fulham Broadway - P1 P2
• Gants Hill - P1 P2
• Goldhawk Road - P1 P2
• Grange Hill - P1 P2
• Great Portland Street - P1 P2
• Hainault - P1 P2 P3
• Hammersmith (Circle/H&C) - P1 P2 P3
• Hammersmith (District/Piccadilly) - P1 P2 P3 P4
• Hanger Lane - P1 P2
• Harrow On The Hill - P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6
• Hatton Cross - P1 P2
• Heathrow Airport T123
• Heathrow Airport T4
• Heathrow Airport T5
• High Street Kensington - P1 P2 P3 P4
• Highbury & Islington - P3 P5
• Hillingdon - P1 P2
• Holland Park - P1 P2
• Hornchurch - P1 P2
• Hounslow Central - P1 P2
• Hounslow East - P1 P2
• Hounslow West - P1 P2
• Ickenham - P1 P2
• Kensington Olympia - P1
• Kilburn - P1 P2
• Kilburn Park - P1 P2
• Kings Cross St Pancras - P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8
• Ladbroke Grove - P1 P2
• Lambeth North - P1 P2
• Lancaster Gate - P1 P2
• Latimer Road - P1 P2
• Liverpool Street - P1 P2 P3 P4
• Loughton - P1 P2 P3 P4
• Manor House - P1 P2
• Mansion House - P1 P2
• Marylebone - P1 P2
• Moor Park - P1 P2 P3 P4
• Moorgate - P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8
• Morden - P2 P3 P4 P5
• Neasden - P2 P3
• Newbury Park - P1 P2
• North Acton - P1 P2
• North Ealing - P1 P2
• North Greenwich - P1 P2 P3
• North Harrow - P1 P2
• Northfields - P1 P2 P3 P4
• Northolt - P1 P2
• Northwood - P1 P2
• Northwood Hills - P1 P2
• Northwick Park - P1 P2
• Osterley - P1 P2
• Oxford Circus - P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6
• Park Royal - P1 P2
• Parsons Green - P1 P2
• Perivale - P1 P2
• Pimlico - P1 P2
• Pinner - P1 P2
• Plaistow - P1 P2 P3
• Putney Bridge - P1 P2
• Queensway - P1 P2
• Ravenscourt Park - P1 P2 P3 P4
• Rayners Lane - P1 P2
• Redbridge - P1 P2
• Rickmansworth - P1 P2 P3
• Roding Valley - P1 P2
• Royal Oak - P1 P2
• Ruislip - P1 P2
• Ruislip Gardens - P1 P2
• Ruislip Manor - P1 P2
• Seven Sisters - P3 P4 P5
• Shepherds Bush Market - P1 P2
• Sloane Square - P1 P2
• Snaresbrook - P1 P2
• South Ealing - P1 P2 P3 P4
• South Harrow - P1 P2
• South Kensington - P1 P2 P3 P4
• South Ruislip - P1 P2
• South Woodford - P1 P2
• Southfields - P1 P2
• Southwark - P1 P2
• St James Park - P1 P2
• Stamford Brook - P1 P2 P3
• Stepney Green - P1 P2
• Stratford - P3 P3A P6
• Sudbury Hill - P1 P2
• Sudbury Town - P1 P2
• Temple - P1 P2
• Theydon Bois - P1 P2
• Tottenham Court Road - P3 P4
• Tottenham Hale - P1 P2
• Tower Hill - P1 P2 P3
• Turnham Green - P1 P2 P3 P4
• Upminster - P3 P4 P5
• Upminster Bridge - P1 P2
• Upney - P1 P2
• Upton Park - P1 P2
• Uxbridge - P1 P2 P3 P4
• Vauxhall - P1 P2
• Walthamstow Central - P1 P2
• Warren Street - P1 P2 P3 P4
• Warwick Avenue - P1 P2
• Waterloo - P25 P26
• Watford - P1 P2
• Wembley Park - P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6
• West Acton - P1 P2
• West Brompton - P1 P2
• West Ham - P1 P2 P5 P6
• West Hampstead - P1 P2
• West Harrow - P1 P2
• West Kensington - P1 P2
• West Ruislip - P1 P2
• Westbourne Park - P1 P2
• Willesden Green - P2 P3
• Wimbledon Park - P1 P2
• Woodford - P1 P2
• Wood Lane - P1 P2
So those are the ones which i have observed to have no next train automated announcements playing at all.
Just to point out this information is only regarding the Elinor Hamilton train automated announcements that announce the next train. Every station on the London Underground had generic automated announcements (normally recorded by staff members) announcing stuff such as safety announcements and service update announcements etc. A few stations (such as Liverpool Street and London Bridge and Park Royal for example) also have Elinor Hamilton doing generic safety announcements and customer service update announcements but not next train announcements. It surprises me that some stations have Elinor Hamilton for these service updates but yet have no next train announcements. Also many stations have "Mind The Gap" announcements too.
From my calculations that is roughly 65% of stations that still have no automated announcements. Only around 35% of stations actually have automated announcements that announce the next train.
A few observations and things to note regarding the above information:
1. I heard Henrietta Bess at the following stations in the last few months:
• Ealing Broadway
• Hammersmith (Circle/H&C)
• Hammersmith (District/Piccadilly)
• High Street Kensington
• Highbury & Islington
• Ladbroke Grove
• Mansion House
• Pimlico
• Temple
• Vauxhall
So she still survives at quite a few stations. She could very likely be at others too. She only plays her generic announcements occasionally so i may just not have heard her elsewhere. So i think she is likely at a few other stations too. All of the stations with Henrietta Bess have no proper automated announcements announcing trains. So she seems to only be at stations without next train announcements.
2. Only six stations have automated announcements on some platforms but not others:
• Bank
• Earls Court
• Finsbury Park
• Stratford
• Tottenham Court Road
• Waterloo
Every other station on the network either has automated announcements on all platforms or no automated announcements at all.
3. The following stations all play a jingle before the Elinor Hamilton announcements:
• Archway
• Balham
• Mill Hill East
• Oval
• Tooting Bec
• Tooting Broadway
They all play the ASL jingle. This is the same jingle that was used on the Amey system at Gatwick Airport when Only Woman was there. These seem to be the only six stations that play this jingle.
4. From my observations the Northern Line by far has the most amount of stations with automated announcements. There are only a couple of Northern Line stations without automated announcements.
5. I have noticed that over the last few years TFL have gradually been getting rid of the "next station x" part of the Tubelines script. She used to say "X line. The next train to x will arrive in x minutes. Next station x." but now she just simply says "X line. The next train to x will arrive in x minutes." without the "next station x" part. I am unsure on the reason for this. Telling passengers what the next station is seems useful so it is strange that they got rid of this.
6. For some reason at Holborn and Piccadilly Circus they have removed the line name from the automated announcements. It is still the Tubelines script with Elinor Hamilton but without the line name at the beginning of the announcement. So she just says "The next train to x will arrive in x minutes." or "The train now approaching is to x. Please stand back from the platform edge." without the line name at the beginning. These are the only two stations like this and it only seems to have changed recently. Either it is an error or a new format they are trialling.
7. Waterloo still has a really weird setup. On the Bakerloo Line platforms she says "X line. The train now approaching is to x. Please stand back from the platform edge doors.". On the Jubilee Line platforms she says "X line. The train now approaching is to x. Please stand back from the platform edge.". So they have gotten the script for the Bakerloo Line and Jubilee Line platforms the wrong way round. Then on the Northern Line platforms she says "X line. The train now approaching is to X. Please stand behind the yellow line as the train approaches, use the full length of the platform, and let passengers off the train first.". This has been taken from the Metronet script despite using the Tubelines script for the rest of the announcement. So the Northern Line platforms at Waterloo have a very weird Metronet and Tubelines hybrid script.
8. Preston Road does not work properly and only some trains get announced. I visited the stations twice and each time only about 25% of trains were announced with the other 75% not announced. For the trains that were announced it was only doing one announcement a few minutes before but no second approaching announcement. I remember it used to work fine when Pauline Cavilla was at this station. But for some reason only some trains actually get announced these days.
9. Victoria has the loudest automated announcements of any station by far. Elinor Hamilton and Phil Sayer are so loud on all platforms and in the corridors. The volume at Victoria seems to be much louder than any other station. I really like this as it means that you can very easily hear the automated announcements over the noise of the train and the busy platforms. Other stations should copy.
10. Elephant & Castle and Leytonstone and Tower Hill all had Pauline Cavilla on all four platforms for many years. All other stations that were using her switched from Pauline Cavilla to Elinor Hamilton in late 2018 but for some reason Elephant & Castle and Leytonstone and Tower Hill just got rid of their automated announcements completely. So i am guessing some error happened when they were switching voices and they have never fixed it. Since late 2018 i have never heard automated announcements played at any of these three stations any more.
11. Oxford Circus does have the ability to play next train announcements however i have only ever heard it once. This was on the 19/05/2024 only. I use this station multiple times a week and have done for years and this is the one and only time i have ever heard announcements there. So they are either broken or switched off.
12. Considering points 10 and 11 mentioned above i suspect that a couple of the other stations listed as not having next train announcements are long term broken or just long term switched off. Most do not have any installed but some definitely do. So it seems like some are just simply broken or switched off.
13. Paddington Southbound Circle District Line platform has announcements but just plays utter gibberish. It constantly says things like "The train now approaching is a Circle Line service via Victoria will arrive in two minutes." and "The next Circle Line train via Victoria please stand back from the platform edge." and all sorts of other nonsense. So there is something wrong with how they set up the announcements here.
14. Bayswater and Notting Hill Gate have extremely troublesome announcements. They seem to break and stop working every couple months. Both stations have switched back and fourth between Pauline Cavilla and Elinor Hamilton at least six times in recent years which is presumably when they get reset.
So far Bayswater and Notting Hill Gate have had:
• early 2012 to late 2018 - Pauline Cavilla
• late 2018 to late 2022 - Elinor Hamilton
• late 2022 to early 2023 - Pauline Cavilla
• early 2023 to late 2023 - Elinor Hamilton
• late 2023 to early 2024 - Pauline Cavilla
• early 2024 to currently - Elinor Hamilton
The announcements are also far too quiet. Both stations have the volume set far too low to the point where you can barely hear the announcements even on a quiet empty platform.
Currently at Bayswater they are working (but still far too quiet) but at Notting Hill Gate nothing is playing so they are broken again (and have been for at least two months) so it is problem after problem.
London Underground seem to generally do a good job with their onboard announcements but their station announcements are appalling. It is nothing but issue after issue at dozens of stations. It takes them forever to fix anything. It is a joke considering it is one of the worlds most major and famous metro systems.
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