Foreign language announcements on Continental European trains?

[The exile]

And then there's Belgium.

A few days ago there was a news item about a passenger who made a formal complaint that the contrôleur greeted a compartment of passengers with Goeiemorgen-Bonjour. This was in a Flemish-speaking region, so only Dutch should have been used. SNCB agreed with that, at least initially, though also complained that the rules were too strict and they would like to be more helpful to non-Belgians.

The contrôleur in question reckoned that these rules - which are those for government employees - really apply to tannoy and display announcements, not to a greeting like his. The rules do allow both languages plus German and English to be used on airport trains, and he says this could also have been done here (at Vilvorde).

Surely the appropriate response would have been to say that he was not in fact using the language of Wallonia but greeting any visitors from places like the Suisse Romande and Martinique? It's not his fault that the greeting there is the same as in Mons or Charleroi. Being very pedantic - if this was at Vilvoorde, he presumably wasn't being a "contrôleur" at the time. Not quite sure what the appropriate term is in Flemish - but at the very least the accent would have to disappear!

 

[nwales58]

The village of Iseltwald in Switzerland has become famous because of a Korean TV programme filmed on the lake there, so it now has a lot of Korean visitors. Postbus now run double deckers there with Korean branding.

This autumn at Interlaken Ost I wondered why there was an express double decker to Iseltwald as well as the regular 103.

Even more strange, it was a Netflix series about koreans, so americans as well as asians are flocking to the filming sites. Even more absurd, at Iseltwald there is a tiny boat landing stage (not the lake steamer one) with a turnstile charging SFR 5. A love scene with a piano was filmed there, tourists willingly queue and pay to take selfies.

We're off the topic of train announcements, but some of the high railways and cable cars have mandarin and korean signage. Chinese and korean groups seem to do Jungfraujoch, chinese couples like the hotels at the top of Pilatus and indian tours do Titlis with a massive tour group restaurant at the mid-way station.

Roll on korean, mandarin and hindi announcements on LNER and Avanti.

 

[rvdborgt]

Surely the appropriate response would have been to say that he was not in fact using the language of Wallonia but greeting any visitors from places like the Suisse Romande and Martinique? It's not his fault that the greeting there is the same as in Mons or Charleroi. Being very pedantic - if this was at Vilvoorde, he presumably wasn't being a "contrôleur" at the time. Not quite sure what the appropriate term is in Flemish - but at the very least the accent would have to disappear!

NMBS say "treinbegeleider" in Dutch but most people use the normal "conducteur".

 

[Planesandtrain]

I'm native in both German and English so after around 07:00/08:00 I also add english announcements and the looks on peoples faces when they hear a bit of a London accent (on some days I really try and make it sound like a british gaurd) on a train heading through the deepest Allgäu is brilliant. (for reference I work as an OBS on the RE72/RB92/RE96 in Bavaria)

 

[MrJeeves]

I was impressed to hear very detailed Czech, English and German automated announcements on their Eurocity service between Prague hl.n. and Kiel Hbf this summer.

 

[stadler]

I'm native in both German and English so after around 07:00/08:00 I also add english announcements and the looks on peoples faces when they hear a bit of a London accent (on some days I really try and make it sound like a british gaurd) on a train heading through the deepest Allgäu is brilliant. (for reference I work as an OBS on the RE72/RB92/RE96 in Bavaria)

Just out of interest what does the job title OBS in Germany mean? I presume that it is not On Board Supervisor like our ones?

I was impressed to hear very detailed Czech, English and German automated announcements on their Eurocity service between Prague hl.n. and Kiel Hbf this summer.

I always find it so weird hearing an American voice on Czech trains. Normally in Mainland Europe they just use a local voice speaking English or sometimes a British voice but other than the Czech Republic it is extremely rare to hear an American one. I think some American voices can sound okay but that one sounds hideous especially when he says the "Ladies And Gentlemen" as if there is no "t" in it. Also why does the English announcements use Czech names (Praha) instead of English names (Prague) that English speakers would be more familiar with.

 

[43096]

Also why does the English announcements use Czech names (Praha) instead of English names (Prague) that English speakers would be more familiar with.

Because the nameboards on the stations say Praha, not Prague?

 

[Richard Scott]

I always find it so weird hearing an American voice on Czech trains. Normally in Mainland Europe they just use a local voice speaking English or sometimes a British voice but other than the Czech Republic it is extremely rare to hear an American one. I think some American voices can sound okay but that one sounds hideous especially when he says the "Ladies And Gentlemen" as if there is no "t" in it. Also why does the English announcements use Czech names (Praha) instead of English names (Prague) that English speakers would be more familiar with.

Used to amuse me when they announced the train terminated and "please get off board". Think they've changed it now.

 

[D6130]

When the Italo open-access high speed services first started in Italy more than ten years ago, the English language announcements were recorded by a Dutchman. Approaching intermediate stops and terminating stations, he would announce "Will passengers intending to step off the train please prepare their luggage." Their announcements have since been re-recorded by a woman with a part-American/part-Australian accent.

 

[DanielB]

Reminds me of the Dutch class 24/26 SLT Sprinters which display "please step out" on the displays in the train at the terminal station. Technically it is a translation of "uitstappen", though not entirely the correct one AFAIK.

Also why does the English announcements use Czech names (Praha) instead of English names (Prague) that English speakers would be more familiar with.

Translating is not always better. For example I found some recordings of a multilingual announcement in the Netherlands on Youtube, would you recognize the train stops at Köln Messe/Deutz? (It's translated in both Dutch and English).

 

[Richard Scott]

Translating is not always better. For example I found some recordings of a multilingual announcement in the Netherlands on Youtube, would you recognize the train stops at Köln Messe/Deutz? (It's translated in both Dutch and English).

In certain cases such as one stated, I agree. DB, I seem to recall translate it as Cologne Trade Fair? Not sure if that's also on station signs? Think Flughafen is often translated on station signs but, again, that might be my mind playing tricks?

 

[Beebman]

And then there's Belgium.

A few days ago there was a news item about a passenger who made a formal complaint that the contrôleur greeted a compartment of passengers with Goeiemorgen-Bonjour. This was in a Flemish-speaking region, so only Dutch should have been used. SNCB agreed with that, at least initially, though also complained that the rules were too strict and they would like to be more helpful to non-Belgians.

The contrôleur in question reckoned that these rules - which are those for government employees - really apply to tannoy and display announcements, not to a greeting like his. The rules do allow both languages plus German and English to be used on airport trains, and he says this could also have been done here (at Vilvorde).

The news item from Belgium has been uploaded today to the YouTube channel of France 3's Hauts-de-France Region

Electronic translation from French of the video notes:

A curious and unusual case in Belgium… A train controller was the subject of a complaint for having said “bonjour” while he was on the Flemish side. The situation has taken on disproportionate proportions and the story is even being told by all the major national media.

It seems that the rule dates from 1966 and part of a debate in the Belgian Parliament about this issue is included in the video.

 

[Planesandtrain]

Just out of interest what does the job title OBS in Germany mean? I presume that it is not On Board Supervisor like our ones?

Well in German it's Kundenbetreuer (KB) or in DB ops it's Kin, it's essentially like the OBS role in the UK, we check tickets and stick our heads out of the door at every stop without doing anything safety critical.

 

[peteb]

I was on inter-rail this year and a Chinese national I met said they found English announcements helpful because they simply didn't speak EU languages but they did know English. However my French friends find it a bit irksome on SNCF, maybe because France is generally more concerned about the spread of Franglais to the detriment of French terms, particularly in science and technology.

 

[duesselmartin]

In certain cases such as one stated, I agree. DB, I seem to recall translate it as Cologne Trade Fair? Not sure if that's also on station signs? Think Flughafen is often translated on station signs but, again, that might be my mind playing tricks?

Just says Köln Messe/Deutz on the sign.

Basel badischer Bahnhof is an odd one.
Often announced as Basel Bad (what is bad about it?) and in the past Basel German station.
Basel SBB was logically Basel Swiss station.

 

[StephenHunter]

Milan has English on its Metro trains.

 

[Doctor Fegg]

I once heard “Nous sommes arrivés au terminus” on a Thames Trains 165 pulling into Reading. Go figure.

 

[duesselmartin]

Milan has English on its Metro trains.

Rotterdam. The line to Hoek van Holland has English announcements on all stops. Not sure about the rest of the system.
Germany: The RE19 train from Düsseldorf to Arnhem is also duo-lingo. German and Dutch.

 

[DanielB]

Rotterdam. The line to Hoek van Holland has English announcements on all stops. Not sure about the rest of the system.
Germany: The RE19 train from Düsseldorf to Arnhem is also duo-lingo. German and Dutch.

Rotterdam and The Hague have English announcements at all stops

 

[U-Bahnfreund]

I'm native in both German and English so after around 07:00/08:00 I also add english announcements and the looks on peoples faces when they hear a bit of a London accent (on some days I really try and make it sound like a british gaurd) on a train heading through the deepest Allgäu is brilliant. (for reference I work as an OBS on the RE72/RB92/RE96 in Bavaria)

Haha fun to know! Will watch out for English announcements on Arverio when I get the chance to go there

 

[Birkonian]

I've heard plenty of English announcements in Belgium and Italy. The Italians take great pride in announcing for instance "Now arriving in Milano Centrale 'on time.'

 

[StephenHunter]

I've heard plenty of English announcements in Belgium and Italy. The Italians take great pride in announcing for instance "Now arriving in Milano Centrale 'on time.'

Having English signage on international trains has been a thing for decades. Even if it is warning you not to stick your head out the window.

 

[Beebman]

Having English signage on international trains has been a thing for decades. Even if it is warning you not to stick your head out the window.

In the late 70s I travelled on an ÖBB sleeper in which all the signage had English on it including the signs for the handbrake and the tail light switches!

 

[CC 72100]

In the late 70s I travelled on an ÖBB sleeper in which all the signage had English on it including the signs for the handbrake and the tail light switches!

French Corail coaches have that too.

 

[mountainpixel]

SBB provide English announcements, in addition to native German, French and Italian as appropriate.

The EC from Genève to Milano has announcements in all four languages. Which is as far as I know the only SBB train to do so.

 

[riceuten]

It's nice when announcements are made in a number of languages, but, outside of one or two locations, I don't expect to hear English. I quite often do hear people who expect English to be spoken - particularly in countries like Germany.

All I can say is that in rural areas off the beaten track, people in the West may speak a few words. In the former DDR, particularly if someone is 50 or over, it's pot luck.

 

[Dumpton Park]

Ouigo between Madrid and Alicante at the weekend - announcements in Spanish, Valenciá (the local Alicante dialect) and English - live, not recorded as they had to apologise for a hefty delay. IIRC Iryo and Ave do English in their announcements too on the principal that nearly every non-Spanish tourist will likely understand it.

PS 4 x very sorry-looking cl 58s still lurking outside Albacete.

DP

 

[StephenHunter]

Ouigo between Madrid and Alicante at the weekend - announcements in Spanish, Valenciá (the local Alicante dialect) and English - live, not recorded as they had to apologise for a hefty delay. IIRC Iryo and Ave do English in their announcements too on the principal that nearly every non-Spanish tourist will likely understand it.

English is a very common "common language" in Europe. When ÖBB and ČD were colluding to stop RegioJet getting their hands on second-hand carriages, their emails were in English.

 

[duesselmartin]

The EC from Genève to Milano has announcements in all four languages. Which is as far as I know the only SBB train to do so.

oddly enough, Belgium outside Brussels you cannot expect that. In Flanders it is Flemish only, in Wallonia French only.

 

[DanielB]

oddly enough, Belgium outside Brussels you cannot expect that. In Flanders it is Flemish only, in Wallonia French only.

The new EC direct Lelystad - Brussels has passenger information in four languages however (Dutch, French, German and English).
On the displays at least, not likely the also do that for announcements.

The same applies to the RE18 Aachen - Liège by the way, which announces everything (text to speech) in four languages.
At Eijsden, which is the last station with OV chipcard validity, this results in such a lengthy announcement that it starts prior to the station and ends after departure.