Phil Sayer's announcements

[mathmo]

Who is the lady at FGW stations between Reading and Paddington? She annoys me greatly - mainly because she always seems to be saying "First Great Western" in a much more emphatic tone that the rest of the announcement, despite all services from stations east of Reading being operated by FGW.

She goes something like "The next train to depart from Platform 3 will be the 1842 [louder]First Great Western[/louder] service to Reading. Calling at ...". Whenever my train pulls into a station all I seem to hear from her is "First Great Western"...

 

[thefab444]

She can also say "Heathrow Connect?!", "Virgin Traaaains" and "CrossCountry!", but as you say, the "First Great Western" recording is quite loud.

For the purposes of froth she is referred to as "Boofay", I'm not sure who she is or what her real name is (although she also voices the PA on the Voyagers, albeit very rarely used). The system was manufactured by Racal, now part of Thales.

 

[MCR247]

There is a PA on Voyagers?!

 

[Aictos]

Nah, the one guy who's just as famous as Phil Sayers is RoboGuard from NXEC in Scotland - I think he's based at Edinburgh depot.

Now bearing in mind I have never heard one of his announcements before, I was travelling up to Aberdeen with a colleague and heard his announcement over the HSTs PA - certainly didn't sound human, in fact I thought NXEC had installed a automatic PA system on the HST and was trialling it out on the unsuspecting public only to be reassured and introduced to the guard that it was actually a live announcement made by a human and not a computer!

I'm sure our northern members know who he is,

Wonder if I could persuade FCC to hire him for some announcements,

 

[alexdodds]

Sarah is up and running at London Euston. also the jingle has been changed as well.

 

[thefab444]

Sarah's been running at Euston for a couple of months now, I didn't know she used a jingle? Just the manual announcements?

 

[devon_metro]

Who is the lady at FGW stations between Reading and Paddington? She annoys me greatly - mainly because she always seems to be saying "First Great Western" in a much more emphatic tone that the rest of the announcement, despite all services from stations east of Reading being operated by FGW.

She goes something like "The next train to depart from Platform 3 will be the 1842 [louder]First Great Western[/louder] service to Reading. Calling at ...". Whenever my train pulls into a station all I seem to hear from her is "First Great Western"...

Agree, she gets on my nerves

Spends so long faffing about with the announcement! Other than that, she sounds like she's about to commit suicide. Cheer up love!!

 

[thefab444]

Oh dear, just oh dear.

 

[mathmo]

Agree, she gets on my nerves

Spends so long faffing about with the announcement! Other than that, she sounds like she's about to commit suicide. Cheer up love!!

I wouldn't say she's quite that bad...

Thanks for the explanation CeliaDrummond - maybe I should go to Hayes to hear her say "Heathrow Connect?!" some time!

 

[alexdodds]

Sarah's been running at Euston for a couple of months now, I didn't know she used a jingle? Just the manual announcements?

No i ment the bing bong used for manual announcements has changed

 

[First ScotRail]

The one at Euston is soooo annoying! I miss the old jingle as well! It was iconic of Euston for me anyway!

 

[Aictos]

There is a shortcut for station announcers to use which is dirt cheap and that's to play a jingle on a schoolkid's music triangle or unofficially play a chime from a mobile!

 

[thefab444]

Thanks for the explanation CeliaDrummond - maybe I should go to Hayes to hear her say "Heathrow Connect?!" some time!

I have a clip here somewhere, I'll dig it out later.

 

[kvbham]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8273718.stm

 

[Mojo]

Hope the few don't spoil it for the many! If he goes to Lichfield then they always go off the same platforms unless there's an alteration which is announced so what's the issue?

I recently flew from an airport where there were signs indicating that it was a "silent terminal" and only essential announcements were to be made. If that's allowed then why isn't silencing them on New Street concourse?

 

[jon0844]

Stansted was one of the first silent airports in the 1990s - but there has to be something for partially sighted/blind people. Couldn't they have a section of the station that DOES have announcements, or come up with a system to announce just the basic information: Platform 6 for the 1805 to London Euston (or whatever), thus getting someone down to the right platform to listen for further announcements.

If they're using a computerised system like most stations, it's hardly difficult to reprogramme the announcement software.

It's not fair to expect people to have to ask information. That's why we have the DDA!

 

[dan_atki]

Network Rail are unlikely to give in to changing the system back, however.

It was upgraded a couple of months ago to enable announcements to play only on the platforms they concerned, enabling simultaneous announcements to be made in the station so there wasn't a queue of endless speech coming from speakers. Whilst that doesn't bother people like me () there are several people it does. People switch off to the system and miss the information they need. On the other hand, I said of the change that it was much better as it was because New Street needed it.

The problem with the upgraded system is purely one of simultaneous announcements - e.g. one on platform 1 and another on platform 11 at the same time. It would be technologically impossible to have all announcements played on the concourse as a result.

If the announcements are to return there (as the RNIB want and legal action may decide), then the rather expensive upgrade is going to have to be reversed - something I'm sure Network Rail would not like.

 

[thefab444]

Surely, it's not an expensive upgrade? Just a case of pressing a few buttons on the zones screen. The modified (that's probably a better word) system plays more announcements about each train, too many than would prove viable for 'global' concourse announcements, but these could be switched off as easily as they were turned on.

Ideally, all major interchange stations should have all announcements played on all platforms and in all waiting areas, this may require less announcements for each train, but would make things a lot easier for passengers.

 

[Mojo]

I think the issue is that the system wasn't originally configured for that and you could either have it play everywhere or nowhere.

Still, even now it still doesn't display dividing trains to AYW/PWL but I don't know if that's bad programming. Sometimes where you have Voyagers that split for one unit to go back to depot (there's at least one daily I can think of) where the LED screens upstairs show the train as for "Plymouth & Bristol T M" but the monitors on platform level just show "Plymouth" as do the announcements. IIRC the AYW/PWL services just show "Aberystwyth."

 

[dan_atki]

Indeed, I think the original problem is that the zones/loops never existed in the first place. If they did I'm sure they would have been used a lot sooner than now! I agree 'modified' is a better term to use .

Putting these zones/loops in would require a whole re-program, and as has been found there are still some bugs where announcements sometimes play on platforms they shouldn't...

 

[thefab444]

Yes, despite the "upgrade" it doesn't actually give out any more information, regarding FC or divides or train formations etc. I imagine the lack of dividing information is purely because it hasn't been programmed properly.

With regards to "Plymouth & Bristol TM", that should be announced as "service to Plymouth. Calling at Cheltenham Spa, Bristol Parkway and Bristol Temple Meads where the train will divide. Please make sure you travel in the correct part of this train. Customers for Taunton, Tiverton Parkway, Exeter St Davids, Newton Abbot, Totnes and Plymouth should travel in the front (x) coaches of the train." The Aberystwyth and Pwllheli services should be announced as "service to Aberystwyth and Pwllheli" though, but as you say, they aren't.

 

[dan_atki]

But even on Ditra oddities with terminating portions have occurred before - even at the same station. Still we have the same problem on SWT with boards and announcements conveying the same information in a confusing way - boards seem to display all the destinations of the train (e.g. 'Paignton & Salisbury').

I am of the impression London Victoria has two systems (one for each concourse), with each able to use speakers on platform 8. Once I heard 'Platform 17 for the 1647 Southern service to Eastbourne and Hastings ... Please note that the front 4 coaches furthest from the ticket barrier at platform 17 will be detached and terminated at Eastbourne', I also heard (from the other side) 'Platform 5 for the 1118 South Eastern Trains service to Canterbury West via Maidstone East ... Please note that the rear 4 coaches will be detached and terminated at Ashford International'.

 

[thefab444]

Indeed, the SN/SE systems at Victoria are totally separate.

What you say about SWT boards is very true, they will usually display the destination of each portion of the train e.g. "Exeter St Davids, Plymouth & Bristol Temple Meads", "Weymouth & Bournemouth", "Gillingham & Salisbury" etc, but the announcements would just say "Plymouth & Bristol Temple Meads", "Weymouth" or "Gillingham Dorset". However, at Clapham Junction the Southern services to Ore and Littlehampton (with a divide at Eastbourne), are just shown and announced as "Ore & Littlehampton", yet the Southern system - fairly similar in wording throughout but with a different style screen - shows them as "Eastbourne, Ore & Littlehampton" - and announces them in that way as well! This is possibly because the Southern Ditra system is far more advanced when it comes with divides - it can handle short platforms after a divide (sort of), and will announce "The next train will divide at Horsham", "Please note that the front 4 coaches will detach at Eastbourne" etc.

 

[dan_atki]

That partly annoys me - with Southern, what is on the screen is exactly what will be announced!

With SWT it can be anyone's guess what is announced with over-fancy phrases like 'Platform 2 for the delayed 1534 CrossCountry service to Bournemouth. Calling at Southampton Central only. We're sorry to announce that this train will terminate at Southampton Central', making things many times more confusing than the simple '1534 Southampton Central 1645' shown on the boards.

 

[thefab444]

Yes, that new "this train will terminate" thing is very confusing.

At Southampton Central - "Platform 1 for the 12:55 South West Trains service to London Waterloo. We're sorry to announce that this train will terminate at Southampton Central due to a temporary short of train crews at Southampton Central. Please note this train will not call at Southampton Airport Parkway..." etc.

 

[dan_atki]

Ah - now that isn't good! Was a cancelled announcement played as well or were people left with that?

 

[thefab444]

No cancelled announcement. But that's as before - although it would have been more correctly announced as "The next train at platform 1 terminates here. This train is the service from Poole.", not sure if any information would be given out regarding "This train will not call at" etc.

It was a complete farce as it then became the front portion of the 13.00 to Waterloo. "Please note that this train will call additionally at Eastleigh. Please note that five coaches will be attached to the front of the train. Please note - additional coaches will be attached to this train at this station." :roll:

 

[dan_atki]

No cancelled announcement. But that's as before - although it would have been more correctly announced as "The next train at platform 1 terminates here. This train is the service from Poole.", not sure if any information would be given out regarding "This train will not call at" etc.

I assume it'd be in TRUST as not calling at stations so would be announced as I'm sure there is a link between the two systems. I guess it's a glitch in the system that the station it terminates at will not show it as cancelled but as terminating :?.

On the subject of cancelled announcements - 'Southern service from this station to London Victoria has been cancelled' is silly (the 'from this station' is superfluous - of course it's going to be at that station!). Makes me wonder if I'm going to hear 'First Capital Connect service from Brighton to Bedford has been cancelled' at an obscure location like East Grinstead one day...

It was a complete farce as it then became the front portion of the 13.00 to Waterloo. "Please note that this train will call additionally at Eastleigh. Please note that five coaches will be attached to the front of the train. Please note - additional coaches will be attached to this train at this station." :roll:

You know, every time I hear 'please note' I am tempted to get out a notebook and pen and write it down and make it known to staff I am noting it! Then again, I can be rather awkward at times...

 

[mathmo]

I must say I've been quite impressed with the announcements at Reading recently - the auto announcements by Phil & Celia are good and the moment there's a problem a very clear human being makes an announcement. I think this is a good thing - the auto announcers often don't cope well with anything unusual and the different voice gets everyone's attention too! Now if they'd just turn off that ridiculous escalator warning voice on Platform 8...

 

[londonmidland]

This is the longest Phil Sayer announcement I have heard!
http://www.freesound.org/samplesViewSingle.php?id=85489
It's 2:02 Mins!