Scotrail auto announcers

[AilsaBus]

Noticed recently that Scotrail's trains seem to have a new "voice", noticed it on the North Clyde Line recently. It seems to be reading from the same script but with a new more robotic Scottish voice that just doesn't sound right.

 

[Rory N]

Yeah I noticed it with the class 318 trains and 320 trains. Not sure about the 334s?

 

[Peter0124]

Noticed recently that Scotrail's trains seem to have a new "voice", noticed it on the North Clyde Line recently. It seems to be reading from the same script but with a new more robotic Scottish voice that just doesn't sound right.

Certainly a downgrade from what they had (Fletcher Mathers)

 

[Ben Conlin]

Yeah definitely a downgrade, at least the 385s still have fletcher Mathers for now.

 

[scotraildriver]

Whilst you might think the voice is a downgrade the new system is a massive upgrade. Previously all the announcements were manually recorded and had to be uploaded to each cab individually via flash drive. Making any changes to the system literally took months. The new system can be edited in seconds and new routes instantly created in the event of engineering works,diversions etc. Previously it would simply be tuned off.

 

[Strathclyder]

Whilst you might think the voice is a downgrade the new system is a massive upgrade. Previously all the announcements were manually recorded and had to be uploaded to each cab individually via flash drive. Making any changes to the system literally took months. The new system can be edited in seconds and new routes instantly created in the event of engineering works,diversions etc. Previously it would simply be tuned off.

That as may be on the operational/technical side of things and I'm all for what you outline, but the audio quality of the new annoucements on the 318s/320s on the passenger side is a significant downgrade compared to the Fletcher Mathers announcements, which is what most respondents are getting at I think.

I knew it was only a matter of time before Ms. Mathers' voice would disappear completely off the ex-SPT stock, but what I didn't expect was the audio quality of the replacements to drop through the floor like it has.

 

[AilsaBus]

That as may be, but the audio quality of the new annoucements on the 318s/320s is a significant downgrade compared to what was there before, which is what most respondents are getting at I think.

The sound quality is appalling, whoever recorded them must've had the entire microphone inside their mouth.

 

[Strathclyder]

Yeah I noticed it with the class 318 trains and 320 trains. Not sure about the 334s?

The 334s I've had recently haven't gained the new announcements, though they'll be in the queue to get them I suspect.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Jun 2026 ==

The sound quality is appalling, whoever recorded them must've had the entire microphone inside their mouth.

Yes, the audio quality was dismal and the dialogue seemed rather robotic and stilted from what I've heard of it so far. Like the 334's infamously stilted anouncements, but worse somehow.

Whether it's to do with the PIS systems on the 318s/320s being fairly long in the tooth themselves (the one in the 318s & 320/3s dates from the SPT Rail era iirc) and the new system not meshing smoothly or not, it can't really be overlooked that, audio quality-wise at least, the new announcements are awful. Just to head off any notions that my dislike of the new system/voice is purely for the sake of nostalgia for the Mathers voice.

 

[trei2k]

I've been hearing these announcements recently on the north Clyde lines and agree with the other posters. Whilst they might be technically better behind the scenes, the quality and clarity of the audio is exceptionally poor - they sound unprofessional and amateurish.

 

[Carntyne]

Cheap and cheerful!

 

[Russel]

Heard these new announcements on the 380s this week, they certainly sound a lot more robotic and don't flow anywhere near as well as the previous announcements.

The system may be an upgrade, but the audio announcements certainly are not.

 

[Transilien]

We’re now approaching CARDONALD . She always sounds like she had a bad time there.

 

[dr140]

They have spread now to 170's. On one currently from Edinburgh to Fife and it sounds awful in comparison to the old one.

 

[AilsaBus]

It also need to learn how to form proper sentences. I've noticed a few times that it will says something like "This Hyndland" instead of "This IS Hyndland". They should have just left the old system the way it was as there was nothing wrong with it and it had been around for years.

 

[trei2k]

Or at least give whoever voiced/programmed it some training in clear enunciation, pauses etc.

Despite being Scottish, I find the new announcements more difficult to understand than English language announcements made by many continental European operators by a significant margin.