Stations using Phil/Celia are they diminishing?

[8J]

Hi all, I have been travelling for 2 weeks, and have noticed some southern stations, including 3 London terminuses (there might be more) using this system. I believe that it is by far the best announcement system and the voices are distinguishable and clear. Why do stations such as Herne Hill and London Bridge use voices that are so dull, robotic and boring. The old system is far superior. Also, why did Birmingham New Street change? It was much easier to hear. I fear that common sense is becoming uncommon in some aspects of the railways today. Why change something that is perfectly capable of doing a job, to something that is inferior to the old system.

Rant over :roll:

Cheers

 

[Holly]

... I fear that common sense is becoming uncommon in some aspects of the railways today. Why change something that is perfectly capable of doing a job, to something that is inferior to the old system. ...

It's pretty obvious why.
It just isn't politically correct to go into details, it would make everyone angry.

 

[Lrd]

I heard that Birmingham New Street had changed to a more localized accent and this was the way forward.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

Thought Phil was local. Wasn't he a news reader or presenter from the west mids area?

 

[Kingsbury Jn.]

Thought Phil was local. Wasn't he a news reader or presenter from the west mids area?

No, It was the BBC in the North West. His wife, Elinor, Is a voice on the London Underground.

 

[Rich McLean]

Phill Sayer still going strong at Sheffield (I think) and Rotherham Central this weekend

 

[Temple Meads]

It all comes down to cost I think, as from what I've heard the new system is cheaper, at least on FGW.

 

[fgwrich]

It all comes down to cost I think, as from what I've heard the new system is cheaper, at least on FGW.

Grrr. Yes, annoying Annie & Rodger. Im getting used to them, but they were no Ruth? Phil & Celia - Even if Celia Drummonds voice is a little too overkill on South West Trains. To answer your question though, all South West Trains stations do still use Phil & Celia though.

Shame FGW hasnt really sped any of the announcements up though, their still quite slow on FGW.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

Most EC stations still rely on manual announcements, which should be applauded.

 

[Max]

Phill Sayer still going strong at Sheffield (I think) and Rotherham Central this weekend

Phil hasn't been at Sheffield for a long time, perhaps you're thinking of Meadowhall?

 

[Rich McLean]

Phil hasn't been at Sheffield for a long time, perhaps you're thinking of Meadowhall?

Nope it wasn't Sheffield, it was infact just Rotherham. Didn't get off at Meadowhall

 

[Geeves]

The TPE automatic station announcer replaced Phil at Huudersfield. Talk about speed daemon! Really not massive fan, Phil is still the best and more clear and still at various obscure stations such as Darwen and Penistone!

 

[trentside]

The installations are diminishing, but Northern, Southern and South West Trains continue to use the Phil/Celia set-up. Northern have continued to actively install it and upgrade existing installations in the last few years - they've also installed a separate system using Phil at various West Yorkshire stations (and Harrogate).

Unfortunately such systems are expensive, and as they come around for replacement then TOCs are increasingly moving towards the cheapest solution. This is exemplified by the recent installation of Atos systems at Southeastern, where the majority of stations (all but the largest) are now not even using a proper voice, but a Text-to-Speech system. I fear that this is the future of things to come, avoiding the cost of even using a person to voice the announcements - at least Southeastern appear to have tweaked the speed and pronunciation to make it sound more human like than the one used by EMT and ATW.

 

[Robinson]

The installations are diminishing, but Northern, Southern and South West Trains continue to use the Phil/Celia set-up. Northern have continued to actively install it and upgrade existing installations in the last few years - they've also installed a separate system using Phil at various West Yorkshire stations (and Harrogate).

If the "separate system" you refer to is the one used at Skipton, then perhaps they should have used the more standard Phil announcements! At Skipton the tone of voice goes up on every station name announced (including the ones which finish sentences)...

 

[Yew]

sound more human like than the one used by EMT and ATW.

Thats good, trying to get her saying 'Langwith-whaley-thorns' Is quite a sound, I hate to think about how she will pronounce some welsh place names, even a simple llangollen

 

[fgwrich]

Thats good, trying to get her saying 'Langwith-whaley-thorns' Is quite a sound, I hate to think about how she will pronounce some welsh place names, even a simple llangollen

ATOS Annie then. Took her & ATOS several attempts to get Lostwithiel correct, which included for a short while Lost-with-elll.

As for ATOS Roger as used on First Great Western though, think ATOS Annie sounds tinny enough? You should hear the slow tones of Rogers ' Stand away from the train at Platform 1 This Train Is Not In Use'. That's certainly about the speed of the announcements in use at Bramley Station. Another good one is the train now approaching does not stop here announcement, by which time the non stopping train is almost on top of the station or has just passed through.

 

[PR1Berske]

If the "separate system" you refer to is the one used at Skipton, then perhaps they should have used the more standard Phil announcements! At Skipton the tone of voice goes up on every station name announced (including the ones which finish sentences)...

This happens with the "...only" woman, who's that?

 

[142056]

My local (tiny) station Trafford Park has an announcement system in, which I think is a recent addition. It seems to have Celia for the announcement for 'The next train at Platform 1 is....' but then a man who I have never heard before to announce 'The next train will not stop here'.
Celia and Phil are probably my favourites, however the woman at Newport who seems to question every station is extremely annoying! "The next train at Platform 2 is the 1336 service to Portsmouth Harbour(?) Calling at Bristol Temple Meads(?), Bath Spa(?), Trowbridge(?) etc etc". Irritating!

 

[trentside]

If the "separate system" you refer to is the one used at Skipton, then perhaps they should have used the more standard Phil announcements! At Skipton the tone of voice goes up on every station name announced (including the ones which finish sentences)...

Yep, that's the one - it's provided by Funkwerk. I've heard worse, but it's far from great.

 

[fgwrich]

My local (tiny) station Trafford Park has an announcement system in, which I think is a recent addition. It seems to have Celia for the announcement for 'The next train at Platform 1 is....' but then a man who I have never heard before to announce 'The next train will not stop here'.
Celia and Phil are probably my favourites, however the woman at Newport who seems to question every station is extremely annoying! "The next train at Platform 2 is the 1336 service to Portsmouth Harbour(?) Calling at Bristol Temple Meads(?), Bath Spa(?), Trowbridge(?) etc etc". Irritating!

I think that's Ruth. I used to like her across the South West, although she did have some odd welsh pronoucian's like Llandidnorrrrrr.

 

[507 001]

My local (tiny) station Trafford Park has an announcement system in, which I think is a recent addition. It seems to have Celia for the announcement for 'The next train at Platform 1 is....' but then a man who I have never heard before to announce 'The next train will not stop here'.
Celia and Phil are probably my favourites, however the woman at Newport who seems to question every station is extremely annoying! "The next train at Platform 2 is the 1336 service to Portsmouth Harbour(?) Calling at Bristol Temple Meads(?), Bath Spa(?), Trowbridge(?) etc etc". Irritating!

I think that's Ruth. I used to like her across the South West, although she did have some odd welsh pronoucian's like Llandidnorrrrrr.

The system on ATW's 175s pronounce it like that, odd.

 

[bicbasher]

London Overground use Phil/Celia at stations from New Cross Gate to West Croydon/Crystal Palace. Makes sense considering they share those stations with Southern services.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

The TPE automatic station announcer replaced Phil at Huudersfield. Talk about speed daemon! Really not massive fan, Phil is still the best and more clear and still at various obscure stations such as Darwen and Penistone!

TPE's station voice is Rob. He is a conductor competence assessor for TPE. The voice on board is Kath. She had a contract managerial role but I don't know her current role with TPE but she is still here. Staff have nicknamed the on board announcer "robokat" as a result. Siemens provide the system on the stations while onboard is Scan Acoustic

 

[TEW]

ATOS Annie then. Took her & ATOS several attempts to get Lostwithiel correct, which included for a short while Lost-with-elll.

And it still isn't right really. Lost-with-ee-ell. Should be Lost-with-ee-ull.

 

[BigVince76]

I find the female voice at Canary Wharf DLR very scary, dunno why but I do!

 

[PR1Berske]

TPE's station voice is Rob. He is a conductor competence assessor for TPE. The voice on board is Kath. She had a contract managerial role but I don't know her current role with TPE but she is still here. Staff have nicknamed the on board announcer "robokat" as a result. Siemens provide the system on the stations while onboard is Scan Acoustic

TPE's on board woman has not been kind to "Wigan North Western"