SWR New announcements

[swr444]

What makes you say that?

Because I have been told so.

 

[158 fan]

I'm sad I heard it on 159002. I want celia back!

 

[TonyMW]

I'm sad I heard it on 159002. I want celia back!

They're on all diesels now I believe.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Because I have been told so.

Fair enough. It’s a reasonable question to ask. Not everyone on this forum works for SWR, and many members have oft cited Facebook groups.

 

[RailWonderer]

My favourite announcements were the Phil Sayer on board ones. Recordings are rare as hens teeth, but there are a couple on YouTube. When I was a kid before leaving the UK I have fond memories of hearing that voice on SWT when going to Guildford on 444s and Windsor and Reading on the 450s.

I’m not sure when they removed Phil but his voice was better on board than Celia’s (Hers was always better at stations than on board).

Yes it is indeed the software putting very short gaps between words. However i think Original Celia said her words a lot quicker compared to other voice over artists and especially compared to the New Celia version. With the New Celia she says her words a lot slower. So if you put the New Celia files on to the software on the class 158/159/444/450/455/456/458 fleet it would likely still sound a lot slower. I think it is a mixture of the software using short gaps and Original Celia saying her words quickly.

 

[158 fan]

They're on all diesels now I believe.

noo

 

[TonyMW]

My favourite announcements were the Phil Sayer on board ones. Recordings are rare as hens teeth, but there are a couple on YouTube. When I was a kid before leaving the UK I have fond memories of hearing that voice on SWT when going to Guildford on 444s and Windsor and Reading on the 450s.

I’m not sure when they removed Phil but his voice was better on board than Celia’s (Hers was always better at stations than on board).

I'll one day make a video which showcases all Celia announcements, when she's long gone

 

[davews]

Not sure what was happening on our 458 tonight on the Waterloo-Reading train. Celia had been replaced by an asian/indian chap who we could barely understand and it sounded almost as if there was wow on the recording or it was running slow. Became slowly attuned to his voice after the totally gibberish at first. He certainly couldn't get his tongue around Virginia Water or even Longcross! I think though we had a bit of Elinor on the 450 this morning, when she reminded us that revenue protection officers were on the train...

 

[stadler]

Not sure what was happening on our 458 tonight on the Waterloo-Reading train. Celia had been replaced by an asian/indian chap who we could barely understand and it sounded almost as if there was wow on the recording or it was running slow. Became slowly attuned to his voice after the totally gibberish at first. He certainly couldn't get his tongue around Virginia Water or even Longcross! I think though we had a bit of Elinor on the 450 this morning, when she reminded us that revenue protection officers were on the train...

Are you sure those were automated announcements? Could they not have just been manual announcements? From the description you gave that sounds like the Celia Drummond announcements were switched off and the Guard was making manual announcements. I think the Indian chap you refer to was probably just the Guard on the train.

 

[Whiggism]

My favourite announcements were the Phil Sayer on board ones. Recordings are rare as hens teeth, but there are a couple on YouTube. When I was a kid before leaving the UK I have fond memories of hearing that voice on SWT when going to Guildford on 444s and Windsor and Reading on the 450s.

I’m not sure when they removed Phil but his voice was better on board than Celia’s (Hers was always better at stations than on board).

Would you mind sharing the youtube link for phil sayers onboard announcements if you can still find them?

 

[stadler]

Would you mind sharing the youtube link for phil sayers onboard announcements if you can still find them?

Here are some recordings i found of the old Phil Sayer onboard 444s and 450s announcements. He was on the 170s too.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

Well, I think the fact that Celia Drummond is sadly no longer with us to record new ones may be a small factor in SWRs decision.

Does Northern use Celia Drummond? If so I doubt that they'd be able to mash together something for Elland, White Rose and the stations on the Ashington Line when built and opened. Meanwhile Thorpe Park would be the result of a "cut n shut" job with elements of both Scunthorpe and Bristol Parkway).

There will be no new Celia on 701s, Elinor has replaced her

When South West Trains were taken over by South Western Railway, the old Phil Sayer recordings for SWT will have been remixed with his Great Western Railway recordings for the short term, I believe that these have since been replaced on stations.

Well they're individual announcements all pieced together by software, aren't they, so it'd have been that that made them fast.

In most radio and recording studios the software used is Adobe Audition, the previous incarnation of it was Cool Edit as its the software that I have used when producing radio shows and on one occation an advert template for a local business who wanted to hear what their advert would sound like with me voicing it, no idea if it was ever used though.
As for the voice speed, there should be a one second gap in between each word.

 

[stadler]

Does Northern use Celia Drummond? If so I doubt that they'd be able to mash together something for Elland, White Rose and the stations on the Ashington Line when built and opened. Meanwhile Thorpe Park would be the result of a "cut n shut" job with elements of both Scunthorpe and Bristol Parkway).


When South West Trains were taken over by South Western Railway, the old Phil Sayer recordings for SWT will have been remixed with his Great Western Railway recordings for the short term, I believe that these have since been replaced on stations.


In most radio and recording studios the software used is Adobe Audition, the previous incarnation of it was Cool Edit as its the software that I have used when producing radio shows and on one occation an advert template for a local business who wanted to hear what their advert would sound like with me voicing it, no idea if it was ever used though.
As for the voice speed, there should be a one second gap in between each word.

Northern do indeed still use Celia Drummond at all of their stations. Northern seem to be using "Only Woman" for newer recordings. The new recording for "Lumo" is voiced by her. So i reckon they will just use her to record the new stations rather than cutting and mixing Celia Drummond recordings.

 

[fgwrich]

I think though we had a bit of Elinor on the 450 this morning, when she reminded us that revenue protection officers were on the train...

Elinor has started to appear across the SWR's permanent Desiro fleet now - as you mention, she’s re-recorded the announcements for Revenue Inspectors.

 

[RealTrains07]

Here are some recordings i found of the old Phil Sayer onboard 444s and 450s announcements. He was on the 170s too.

I was never too sure if Phil ever did on board announcements, I remember hearing them on 455s too once upon a time but was replaced by Celia soon after. Glad to know phil actually used to do announcements back then

 

[stadler]

Elinor has started to appear across the SWR's permanent Desiro fleet now - as you mention, she’s re-recorded the announcements for Revenue Inspectors.

What i do not understand is why they are just replacing a couple of Celia Drummond announcements with Elinor Hamilton messages on the 444/450 instead of doing it all at once. You would think they would replace Celia Drummond with Elinor Hamilton entirely rather than just replacing her for a few messages. On the 158/159 they replaced Celia Drummond with Elinor Hamilton entirely all in one go.

I was never too sure if Phil ever did on board announcements, I remember hearing them on 455s too once upon a time but was replaced by Celia soon after. Glad to know phil actually used to do announcements back then

Yes he was certainly used on the 170/444/450 but only for a very short period. I think it was only about two years (or maybe even slightly less) before Celia Drummond replaced him. I always wondered why they replaced him so quickly. I was not aware he was on the 455s too. I seem to remember the 455s having no announcements and then Celia Drummond being introduced so Phil Sayer must have been used on the 455s for a very short period.

 

[davews]

Are you sure those were automated announcements? Could they not have just been manual announcements? From the description you gave that sounds like the Celia Drummond announcements were switched off and the Guard was making manual announcements. I think the Indian chap you refer to was probably just the Guard on the train.

Yes, it was the automated announcements, synchronised with what was on the displays. At first I thought it was the guard or there was a fault with his microphone. Then the real guard came on and spoke English but never commented on his robot friend!
By the way this was 2C49 and I was in coach 8 (458504).

 

[swr444]

Yes, it was the automated announcements, synchronised with what was on the displays. At first I thought it was the guard or there was a fault with his microphone. Then the real guard came on and spoke English but never commented on his robot friend!
By the way this was 2C49 and I was in coach 8 (458504).

I have had it before where the announcement have been really slow and warped. I wonder if that’s what has happened. It’s usually one unit that has the problem, but I wouldn’t say they sound Asian.

 

[Busman]

Here are some recordings i found of the old Phil Sayer onboard 444s and 450s announcements. He was on the 170s too.

Thanks for these, by far the best announcer on NR.

Cannot stand Southerns 'not new anymore' announcements.

 

[ebennett07]

What i do not understand is why they are just replacing a couple of Celia Drummond announcements with Elinor Hamilton messages on the 444/450 instead of doing it all at once. You would think they would replace Celia Drummond with Elinor Hamilton entirely rather than just replacing her for a few messages. On the 158/159 they replaced Celia Drummond with Elinor Hamilton entirely all in one go.

I think they are waiting for a time that they can actually replace them. Since the 444/450s are used all the time they don't really have a break unless it's late at night. The 158/159s are probably more easier to change also, i also believe its because the 444/450s have older tech. I reckon they'll change them since they get the time over the new year when drivers are off.

 

[fgwrich]

I think they are waiting for a time that they can actually replace them. Since the 444/450s are used all the time they don't really have a break unless it's late at night. The 158/159s are probably more easier to change also, i also believe its because the 444/450s have older tech. I reckon they'll change them since they get the time over the new year when drivers are off.

Same system shared between both fleets (DMU & EMU). The only units in the SWR fleet not to use it are the almost gone 701s (Newer system) and 458s with their naff Alstom effort.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Same system shared between both fleets (DMU & EMU). The only units in the SWR fleet not to use it are the almost gone 701s (Newer system) and 458s with their naff Alstom effort.

The 456s had a rather cheap looking orange LED PIS too.

 

[Mills444]

Linking back to the recordings of the Elinor announcements she says Gillingham (Dorset) I am almost certain the old announcements never made that distinction any particular reason for the change?

 

[norbitonflyer]

The only units in the SWR fleet not to use it are the almost gone 701s (Newer system)

Are you writing them off before they even enter service?

Or did you mean the 707s?

 

[Parallel]

Linking back to the recordings of the Elinor announcements she says Gillingham (Dorset) I am almost certain the old announcements never made that distinction any particular reason for the change?

‘Castle Cary for Glaaaastonbury’ makes me laugh too. I’ve never heard anyone say it that way!

 

[DunsBus]

As a regular visitor to SWR territory - I have family in Ash Vale - it's strange to think that, for the last couple of years when going from and to Waterloo, I've been hearing the voice of a lady who's been dead since the start of 2021...

 

[TEW]

The 456s had a rather cheap looking orange LED PIS too.

The PIS screens were a different design but it was the same system being run.

 

[3141]

Linking back to the recordings of the Elinor announcements she says Gillingham (Dorset) I am almost certain the old announcements never made that distinction any particular reason for the change?

To distinguish the Gillingham in Dorset from the one in Kent - same spelling, different pronunciation.

But you could argue that the only places where it's important to make the distinction are Waterloo and Waterloo East.

Platform information displays at stations along the West of England line say (or certainly used to) "Gillingham (D)". I doubt whether anyone at (for example) Overton who actually wanted the place in Kent would understand the abbreviation ("Drat, I wanted (K)!"). They'd be on the wrong platform as well.

 

[fgwrich]

Are you writing them off before they even enter service?

Or did you mean the 707s?

Definitely 707s. Tiredness and a cold crept up on me last night Mind you, the PIS will have to be updated in these already following the switch from Celia to Elinor.

 

[ebennett07]

I do believe that every announcement will be Elinor next year however since someone who works for SWR said the trials been successful. Unfortunately that will be the end of Celia in the south