Will Manchester Piccadilly ever get another auto-announcer

[LowLevel]

I was always far better than digital Doris at announcing anyway - I think it has a place at less busy stations or those with reduced manning (Telford was always unintelligible before the auto announcer was introduced) but at busier stations a human is far better particularly in times of disruption - provided they have a clear voice. I can switch my accent off at will, the product of numerous years working in a national call centre, and got plenty of good feedback.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

Is it the same announcer who is used on the FGW 180s? The FGW 180 woman is the same one who recorded the original 175 announcements.

I have no idea, as I never got the chance to travel on the then former FGW 180's when Northern had them.

 

[northwichcat]

I have no idea, as I never got the chance to travel on the then former FGW 180's when Northern had them.

Northern didn't use the automated announcements on the 180s. ATW also avoided using them on the 175s between when they took them on and re-programmed them.

 

[WestCoast]

They seem to be using less "professional" voice artists these days. I read on here that the Piccadilly voice is a lady called Anne, who works/worked at ATOS?

Birmingham New Street has her and the gentleman with the (mildish) Brummie accent.

At Schiphol you almost can be sure that the only PA is to tell some pax that their luggage is just about to be removed from the plane, if they don't get a move on. What I like about that PA is that the voice is quiet, soothing, but excellent diction and in any language required..

I've always thought the automated announcements they have at Spanish airports are quite "characterful" to say the least. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhmX1VPiAVw

 

[Philip]

Northern didn't use the automated announcements on the 180s. ATW also avoided using them on the 175s between when they took them on and re-programmed them.

I think it was TPE who didn't use them mainly, because they weren't re-recorded to include the new TPE stopping pattern in the North West. When W&B then subsequently ATW took them on, the announcements were altered to not include the name of the TOC, due to ATW, FNW then TPE all using them.

The TPE announcer at Stalybridge is pretty good, Phil Sayer?

 

[northwichcat]

I think it was TPE who didn't use them mainly, because they weren't re-recorded to include the new TPE stopping pattern in the North West. When W&B then subsequently ATW took them on, the announcements were altered to not include the name of the TOC, due to ATW, FNW then TPE all using them.

ATW didn't use them for the first few years they had them. It caused confusion at stations like Newton-le-Willows when 175s still in 'Barbie' livery with no destination shown on the train turned up, people didn't know whether it was the Chester/Piccadilly service or the Liverpool/Victoria service (Northern were using 156s in 'Barbie' livery at the same time.)

 

[Philip]

ATW didn't use them for the first few years they had them. It caused confusion at stations like Newton-le-Willows when 175s still in 'Barbie' livery with no destination shown on the train turned up, people didn't know whether it was the Chester/Piccadilly service or the Liverpool/Victoria service (Northern were using 156s in 'Barbie' livery at the same time.)

I remember a period when they didn't use it but I think it was only a few months and after that they programmed the visual displays to include Welsh spellings. I remember a couple of trips on 175s from Chester to Manchester in 2006 and the PA and the displays were definitely being used. This was while TPE were still using them so "We" was used in place of "Arriva Trains Wales" or "TransPennine Express". It did go wrong a lot around then though and made people chuckle, can remember once coming into Oxford Road and she announced Newton-le-Willows. Also before being re-programmed she often used to get Cumbrian Coast, Blackpool and North Wales Coast stations mixed up.

 

[Rail Ranger]

Irritatingly, she still says "Sandback" instead of "Sandbatch". Bizarre that it's not been corrected.

 

[spargazer]

And will the announcements at Manchester Piccadilly be correct? where will the train be and the platform quoted? half the times I have been there they (NR) have cocked up, indeed I managed to prove that NR had no idea where trains should really be. Indeed at Euston I nearly ended up being banned because I was so sarcastic when pendos were swapped between platforms, I wanted go to Man-ches-ter, not friggin Glasgow.

 

[Tony2215]

Does anne at Man Picc still skip "Sandwell and Dudley" when announcing the morning virgin service to Euston?

 

[johnnychips]

Tal-y-cafn was announced on the train by the automated voice as 'Tal-why-can'.

And the automated voices in Italy trying to do English are just strange. 'Naples' comes out as 'Napp-lezz' and so on.

 

[Thomas6187]

Does anne at Man Picc still skip "Sandwell and Dudley" when announcing the morning virgin service to Euston?

She now says Sandwell and Dudley

 

[bishdunster]

Give me real live announcements anytime! (Ok I am prejudiced as I was for a while the station announcer at Bournemouth in the 1970s)

 

[BurtonM]

The TPE announcer at Stalybridge is pretty good, Phil Sayer?

I wish it was Phil Sayer! See my post on the previous page.

 

[trentside]

I wish it was Phil Sayer! See my post on the previous page.

I quite agree with your opinions on the TPE system - a combination of poorly recorded clips and poor editing make it sound so disjointed and unprofessional. They are the only operator I'm aware of using Siemens CIS.

All of the Atos announcers are not professional voice-over artists - and it certainly shows in certain cases, such as the default 'Anne' voice and the old voice at Edinburgh Waveley (Juliet, I think?). There are others, such as Matt at former FCC stations who really should be the default voice.

 

[Parallel]

Does anne at Man Picc still skip "Sandwell and Dudley" when announcing the morning virgin service to Euston?

When I caught a Bristol bound train (to Weymouth) from Worcester Foregate Street last year I noticed Anne missed out Castle Cary, skipping straight to Yeovil Pen Mill after Bruton. Castle Cary was listed on the CIS though. No idea if the announcements have been corrected since.

 

[SaveECRewards]

Did GNER remove the auto announcement systems from their stations or did the East Coast never have any to begin with?

I prefer being at an East Coast managed station where real people make the announcements. I remember it from GNER days and it survived through NXEC and East Coast management.

I'm hoping nothing will change in this regard.

 

[trentside]

The East Coast managed stations have never had automated announcements. A number of the Virgin stations on the West Coast are similar, though they have installed automated systems at smaller stations - the same system Southern are beginning to install at various locations.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I'd say that it woant be long till the Virgin rains default Only Woman comes to the ECML. Atos Ann is shockingly bad and I wish theyd deal with it but like everything else I'd guess its cheep!

 

[HstRailfan]

I hate the announcements at most London stations I believe her name Anne the announcements are very annoying to me the gentleman at London waterloo is very good his voice is very clear.

 

[charley_17/7]

Corporate branding, eh?
My local station at home is TPE-run Stalybridge.
The PIS identifies TPE services as TPE but Northern services are just 'service'.
Also they insist on using their own male voice that was done in-house by someone with very little apparent experience of voice acting, it's horribly disjointed and unpleasant to listen to.
I've brought it up in emails I've written to them before and it always goes ignored.
And at Huddersfield, it replaced Phil Sayer...

When I worked for FTPE, he (FTPE's station announcer) trained me up, I knew him personally. Also heard at Hull too.

It was always a joy when he tried talking at the same time as he was announcing.

 

[dvboy]

I'd say that it woant be long till the Virgin rains default Only Woman comes to the ECML. Atos Ann is shockingly bad and I wish theyd deal with it but like everything else I'd guess its cheep!

Virgin are slowly replacing the auto-announcements on WC, so I would assume you'd get the same one on EC. Virgin managed stations don't have auto-announcers, you get a real live person - sometimes that's better (Coventry), sometimes not (Crewe). They've equipped dispatchers with announcement microphones too recently, not that you can hear them over the engine of a Voyager.

 

[BurtonM]

Wolverhampton is manual announcement too. They do a very good job.

 

[Solent&Wessex]

Did GNER remove the auto announcement systems from their stations or did the East Coast never have any to begin with?

I prefer being at an East Coast managed station where real people make the announcements. I remember it from GNER days and it survived through NXEC and East Coast management.

I'm hoping nothing will change in this regard.

Some ECML stations I believe did have a BR era Ditra auto announcement system, with a very well spoken voice. Wakefield Westgate had it, but I can't remember when it got replaced.

Some of the current manual announcers are awful though and a decent automated one will be far better. Some of them at York are dire, talking far too quickly, or with voices that are totally unsuitable for the task, not to mention the fact that delays and disruptions to any other operators services never seem to get announced.

I'd say that it woant be long till the Virgin rains default Only Woman comes to the ECML. Atos Ann is shockingly bad and I wish theyd deal with it but like everything else I'd guess its cheep!

The "Only" woman has gone from some Virgin stations. I was at Lancaster last week and she has gone from there. There is another woman instead, who isn't actually that bad.

Virgin are slowly replacing the auto-announcements on WC, so I would assume you'd get the same one on EC. Virgin managed stations don't have auto-announcers, you get a real live person - sometimes that's better (Coventry), sometimes not (Crewe). They've equipped dispatchers with announcement microphones too recently, not that you can hear them over the engine of a Voyager.

Some Virgin managed stations do have auto announcers - Lancaster and Wigan North Western spring to mind. They always did from the BR era when they had an extremely well spoken woman who said "Good Morning / Afternoon / Evening" at the end of announcements. I attach a clip. She lasted quite some time and could still be heard at Wigan and Warrington until the "Only" woman appeared only a few years ago.

Some however are manual announcements still, such as Preston.

 

[Solent&Wessex]

The other irritant is the announcement about wet weather causing slippery surfaces, which happens every five minutes when there's the slightest hint of rain - in other words pretty much constantly.

It's every 3 minutes actually, and is played out when there is rain, when there has been rain anytime in the past 24 hours and one little spec of hidden platform somewhere might have a damp patch on it, when it is cloudy and might rain sometime later today, when it is sunny, the middle of a heatwave etc etc. Pretty much all the time for no reason at all.

I remember a few summers ago when it was particularly hot and sunny for some days, and there had been no rain for ages and everyone was starting to panic about droughts and hosepipe bans, and the woman at Piccadilly was still saying "This is a safety announcement. Due to today's wet weather please take extra care whilst on the station, surfaces may be slippery" every 3 minutes for a couple of days solid. It was most annoying.

 

[PermitToTravel]

I quite agree with your opinions on the TPE system - a combination of poorly recorded clips and poor editing make it sound so disjointed and unprofessional. They are the only operator I'm aware of using Siemens CIS.

All of the Atos announcers are not professional voice-over artists - and it certainly shows in certain cases, such as the default 'Anne' voice and the old voice at Edinburgh Waveley (Juliet, I think?). There are others, such as Matt at former FCC stations who really should be the default voice.

I do love the way the TPE announcer says York the first time in an announcement. If it's repeated though the second time is a bit boring.

 

[johntea]

The TPE stations used to be as bad!

Huddersfield :

"The. next. train. two. arrive. at. Plaform. One. will. be. the. 0. eight. twenty. five. Northern. Rail. service. two. Leeds"

 

[Andyh82]

The TPE stations used to be as bad!

Huddersfield :

"The. next. train. two. arrive. at. Plaform. One. will. be. the. 0. eight. twenty. five. Northern. Rail. service. two. Leeds"

Hit the nail on the head there. Many words in the TPE system are only spoken like the end of a sentence like the operator name, particularly bad in an apology announcement regarding a delay.

Transpennine Express. Apologise for this delay and any inconvieance it may cause to your journey.

The new version of Phil Sayer used by Metro had the opposite issue where all station names went up at the end like the middle of the sentence, even for the terminus. The older system had correct versions for both situations. I don't know what it does now they've changed to using the southern lady.

 

[dvboy]

Wolverhampton is manual announcement too. They do a very good job.

Depends who's on. There's a female one whose words sometimes merge into each other. There's "Birmi'national man", one other male who is very clear and very occasionally a fourth younger sounding female voice who isn't bad.

 

[gogogoadam]

You can hear it's been a while with ATW's announcer (Ruth) at their stations. I think Ruth is generally quite a good announcer, but you can really hear where they've bodged in 'London Midland' and 'Crosscountry' and she doesn't say Keynsham correctly. I've noticed in recent years, she's re-recorded Penychain so it no longer says "Penny chain".

Like I said though, she is a good announcer and a nice change to Anne.

Did you know that London Midland's version of Anne also pronounces Keynsham the same way Ruth does, but FGW Anne gets it right?