Trivia: Promotional "Change At _ For _" announcements?

[centraltrains]

What promotional automated announcements (appended to the end of a normal train announcement) in the style of "Change At _ For _" do you know exist?

The 2 I know of are:

• Change at Kidderminster for the Severn Valley Railway
• Change at Birmingham Moor Street for New Street Station and The Bullring shopping centre.

Is anyone aware if places have to pay for these announcements?

 

[Hadders]

The auto announcements on mid 1990s refurbished C Stock Underground trains used to tell passengers to ‘alight at Baker Street for Madame Tussaudsand the Planetarium’.

Station displays and I think the 365s original PIS used to say to alight at Shepreth for the Wildlife Park.

Class 700s say to change at Finsbury Park for the Emirates Stadium. They also advise changing at Kings Cross for the British Library.

 

[pdeaves]

The auto announcements on mid 1990s refurbished C Stock Underground trains used to tell passengers to ‘alight at Baker Street for Madame Tussaud’s and the Planetarium’.

There are current announcements on the Circle/H&C lines advising Kings Cross for the Royal National Institute of Blind People.

 

[Trackman]

There are current announcements on the Circle/H&C lines advising Kings Cross for the Royal National Institute of Blind People.

At Old Street on board announcement for the London Eye hospital I think

 

[traintimetable]

Back when the good old Ditra system was used on the Southeastern network (before being replaced around 2011 and 2012 by the rubbish Atos system) all of the automated announcements at stations had quite a few of these once a train came to a stop.

Some of them that i can think of:

• "Bromley South. This is Bromley South. Alight here for The Glades Shopping Centre. The train now standing at platform x is the ...... etc etc etc"

• "Chatham. This is Chatham. Alight here for Chatham Historic Dockyard. The train now standing at platform x is the ...... etc etc etc"

• "Greenhithe. This is Greenhithe. Alight here for Bluewater Shopping Centre. The train now standing at platform x is the ...... etc etc etc"

• "Rochester. This is Rochester. Alight here for Rochester Castle and Cathedral. The train now standing at platform x is the ...... etc etc etc"

• "Shepherds Well. This is Shepherds Well. Alight here for the East Kent Railway. The train now standing at platform x is the ...... etc etc etc"

• "Tunbridge Wells. This is Tunbridge Wells. Alight here for Royal Victoria Place Shopping Centre and The Pantiles Shopping Area. The train now standing at platform x is the ...... etc etc etc"

They were voiced by Pauline Cavilla and some guy known as "Roger" (i don't know if anyone knows what his real name was) who were both professional voice over artists unlike this Atos Anne/Matt/Mike/Rodger rubbish that's all over our trains these days.

There was probably some others as well. I am sure that some people may have some recordings of them. This doesn't happen any more with the current automated announcements since they changed them.

Those are the only ones that i can think of off the top of my head at the moment.

 

[CyrusWuff]

What promotional automated announcements (appended to the end of a normal train announcement) in the style of "Change At _ For _" do you know exist?

Wembley Stadium has something along the lines of "Alight here for Wembley Stadium, Wembley Arena and London Designer Outlet."

 

[DanTrain]

There are current announcements on the Circle/H&C lines advising Kings Cross for the Royal National Institute of Blind People.

I seem to remember ‘alight at Kings Cross for (all other tube lines), national and international rail services the British Library amd the royal institute of the deaf and blind’. Can’t remember what line that was on though.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Green Park Jubilee Line - Exit for Buckingham Palace

Westminster Jubilee Line - Exit for Westminster Abbey and Houses of Parliament

Charing Cross Bakerloo Line - Exit for Trafalgar Square, National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery

 

[centraltrains]

I seem to remember ‘alight at Kings Cross for (all other tube lines), national and international rail services the British Library amd the royal institute of the deaf and blind’. Can’t remember what line that was on though.

I believe the Circle Line simulator game has these.

 

[fishquinn]

'Warwick. Change here for Warwick town centre and Warwick Castle'

 

[172006]

"Change at Southend Central for Adventure Island and seaside attractions." C2C announcement in Barking.

 

[sjm93]

West Brompton on London Overground still has ‘alight here for Earl’s Court Exhibition Centre, despite being demolished for nearly five years.

 

[Esker-pades]

I seem to remember ‘alight at Kings Cross for (all other tube lines), national and international rail services the British Library amd the royal institute of the deaf and blind’. Can’t remember what line that was on though.

ThamesLink? I think it mentions the British Library on approach to St Pancras, not sure about the Royal Institute though.

 

[freddie1729]

Thameslink to Cambridge has Hatfield House for Hatfield and Shepreth Wildlife Park for Shepreth.

 

[TFN]

Thameslink at Blackfriars- Exit here for Riverboat services from Blackfriars pier, the south bank and the Tate modern.

At London Bridge- Exit here for Riverboat services from London Bridge city pier, Tower Bridge, and the Shard.

At Old Street on board announcement for the London Eye hospital I think

Moorfields Eye Hospital

Temple on the Circle/District - Exit for Somerset House

South Kensington - Museums and Royal Albert Hall

Hammersmith - Bus services to Olympia London (used to have announcements at West Kensington for Olympia)

North Greenwich - Exit for O2

I don't remember if Moorgate had Exit for Museum of London

 

[DanTrain]

ThamesLink? I think it mentions the British Library on approach to St Pancras, not sure about the Royal Institute though.

I'm pretty sure it was tube, might well have been Northern line. Thameslink may well have something similar (I always seem to leave St Pancras on Thameslink and return via Northern line so wouldn't know...not quite sure why!).

 

[172006]

The Victoria line used to say "Exit for the British Library" but it doesn't anymore, except on weekends when some lines are closed so there's less to announce. The current announcement "The next station is Kings Cross St Pancras. Doors will open on the left hand side. Change for Circle, Hammersmith and City, Metropolitan, Northern and Piccadilly lines, national and international rail services. This station has step-free access" is long enough without mentioning the British Library. I wonder how it would sound when Crossrail 2 is added!

 

[172006]

ThamesLink? I think it mentions the British Library on approach to St Pancras, not sure about the Royal Institute though.

The Victoria line used to say "Exit for the British Library" but it doesn't anymore, except on weekends when some lines are closed so there's less to announce. The current announcement "The next station is Kings Cross St Pancras. Doors will open on the left hand side. Change for Circle, Hammersmith and City, Metropolitan, Northern and Piccadilly lines, national and international rail services. This station has step-free access" is long enough without mentioning the British Library. I wonder how it would sound when Crossrail 2 is added!

 

[ashkeba]

Are these promotional or informational? The Moorfields Eye Hospital is always the one which comes to my mind as useful, possibly because I've heard it most and because the name would suggest it's in Moorfields near Moorgate, which none of its current locations seem to be. Does an eye hospital really need promotion? It's hardly a fun day out!

 

[Esker-pades]

Are these promotional or informational? The Moorfields Eye Hospital is always the one which comes to my mind as useful, possibly because I've heard it most and because the name would suggest it's in Moorfields near Moorgate, which none of its current locations seem to be. Does an eye hospital really need promotion? It's hardly a fun day out!

I fondly remember my inter-railing trip where I spent 2 months between school and university touring the very best of European Eye Hospitals.

 

[tommy2215]

The automated announcements recently started saying "Change at Wareham for local bus services to Corfe Castle and Swanage", and "Change at Dorchester South for the bus link to Bridport and Lyme Regis"

 

[MK Tom]

I assume the OP is after promotions for local attractions / businesses rather than connecting bus services. London Midland announcements used to advertise the Watford-Heathrow bus link but no longer do, although the manual announcement on my Virgin train home to Milton Keynes last night mentioned X5 services to Bedford.

LM/LNWR also advertised a bus link to Alton Towers from Stoke-on-Trent although I'm not sure if that's still on there.

All services into Birmingham International mention the NEC and the Indoor Arena if I remember correctly.

 

[172006]

During the 2016-2017 Overground closure, C2C announced "Change at Barking for bus connections to Walthamstow Central. Change at Benfleet for bus connections to Canvey Island." This was even though Canvey Island is across a small river from Benfleet while Walthamstow is a long, slow journey on a rail replacement bus from Barking when the Overground is closed.

 

[172006]

In case that isn't clear: I meant to contrast the two. Benfleet to Canvey doesn't need a bus, it's line of sight, but Barking to Walthamstow is best done by train.

 

[Richard Ingram]

In case that isn't clear: I meant to contrast the two. Benfleet to Canvey doesn't need a bus, it's line of sight, but Barking to Walthamstow is best done by train.

Although I did it on occasion, the walk from Benfleet Station to Canvey is not the most enticing thing. The bridge is ok, if a bit exposed and close to traffic, but the part of Canvey you might actually want to get to is a reasonable walk on from there.

 

[700007]

c2c has a lot of these:

Change at Upminster for the services to Emerson Park and Romford.

Change at Tilbury Town for bus connections to Tilbury Riverside and Gravesend.

Change at Southend Central for Adventure Island and seafront attractions.

Change at London Fenchurch Street for Tower of London and London Underground Circle and District lines from Tower Hill.

Change at Barking for the services to Gospel Oak.

South Western Railway:

Change at Southampton Central for ferry connections to Cowes, Isle of Wight.

Change at Portsmouth & Southsea for hovercraft connections to Ryde, Isle of Wight.

Change at Portsmouth Harbour for ferry connections to Ryde, Isle of Wight.

Change at Brockenhurst for Lymington Town, Lymington Pier and ferry and catamaran services to Yarmouth, Isle of Wight.

 

[Ethano92]

Change at Portsmouth & Southsea for hovercraft connections to Ryde, Isle of Wight.

Change at Portsmouth Harbour for ferry connections to Ryde, Isle of Wight.

Can't remember it exactly but I remember my 450 a few months ago saying something along the lines of "customers for gunwharf quays, the Isle of Wright ferry link and the Gosport ferry, please remain on this train and alight at Portsmouth Harbour" at Portsmouth and Southsea

On the Victoria line if I remember correctly it has a tourist mode and commuter mode which basically adds or removes the "Exit for" at stations which have them. When in tourist mode, announcements can get very lengthy.

"The next station is kings cross... Doors will open... Change for... National and international rail services, Exit for... This station has step free access. London Overground is part suspended between... London Overground is part suspended between.... National rail services from Tottenham Hale are suspended", I don't even know why they bother announcing closures etc, it can be helpful but it seems almost random when they choose to announce them eg announcing Clapham to Surrey quays closure north of green park (for the interchange at Highbury) but that would be a very illogical route to go.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Oxenholme for the Lake Districts

 

[Esker-pades]

Oxenholme for the Lake Districts

I thought the station name was just Oxenholme Lake District.

 

[Expression357]

c2c has a lot of these:

Change at Upminster for the services to Emerson Park and Romford.

Change at Tilbury Town for bus connections to Tilbury Riverside and Gravesend.

Change at Southend Central for Adventure Island and seafront attractions.

Change at London Fenchurch Street for Tower of London and London Underground Circle and District lines from Tower Hill.

Change at Barking for the services to Gospel Oak.

There were all sorts of permutations that were possible here because the cost for the recordings were a function of studio time not the number of sound bites.

So various clips were recorded “WE ARE FSTVL” - the festival at Upminster; so that for 2 days a year “change at Upminster for bus connections to We are Festival” was possible.

“Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park”, “West Ham United”, “London City Airport”, “The O2 Arena”, “Westfield Stratford City”, “Canary Wharf” were all recorded so that they could be bolted on Stratford and West Ham Station’s either as “Change at X for Y” or “Change at X for services to Y”.

As for “Change at Benfleet for bus connections to Canvey Island”, entirely relevant as the Benfleet - Canvey Island add on is one of the most sold PLUSBUS tickets in the country; and the running in boards at Benfleet Station already say “...for Canvey Island”