Tube train automated announcements 2005

[M4321]

Hi,

I wondered if anyone might be able to help with this question - in 2005 were there automated announcements on tube trains? Either stating which line it is and the station, or security announcements? If so, does anyone know how they went? Or were these announcements said by the driver?

And was a special security announcement implemented in the days and weeks following 7th July 2005 London bombings? If so, do you know what was said, and whether it was automated or said by the driver?

Many thanks!

 

[Sad Sprinter]

There were automated announcements. I don't remember anything after July 7th but I'm sure there were plenty of manual announcements.

The automated announcements were the same now on the Central and Bakerloo Lines. The Subsurface lines followed the "This, is X. Change here for X and X. This is an X line train, to X".

I think Jubilee were the same. There used to be another female announcer on the Jubilee in the early days but they went before 2005.

Northern Line announcements changed about 10 years ago. They used to go: "This station is Balham, change here for Main Line Suburban Rail services. This train terminates at Edgware, via Bank."

At places like Euston, they announced "Main Line Intercity and suburban rail services."

 

[stadler]

Hi,

I wondered if anyone might be able to help with this question - in 2005 were there automated announcements on tube trains? Either stating which line it is and the station, or security announcements? If so, does anyone know how they went? Or were these announcements said by the driver?

And was a special security announcement implemented in the days and weeks following 7th July 2005 London bombings? If so, do you know what was said, and whether it was automated or said by the driver?

Many thanks!

Yes in 2005 all trains except A Stock had automated announcements installed on them.

These automated announcements announced the line and this station and next station and destination and were similar format to how they are now. Of course there has been small changes. Such as the Northern Line 1995 Stock trains changed the script that was used. The newer 2009 Stock and S Stock trains also have added disruption announcements. A few voices have changed too with Sarah Parnell gradually replacing Emma Clarke on many trains. But overall it is still a similar format.

Here are the years when each stock had automated announcements installed:

• A Stock - Never had automated announcements.

• C Stock - Had automated announcements since 1997.

• D Stock - Had automated announcements since 2005.

• S Stock - Had automated announcements since 2010.

• 1967 Stock - Had automated announcements since 2000.

• 1972 Stock - Had automated announcements since 1997.

• 1973 Stock - Had automated announcements since 1997.

• 1992 Stock - Had automated announcements since 1993.

• 1995 Stock - Had automated announcements since 1998.

• 1996 Stock - Had automated announcements since 1997.

• 2009 Stock - Had automated announcements since 2009.

So back in 2005 everything except the A Stock would have played automated announcements.

I never remember any extra security automated announcements in 2005 but i think drivers may have been instructed to make extra announcements about reporting unattended items etc.

There were automated announcements. I don't remember anything after July 7th but I'm sure there were plenty of manual announcements.

The automated announcements were the same now on the Central and Bakerloo Lines. The Subsurface lines followed the "This, is X. Change here for X and X. This is an X line train, to X".

I think Jubilee were the same. There used to be another female announcer on the Jubilee in the early days but they went before 2005.

Northern Line announcements changed about 10 years ago. They used to go: "This station is Balham, change here for Main Line Suburban Rail services. This train terminates at Edgware, via Bank."

At places like Euston, they announced "Main Line Intercity and suburban rail services."

The original voice on the Jubilee Line 1996 Stock is still used but only for the destination. Maggie Greenwood originally voiced everything from 1997 to 2003 including "this station" and "next station" and "this train terminates at" announcements. Then in 2003 they added Celia Drummond for the "this station" and "next station" announcements but kept Maggie Greenwood for the "this train terminates at" announcements. This is still how it is today. So both voices can still be heard.

 

[M4321]

Thank you so much both for the useful and very detailed answer - much appreciated!

 

[MaidaVale]

For refence, I've linked a video of some D-Stock announcements. These would have been in use at the time, and are also very similar to those used on the C stock at the time.

The 67 stock announcements were pretty much identical to the ones in use on the Bakerloo line today. Everything else has remained pretty much unchanged since 2005 apart from a few updates here and there for new stations, new transfer modes etc. The Northern Line had a script change at one point as mentioned above so I’ve added the link for that too.

Not my video, so credit goes to the uploader.

 

[Taunton]

The original voice on the Jubilee Line 1996 Stock is still used but only for the destination. Maggie Greenwood originally voiced everything from 1997 to 2003 including "this station" and "next station" and "this train terminates at" announcements. Then in 2003 they added Celia Drummond for the "this station" and "next station" announcements but kept Maggie Greenwood for the "this train terminates at" announcements. This is still how it is today. So both voices can still be heard.

There was also on the Jubilee then a booming male gravitas voice approaching the destination "This train terminates here. All change please. All change", quite different in pace and volume.

 

[stadler]

For refence, I've linked a video of some D-Stock announcements. These would have been in use at the time, and are also very similar to those used on the C stock at the time.

The 67 stock announcements were pretty much identical to the ones in use on the Bakerloo line today. Everything else has remained pretty much unchanged since 2005 apart from a few updates here and there for new stations, new transfer modes etc. The Northern Line had a script change at one point as mentioned above so I’ve added the link for that too.

Not my video, so credit goes to the uploader.

Yes i believe the C Stock and D Stock announcements used in 2005 were identical. I seem to remember the script was exactly the same. It would not surprise me if the recordings for both stocks were done at the same time.

There was also on the Jubilee then a booming male gravitas voice approaching the destination "This train terminates here. All change please. All change", quite different in pace and volume.

Michael Meech is his name. He was used on all trains up until 2016 when they replaced his recordings with new Celia Drummond recordings. He still remains on one unit which TFL have forgotten to change. He did ten recordings in total which i have attached. I always liked his recordings. He had a nice sounding voice. It really stood out for these special announcements and got you to listen.

 

[Mojo]

• 1973 Stock - Had automated announcements since 1997.

FWIW, in 2005 the 73 stock wouldn’t have had automated announcements as most would understand it; these did not come until later (I believe 2006). During the mid-1990s refurbishment announcements were fitted with a male voice (a staff member from the east end of the line) but these were reliant on the train operator manually keying in codes to make the announcements. As a result they were very rarely heard and not used.

 

[stadler]

FWIW, in 2005 the 73 stock wouldn’t have had automated announcements as most would understand it; these did not come until later (I believe 2006). During the mid-1990s refurbishment announcements were fitted with a male voice (a staff member from the east end of the line) but these were reliant on the train operator manually keying in codes to make the announcements. As a result they were very rarely heard and not used.

Yes that is very true. I always considered them to be "automated announcements" as they were pre recorded but i suppose these original "automated announcements" on the 1973 Stock used between 1997 and 2006 were more "pre recorded announcements" rather than "automated announcements" as they did not play automatically. You are correct that the driver had to manually type in a code to play the announcement. On a full Piccadilly Line journey from Cockfosters to Heathrow or Uxbridge that would mean looking up a code and typing it in around 80 times (around 40 times for "next stop" announcements and around 40 times for "this stop" announcements) so it was not surprising that most drivers never bothered using them. I can imagine that drivers would have gotten fed up of constantly typing in codes for the whole journey. I seem to remember that before 2006 i would only hear these "automated announcements" play on less than 5% of journey that i travelled on so they were certainly rarely used. I believe the original voice was a driver called Nick who was based at Argos Grove depot.

 

[A60stock]

What was the reason the A Stock was not fitted with an announcer but the other stocks refurbished in the 90s eventually got one?

Also, does anyone have the recordings for the 73 stock male announcer pre 2006?

 

[stadler]

What was the reason the A Stock was not fitted with an announcer but the other stocks refurbished in the 90s eventually got one?

Also, does anyone have the recordings for the 73 stock male announcer pre 2006?

I always wondered that too. It does seem odd that the A Stock never got automated announcements fitted. Especially as they lasted until 2012 which was almost a decade after most other stocks got automated announcements fitted. The trains never even had screens fitted My guess is that because the A Stock was the oldest TFL just never bothered as they knew they would be replaced soon. Possibly also due to the long distances between stops and the fewer amount of stops on the Metropolitan Line it made it easier for drivers to make manual announcements.

I have found seven recordings of Nick (the original 1997 to 2006 announcer on the 1973 Stock trains) which i have attached. These are the only ones i can find. I was looking for some of his "this station is" and "the next station is" but sadly can not find any. Because he was rarely used there are such few recordings. But at least there are these seven recordings where he can be heard.

Also back in 2005 the Piccadilly Line had platform automated announcements too. This was in fact the first line to have platform automated announcements and in 2005 these were the only platforms automated announcements that existed on the network (other than "mind the gap" announcements). In the mid 1990s most of the stations on the Piccadilly Line had automated announcements installed (but not the ones at the outer ends further from the Central London area). But none of the other lines got them until the late 2000s over fifteen years later (when the Metronet stations had Pauline Cavilla and Henrietta Bess installed and the Tubelines stations had Elinor Hamilton installed). It always seemed rather odd that the Piccadilly Line was the only line that had these for over fifteen years. I have attached thirteen recordings of these that i have found too.

 

[Taunton]

As you lot seem so knowledgeable about all this can I ask how the DLR, around 15 years ago, used to have standard announcements at stations from someone with a notably Belfast accent. It seemed a decidedly unusual choice. I doubt an agency would have sent such an announcer round, so I guess it was one of their own staff.

 

[stadler]

As you lot seem so knowledgeable about all this can I ask how the DLR, around 15 years ago, used to have standard announcements at stations from someone with a notably Belfast accent. It seemed a decidedly unusual choice. I doubt an agency would have sent such an announcer round, so I guess it was one of their own staff.

That does sound odd. I never remember hearing any Belfast voice or any Northern Irish voice. I only remember two voices that have ever been used at DLR stations. There was the original lady who was used from when it opened in the late 1980s and all throughout the 1990s and in to the early 2000s. Then there is the current lady who was been used since the late 2000s and all throughout the 2010s and is still used today. I have attached recordings of both voices. Perhaps this was a third voice used for a short period between these two voices. That certainly sounds like it would probably be a staff member.

 

[Jimini]

Appreciate this may be one of the daftest posts on here in a while as the link's broken (and think has been for a while), but this website I have bookmarked from yonks ago had pretty much full recordings of all LU announcements (and many other metro systems across the globe) from around the time in question in this thread. The link I had saved was the Northern Line URL, but it had all other lines on there as well as I recall. You could click between stations to hear the "the next station is" announcement, or the station itself for that version. Also worked in both directions of each line:

http://www.haltestellenansage.de/ansagen/u/london/northern_en.htm

Just thought I'd share it in case any of the I.T savvy folks might be able to find an archived version of it buried somewhere on the web!

 

[stadler]

Appreciate this may be one of the daftest posts on here in a while as the link's broken (and think has been for a while), but this website I have bookmarked from yonks ago had pretty much full recordings of all LU announcements (and many other metro systems across the globe) from around the time in question in this thread. The link I had saved was the Northern Line URL, but it had all other lines on there as well as I recall. You could click between stations to hear the "the next station is" announcement, or the station itself for that version. Also worked in both directions of each line:

http://www.haltestellenansage.de/ansagen/u/london/northern_en.htm

Just thought I'd share it in case any of the I.T savvy folks might be able to find an archived version of it buried somewhere on the web!

That was a brilliant site. I remember that. You could click on the map and play the announcements for each station. It is a shame it no longer works. But yes luckily it has been archived.

Here are the archive links for this site:

London Underground Home Page:

Haltestellenansagen U-Bahn London

Bakerloo Line:

Ansagen London Bakerloo line

Central Line:

Ansagen London Central line

Circle Line:

Ansagen London Circle line

District Line (Edgware Road Branch):

Ansagen London District line (Edgware Road-Linie)

District Line (Main Line Branch):

Ansagen London District line

Hammersmith & City Line:

Ansagen London Hammersmith&City; line

Jubilee Line:

Ansagen London Jubilee line

Northern Line:

Ansagen London Northern line

Piccadilly Line:

Ansagen London Piccadilly line

Victoria Line:

Ansagen London Victoria line

If you click around you can easily get to other archived pages on the site as well including Croydon Tram and Docklands Light Railway announcements as well as announcements from various German systems.

 

[Class 800]

I always wondered that too. It does seem odd that the A Stock never got automated announcements fitted. Especially as they lasted until 2012 which was almost a decade after most other stocks got automated announcements fitted. The trains never even had screens fitted My guess is that because the A Stock was the oldest TFL just never bothered as they knew they would be replaced soon. Possibly also due to the long distances between stops and the fewer amount of stops on the Metropolitan Line it made it easier for drivers to make manual announcements.

I have found seven recordings of Nick (the original 1997 to 2006 announcer on the 1973 Stock trains) which i have attached. These are the only ones i can find. I was looking for some of his "this station is" and "the next station is" but sadly can not find any. Because he was rarely used there are such few recordings. But at least there are these seven recordings where he can be heard.

Also back in 2005 the Piccadilly Line had platform automated announcements too. This was in fact the first line to have platform automated announcements and in 2005 these were the only platforms automated announcements that existed (other than "mind the gap" announcements). In the mid 1990s most of the stations on the Piccadilly Line had automated announcements installed (but not the ones at the outer ends further from the Central London area). But none of the other lines got them until the late 2000s over fifteen years later (when the Metronet stations had Pauline Cavilla and Henrietta Bess installed and the Tubelines stations had Elinor Hamilton installed). It always seemed rather odd that the Piccadilly Line was the only line that had these for over fifteen years. I have attached thirteen recordings of these that i have found too.

The platform recordings with the echo sound extremely eerie... especially the one with the male voice... imagine hearing that on an empty platform late at night?
At least the modern platform announcements don't repeat what the on-train announcements say... it's quite enough to hear "Northern line, the train now approaching is to High Barnet, please stand back from the platform edge..."

 

[stadler]

The platform recordings with the echo sound extremely eerie... especially the one with the male voice... imagine hearing that on an empty platform late at night?
At least the modern platform announcements don't repeat what the on-train announcements say... it's quite enough to hear "Northern line, the train now approaching is to High Barnet, please stand back from the platform edge..."

I think the old equipment and echo of the platforms certainly made thrm sound more eerie. When those old platform automated announcements were first introduced in the early or mid 1990s there was still no automated announcements onboard trains (and the ones used on the 1973 Stock from 1997 to 2006 were rarely used) so i think it gave all that extra information as there were no onboard announcements. But yes these days it is certainly not required with detailed onboard announcements telling you everything.

 

[A60stock]

Which begs the question, why were the Piccadilly line platforms the only ones to have those announcements?

I always wondered that too. It does seem odd that the A Stock never got automated announcements fitted. Especially as they lasted until 2012 which was almost a decade after most other stocks got automated announcements fitted. The trains never even had screens fitted My guess is that because the A Stock was the oldest TFL just never bothered as they knew they would be replaced soon. Possibly also due to the long distances between stops and the fewer amount of stops on the Metropolitan Line it made it easier for drivers to make manual announcements.

True, however the 1967 stock was withdrawn before the A stock and the C stock only 2 years later and both of these got announcements

Not surprised about the screens not being installed, most stock refurbished in the 90s didn't get it, asides from the 1973 stock. (The D stock was obviously refurbished much later)

 

[Jimini]

That was a brilliant site. I remember that. You could click on the map and play the announcements for each station. It is a shame it no longer works. But yes luckily it has been archived.

Here are the archive links for this site:

London Underground Home Page:

Haltestellenansagen U-Bahn London

Bakerloo Line:

Ansagen London Bakerloo line

Central Line:

Ansagen London Central line

Circle Line:

Ansagen London Circle line

District Line (Edgware Road Branch):

Ansagen London District line (Edgware Road-Linie)

District Line (Main Line Branch):

Ansagen London District line

Hammersmith & City Line:

Ansagen London Hammersmith&City; line

Jubilee Line:

Ansagen London Jubilee line

Northern Line:

Ansagen London Northern line

Piccadilly Line:

Ansagen London Piccadilly line

Victoria Line:

Ansagen London Victoria line

If you click around you can easily get to other archived pages on the site as well including Croydon Tram and Docklands Light Railway announcements as well as announcements from various German systems.

Amazing -- nice one. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Class 800]

Amazing -- nice one. Thanks for sharing!

They still have the Emma Clarke announcements from the C-stock, which in later years were replaced by Sarah Parnell (though these were still more coherent than the current S-stock announcements!)

 

[Cravens]

Something else on the A Stock that might have made announcements a bit ineffective is that the volume would need to be way up to compete with the din created by the compressors on the A60’s in particular

 

[RacsoMoquette]

Does anybody bear any recordings of DVA "VERA" used on the C Stock, 1972TS, 1967TS from 1997 to 2001? or even a journey on the stock during said years?

 

[stadler]

Does anybody bear any recordings of DVA "VERA" used on the C Stock, 1972TS, 1967TS from 1997 to 2001? or even a journey on the stock during said years?

Here are some recordings of her. I have attached twelve Vera recordings. She was on the C Stock from 1997 to 2003 only and the 1972 Stock from 1997 to 2000 only. But she was never used on 1967 Stock trains.

 

[Mojo]

That always used to creep me out as a child how she would say the station name twice when there was an interchange announcement.

 

[bramling]

Does anybody bear any recordings of DVA "VERA" used on the C Stock, 1972TS, 1967TS from 1997 to 2001? or even a journey on the stock during said years?

I have a relatively clean set of recordings for the Bakerloo Line from this era, done on a train in depot. I say relatively clean given the technology limitations of the time! There’s a couple of bits missing but otherwise it’s virtually complete.

 

[xtmw]

I remember there being a voice before the current lady on the Central Line. Upon searching her name is Janet Mayo however there are no trace of the recordings except for stations between White City and Bank.

 

[meridian222017]

I remember there being a voice before the current lady on the Central Line. Upon searching her name is Janet Mayo however there are no trace of the recordings except for stations between White City and Bank.

Various field recordings do exist out there with some people, but whether they choose to share them publicly is up to them. However the original master files are thought to be lost. An extensive search was made for them a decade ago and LUL/TfL were not able to find anything. Unless of course anyone knows anything...

 

[stadler]

I remember there being a voice before the current lady on the Central Line. Upon searching her name is Janet Mayo however there are no trace of the recordings except for stations between White City and Bank.

I have attached all of the Janet Mayo recordings which i can find which includes some from the outer ends of the line.

 

[southern442]

That does sound odd. I never remember hearing any Belfast voice or any Northern Irish voice. I only remember two voices that have ever been used at DLR stations. There was the original lady who was used from when it opened in the late 1980s and all throughout the 1990s and in to the early 2000s. Then there is the current lady who was been used since the late 2000s and all throughout the 2010s and is still used today. I have attached recordings of both voices. Perhaps this was a third voice used for a short period between these two voices. That certainly sounds like it would probably be a staff member.

Am I going mad or was there a period where Celia Drummond did some DLR station announcements in the early 2000s?

 

[bramling]

Am I going mad or was there a period where Celia Drummond did some DLR station announcements in the early 2000s?

I think you might be right. Probably as a result of Lewisham opening.