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Whos voice is this?
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bramling
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Phil Sayer.
busestrains
On Moderation
Yes that is indeed Phil Sayer in that video. Sadly he passed away in 2016 but he was one of the major voices throughout the 2000s and 2010s on the Amey and Funkwerk and Ketech systems used by, Chiltern Railways, First Capital Connect, First Great Western, Northern Rail, South West Trains, Southern Rail, at many railway stations. He has been removed from all of the mainline network now but he can still be heard at many London Underground stations doing the "mind the gap" announcement and various other safety announcements and he also does the safety announcements for West Midlands Metro onboard their trams and at their tram stops.
185
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I do wonder, can those southern folk understand a northerner, especially a jolly posh Scouser? 
(despite being born in Norfolk, he grew up in the same part of Liverpool as Anne Robinson)
(despite being born in Norfolk, he grew up in the same part of Liverpool as Anne Robinson)
londonbridge
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As well as his railway work he presented shows on various radio stations, including Piccadilly Radio, Red Rose Radio, Radio City and BBC Radio Manchester. Sayer was his stage name, his birth name was Philip Clift. As previously posted, he passed away in 2016 aged 62.
RailWonderer
Established Member
Phil Sayer's voice and those chimes are the sound of a bygone era to me, when the country was a totally different place. These limp lifeless text to speech voices cannot compare. TOCs had no good reason to change it other than for ease of use to operate the PIS.
bramling
Veteran Member
I always liked his predecessor voice, John Elgar, who was commonly heard around the southern region in the 1990s. My personal view is that no system has subsequently managed to match let alone beat his clarity, though Phil Sayer came close.
I hate the current Anne voice and always have done.
Strathclyder
Established Member
Even though I never grew up hearing his voice at my local stations (no Scottish stations employed his voice at any point, I don't think; certainly no Glaswegian/Strathclyde stations ever did), I much prefer Mr. Sayer's voice to the rest that have followed him, just for how much clearer they are.
Anne sounds like an unhelpful, unsympathetic, "I'm just doing my job" call centre operative. She's not sorry you're delayed or for the inconvenience that's been caused in the slightest.
She's perfect for the job at the moment.
As for the rasping woman on TPE, her miserable tones would be best suited to threatening new passengers with charges if they dare board the train with the wrong ticket. Oh wait, that's what she does!
She's perfect for the job at the moment.
As for the rasping woman on TPE, her miserable tones would be best suited to threatening new passengers with charges if they dare board the train with the wrong ticket. Oh wait, that's what she does!
YorksLad12
Established Member
I may have mentioned before: when he was the Voice of Northern he completely ran the launch event by live-announcing a train coming into P4 at Bradford Interchange by standing on P3 with a loudhailer. To the general bemusement of the passengers on P4.
I also did a short video interview with him afterwards about his career and how the tech had changed, as we were just starting to do that sort of thing at work (might have been 2011-ish). First lesson: don't do it next to a departing class 158.
You always spot the best voices by their absence, I guess.
I also did a short video interview with him afterwards about his career and how the tech had changed, as we were just starting to do that sort of thing at work (might have been 2011-ish). First lesson: don't do it next to a departing class 158.
You always spot the best voices by their absence, I guess.
gimmea50anyday
Established Member
The current voice of TPE is BBC Humberside's Neil Rudd, who was also a Conductor Manager for York based crews. Not sure who the current female TPE voice that accompanies him is but the ptlrevious voice was Kath Donald, she was based at Manchester Airport but not sure where she is in the business now, if at all.
Phil Sayer's announcements were often used in conjunction with his wife, Elinor Hamilton. You could hear him announce one train while another service on a different platform would utilise hers.
Phil Sayer's announcements were often used in conjunction with his wife, Elinor Hamilton. You could hear him announce one train while another service on a different platform would utilise hers.
onlinespotting
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Although his wife Elinor is also an announcer for London Underground, Phil Sayer was usually paired with Celia Drummond also now deceased(current announcer for Northern, Chiltern, Eurostar)
Anne was first at Leeds I think following the refurbishment, in around 2002.
Phil’s last train service announcements were (I think) in 2020 at Chiltern Railways stations. He does still make safety announcements at London Underground stations however.
Celia Drummond, Eryl Jones and Ruth Mitchell are the longest running voices used at UK stations, being installed in the mid-late 90s. Julie Berry is only used on board trains these days but she has been used for rail (firstly at stations) since the 80s.
Julie Berry from the late 80s features here in this video announcing at East Croydon:
There’s also a video of announcers here, though it doesn’t include some of the new text to speech ones:
busestrains
On Moderation
I am not a fan of any of the FTPE announcements as they all sound rather amateur being recorded by staff members instead of professional voice over artists.
The current FTPE onboard announcers are Neil Rudd for the main announcements and Caroline Josephs for the safety announcements.
The previous FTPE onboard announcers were Kath Donald for the main announcements and Angie Hunte for the safety announcements.
At the FTPE stations they used Rob Radnall for the announcements until they switched to using the standard Atos Worldline system which Anne Jermy voices.
I think you are getting Elinor Hamilton mixed up with Celia Drummond here. All across the Southern Rail and South West Trains and Chiltern Railways networks they used Celia Drummond and Phil Sayer alongside each other on opposite platforms. So it would be Celia Drummond on one platform and Phil Sayer on the other platform. So this is who you are thinking of.
Of course though Phil Sayer can still be heard doing safety announcements at the London Underground stations and onboard West Midlands Metro trams and at tram stops alongside Elinor Hamilton who does the main announcements.
gimmea50anyday
Established Member
Thats right, Rob Radnall was a conductor assessor and trainer as well as Sheffield's Conductor manager, always thoight his voice sounded really well at huddersfield and certainly the best of the bunch.
Lumo's trains are also lumbered with Neil Rudd's dulcet tones....
Lumo's trains are also lumbered with Neil Rudd's dulcet tones....
busestrains
On Moderation
Yes both Neil Rudd and Caroline Josephs can be heard on the FTPE 185/397/802/MK5 and the FHT 802 and the Lumo 803 trains. They are all using the same exact automated announcements system with the same voices. FTPE and FHT and Lumo all seem to be run very closely. I am guessing that the three have some sort of shared management. I know the Twitter accounts of all three are also run from the same place by the same people.
londonbridge
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Question re Julie Berry announcements. “Please remember to take all your personal belongings with you when you leave the train.and please do not leave unattended items of luggage in the train or on the station. When and why was the part in bold removed??
fgwrich
Established Member
Of course Julie Berry’s voice has become a little more widespread these days, usually being found in every toilet on 387s, 80Xs and 385s. “Please Lock The Door” 
mirodo
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Who is the very cross sounding woman who does the announcements on London trams? Maybe it's because Nicholas Owen's "This... tram... is... for... Elmers... End" is so slow and deliberate, but when she kicks in with the "not all tickets are valid..." bit, she sounds like she's having a REALLY BAD DAY and is NOT going to put up with any of your ****! 
busestrains
On Moderation
Theo Spring is the lady who is used alongside Nicholas Owen on the trams.Who is the very cross sounding woman who does the announcements on London trams? Maybe it's because Nicholas Owen's "This... tram... is... for... Elmers... End" is so slow and deliberate, but when she kicks in with the "not all tickets are valid..." bit, she sounds like she's having a REALLY BAD DAY and is NOT going to put up with any of your ****!
Howardh
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Fred Dibnah or Peter Kay at Bolton?
No - thank - you!! Although the most annoying it the one at Crewe who, on the arrival of a Pendolino, announces where you can get a "delicious meal" onboard. Er, I'll decide if a train's meal is "delicious" or not!!
But it would be nice to hear local's make the announcement, "Hey up, t'two-fifty's runnin' late again. Tha's time for a chip butty from t'cafe if tha's quick". "Mind the pigeons".
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