Great Western Coffee Shop

Didn't quite know where to put this.  Is it April 1st already....... ::)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-bristol-47180004/schoolchildren-take-over-railway-station-announcements

Not quite without precedent.  The Hamburg UBahn on board announcement system employ two different children's voices to herald the approach to two different stations, Jungfernstieg and Stephansplatz.
At Jungfernstieg, a young girls voice is used. Jungfernstieg roughly translates as "Maidens Walk" and is a major city centre interchange.
The youth link with Stephansplatz is less clear as it is named after a reorganiser of the early German postal service but a young boy's voice is nevertheless heard here.

All other stations feature the same adult voice, all preceded by a gong.

Both the voices are cited as being from the children of Hamburg UBahn employees.


Note: This was still the case up to my last visit some years back and it had been the same for quite a few years. This kids will be grown up by now!

We've been putting up with a high pitched whingy and just downright irritating girl's voice at Plymouth for a while whilst using the stairs.  What is actually said is virtually indecipherable too.

On my way home from Westbury this evening, at Bristol Temple Meads, a male announcer with a very broad Geordie accent was offering information about the next available service to Bath Spa.  At least, I think that was what he was trying to do - but the combination of his (absolutely great!) accent, and the microphone apparently held in a less than optimal position, made his advice completely incomprehensible to the average Bristol to Bath train traveller.  ::)

I think this is quite a good idea. The BBC state that people pay more attention to children's voices than adults'. Even if that's not the case, children's voices making public announcements are likely to grab attention simply because they are unusual. In addition, it introduces some children to the railway and probably makes children already using these stations feel that they're in a more child-friendly, less forbidding and confusing, place. My only concerns would be ones that apply to all announcements: are they clearly recorded and are they all necessary or useful?

Most station announcements seem to be concerned with Health & Safety these days. I wonder just who listens to these?

On the London Underground escalators last week the safety announcements at one station, at least, utilised a child's voice. The impact was somewhat lessened by the sound quality but it did attract my attention as intended.

Very few people, but arse covers the company in case of a claim.  The latest seems to be motion activated reminders to use handrails and the top and bottom of footbridge steps.  So you listen to the same message four times when crossing to a different platform.  More if someone happens to be a little in front or behind you.  A real nuisance.

Got that one at Westbury for the team meet the other weekend.  First time I had heard it and thought it consequential until I twigged.