Kings Cross Really Annoying announcements!!

[vic09]

Hi
Why does KXSP have such an annoying announcement system built into the station . It really gets on my nerves as it never stops, and the voiceover cannot pronounce some words right. It sounds ridiculous and I much prefer the older announcements. At KXSP the announcements go, "BEEP, (Delay) Ladies and Gentlemen, because of planned engineering work, there is no service between kenning ton and Camden town station, via bank on the Northern line, (Delay) please check alternative routes or check station posters".
All the other, normal announcements just, go, "Ladies and gentlemen because of necessary engineering work, there is no service on the Bank branch of the Northern Line, Rail replacement bus services are in operation" . The voice on the older announcements sound very professional and just much better.
The Only way I can describe the announcements at KXSP are that they are using a Text to speech software.
Why are these installed here and why??

[londonstuff]

Apr 14, 2012 20:42:48 GMT vic09 said:

At KXSP the announcements go, "BEEP, (Delay) Ladies and Gentlemen, because of planned engineering work, there is no service between kenning ton and Camden town station, via bank on the Northern line, (Delay) please check alternative routes or check station posters

Are the delays called full stops?

Certainly when I'm listening to a foreign language with which I'm familiar but not entirely fluent regular spacing helps enormously; it changes the meaning from "whwhwhwhwhwhwhwhwhaaaaaaaaa" to something vaguely understandable.

[Deleted]

They use an online text to speech pile of rubbish, thats why the words are all wrong!

[rincew1nd]

Text to Speech is only as good as what you type. Careful use of commas and semicolons can produce good results; ask my friend Rod Trotter.

[uzairjubilee]

Get some Phil Sayer in there! The text to speech ones are rubbish.

[Tubeboy]

I have always thought why even busy station control rooms cannot manually record their own PAs. The system allows it. It doesn't sound as long winded and artificial either. Mind you I do cringe when listening to some PAs. But that's another thread.

[jardine01]

who is the announcer which says " Jubilee line the train now approaching is to Stanmore ; please stand back from the platform edge" This announcement sounds much better!

[Tubeboy]

That's a digital voice Jardine.

[mcmaddog]

My favourite is the guy at Bank. Really clear and authoritative whilst courteous.

[carltona]

Baker Street have got an announcer who soulds a bit like Victor Meldrew.

[Deleted]

Quite an interesting document regarding the KX upgrade work:

files.the-group.net/library/balfourbeatty/files/pdf_8.pdf

While not directly related to the "annoying announcements" it is because this was not a PPP funded project that KX have this unique - well on LU anyway - system. And probably because it cost so much that it is used in preference to using staff recorded announcements as elsewhere on the network.

[Alight]

vic09, as others have already pointed out, it is a TTS system. You can play around with this system here. (select 'Serena' as the voice and compare with the old King's Cross announcer ' Daniel' who happens to also be the voice-over for The Weakest Link)

Apr 15, 2012 12:11:53 GMT @jardine01 said:

who is the announcer which says " Jubilee line the train now approaching is to Stanmore ; please stand back from the platform edge" This announcement sounds much better!

Elinor Hamilton. All other names of voice-overs can be found in the following thread:
districtdave.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=Trains&action=display&thread=13188&page=1