New automated announcements recordings used on the Jubilee Line
Request ID: FOI-0488-2223 Date published: 23 June 2022
You asked
Just when Crossrail opened a few days ago i noticed that at Canning Town (both on approach to the station and also at the station) there are some new automated announcements on the 1996 stock that are clearly not voiced by Celia Drummond but by a different voice. I am not too sure who it is. Maybe it could be Sarah Parnell or Emma Clarke or Elinor Hamilton or somebody else. I do not really know. It is only the two announcements both on approach to Canning Town and when the train has stopped at Canning Town that are a new voice on these trains.
I would like to know from you please:
• Can you please confirm who the voiceover artist is who does these new announcements for Canning Town on the Jubilee Line 1996 stock?
• Can you please attach these new recordings sound files for the Canning Town announcements used on the Jubilee Line 1996 stock?
• I have also noticed at Canary Wharf and Stratford there are change here for the "Elizabeth Line" announcements voiced by Celia Drummond who is the usual voice. So it seems that these must have been recorded before she recently died. Would you be able to kindly attach these new recordings sound files too?
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-0488-2223
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 30 May 2022, asking for information about Jubilee Line recordings.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold the information you require. You asked:
• Can you please confirm who the voiceover artist is who does these new announcements for Canning Town on the Jubilee Line 1996 stock?
The new Canning Town voice artist is Emma Clarke, the same person that records for the Bakerloo and Victoria lines.
• Can you please attach these new recordings sound files for the Canning Town announcements used on the Jubilee Line 1996 stock? • I have also noticed at Canary Wharf and Stratford there are change here for the "Elizabeth Line" announcements voiced by Celia Drummond who is the usual voice. So it seems that these must have been recorded before she recently died. Would you be able to kindly attach these new recordings sound files too?
You will received an email separately that provides a link to the requested audio announcements. Please note that all of the audio announcements across the full TfL network that we are currently able to provide access to are accessible via this site. However, please be aware that many of the audio announcements that can be heard across the network are actually made up of smaller, fragmented recordings which are then combined for the purposes of public announcements so there will be some instances where full recordings of specific stop/station names, numbers or locations are not held.
Please also be aware that we are unable to provide full access to audio announcements across the entire London Underground network because of contractual prohibitions on disclosure which means these are exempt from disclosure in accordance with section 43(2) of the FOI Act. We do not consider it in the public interest to breach these contractual obligations for the purposes of disclosure given that there is limited wider public interest in this material to support that. Those that we are able to provide can be found at the link provided.
Lastly, we intend to update these files on a six monthly basis and so any newer recordings - such as those held in relation to the Elizabeth Line - will be uploaded as part of this pre-determined schedule, rather than in response to specific FOI requests. This is to ensure our resources can be managed effectively. Therefore, if you are aware of newer recordings that have been created that are not yet uploaded, we would appreciate your patience with this as requests for these recordings will be refused under section 22 of the FOI Act on the basis that there is a pre-existing intention to publish these in accordance with our publication schedule. We would therefore encourage you to wait for this upload rather than submit requests for recordings in this way. To confirm, these updates are expected to occur around January and July of each year.
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.
Yours sincerely
Eva Hextall FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
