Our Ref: FOI-2110-1617

Thank you for your email received on 28 January 2017 asking for information about TfL announcements.

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 some of the information you require.

CDs containing the iBus, Overground, Tram, and Woolwich Ferry announcements are available. Please send the postal address you would like the CDs sent to FOI @ tfl.gov.uk. Please note that as whatdotheyknow.com is a public website you may wish to send your address details from a private e-mail address so that it does not appear on the website.

iBus
It should be noted that the iBus announcements are recorded as fragments. As a result, some announcements would not feature in full as the full announcement would just be made up of two or more fragments that have already been recorded. I have also included a list of the announcements for your reference.

Overground
Announcements used on the services that London Overground took over from Abellio Greater Anglia on 31 May 2015 are not held as audio files. They are held on a server and we access them through existing server and rolling stock. I can confirm that we have no current plans to create any new recordings.

DLR
In regard to the DLR audio announcements for the trains and stations, we do not hold this information. The on train announcements for DLR are not held in any central repository and are not ‘recorded ‘ as such. These are done digitally as needed by typing them into a system, combining previously typed announcements where necessary. It is therefore not possible to provide an audio recording, as requested. The station announcements are held on a central system but not in a form that allows them to be distributed.

Please also note that while access to this material will be provided to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, you are not granted any rights to any of the intellectual property that exists in it or granted any permission to make secondary uses of it.

TfL owns all intellectual property (including, without limitation, copyright) in the material supplied and will defend such rights.

If you wish to make any secondary use of the material provided, you must first obtain the consent of TfL (which may be withheld) and, if consent is granted, a fee may be charged, in accordance with the terms of the Reuse of Public Sector Information Regulations 2005.

Tube
In accordance with the FOI Act, TfL is not obliged to supply the audio files for London Underground’s Tube announcements as the information is subject to a statutory exemption to the right of access to information under section 43(2).

In this instance section 43(2) has been applied as disclosure of the information requested would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of TfL and/or Global Services Ltd. The recordings in question were provided to London Underground from Global Services Ltd under a signed contract which contained explicit conditions concerning disclosure and distribution.

The contract specifies that the recordings are solely to be used for the purpose for which they were created and for broadcast on the London Underground network only. If TfL were to disclose these recordings in response to an FOI request, it would constitute an actionable breach of contract and would be likely to result in a valid legal claim against London Underground or the license to use the recordings being withdrawn, which would impose additional, unnecessary, costs. TfL wishes to protect its commercial interests and ability to participate in future commercial activity. The disclosure of this information would be to the detriment of present and future business activities for both parties.

The use of this exemption is subject to an assessment of the public interest in relation to the disclosure of the information concerned. TfL recognises the need for openness and transparency within public authorities and the degree of public interest concerning London transport announcements in light of the recent disclosure of iBus announcements. However, in this instance this is outweighed by the damage that would be done to TfL’s ability to use these recordings and any future contractual negotiations that may take place regarding the London Underground announcements.

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for some reason, please feel free 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

Paulina Tuffour
FOI Case Officer

FOI Case Management Team
General Counsel
Transport for London

[email protected]