Passengers travelling on ScotRail services will soon hear a voice they may already recognise, as the operator introduces a new voice for automated on-train announcements across parts of its fleet.
The voice belongs to Paisley-based ScotRail employee Vannessa Sloan, who works in the company’s Customer Information team. Vannessa was selected after an internal search that saw eight colleagues record sample announcements. All participants are part of the team that delivers real-time information to customers from ScotRail’s Customer Information Centre in Paisley, meaning Vannessa’s voice is already familiar to many regular travellers.
To create the new system, Vannessa recorded hundreds of words, phrases, and station names—including those with notoriously tricky Scottish pronunciations—over 18 studio sessions. These recordings were then used to build a text-to-speech (TTS) voice, which operates securely and exclusively on ScotRail’s infrastructure. The result is a modern, reliable system designed to deliver clear, natural, and accurate announcements.
The new voice will debut on Class 380 trains, with a wider rollout planned for 2026, replacing the current ‘Iona’ announcements. ScotRail has long used automated announcements, but this upgrade aims to make them more reflective of the routes served and more consistent for customers.
Phil Campbell, ScotRail Customer Operations Director, said:
“Our people are at the heart of everything we do, so it’s fitting that the new voice of ScotRail comes from within our own team.”
Vannessa is already a trusted and familiar voice for customers at stations, and we’re delighted that her voice is now part of the announcements that will be made on our Class 380 trains.
Working with ReadSpeaker, we’ve created an announcement system that’s modern, reliable, and ethically produced.
The use of an automated voice allows us to have more control over the announcements being made, ensures consistency for customers, and gives us flexibility to make changes at short notice.”
This initiative highlights ScotRail’s commitment to innovation while keeping its people at the centre of customer experience. By blending technology with a human touch, the operator is setting a new standard for passenger communication across the network.
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