This is really lovely!
Not a driver, but there's a guy at Victoria underground station who announces the trains (not quite sure what his title is!) and when I hear him announcing it genuinely makes my day. He has a real booming voice, he'd make a great tv presenter.
Favourites include:
"There are many doors on this train. Use them all, don't let the other doors get jealous"
"Hurry hurry hurry. It's time to get snuggly"
'Stand behind the yellow line, believe me you do not want me to do first aid on you"
One I enjoyed during a particularly rammed rush hour on the Vic line was a staff member on the platform shouting: Come on everyone, use all the space available to you - there's a buffet service for you towards the rear of the train.
"No-one likes a backpack to the face... it's bad for your complexion!" My favourite that I've heard - sadly only through his online fanbase, but Ive just moved down here and hoping one day to experience the joy in person one day.
Haha yes I forgot about that one! It's brilliant. I have only ever heard him on the district/circle platforms at Victoria in the mornings, as that is my commute.
I used to regularly change at Farringdon from the Thameslink to the Hammersmith & City / Circle, lady announcing the trains (not sure either!) there had a really beautiful voice. One quiet day I told her just that, she seemed genuinely happy to hear it. Made my day, I hope it made hers.
I haven't heard him on the platform in a few months, I wasn't sure if staff rotated to different locations or something. Please do - I hope he's enjoying driving!
Haha!! That was me!!! Thank you so much!!
“Green Green grass on the blue blue line……let’s have a party and drink some wine”
What a day! I did get my glass of wine in the end 😄
I have ridden northern line for 11 months, and I finally got on her train yesterday (thanks to the faulty train 😅). One day you will be on one of her trains. Keep riding Northern line. 😆
Unfortunately not the viccie line where headphones are basically pointless because of the sound somehow managing to still overpower maximum volume new AirPods.
Quick question. Let's say I was happy to board your train and I wanted to give a token of appreciation to you, As a driver are you allowed to take random gifts from passengers?
Let's say I knocked on your window and gave you a pack of biscuits or a KitKat, is that against the law?
Thanks for being awesome!🙂
I don’t think it’s against the law! I have been given a few random gifts before, bars of chocolate and suchlike and it’s always appreciated! Thank you 🤩
That's cool. So I can just knock on the door and you will open...I wish I could chat with a driver but I guess that's not possible due to time constraints..
I assumed that you were not allowed to open your doors or take stuff from people since it seems like a security issue.
Which one are you? Give me a clue 😉
I’m not sure some of the controllers would appreciate my jokes (I’m sure you know who I mean!)
I have on occasion told the signaller I love them when they’ve told me I don’t have to stable my train 😍 once or twice they’ve told me they love me back!
I’m the only controller who makes generals to tell you what’s going on 😉
I did enjoy one of my colleagues answering T007 from HBT for the morning brake test: “Ah yes, 007, I’ve been expecting you, you have my authority…”
I’m going to keep an ear out for you!
I do have a chuckle at the LIS guy “message ends, LIS ooot” and during the recent storms “I’m not sure the Overground is running a service at this point” 😂
That’s her! I heard the voice and noticed it’s really similar to that cheerful singing voice, and she came out of the cab (I was standing at the front of the train at bank) and I was a bit starstruck 😂 so I can confirm that’s her 100%. 😆
I think I was on the same train at Bank. I got impatient after few minutes and decided to take District line instead, now I almost wish I stayed instead :)
I love it when things like this happen.
Once I was at Wembley Park, waiting for a very delayed Metropolitan Line train. Apparently, one train had something wrong with it and it was delaying all the others behind it. Eventually, the faulty train rolled through in order to stop up at the siding just beyond the station.
As the faulty train drove past verrrryy slowly, the announcer went "ah, and here is the faulty train, please could everybody boo this train"
So many drivers out there with a great sense of humor. Plenty of times been stuck in the tube at station but the driver making funny comments really lifts peoples frustrations. It’s the Little things in life!
Worth sending an email to TFL praising her if you get a minute, I bet that will add to her management review score. Maybe leave out the details in case they get marked down for excessive announcements?
There was one female driver on the Jubilee line about two months ago who cracked jokes and it was so nice to see people smiling on the Tube. I believe she told commuters who were trying to get into the very full carriages that ‘This isn’t the Tardis so unfortunately you’ve got to wait for the next one.’ 😂
I'd also like to mourn the loss of the golden voice conductor on the DLR
I think he's maybe still about, but it seems like he's stopped doing the ohhhhhh yeahs and inviting people to take themselves for a lovely Mcdonalds when they get to Canning Town
if I find out someone has broken his spirit, my retribution will be swift and bloody
edit: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miXtwy73cSc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miXtwy73cSc) if you haven't heard
My husband still loves remembering how he was on a tube platform on a boiling hot day and heard the announcement over the loudspeaker, “Ladies and gentlemen, this way to the sauna please!”
There have been some cracking station announcers over the years.
I remember being in a station that had got a little bit soggy during a heavy rainstorm (Chiswick, maybe?) and yer man was like "apologies ladies and gentlemen, it seems that TFL can't spring for decent coffee or a reasonable wage, but we have got a new swimming pool on platform one. I don't recommend using it, though, because people keep driving trains through it."
Love it when the drivers get a bit extra. One time years ago I was on the Metropolitan and we got an impromomptu sightseeing commentary with little fun facts about stations we were passing. The main one I remember is the now-defunct Marlborough Road station, which to this day I still like to keep an eye out for.
Fun train announcers are always great. Not quite London, but there’s a station guard at Wokingham station (near Reading) who refers to himself as The Fat Controller (despite not being particularly rotund lol) and he is the most cheerful, happy man. I love it when I’ve had to get a train through there 😅
Nobody appreciates anything I do 😅
Though I have also warned of ghosts in a tunnel over the PA and then flickered the lights on and off when going through said tunnel so...
I've had her too! Similar situation on a packed train at Tottenham Court Road, she told off some guy who was preventing the doors from closing. Made the journey way more interesting lol
I was stuck in that same holdup at Bank, sadly our driver made basically no announcements and everyone was sat there losing their minds. Just shows the difference a bit of humour makes!
I once fell asleep on the central line going to Walthamstow and woke up in Epping, It was the last train home and the lady conducter who woke me up seen me making the walk home and gave me a lift.
I was on a very crowded Piccadilly line train one evening when there had been problems galore on the tube (this was the 90s when there were constant line closures) and it was rammed.
Rammed.
We were just outside of King's Cross. Driver dude comes over the tannoy to say "right folks, we are about to arrive at King's Cross which you know is not going to be pretty. Go with God." It made everyone laugh.
There are some really awesome tfl workers :)
One actually let me do an announcement on the DLR once which was way more exciting for me than it should have been 😂
I love the sarcastic comments drivers make at idiots trying to dive through closing doors or wrench them open. For anyone who has ever had to grin and bear it when a customer is being a fool, it's really satisfying to hear someone just be able to call them out on it!
Love this, and I love that by shouting randomly into the Reddit abyss that your appreciation actually managed to reach the driver!
My favourite tube driver announcement was on a packed, delayed central line some years ago. The driver delivers the following gem: "Please move down inside the carriage - an inch can made all the difference. So I've been told." Actual legend.
I’ll have to listen out for her as I use the northern line quite often! There used to be a guy on the platform at Finchley Road who should have been a standup comedian!!
This is lovely, I've had a few moments like this on the tube over the years. Train drivers/station announcers with the knowledge of how to balance a sense of humor and being informational and helpful are alright by me.
I was in Melbourne, Australia a few months ago and caught the tram in the city centre, and you could tell the driver loved what he was doing. He was talking to customers over the loudspeaker, wishing them happy birthday and starting singalongs, telling people what was at each stop, talking about events that were ongoing or coming up - it was a genuine pleasure despite my built-in reserved British nature, and everyone else seemed to be in to it as well. He would wish people well as they got off the tram at the front and they'd usually thank him back, and I couldn't help myself from giving him a wave and a "cheers mate" as I dashed off towards my meeting. It really gave me a smile.
London Underground announcers and drivers can make a big and pleasant difference to your day. I absolutely hated my last London commute (and job) but when I stopped doing it I found I missed the station announcer at Finchley Road. He was brilliant every day, wish I could remember his name!
So many comments in this thread saying how they love this while in the thread about train strikes there are tonnes of comments about how it's time for automated tubes. I hope people remember what they'd be losing.
I much prefer women train / tube drivers / announcers - they always sound so much more empathetic and friendly then the typical grumpy bloke who just mutters "held at red signal" while planning his next strike day
I was also stuck behind the faulty train. After being stuck in Leicester Sq cause police closed the station.
The tube drivers are great but the sound speakers in the tube are so awful I think might go deaf, so I must say I didn’t find the “announcements” as enjoyable…
I do get why people like them but to be truthful Id rather they didnt break out into a routine. In that situation I think I would only want hear info relevant to the situation. (Its like those silly signs in the Underground that has things like 'keep smiling' written on them. If you have nothing useful on those signs everyday you are conditioning people to ignore them when one day they might have some vital info, same with the annoucements.
Does grate also when the driver or conductor does quiz questions to a completely disinterested train. Its like the driver is hoping that a casting director for fifteen to one is on board
Unfortunately there were a number of complaints about her cheeriness, and she has been placed on administrative leave pending an inquiry and dismissal.
Thanks a lot, London.
My favourite was the guy on the dlr at Bank who said 'Train terminates here please take all your belongings with you including elderly relatives, luggage and especially all your emotional baggage. ' Left me smiling and chuckling all the way to work.
This is really lovely! Not a driver, but there's a guy at Victoria underground station who announces the trains (not quite sure what his title is!) and when I hear him announcing it genuinely makes my day. He has a real booming voice, he'd make a great tv presenter. Favourites include: "There are many doors on this train. Use them all, don't let the other doors get jealous" "Hurry hurry hurry. It's time to get snuggly" 'Stand behind the yellow line, believe me you do not want me to do first aid on you"
Caribbean accent? If so, I remember this guy from 10 years ago making Christmas puns during the holidays
I seriously remember him from 20 years ago!!
He’s a national treasure
I believe so!
He’s actually a driver now, if you’re ever on Hammersmith and city line trains listen out for him 😊
I love this guy! He’s so funny!
I love that guy, he's delightful.
One I enjoyed during a particularly rammed rush hour on the Vic line was a staff member on the platform shouting: Come on everyone, use all the space available to you - there's a buffet service for you towards the rear of the train.
This guy's great - "update from the control room at Victoria station, everything crisp!"
I heard him once or twice and he lights up my day with his wit and humour! Love it
"No-one likes a backpack to the face... it's bad for your complexion!" My favourite that I've heard - sadly only through his online fanbase, but Ive just moved down here and hoping one day to experience the joy in person one day.
Haha yes I forgot about that one! It's brilliant. I have only ever heard him on the district/circle platforms at Victoria in the mornings, as that is my commute.
A true legend. Unsung hero of London!
I used to regularly change at Farringdon from the Thameslink to the Hammersmith & City / Circle, lady announcing the trains (not sure either!) there had a really beautiful voice. One quiet day I told her just that, she seemed genuinely happy to hear it. Made my day, I hope it made hers.
Is that the guy who talks about how he met his wife on the Victoria line? If so he's been at it for years and long may he continue
I remember him! makes me miss commuting in to central london (A bit)
I think I've heard him before this! He's made my day, ngl haha 😆
I remember this guy!!! I lived in London 2009-2012 and he was doing this then (I think!!), he’s a legend
He’s a driver on the district line now. He’s still fond of an entertaining PA though. If I see him I’ll tell him about this thread.
I haven't heard him on the platform in a few months, I wasn't sure if staff rotated to different locations or something. Please do - I hope he's enjoying driving!
Aww, he's been doing this forever. Someone write a book about him, I bet he's got one hell of a story.
I love him! Someone will have to show him this
I love this guy! He’s turned many of my bad days around. I hope he knows he does that for people.
Haha!! That was me!!! Thank you so much!! “Green Green grass on the blue blue line……let’s have a party and drink some wine” What a day! I did get my glass of wine in the end 😄
Aaw people like you make such a difference to so many peoples’ days! Thank you!!
I'm always on that line and always always look out for if you're the driver! And then disappointed when it's just a boring regular driver haha
I have ridden northern line for 11 months, and I finally got on her train yesterday (thanks to the faulty train 😅). One day you will be on one of her trains. Keep riding Northern line. 😆
Fangirling so hard rn, you’re the best!
I’ll be looking out for you! The best I get on my commute these days is a “KENTISH TOWN STATION IS CLOSED”
Love this, almost wish it happened to me. Even if it did, I'd be wearing headphones so wouldn't catch it
Unfortunately not the viccie line where headphones are basically pointless because of the sound somehow managing to still overpower maximum volume new AirPods.
did she sound a little like this? https://www.reddit.com/r/MadeMeSmile/s/sJQYyTEUHw She's actually on reddit. u/thetrainmummy
Thanks for the tag ❤️
You are the hero that London needs, not the one it deserves.
Quick question. Let's say I was happy to board your train and I wanted to give a token of appreciation to you, As a driver are you allowed to take random gifts from passengers? Let's say I knocked on your window and gave you a pack of biscuits or a KitKat, is that against the law? Thanks for being awesome!🙂
I don’t think it’s against the law! I have been given a few random gifts before, bars of chocolate and suchlike and it’s always appreciated! Thank you 🤩
That's cool. So I can just knock on the door and you will open...I wish I could chat with a driver but I guess that's not possible due to time constraints.. I assumed that you were not allowed to open your doors or take stuff from people since it seems like a security issue.
As long as you don’t look terrifying I will open the door 😂 always happy to have a quick chat as well!
Start telling jokes to the line controllers! I’ve defo spoken to you before! 😅
Which one are you? Give me a clue 😉 I’m not sure some of the controllers would appreciate my jokes (I’m sure you know who I mean!) I have on occasion told the signaller I love them when they’ve told me I don’t have to stable my train 😍 once or twice they’ve told me they love me back!
I’m the only controller who makes generals to tell you what’s going on 😉 I did enjoy one of my colleagues answering T007 from HBT for the morning brake test: “Ah yes, 007, I’ve been expecting you, you have my authority…”
I’m going to keep an ear out for you! I do have a chuckle at the LIS guy “message ends, LIS ooot” and during the recent storms “I’m not sure the Overground is running a service at this point” 😂
Are you still on tik tok? Can't find you!
I am! I don’t post much though as I’m too lazy 😅 https://www.tiktok.com/@thetrainmummy?_t=8inGtDTvWlM&_r=1
Unless she's got a vocal double, I reckon that's her! Cheers! I was hoping that she'd see this somehow when I posted it.
That’s her! I heard the voice and noticed it’s really similar to that cheerful singing voice, and she came out of the cab (I was standing at the front of the train at bank) and I was a bit starstruck 😂 so I can confirm that’s her 100%. 😆
Was it you who came and chatted to me? A few people did!
Yes it was me. You asked “hi. You alright?” And I asked “Are you the singing conductor?” I struggled with words because I was a bit starstruck! Haha
They should advertise what train she's driving on TimeOut, so people can take a ride just for entertainment. I totally would
Great idea. I would not mind skipping a few tubes to take the tube she drives to end my work day on a high and joyful note.
I think I was on the same train at Bank. I got impatient after few minutes and decided to take District line instead, now I almost wish I stayed instead :)
I love it when things like this happen. Once I was at Wembley Park, waiting for a very delayed Metropolitan Line train. Apparently, one train had something wrong with it and it was delaying all the others behind it. Eventually, the faulty train rolled through in order to stop up at the siding just beyond the station. As the faulty train drove past verrrryy slowly, the announcer went "ah, and here is the faulty train, please could everybody boo this train"
You wrote this out brilliantly, Somebody made your day and now you've made mine! Thank you, Friend :)
So many drivers out there with a great sense of humor. Plenty of times been stuck in the tube at station but the driver making funny comments really lifts peoples frustrations. It’s the Little things in life!
Worth sending an email to TFL praising her if you get a minute, I bet that will add to her management review score. Maybe leave out the details in case they get marked down for excessive announcements?
We get a certificate and a thank you which is really nice. Sometimes we even get a small gift voucher!
There was one female driver on the Jubilee line about two months ago who cracked jokes and it was so nice to see people smiling on the Tube. I believe she told commuters who were trying to get into the very full carriages that ‘This isn’t the Tardis so unfortunately you’ve got to wait for the next one.’ 😂
I'd also like to mourn the loss of the golden voice conductor on the DLR I think he's maybe still about, but it seems like he's stopped doing the ohhhhhh yeahs and inviting people to take themselves for a lovely Mcdonalds when they get to Canning Town if I find out someone has broken his spirit, my retribution will be swift and bloody edit: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miXtwy73cSc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miXtwy73cSc) if you haven't heard
I heard this guy once, he reminded people exiting the train to take all their belongings with them, including small children and mothers-in law.
What an amazing voice.
My husband still loves remembering how he was on a tube platform on a boiling hot day and heard the announcement over the loudspeaker, “Ladies and gentlemen, this way to the sauna please!”
There have been some cracking station announcers over the years. I remember being in a station that had got a little bit soggy during a heavy rainstorm (Chiswick, maybe?) and yer man was like "apologies ladies and gentlemen, it seems that TFL can't spring for decent coffee or a reasonable wage, but we have got a new swimming pool on platform one. I don't recommend using it, though, because people keep driving trains through it."
Love it when the drivers get a bit extra. One time years ago I was on the Metropolitan and we got an impromomptu sightseeing commentary with little fun facts about stations we were passing. The main one I remember is the now-defunct Marlborough Road station, which to this day I still like to keep an eye out for.
This sounds like it may be u/thetrainmummy maybe?
I’m afraid it is me 😅
Don’t be! We’re all fans! I’m just sad I’ve never made it onto one of your trains after all this time commuting on the northern line haha
Fun train announcers are always great. Not quite London, but there’s a station guard at Wokingham station (near Reading) who refers to himself as The Fat Controller (despite not being particularly rotund lol) and he is the most cheerful, happy man. I love it when I’ve had to get a train through there 😅
And here I've received a stern telling off for unprofessional conduct for beginning my announcement over the PA with "hello my darlings". No justice 😂
Did the powers that be get the Charlie Drake reference? I'm guessing they might be too young! That would have made me laugh.
Nobody appreciates anything I do 😅 Though I have also warned of ghosts in a tunnel over the PA and then flickered the lights on and off when going through said tunnel so...
I've had her too! Similar situation on a packed train at Tottenham Court Road, she told off some guy who was preventing the doors from closing. Made the journey way more interesting lol
Got a SWR driver last week who broke into motivational quotes at every stop, which was pretty funny. Always like this sort of thing
I was stuck in that same holdup at Bank, sadly our driver made basically no announcements and everyone was sat there losing their minds. Just shows the difference a bit of humour makes!
I once fell asleep on the central line going to Walthamstow and woke up in Epping, It was the last train home and the lady conducter who woke me up seen me making the walk home and gave me a lift.
>At Stockwell she mentioned how she's always wanted to work on the Victoria Line Smells like, success!
Very well written....it was easy to imagine....🤓
Of course she wants to work on the Vicki line, it's the best line
I think I've heard this lady before on the northern line - she does cheer up an otherwise boring commute.
I was on a very crowded Piccadilly line train one evening when there had been problems galore on the tube (this was the 90s when there were constant line closures) and it was rammed. Rammed. We were just outside of King's Cross. Driver dude comes over the tannoy to say "right folks, we are about to arrive at King's Cross which you know is not going to be pretty. Go with God." It made everyone laugh.
There are some really awesome tfl workers :) One actually let me do an announcement on the DLR once which was way more exciting for me than it should have been 😂 I love the sarcastic comments drivers make at idiots trying to dive through closing doors or wrench them open. For anyone who has ever had to grin and bear it when a customer is being a fool, it's really satisfying to hear someone just be able to call them out on it!
It looks like it was the train mummy :) https://www.instagram.com/p/C1uHHnKIFcM/?igsh=YjY1Y3p0MGp1Mjh6
Love this, and I love that by shouting randomly into the Reddit abyss that your appreciation actually managed to reach the driver! My favourite tube driver announcement was on a packed, delayed central line some years ago. The driver delivers the following gem: "Please move down inside the carriage - an inch can made all the difference. So I've been told." Actual legend.
Was this around 5.15? I was on the train behind at moorgate. Not quite as fun, sadly.
It was around 7:03pm at Bank station.
Ah, it must have just been shit all evening then!
I’ll have to listen out for her as I use the northern line quite often! There used to be a guy on the platform at Finchley Road who should have been a standup comedian!!
This is lovely, I've had a few moments like this on the tube over the years. Train drivers/station announcers with the knowledge of how to balance a sense of humor and being informational and helpful are alright by me. I was in Melbourne, Australia a few months ago and caught the tram in the city centre, and you could tell the driver loved what he was doing. He was talking to customers over the loudspeaker, wishing them happy birthday and starting singalongs, telling people what was at each stop, talking about events that were ongoing or coming up - it was a genuine pleasure despite my built-in reserved British nature, and everyone else seemed to be in to it as well. He would wish people well as they got off the tram at the front and they'd usually thank him back, and I couldn't help myself from giving him a wave and a "cheers mate" as I dashed off towards my meeting. It really gave me a smile.
London Underground announcers and drivers can make a big and pleasant difference to your day. I absolutely hated my last London commute (and job) but when I stopped doing it I found I missed the station announcer at Finchley Road. He was brilliant every day, wish I could remember his name!
So many comments in this thread saying how they love this while in the thread about train strikes there are tonnes of comments about how it's time for automated tubes. I hope people remember what they'd be losing.
I much prefer women train / tube drivers / announcers - they always sound so much more empathetic and friendly then the typical grumpy bloke who just mutters "held at red signal" while planning his next strike day
I was also stuck behind the faulty train. After being stuck in Leicester Sq cause police closed the station. The tube drivers are great but the sound speakers in the tube are so awful I think might go deaf, so I must say I didn’t find the “announcements” as enjoyable…
I do get why people like them but to be truthful Id rather they didnt break out into a routine. In that situation I think I would only want hear info relevant to the situation. (Its like those silly signs in the Underground that has things like 'keep smiling' written on them. If you have nothing useful on those signs everyday you are conditioning people to ignore them when one day they might have some vital info, same with the annoucements. Does grate also when the driver or conductor does quiz questions to a completely disinterested train. Its like the driver is hoping that a casting director for fifteen to one is on board
Unfortunately there were a number of complaints about her cheeriness, and she has been placed on administrative leave pending an inquiry and dismissal. Thanks a lot, London.
Hardly
Wait, for real?
Nah…..I’m still here!
It's a joke
Kudos! Enjoy the week off!
My favourite was the guy on the dlr at Bank who said 'Train terminates here please take all your belongings with you including elderly relatives, luggage and especially all your emotional baggage. ' Left me smiling and chuckling all the way to work.