Vannessa Sloan becomes the new voice of ScotRail Class 380 trains

ScotRail passengers will hear a familiar Scottish voice on some trains from today (Wednesday, 10 December), as the operator introduces a new voice for automated on-train announcements.

The new messages feature recordings from Paisley-based ScotRail employee Vannessa Sloan. She was selected following an internal search in which eight colleagues recorded sample announcements. Many of these staff members already deliver real-time information to passengers from ScotRail’s Customer Information Centre in Paisley, meaning Vannessa’s voice is already well known to many travellers.

In collaboration with text-to-speech technology partner ReadSpeaker, Vannessa recorded hundreds of words, sentences, station names, and sounds, including those with challenging Scottish pronunciations, across 18 studio sessions. These recordings have been used to create a secure, text-to-speech voice that operates exclusively on ScotRail’s systems, delivering clear and accurate announcements for passengers.

The voice will debut on Class 380 trains, with a wider rollout across ScotRail’s fleet planned for 2026, replacing the current “Iona” announcements. The updated system aims to modernise on-board announcements and make them more reflective of the routes served.

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.”

Image: ScotRail