BART Station Announcements (Including George and Gracie)

Sounds of BART Part III: Station Announcements
0:00 - Introduction
0:28 - George ETA
3:39 - George Now Approaching
4:19 - George Transfer
4:40 - George Now Boarding
5:06 - Gracie ETA
6:45 - Gracie Now Approaching
7:30 - Gracie Now Boarding
8:04 - Manual Station Announcements
11:04 - Elevator Updates
Some common and rather rare automated announcements, done by two voices (nicknamed George and Gracie). No doubt an iconic duo for the past 18 (ish) years.
George and Gracie alternate platforms - George is platform 2, Gracie is platform 1, generally on the Alameda County and Market/Mission lines.
They follow a basic patten, and repeat every few minutes. Note the overall lack of plural "minutes"
Also some pre-recorded announcements on various topics, and the elevator updates

[@beebfajeejy]

the way george says "san francisco airport" is permanently burned into my brain

[@dnglchlk]

I really hope they don't replace them in the coming years like it's been rumored, I actually kind of hated what they did with the muni announcements, but those are pre-recorded, as opposed to George and Gracie being synthetic, which means they can really be tweaked to meet new demands. I actually emailed one of the engineers at Alcatel-Lucent that had been responsible for creating them and he had said they don't even have the software anymore that made them speak, so BART is really the last remaining example of a functioning use of the software.

[@jonalderson5571]

It should be given historical protection status

[@SigmaRho2922]

I think they should use Mac TTS software

[@cashvault1996]

Well, they are still making announcements of the trains in the stations, but new voice announcers came for the new trains.

[@CityLifeinAmerica]

I hope they keep these for a long time to come. They’re the voice of BART!

[@daddygrasshopper]

Like hearing the voice of an old friend after years apart...

[@natebailey1122]

I hear this in my memories of hoping not to get screamed at by someone in civic center station

[@ATPTransit]

Indeed, some call it "Civic Sewer" for a reason

[@potatoesare_jesus2278]

When I was a kid these voices used to scare me 😟

[@cubdukat]

Wow, they actually have names? That's so cool!

[@calebreese2311]

I took Bart all the time when I lived in the Bay Area, and I just learned they have names like 2 months ago

[@mwiz100]

So as I recall (despite what I've read) is that one announced all northbound trains, and the other soundbound. Of which I'm pretty sure offhand George is for north and Gracie south.

[@muniadventureswithantonmor8058]

George and Gracie are funny! Also, I think Gracie's voice is more like a male voice.

[@marcuscheng2507]

The one in South San Francisco makes me laugh especially George!

[@anuchakongthavorn6884]

I love your video. Thank you.

[@VOLTRONDEFENDER4440]

the 2 car train is rare and was only in the old days where its only a 2 car train

[@A.Matt7]

I will always take a 2 door train. I don't wanna get stranded...

[@The_BayAreaRailfan]

Lmao 🤣

[@TheSearleFamily123]

Do you know the voice who provides the messages at the eBART platforms (Pittsburg/Bay Point, Pittsburg Center and Antioch)? Hint: it's neither George nor Gracie.

[@WMAC_Master]

classic love it

[@SCGB127]

That's rare a two-car train I thought that was back in the day

[@calebreese2311]

In the almost 16 years I lived in the Bay Area and the countless times I took BART, I never saw a 2-car train ever

[@The_BayAreaRailfan]

Unless it’s in a yard

[@cashvault1996]

Maybe they did those trains way back in the day when there wasn't as much people. But I think they needed to add more cars than that today because of the Bay area's overpopulation rate.

[@ATPTransit]

Back in 1972 (for about 3 months) they ran 2 car trains, A car and A car. There weren't enough B cars in the early days to run long trains. CPUC won't allow 2 car trains in revenue service. However yard movements can have consist sizes ranging from 1 car to over 10 (even up to around 20 cars)

[@SCGB127]

@@ATPTransit damn as much as I ride BART I would like to see that

[@jonathanmthomas2728]

I'm originally from the bay area but I never understood the numbered car train meaning. They say "5 car train" for example and i swear to God that train had a lot more than 5 cars it seemed like

[@ATPTransit]

Generally, they are pretty accurate. BART cars are pretty long, which can make it a bit hard to count. One easy way to confirm the train length (most of the time) is to count the black edge squares on the platform. An 8 car train will have 2 dots forward and behind the train for example

[@jonathanmthomas2728]

@@ATPTransit what do they mean by five car train for example?

[@ATPTransit]

For 5 cars, it will be 5 cars long. For train cars, maybe CBBBC. Berthed in the middle of the platform, with lots of space open at each end of the platform

[@dungus482]

4:49 for SFO

[@riversiderocks]

Was there actually a two car train? Also, is the 2 door train announcement for the old rolling stock?

[@ATPTransit]

Yes, but not since 1972. This was a bug. The two door announcement meant legacy cars, three doors meant fleet of the future.

[@ElevatingArizonaByGageWilliams]

Creepy voice BART announcements

[@WMAC_Master]

when do they run 4 car trains?! I haven't seen one in years

[@WMAC_Master]

and 2 car?!

[@ATPTransit]

Four car trains - Red line, Orange line, Purple line before the pandemic, and 2 car trains were around in 1972 (this was a bug/error announcement).

[@ADpre]

A 2 car train!

[@sslvsme5763]

Wow, I had to search this up because I recently went on Bart after many years and it sounded different. Memories, grew up on this shi… like when you feel the air brushing up on you and you hear the train coming… it’s giving me a mental orgasm. (Didn’t even know they had names) I like Gracie the most… so hot

[@northerncalirails2008]

Can u do one for caltrain

[@ATPTransit]

Soon. I am still collecting video on it. A lot more Caltrain stuff is in the works too.

[@northerncalirails2008]

@@ATPTransit alright sounds great

[@The_BayAreaRailfan]

Sadly the FOTFs have completely displaced the old bois on the yellow

[@Bogarttherideop]

1:40 a train for MacArthur?

[@basictransportenthusiast4386]

Briefly they ran the blue line on Sunday’s to MacArthur leaving only the yellow line to serve San Francisco, probably their dumbest Sunday schedule in the history of the system

[@markkerr7059]

6:52

[@calleywang6203]

Theyre not very easy to understand

[@derrickw5204]

They are if you pay attention and listen closely !

[@cashvault1996]

Poor outdated software. RIP, George & Gracie. It'll not be this great again once they take them out. i believe that the company that works for this software is out of business today.