George and Gracie - The BART Plaform Voices
The uniquely-BART platform voices, officially nicknamed George (male voice) and Gracie (female voice) are the automated text-to-speech ETA and destination announcements heard on virtually all conventional-BART platforms. These voices
Bell Labs Technology
The technology is a now ancient Bell Labs/Lucent Technology product, applied for BART under the Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS) project around the very early 2000s. BART is quite possibly the last widespread usage of this TTS package – no doubt it feels a little dated, but on the other hand, it is iconically BART – no trip is complete without hearing old George and Gracie help you board the right train. They have a robotic accent – sounding like they are struggling with a few complex pronunciations such as “Berry-essa” or “Mac-ar-thur”, or really stressing that "Redline" train to Richmond.
Typical Announcements
Generally, George and Gracie only announce train ETAs, train approaching, train boarding, transfers, and train cancellations.
These include:
ETA: “10 car, 2 door, train for Antioch in 14 minute”
Train Approaching: “6 car, 2 door, Richmond train now approaching, platform 2”
Transfers: “For SFO Millbrae trains transfer at Balboa Park”
Train Boarding: “5 car Richmond train now boarding, platform 2”
Cancellation: “Train for Daly City scheduled to arrive at 7:07 [seven o’seven] AM is canceled”
Bell Labs Technology
The technology is a now ancient Bell Labs/Lucent Technology product, applied for BART under the Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS) project around the very early 2000s. BART is quite possibly the last widespread usage of this TTS package – no doubt it feels a little dated, but on the other hand, it is iconically BART – no trip is complete without hearing old George and Gracie help you board the right train. They have a robotic accent – sounding like they are struggling with a few complex pronunciations such as “Berry-essa” or “Mac-ar-thur”, or really stressing that "Redline" train to Richmond.
Typical Announcements
Generally, George and Gracie only announce train ETAs, train approaching, train boarding, transfers, and train cancellations.
These include:
ETA: “10 car, 2 door, train for Antioch in 14 minute”
Train Approaching: “6 car, 2 door, Richmond train now approaching, platform 2”
Transfers: “For SFO Millbrae trains transfer at Balboa Park”
Train Boarding: “5 car Richmond train now boarding, platform 2”
Cancellation: “Train for Daly City scheduled to arrive at 7:07 [seven o’seven] AM is canceled”
Voices by station, by line:
A Line: Lake Merritt to Fremont
George: Platform 2, to San Francisco, Richmond, and Daly City
Gracie: Platform 1, to Dublin and Berryessa
S Line: Warm Springs to Berryessa
(As per Milpitas)
George: Platform 1, to Berryessa
Gracie: Platform 2, to San Francisco, Richmond, and Daly City
K Line: 12th St to MacArthur
19th St:
George: Platform 2: to Berryessa, San Francisco, Daly City, Millbrae, and SFO Airport
Gracie: Platforms 1 and 3, to Richmond and Antioch
12th St:
George: Platforms 1 and 3, to Richmond and Antioch
Gracie: Platform 2, to Berryessa, San Francisco, Daly City, Millbrae, and SFO Airport
MacArthur:
George: Platforms 2 and 4, for Berryessa, San Francisco, SFO Airport, Millbrae
Gracie: Platforms 1 and 3, for Richmond and Antioch
C Line: Rockridge to Pittsburg/Bay Point
George: Platform 2, for San Francisco, SFO Airport
Gracie: Platform 1, for Pittsburg/Bay Point, Antioch
(As per Walnut Creek)
L Line: Castro Valley to Dublin
George: Platform 2, for San Francisco/Daly City
Gracie: Platform 1, for Dublin/Pleasanton
M Line: West Oakland to Daly City
George: Platform 2 for Richmond, Antioch, Dublin, and Berryessa
Gracie: Platform 1, for Daly City, Millbrae, and SFO Airport
Daly City:
George: Platform 1, for SFO Airport and Millbrae and Platform 3, for Dublin and Berryessa (with “San Francisco” as part of destination)
Gracie: Platform 2, for Richmond and Antioch (with “San Francisco” as part of destination)
W and Y lines: Colma to Millbrae and SFO Airport
George: Platform 1, for Millbrae and SFO Airport. Millbrae Platform 3
Gracie: Platform 2, for San Francisco, Richmond, and Antioch
R Line: Ashby to Richmond
George: Platform 2 for Berryessa, San Francisco, and Millbrae/SFO Airport
Gracie: Platform 1, for Richmond
H Line: Oakland Airport Connector
Does not use George and Gracie; uses Cortana or Siri-style voice.
E Line: eBART Pittsburg Transfer to Antioch
Does not use George and Gracie; uses different voices
A Line: Lake Merritt to Fremont
George: Platform 2, to San Francisco, Richmond, and Daly City
Gracie: Platform 1, to Dublin and Berryessa
S Line: Warm Springs to Berryessa
(As per Milpitas)
George: Platform 1, to Berryessa
Gracie: Platform 2, to San Francisco, Richmond, and Daly City
K Line: 12th St to MacArthur
19th St:
George: Platform 2: to Berryessa, San Francisco, Daly City, Millbrae, and SFO Airport
Gracie: Platforms 1 and 3, to Richmond and Antioch
12th St:
George: Platforms 1 and 3, to Richmond and Antioch
Gracie: Platform 2, to Berryessa, San Francisco, Daly City, Millbrae, and SFO Airport
MacArthur:
George: Platforms 2 and 4, for Berryessa, San Francisco, SFO Airport, Millbrae
Gracie: Platforms 1 and 3, for Richmond and Antioch
C Line: Rockridge to Pittsburg/Bay Point
George: Platform 2, for San Francisco, SFO Airport
Gracie: Platform 1, for Pittsburg/Bay Point, Antioch
(As per Walnut Creek)
L Line: Castro Valley to Dublin
George: Platform 2, for San Francisco/Daly City
Gracie: Platform 1, for Dublin/Pleasanton
M Line: West Oakland to Daly City
George: Platform 2 for Richmond, Antioch, Dublin, and Berryessa
Gracie: Platform 1, for Daly City, Millbrae, and SFO Airport
Daly City:
George: Platform 1, for SFO Airport and Millbrae and Platform 3, for Dublin and Berryessa (with “San Francisco” as part of destination)
Gracie: Platform 2, for Richmond and Antioch (with “San Francisco” as part of destination)
W and Y lines: Colma to Millbrae and SFO Airport
George: Platform 1, for Millbrae and SFO Airport. Millbrae Platform 3
Gracie: Platform 2, for San Francisco, Richmond, and Antioch
R Line: Ashby to Richmond
George: Platform 2 for Berryessa, San Francisco, and Millbrae/SFO Airport
Gracie: Platform 1, for Richmond
H Line: Oakland Airport Connector
Does not use George and Gracie; uses Cortana or Siri-style voice.
E Line: eBART Pittsburg Transfer to Antioch
Does not use George and Gracie; uses different voices
Rant: Taking Longer and Longer to get the Same Message Across
Like many things with BART, there is a sense of deceleration and drawing out useful processes into overloaded and less clear messages. Such is the problem with George and Gracie.
Originally, the ETA message was short and sweet – 6 words, telling one that their train was a few minutes away. Though the past 20 years, the message is now almost double the original. ETA messages now include train length, number of doors (2=Legacy train, 3=FoTF), and “Oakland Airport” for trains passing through not Oakland Airport, but just Coliseum! At this rate, I reckon every single BART station and neighborhood will be part of the announcements by 2072. Seriously, these messages are getting way too long and making things more confusing, IMHO.
Example: Waiting for a 10 car Green Line train at Montgomery St.
Original ETA (c.2005): “Train for Fremont in 5 minute.”
Updated ETA (with train length): “10 car train for Fremont in 5 minute.”
Updated ETA (for FOTF/Legacy cars – effective Summer 2019): “10 car, 3 door, train for Warm Spring in 5 minute.”
Updated ETA (for OAK Airport connection - effective 1/7/22): “10 car, 3 door, train for O-A-K Airport Berryessa in 5 minute.”
9/11/2023 Update:
BART now fully refers to the lines as "color first" instead of destination first. George and Gracie now say the line color instead of 2 or 3 door, since only 3 door Fleet of the Future trains are in scheduled service.
Example: "6 car, Green Line, train for O-A-K Airport Berryessa in 5 minute.”
RIP “Train for Fremont in 5 minute.”
Like many things with BART, there is a sense of deceleration and drawing out useful processes into overloaded and less clear messages. Such is the problem with George and Gracie.
Originally, the ETA message was short and sweet – 6 words, telling one that their train was a few minutes away. Though the past 20 years, the message is now almost double the original. ETA messages now include train length, number of doors (2=Legacy train, 3=FoTF), and “Oakland Airport” for trains passing through not Oakland Airport, but just Coliseum! At this rate, I reckon every single BART station and neighborhood will be part of the announcements by 2072. Seriously, these messages are getting way too long and making things more confusing, IMHO.
Example: Waiting for a 10 car Green Line train at Montgomery St.
Original ETA (c.2005): “Train for Fremont in 5 minute.”
Updated ETA (with train length): “10 car train for Fremont in 5 minute.”
Updated ETA (for FOTF/Legacy cars – effective Summer 2019): “10 car, 3 door, train for Warm Spring in 5 minute.”
Updated ETA (for OAK Airport connection - effective 1/7/22): “10 car, 3 door, train for O-A-K Airport Berryessa in 5 minute.”
9/11/2023 Update:
BART now fully refers to the lines as "color first" instead of destination first. George and Gracie now say the line color instead of 2 or 3 door, since only 3 door Fleet of the Future trains are in scheduled service.
Example: "6 car, Green Line, train for O-A-K Airport Berryessa in 5 minute.”
RIP “Train for Fremont in 5 minute.”
