His dulcet tones are well known to millions of rail passengers.

Now people in Bradford have had the chance to put a face to the voice of station announcements.

Leading voice-over artist Phil Sayer appeared in person at Bradford Interchange today to mark the completion of a £3.3 million project to improve customer information systems at stations across Yorkshire.

Equipped with a megaphone, he treated surprised passengers to live announcements as he walked up and down platform two.

Mr Sayer, whose voice is used at stations across the UK, said: “I think people work out that it’s an automated system but what sort of voice and what sort of person they think is behind that, I don’t know.”

Northern Rail, Metro, Network Rail and the Department for Transport have funded the new integrated systems that give up-to-the-minute information. The system will link audible and visual information and deliver it together.

Analogue lines have been replaced with digital links, while new amplifiers have been installed to improve the quality of announcements and older information screens have been replaced with new hi-tech screens.

Steve Butcher, area director for Northern Rail, said: “These new and improved systems will make a big difference to many thousands of customers every day.”

e-mail: will.kilner@telegraphandargus.co.uk