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Fletcher Mathers

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Fletcher Mathers
Mathers in 2018
Born1963 (age 62–63)
Scone, Scotland
CitizenshipUnited Kingdom
Occupations
  • Actress
  • Voice actress
  • Director
Years active1989–present
Known forAnnouncer for ScotRail trains
Mathers voice
Her recreation of the ScotRail train announcement from 2018
Recorded April 27, 2018

Fletcher Mathers (born 1963) is a Scottish actress and director who was the announcer for ScotRail trains from 2005 to 2025, before being replaced by a text-to-speech voice provided by ReadSpeaker. She has also appeared in Television series, theatrical plays and short films.

Life and career

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Mathers was born on 1963[1] in Scone, Perthshire and was trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow.[2]

In 2005, Mathers recorded announcements for ScotRail trains, including the approach for each stop,[3] with the voice lines being recorded in Nottingham.[4] Over the next 20 years she recorded occasional additions and updates to the recordings.[3] In 2025, ScotRail started rolling out a new AI voice, which was provided by ReadSpeaker, for their service, replacing older messages recorded by Mathers.[5][6] Mathers only learned she was being replaced after a friend heard the new synthetic voice on board.[7] In an interview with The National, Mathers said it had been "a bit hurtful that they hadn't informed me that they were changing".[3]

Mathers has also worked in television, appearing in the series Taggart in 1990[3][8] and Shetland in 2013.[9] In theatre, she was in The 306: Day at Station Hotel, Perth from 2017,[10] Sylvia Dow and Secret Wrapped in Lead in 2023,[2][11] and Maiden Mother Mage in 2025.[12][13][14]

Mathers also directed the play Katie Morag with actress Sally Reid, in 2007.[15] Mathers was the star of the 2010 short film Choices, which was nominated for the 2010 British Academy Scotland New Talent Awards.[16]

Filmography

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Television
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1989 The Play on One Brenda Govan Ghost Story [17]
1990 Taggart Lillias Blacklock Series 6, Episode 2 [3]
1991 City Lights (1984 TV series) Miss Goole Series 6, Episode 7
1994 Doctor Finlay Fiona Sturges Series 3, Episode 1
2012 Dani's House Grandma Judith Series 5, Episode 12
2013 Shetland Bridal Shop Owner Series 3, Episode 3 [9]
Theatrical plays
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2007 Katie Morag Director
2017 The 306: Day at Station Hotel, Perth Written by Oliver Emanuel
2023 Sylvia Dow
2023 Secret Wrapped in Lead
2025 Maiden Mother Mage
Short film
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2010 Choices The Woman [16]
2017 Do Not Disturb Carla

References

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  1. ↑ "Fletcher Mathers - Playwright". www.doollee.com. Retrieved 2025-08-18.
  2. 1 2 "Woman Walking by Sylvia Dow: Coming to Dumfries & Galloway | DGWGO". 2023-09-23. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "I've voiced ScotRail trains for 20 years and was replaced with AI without being told". The National. 2025-05-30. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
  4. ↑ "The Voice of ScotRail". URTV Leith. Archived from the original on 2015-11-27. Retrieved 2025-08-17.
  5. ↑ "ScotRail issues statement on new AI voice announcements". The National. 2025-05-16. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
  6. ↑ "When AI kills off the ScotRail lady, you know we're all in trouble". The Herald. 2025-06-03. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
  7. ↑ "ScotRail launches new AI announcer after row with voiceover artist". The National. 2025-12-12. Retrieved 2025-12-13.
  8. ↑ "Episode 2, Season 6 : Death Comes Softly - Taggart". digiguide.tv. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
  9. 1 2 "BBC One - Shetland, Series 3, Episode 3". BBC. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
  10. ↑ Radcliffe, Allan (2017-05-15). "Theatre: The 306: Day at Station Hotel, Perth". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 2025-08-17.
  11. ↑ "A Secret Wrapped in Lead -Loaningdale Arts". Corr Blimey. 2023-07-24. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
  12. ↑ "Gaelic culture in July 2025: Maiden Mother Mage". The List. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
  13. ↑ "Review: Maiden Mother Mage gives voice to ancient princess and saint". Dunfermline Press. 2025-07-18. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
  14. ↑ "Maiden Mother Mage". The List. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
  15. ↑ Scott, Robert Dawson (2008-04-22). "Katie Morag at Citizens Theatre, Glasgow". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 2025-08-18.
  16. 1 2 "New Talent Awards Winners in 2010 - Awards - Scotland - The BAFTA site". www.bafta.org. Archived from the original on 2010-08-24. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
  17. ↑ "BBC Programme Index". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. 1989-03-07. Retrieved 2025-08-17.
[edit]

Fletcher Mathers at IMDb

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