Hits Radio East Yorkshire listener wins train announcer experience

A Hits Radio East Yorkshire listener has been given the chance to be an onboard announcer for the day with Hull Trains.

Sharon Blagdon was crowned the best voice in East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire by listeners to the station.

As part of her prize, Sharon also won a pair of First Class tickets for a return journey to London and the chance to use the Hull-based operator’s train simulator which is based in the city. The equipment was recently launched at Hull Trains’ Learning and Development Academy in the K2 building.

Sharon, who was tasked with reading a variety of onboard announcements on her return journey to Selby, was accompanied by breakfast show presenters Alex and Nicola.

Lou Mendham, Service Delivery Director at Hull Trains, said: “We were thrilled to take part in this exciting competition with Hits Radio. Our customers and on-board team were particularly impressed with Sharon’s announcing skills, she was a natural!

“We’re proud to be part of the local communities we serve and providing opportunities like this one really showcases that. If seeing Sharon have a go at announcing has inspired you, then we’re always on the lookout for talented people to join us. We have a great team at Hull Trains who all deliver a wide range of services across a variety of roles.”

Winner Sharon loved the experience. She said: “It was amazing to be part of the day with Hull Trains and I was made to feel so welcome by all the team.

“I’ll admit that I was a little nervous, but Alex and Nicola put me at ease for the big announcements on board. Thanks to everyone for such a great experience. I can’t wait to book my First Class tickets to London now… I’ll leave the announcements on that journey to the professionals though!”

Presenters Alex and Nicola, who are heard across the region, said: “Thanks to Hull Trains for an amazing day. The whole on-board team were fantastic and they went above and beyond to keep us comfy… we even got to sample their delicious new First Class menu and some treats from the trolly.

“It wasn’t quite the ‘normal’ Hull Trains experience… We had a go at serving some drinks and our trolley service left a lot to be desired! However, we think our winner Sharon smashed it with the train announcements. Thankfully, normal service has now resumed.”