A LNER train manager is making a name for himself by entertaining passengers at stops on the Aberdeen to Edinburgh line.
While getting on the tannoy to say which station is coming up on the route, Ed Tumath shares a fact about the town, village or city.
When deciding which facts will make their way into his announcements, he favours those which are lighthearted and can be turned into a pun or joke.
His extra efforts aren’t going unnoticed, with passengers frequently commenting on how his announcements have lifted their spirits.
Mr Tumath told us: “Almost every day at least one passenger will comment as I’m walking through the train checking tickets asking if I’m the one on the announcements. I say ‘if you enjoy them then yes, if not then no I’m not.’”
Take a ride on the LNER with Mr Tumath using our interactive map:
‘You’re making this journey something special’
The 39-year-old from Aberdeen said he wanted to make train journeys “more than simply a means of getting from one place to another” for everyone from commuters to holidaymakers.
Passengers often take to social media to thank Mr Tumath for his announcements and give their review of his “dad jokes”.
Danielle said on Twitter: “This train manager (the 20:34 to Aberdeen) has so many dad jokes I am honestly I’m awe. 10/10 train narration, Ed. You’re making this journey something special.”
Katy also said: “Ed the train manager on the 09:08 from Dundee is a complete breath of fresh air! Local information and corny jokes included.”
This @LNER train manager (the 20:34 to Aberdeen) has so many dad jokes I am honestly I’m awe. 10/10 train narration, Ed. You’re making this journey something special.
— Danielle (@sentient_soup) April 28, 2022
Inspired
The LNER train manager once took a train ride that changed the way he thinks about his job.
“I took a train from Seattle up to Vancouver and I remember the train manager on that train making little announcements about the different places we passed by,” he said.
“I just felt it really turned the journey from simply being an A to B train ride into more of an experience and gave me a memory of these places even though I wasn’t getting off the train.”
Inspired by the trip, he set about building up his own repertoire of funny facts, determined to make each trip something special.
‘No two days are the same’
Mr Tumath is committed to going the extra mile in his role because it enables him to interact with passengers.
He added: “Instead of me going through and clicking a ticket and moving on I can engage a bit more. Quite often when I get off the train passengers will make the effort to actually come up to the back of the train and say thank you.
“When you’re interacting with people no two days are the same, they may not always be good days but they are days that make the job what it is and make it enjoyable.
“99% of the time we can really have a positive impact on people’s journeys.”