© Tania Savayan/The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK
(Poughkeepsie, NY) — The man behind the voice heard on Metro North and Long Island Rail Road announcements has passed away. Riders may not know Van Ritshie by name, but they have heard his voice for decades. Ritshie can be heard telling riders to “please watch the gap between the train and the platform” when getting on and off the train. That announcement was first recorded in 1995
Commuters took to social media to mourn Van Ritshie’s loss, so did New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who called his voice comforting.
Van Ritshie passed away earlier this month at the age of 80. He had worked in radio and the voice over industry for more than half a century.
