Anyone who has taken the train in New York City has probably heard of Bernie Wagenblast. He is the person behind the subway announcements that say things like “Please stay away from the closing doors” and “This is a Q train going to Brooklyn.”
Wagenblast has been the voice of the New York City subway system for over a decade, and his unique voice has become a familiar sound to millions of workers and tourists alike. In this answer, we’ll learn more about Bernie Wagenblast’s life and how he became the famous voice of the New York City train.
NYC Subway Voice Bernie Wagenblast
The person behind the recognizable voice on the other side of the New York City subway system has started a new life as a transgender woman. Some subway announcements and the AirTrain at Newark Liberty International Airport are voiced by Bernie Wagenblast.
Wagenblast is finally living as her true self after 60 years. She came out to her friends last year, and this January was the first time she came out publicly as a woman. As a woman presenting in public for the first time, I had attended an event, and it had gone really well, recalled Wagenblast. And I reasoned that now is the perfect time to act if I’m going to do it.
According to Wagenblast, she has known she was supposed to be a girl since she was four years old. “I remember sitting in front of my grandmother’s vanity and putting on some of her necklaces,” Wagenblast recalled. “I was over at my grandmother’s house.” A few others helped her along the road while she kept the secret, including her wife of 42 years.
You can also check out our most recent news on this page:
- A Quiet Place Day One Footage Revealed: Get Ready for a Terrifying Ride With a Quiet Place
- Man Shot De@d at Atlanta Gas Station: Atlanta Police Forced to Use De@dly Force
Throughout the course of their marriage, she has assisted me, according to Wagenblast. But they made the decision to wait until 2017 to tell their adult daughters. “It was very emotional,” Wagenblast remarked. It’s challenging to try to describe something you’ve experienced your entire life to someone who can’t really relate.
Growing up in the ’60s and ’70s in New Jersey, Wagenblast had no appropriate outlet for her actual emotions, so she channeled her energy into her passion: broadcast. Before becoming the voice of the local transit system, she found employment at local radio stations. She has now discovered her voice, and she wants to encourage others to do the same.
“I remember that teacher that I had shared with when I was 13 years old, and how much it meant to me to have her listen to me and for her to be an example of somebody that I could see,” Wagenblast said. “It was very important for me to share my story.”
She’s currently trying to make her voice seem more feminine. Apart from the professional voiceover work I do, I try to use this voice for almost everything, stated Wagenblast. So, the AirTrain and subway passengers will continue to hear that same sound for some time to come.