West Midlands Rail livery unveiled

[sprinterguy]

Sort-of 'London Midland County' and London Midland Metro', as Silverlink did?

And the same way that London Midland currently apply "londonmidland:city" branding to many units primarily used within the West Midlands (though, strangely having checked, not on the class 172 and 150 units).

It shouldn't be difficult to apply the West Midlands Rail identity solely to West Midlands 'captive' units in the form of the 170s, 172s and 323s (Or their equivalent if the new operator proposes alternative stock)*, leaving the West Coast fleet as corporate liveried interlopers into the region.

*Leaving the uncertain fate of the 150s and 153s out of it for the moment.

 

[physics34]

dont get me started on different colours for the doors again!!!

Liveries should include unbroken horizontal lines.... to give that image of speed and sleekness....

blocks and vertical lines are harsh on the eyes.

 

[DarloRich]

dont get me started on different colours for the doors again!!!

Liveries should include unbroken horizontal lines.... to give that image of speed and sleekness....

blocks and vertical lines are harsh on the eyes.

contrasting colours on the doors are required to comply with accessibility regulations.

 

[Bletchleyite]

dont get me started on different colours for the doors again!!!

It's required by law, so you'd best get used to it.

Done well it blends in nicely. The present LM livery, as many have said, is very pleasing on the eye. And the funny thing was...it was designed to be vinylled over the top of the original "BR blue and grey" on the 350/1s! (You'll notice if you compare one to a 350/2 coupled to it the grey is a slightly different shade).

 

[Clansman]

The Scotrail model of using an indefinite livery has really taken a toll here/

At least we go ours right.

That livery is hideous, they should've stuck with a green colour scheme rather than doing a mash-up consisting of LO, GWR and Northern.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The ScotRail livery is certainly attractive, though I personally think the use of the "chunky" serif letters for unit numbers looks a bit odd.

 

[Clansman]

The ScotRail livery is certainly attractive, though I personally think the use of the "chunky" serif letters for unit numbers looks a bit odd.

Thank goodness it only applies to 2 units (170470 & 170471). I've no idea why the font has been applied solely to the ex SPT Porterbrook units. Although I think they 2 are of those going down South next year, so may chunky unit numbers be around no longer than that.

 

[Mollman]

I don't think it is worth getting carried away just yet as it is only a proposed livery which has to pass consultation with the operator, if GoVia retain the franchise and they are sensible it may end up being a modified version of the current livery to keep some kind of shared identity. Remember that there will be some routes like Brum - Walsall that will have both the local and inter-regional services.

 

[trainmania100]

the front looks like a SWT 450 lol

 

[Bletchleyite]

Thank goodness it only applies to 2 units (170470 & 170471). I've no idea why the font has been applied solely to the ex SPT Porterbrook units. Although I think they 2 are of those going down South next year, so may chunky unit numbers be around no longer than that.

Erm:

http://c8.alamy.com/comp/D4AF7W/cla...nit-emu-at-a-platform-in-edinburgh-D4AF7W.jpg

(image of Class 334 with chunky rather than Helvetica unit numbers)

 

[Bletchleyite]

the front looks like a SWT 450 lol

Surely meant to be a hybrid of a 172 and a LM 350? LM use an image of such a theoretical hybrid on some of their publicity.

Edit: actually, it is just a 172, the 350-like look is because of the half-yellow gangway and yellow "jowls".

 

[cjmillsnun]

I think branding is a particular strong point of Govia, as all three of their TOCs have really strong liveries applied well across their respective businesses. London Midland is the best of the bunch though.

It'll be sad to see the LM colours disappear under this 'West Midlands Railway' mess... Was the brief to design something just as horrible as the Midland Metro livery? WMCA obviously value consistency!

Hmmm. I agree southeastern, southern, GatEx and LM have strong brand identities but Thameslink and great northern?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Hmmm. I agree southeastern, southern, GatEx and LM have strong brand identities but Thameslink and great northern?

Thameslink doesn't have a strong livery[1], but the name is certainly well established, and I don't think anyone ever called it First Capital Connect other than when insulting the franchisee or writing to their complaints department.

[1] Though I was a fan of the unified image the GTR "riband" logos provided, and I did think it a shame that that unified image was abandoned - I actually looked forward to seeing a green Southern version. I'm a big fan of that kind of themed branding - another I liked was the way Regional Railways had alternate colour schemes of the same base livery for PTE services.

 

[fgwrich]

It's required by law, so you'd best get used to it.

Done well it blends in nicely. The present LM livery, as many have said, is very pleasing on the eye. And the funny thing was...it was designed to be vinylled over the top of the original "BR blue and grey" on the 350/1s! (You'll notice if you compare one to a 350/2 coupled to it the grey is a slightly different shade).

Indeed so! 350105 on the left and 350258 on the right.

 

[Clansman]

Erm:

http://c8.alamy.com/comp/D4AF7W/cla...nit-emu-at-a-platform-in-edinburgh-D4AF7W.jpg

(image of Class 334 with chunky rather than Helvetica unit numbers)

Apologies, forgot about the 334s. I'm not a regular traveler on them so it completely passed me by. No idea why Scotrail chose to have some unit numbers large on the front, it looks daft in my opinion.

Although I think 170470 & 170471 trumps the 334s for font size anyway...

Picture attached from Brian Garret Photography

 

[Bletchleyite]

Indeed so! 350105 on the left and 350258 on the right.

It's a useful way of identifying if there's a /1 further along the platform without having to walk out from it a bit to see what font the end unit number is in (the other giveaway).

 

[physics34]

contrasting colours on the doors are required to comply with accessibility regulations.

Yep...but i think their are bigger accessibly issues on the railway than the colour of the doors. I believe its overkill. I expect backlash on this and i normally get it!

 

[Rail Blues]

Does anybody know which design company worked to produce this?

Stevie Wonder Design

 

[Bletchleyite]

Yep...but i think their are bigger accessibly issues on the railway than the colour of the doors. I believe its overkill. I expect backlash on this and i normally get it!

As a passenger who is not disabled I also like it, as it makes the doors clearly visible on an approaching train.

 

[Bevan Price]

Don't know what's so new about this news, the very same picture was in Modern Railways December issue.

Lots of people do not read Modern Railways.

As for the livery - it seems a gross waste of money to change liveries until stock or stations are looking worn / tatty.

 

[59CosG95]

Lots of people do not read Modern Railways.

As for the livery - it seems a gross waste of money to change liveries until stock or stations are looking worn / tatty.

A lot of the 323s look as if they've seen better days; their recently removed London Midland: City branding still lingers in places. With the 172s and newer 350s however, it wouldn't make as much sense; they'll probably be done last. I suspect the 170s/153s will be the first candidates, as they all look rather scruffy.

 

[DarloRich]

Yep...but i think their are bigger accessibly issues on the railway than the colour of the doors. I believe its overkill. I expect backlash on this and i normally get it!

I agree - but paint is part of the legislation that can easily and most importantly, cheaply, be complied with.

 

[MK Tom]

Presumably if GoVia win the franchise the LM livery and brand will be retained for the longer distance routes not covered by this project?

 

[XCTurbostar]

Presumably if GoVia win the franchise the LM livery and brand will be retained for the longer distance routes not covered by this project?

The Consultation and ITT didnt read that way to me. Sounds more like they (TfWM) want two brands which are non TOC specific like Great Western Railway and ScotRail for example. I think London Midland, as a name and a brand will cease to exist after October 2017.

Thanks,
Ross

 

[Bletchleyite]

The Consultation and ITT didnt read that way to me. Sounds more like they (TfWM) want two brands which are non TOC specific like Great Western Railway and ScotRail for example. I think London Midland, as a name and a brand will cease to exist after October 2017.

If Govia would be willing to relinquish the brand "London Midland", perhaps for a fee, it's no worse than any other. It doesn't contain any company name in it. It's descriptive.

In any case TfWM don't get to specify anything about the WCML brand and service.

 

[507021]

I like it, at least it has something about it unlike the dull and boring Thameslink "livery".

 

[Deepgreen]

Ghastly livery.

 

[MrTurbostar170]

What even is that?

 

[Class172]

Clearly the current LM livery is the best in my opinion, but I can understand the desire for a new idea.

Quite frankly, although it isn't plain white like some of the latest liveries, it is rather hideous in its current form. Nonetheless, I feel with some tinkering it could become quite attractive, perhaps by taking some design cues from LM's livery.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Do any of these trains operate on non-NWM services? If not, why don't they just receive PTE livery?