Virgin Trains (VTWC) new livery being introduced

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Be a shame to see the old Virgin livery go, I quite liked it, quite minimalist and flowed well but still very distinctive. Far better than the complicated mess they have on the HSTs and 91s. Is it me or does the VTEC livery look rather like a mid 2000s website when complex contrasting colour schemes were the design vogue.

Thank goodness other train companies are following the trend of more minimalistic colour schemes. My two favourite recent colour schemes being the new Southeastern livery on the 377s and the GW livery.

The current livery has gone the other way from the VTEC branding, too minimalist bordering onto dull, but as stated previously I know it's an interim measure. Still far better than the VTEC livery though.

There's worse liveries the 390s could be in ...

1. VTEC livery being a mess is definitely your opinion! I love everything VTEC including the livery!

2. Just seen your location! My nearest station is Aldershot too!

 

[D365]

I love everything VTEC including the livery!

Bit of a contradiction with your signature surely.

 

[Starmill]

The red bit, as it has been put, is meant to be like silk I believe. It is certainly known as 'Flying Silk'.

I do find it a bit odd how much weight people are attaching to it though. Aesthetics are very important, but paint is no less a maintenance issue for it. That is the point of this.

 

[dk1]

The red bit, as it has been put, is meant to be like silk I believe. It is certainly known as 'Flying Silk'.

I do find it a bit odd how much weight people are attaching to it though. Aesthetics are very important, but paint is no less a maintenance issue for it. That is the point of this.

"Flowing Silk" is I think their call on it.

 

[Crossover]

I guess the vinyl nameplates are for ease of removal. I think the originals were glued, so would muck up the paint. (There are certainly no visible screws/bolts).

The originals looked like they were bolted, or at least that's the impression they gave

 

[Emblematic]

The originals looked like they were bolted, or at least that's the impression they gave

Tony Miles has suggested that the nameplate fixing holes are being filled during the repaint so it doesn't need attention at franchise changeover, which makes sense.

 

[87015]

Tony Miles has suggested that the nameplate fixing holes are being filled during the repaint so it doesn't need attention at franchise changeover, which makes sense.

He does love a defend VT quote. Filling the holes in certainly doesn't need time in works, anyone can do it on a depot very quickly. What utter nonsense

 

[Emblematic]

He does love a defend VT quote. Filling the holes in certainly doesn't need time in works, anyone can do it on a depot very quickly. What utter nonsense

Well, I suppose the idea is that all of the branding can now be removed very quickly, it just peels off including the nameplates. If you're having to remove cast plates and make good, you'd need longer.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I saw 390010 yesterday as it passed us at Ledburn, and I don't think it looks half as bad in reality as the mock ups and photos people have posted. Very simple but very sleek. That said mind I was never entirely sold on what is now the old 390 livery...

 

[43021HST]

I think it makes them look older. Crazy how much of an effect something as simple as the shape of the line between the yellow front and the side has.

It feels strange to be describing the Pendo's as 'old' and 'mid life'.

To those saying, that it's only a bit of paint it doesn't effect the mechanics of the train. The livery matters as it's the biggest exercise in public relations a rail company can make. It's a bit like creating a public web page in only HTML and then saying who cares what it looks like, it works!

My thoughts exactly Peter. Onwards & upwards. You get nowhere standing still.

But isn't that the point of debating it on a forum? Saying we can't debate something because it's progress, is pretty fatuous as to implement progress you need enough people to criticise and debate something enough.

Bit of a contradiction with your signature surely.

I think he's being contrary masquerading as controversy for the sake of it comes to mind.

 

[StewLane]

To me it does not say speed or intercity, rather it says suburban. I realise I may be in the minority here but I guess it is personal whether you like a livery or not.

 

[dk1]

But isn't that the point of debating it on a forum? Saying we can't debate something because it's progress, is pretty fatuous as to implement progress you need enough people to criticise and debate something enough.

You've completely lost me.

 

[route101]

The carriages kinda make it look like class 800s.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The carriages kinda make it look like class 800s.

They are a bit like Class 800s - smallish windows, long (24m intermediate, 25m end vs 26m on 800s) carriages.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Saw one at Euston today. End coaches look really good, intermediates exceptionally bland.

 

[AlterEgo]

Pictures look dreadful. Nearly all-white, bland, boring...

 

[Emblematic]

They'll be even blander if/when they peel off the vinyl at the end of the franchise!

Do my eyes deceive me, or has even the recessed shield at the front been made flush, and the Virgin badge is just another vinyl?

 

[XCTurbostar]

Do my eyes deceive me, or has even the recessed shield at the front been made flush, and the Virgin badge is just another vinyl?

The Virgin Shield on the front is now a sticker.. the name plate is also sticker..

Thanks,
Ross

 

[387star]

The Virgin Shield on the front is now a sticker.. the name plate is also sticker..

Thanks,
Ross

I wonder if the sticker hides an unsightly indentation where the shield once was.. the crosscountry voyagers still have the odd shade of yellow where the shield once was which looks a bit tacky

 

[387star]

too much vinyl can also be a bad thing...the east coast stock looks pretty tatty with various marks along the bodyside

 

[Emblematic]

I wonder if the sticker hides an unsightly indentation where the shield once was.. the crosscountry voyagers still have the odd shade of yellow where the shield once was which looks a bit tacky

I would think that once Alstom have finished the paint job that everything is pretty-near perfect, I'd be surprised if the ROSCO didn't have an inspector signing the job off. Only then do the Virgin stickies get added.

 

[dk1]

too much vinyl can also be a bad thing...the east coast stock looks pretty tatty with various marks along the bodyside

The small indentations on it gradually get engrained with dirt & ruin the finish. Just look at how good the GA Intercity 90s/sets look as opposed to the locos that NX wallpapered in white a few years back.

 

[E_Reeves]

Any idea where 010 is today?

 

[prod_pep]

Any idea where 010 is today?

A bit late now, but I saw it at London Euston yesterday waiting to form the 09.23 to Birmingham New Street.

The driving carriages look reasonable but the intermediate coaches are supremely bland. I was never a big fan of the previous livery but this is clearly a downgrade.

 

[387star]

will crosscountry voyagers be due to full repaint soon then?

 

[Darandio]

will crosscountry voyagers be due to full repaint soon then?

Not sure what crosscountry voyagers have to do with Virgin?

 

[Agent_Squash]

Not sure what crosscountry voyagers have to do with Virgin?

The purple is simply a vinyl covering up the Virgin red, so they may indeed be looking for a repaint soon.

 

[Darandio]

The purple is simply a vinyl covering up the Virgin red, so they may indeed be looking for a repaint soon.

I do see the correlation now, but more in terms of both franchises ending in a similar timeframe.

As that is the case, are DfT going to make the same demand of Crosscountry to tone down their livery soon?

 

[Bertie the bus]

Tone down what? There is nothing about the XC livery that could be associated with Arriva. In fact many people used to moan about the fact there was no Arriva branding at all on XC trains. If you are suggesting the DfT made Virgin paint their trains in a plain white or light grey then you’re wrong. The directive is owner company neutral not don’t bother coming up with anything.

 

[Darandio]

Tone down what? There is nothing about the XC livery that could be associated with Arriva. In fact many people used to moan about the fact there was no Arriva branding at all on XC trains. If you are suggesting the DfT made Virgin paint their trains in a plain white or light grey then you’re wrong. The directive is owner company neutral not don’t bother coming up with anything.

Fair point about the association with Arriva.

It has been stated that although the ROSCO wanted the repaint, the DfT did specify what it could entail though, at least in terms of non-branding.