Great British Railways: Station identity and livery unveiling (09/12/25)

[Bletchleyite]

Just occurred to me - the Tube livery is an example of a tasteful livery based on the colours of the flag. Simple, understated shapes work well with the bright colours.

 

[sh24]

Do you think Wales and Scotland are insecure? There are flags everywhere, showing national pride and not racism.

That's about asserting identity v a British nationalism that is really English. So yes I guess there is insecurity there!

 

[Bletchleyite]

That's about asserting identity v a British nationalism that is really English. So yes I guess there is insecurity there!

I see it as confidence and patriotism*, not insecurity.

Is Switzerland insecure?

We have a unique problem in England that our flag has become associated with racism, but the best way to counter that is to reclaim it.

* Patriotism, not nationalism. Patriotism is not racism and does not require racism. Pride in your country is not negative and can include a desire to welcome those who would like to come to it to share in its success.

 

[thomalex]

I thought this was the final version!

According to Heidi Alexander it’s a ‘vision’ rather than the final version.

I think we’ll see something a little more refined when it’s actually applied to trains. The whole think just smacks of something that has been thrown together quite quickly at the moment.

 

[Mike Machin]

A revised version of the the SouthWest Trains branding would have worked well. Keeping the idea of predominantly red trains on metro/commuter trains, predominantly blue on regional routes and mainly white on Inter-City routes.

A bit of Union Flaggery instead of the swooshes at the ends, a change to Rail Alphabet and the double arrow - job done!

 

[gg1]

I find it quite objectionable (not your fault) that the red, white and blue of the Union Flag is now seen as the livery of the alt-right. Basically, we (the centrist majority, whether social democrats, liberal or small c conservative) have ceded our national colours in a sort of bizarre collective revulsion at anything seen as 'nationalistic' (therefore toxic). They seem to belong to the alt-right now, and should be claimed back.

There's a good reason for that.

Gratuitous flag waving (of which an organisation basing their entire visual identitiy around the national flag is a perfect example) was historically never a feature of British society, it's a comparitively recent development entriely driven by the right. My late father found the whole thing laughable. Going back to the late 40s/50s when he was a teenager/young man, other than at major celebrations like VE day or the coronation, you never saw the Union Flag plastered everywhere, it was mainly limited to flying from public buildings and the George Flag was only really seen flying from a CofE church. He knew of one man at that time who habitually flew the flag from his home, he was widely regarded as a complete prat.

 

[thomalex]

Add France to that list, the French flag basically only gets out on right wing demonstrations and on major national sports team games, else it's taken as being a fascist. (but that's off-topic)

I’m sorry what? Multiple French flags are flown outside every train station and school for that matter.

 

[birchesgreen]

Just occurred to me - the Tube livery is an example of a tasteful livery based on the colours of the flag. Simple, understated shapes work well with the bright colours.

And of course NSE too. Even the original BR livery ideas with the red backing for the logo.

 

[Julia]

For me it's not the colours that are the problem, they could be made to look really nice. It's the angular design, with some colours being stark contrasts whereas others barely noticeable. It feels rushed and rather amateur. I'm sure using curves, or blending colour changes a bit more would make it look less harsh and more organic. And I agree with others than the end car designs should not be replicated within the rest of the sets.

This. Nothing wrong with red, white and blue. Everything wrong with multiple shades of them glued together in polygons like the intern's been left alone with Microsoft Paint for ten minutes.

 

[Bletchleyite]

This. Nothing wrong with red, white and blue. Everything wrong with multiple shades of them glued together in polygons like the intern's been left alone with Microsoft Paint for ten minutes.

Bingo. There could be a tasteful and even modern livery using the colours of the flag. This just isn't it.

 

[birchesgreen]

Bingo. There could be a tasteful and even modern livery using the colours of the flag. This just isn't it.

British Airways have often done a good job at this with their liveries.

 

[vicbury]

I’m sorry what? Multiple French flags are flown outside every train station and school for that matter.

Indeed, the French are very proud of their identity yet somehow their trains aren't covered in a bastardisation of their flag

 

[Tetchytyke]

It's more like TPE - same basic shapes albeit not exactly the same - but somehow manages to look awful when TPE looks really good.

The TPE livery is bloody awful in my opinion. Insipid grey nothingness.

Anyway, if we wanted angular red, white, and blue they should have gone for this: https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2BHD3BP/a...tleigh-on-the-12th-september-1992-2BHD3BP.jpg

 

[Harlequinuk]

The TPE livery is bloody awful in my opinion. Insipid grey nothingness.

Anyway, if we wanted angular red, white, and blue they should have gone for this: https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2BHD3BP/a...tleigh-on-the-12th-september-1992-2BHD3BP.jpg

Why use a design from the 1980s? That`s 3 generations ago and very very old and outdated in 2025.

 

[Falcon1200]

I can't see Scotland and Wales giving up their regional identity.

Nor should they! But of course other operators run into Scotland and Wales, and will be GBR-branded.

In essence it will just replace any Network Rail branding in those devolved areas.

And the non-Welsh and Scottish Train operators.

And here's the uniform for staff on the repainted trains/units:

Brilliant! But shouldn't there be Union flag hats too?!!

 

[Tetchytyke]

Why use a design from the 1980s? That`s 3 generations ago and very very old and outdated in 2025.

Old doesn’t mean outdated. Some things are just timeless classics. An e-type Jaguar is still objectively beautiful even after all these years.

If you wanted to zhuzh it up a bit, get Ray Stenning in and add some swoops and swirls.

 

[FrontSideBus]

It looks bloody awful!

 

[Buntobox]

That livery is dire. Why also does it have to be GREAT British Railways? It sounds either like the misplaced belief that the Great in Great Britain refers to its status (which is what the Tories and the far right would have you think) or a TV programme that Michael Portillo would host.
It's tacky, tasteless and moronic.

 

[Oscar46016]

So no reference to Wales then - perhaps we'll have our own livery?

 

[frankmoh]

I would rather they just bring back NSE, Regional and Intercity. Having the same livery on both an 801 and a 139 is a bit silly.

 

[williamn]

So no reference to Wales then - perhaps we'll have our own livery?

You’ve already got it! TfW will remain as is.

 

[azOOOOOma]

Disappointing to see some people be of the opinion that you must hate the livery or else you’re a far right ‘flagsh*gger’.

Notwithstanding that, I feel the livery is a bit busy but like the union flag colours. I think some union flag motif at each end with a single solid colour for intermediate coaches would have been a lot simpler.

For all the Tory hate, let me remind you that it is a livery unveiled under a labour government. That same labour government who recently seemed to embrace patriotism.

Laura x

 

[Dougal2345]

So no reference to Wales then - perhaps we'll have our own livery?

Don't give them ideas - if they have to add some green triangles and various dismembered bits and bobs of a dragon into the mix, it could get even worse than it is...

 

[Buntobox]

Old doesn’t mean outdated. Some things are just timeless classics. An e-type Jaguar is still objectively beautiful even after all these years.

Agreed. BR's Swallow Intercity livery looked terrific and the LNER's update of it is arguably even better. Whatever semi educated idiot came up with this GBR aberration clearly took his cues from a stick of Blackpool rock.

 

[physics34]

There’s a difference between intolerance and recognising that the flag has recently been used by the far right to intimidate members of minority communities, and therefore now may not be the best time to put out branding that slaps that flag on every train in the country.

The flag will always be used by the far right. But if you havent noticed its generally used as an identity sign of many things, places and institutions of Great Britain. For people to see it and instantly think its 'owned by the far right' as such, probably need more flexiblilty in their thinking.
I get flags get used as an intimidation tactic.. but weve gotta look past that..

 

[Tetchytyke]

There’s a difference between intolerance and recognising that the flag has recently been used by the far right to intimidate members of minority communities, and therefore now may not be the best time to put out branding that slaps that flag on every train in the country.

As a fully paid-up member of the tofu-eating wokerati, I think that the way you take the sting out of the right-wing use of flags is for everyone else to use them more.

 

[williamn]

I think the British Airways identity is a great example of using the flag in an understated and classy way.

 

[Bantamzen]

This. Nothing wrong with red, white and blue. Everything wrong with multiple shades of them glued together in polygons like the intern's been left alone with Microsoft Paint for ten minutes.

I'd say they just sneezed whilst holding the mouse in Paint!

But if they were to go with the Union Flag colours, then why not something akin to the Network South East scheme, with perhaps some minor changes like making the lines curved down the units giving that feeling of movement.

 

[physics34]

I like the livery on the driving cars. It doesn’t work on the intermediate carriages. But that sort of livery on intermediate carriages seems to be fashionable at the minute.

It’s certainly doesn’t look any worse than the Avanti and TPE liveries.

If this point gets highlighted i think they could change it. Im sure if many of us on here notice it, many in the industry will.
Like i said id like to see the first 3rd flag bit kinda morph into stripes that continue along the lemgth. Might be a bit NSE though.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

There's a good reason for that.

Gratuitous flag waving (of which an organisation basing their entire visual identitiy around the national flag is a perfect example) was historically never a feature of British society, it's a comparitively recent development entriely driven by the right. My late father found the whole thing laughable. Going back to the late 40s/50s when he was a teenager/young man, other than at major celebrations like VE day or the coronation, you never saw the Union Flag plastered everywhere, it was mainly limited to flying from public buildings and the George Flag was only really seen flying from a CofE church. He knew of one man at that time who habitually flew the flag from his home, he was widely regarded as a complete prat.

I totally agree with you but I suppose the appearance of the regularly flag in everyday life is an expected reflex to the constant erasure of national identity over the past 40 years.