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

[Northerngirl]

Is there a consultation somewhere yet?

 

[m0ffy]

I think the colourway has legs, and it seems to work on static assets (partly because it’s not massively removed from existing NR branding) and in small doses. But not on a full-train basis.

 

[Pegpilot]

For all that BR got criticised back in the day, the BR Design Panel knew its stuff and this would not have passed muster. And incidentally, the LUL livery was the subject of several failed efforts by external design consultancies before the one we know now was put together by the late lamented LUL Rolling Stock engineer, Mark Orsman. 30 years on it's still in use - what a legacy !

 

[Goldfish62]

There are several years until the next election......

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

TfW and ScotRail are staying.

 

[ScottGallagher]

Its a mutation of NSE on acid and GB News and is too much to look at.
Why on earth would you reveal something like this if the final design will look much different.

 

[Russel]

Would look better if the center cars were just all over blue, leave the flag decals on the end cars only.

 

[Buntobox]

Why on earth would you reveal something like this if the final design will look much different.

Because the people in charge are idiots?

 

[CapitalStar378]

I don't mind the power car design but the repeated design on the carriages doesn't look great.

I think the more important issue for the public will be, what are the interiors going to be like? I'd like to know how they're going to improve the appalling interiors of the GWR IETs amongst others.

 

[Snex]

I might be missing something but why is this being released if it's not the final design...?

Don't really see what it's exactly achieving...? I'd rather see something actually productive announced.

 

[scosutsut]

At least it gives people something to hate more than the seat cushions within the trains wearing it.

I don't hate it, I think it'll achieve what it wants to with some minor modifications.

I would consider a 2000s era First Bus 'Barbie' approach however, and only append it to vehicles that meet a designated interior standard.

 

[87electric]

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.

I think Portillo Pastels would be a lot less harsher on the eye if delivered as a livery.

 

[chiltern trev]

I don't like it. Does not flow down the train. Jarring. Tacky.

 

[whoosh]

I see a couple of posters don't like the white cab side window surround. Am I the only one who likes it? It has an element of Deltic, or even Midland Pullman about it!

Hoping that these computer imagery mock-ups are just a 'taster' and that the transition from end vehicles to intermediate vehicles wont be anything as clunky in reality.

Network Southeast, and Intercity liveries did have various alterations over the years. I expect GBR to be tinkered with as well.


Whilst Network Southeast is fondly remembered, and I believe was well received at the time as well, it wasn't always the case - I can remember Rail Express Systems livery being utterly slated when it was revealed.

Part of the success of any organisation is Brand and Identity, if staff feel 'part of' the brand and are proud to be associated with it then that organisation will work better.
It's almost tribal and the Armed Forces are a good example of it. Regiments, Ships and Squadrons take pride and will do their best not to let their unit down and also be better than 'the other lot'.
Likewise, a good brand, such as the GA livery and Hare mascot are generally popular with staff and customers and help a lot with 'ownership' and "belonging'.
Judging by the reaction on here, I think we may have our work cut out!

Funnily enough, I've seen lots of BR-style depot badges being worn by staff lately. Staff who weren't around in BR days. Maybe there's some nostalgia going on, or maybe the modern railway isn't accommodating this, and so something used in another era is being substituted? Perhaps a bit of both?

 

[3141]

Well along the horrible scale. It's the kind of thing graphic designers just love to produce, but it incorporates the worst characteristics of privatised TOC liveries. My view is that a livery should relate to the shape of the object being liveried. In the case of the end cars of Class 800 and similar trains, that may require an element of slanting lines. But intermediate cars are oblong and only need horizontal lines. Having the slant on them is a poor design. The colours are too fierce. The same colours on LU trains work better because the blue and red are applied in moderation to specific areas of the bodywork and respect its outlines.

 

[satisnek]

Garish.

But nothing out of the ordinary in this tasteless, talentless century.

Hopefully it will be toned down a bit.

 

[Jan Mayen]

My bad video of London Bridge:
View attachment 20251209_122246.mp4

 

[physics34]

The mock up at London Bridge does look a little better.

(Image posted shows a Hornby class 800 in the new livery, possibly 00 scale, from the mock up at London Bridge station)

Credit @thattraindrivermum on Instagram.

Dont understand the lighter blue

 

[Citybreak1]

Do people actually like this?

I think it’s an awful idea. All under same name? Glad Scotrail will remain

 

[Djgr]

Whatever … look forward to seeing the new GBR rolling stock livery on a Vale of Rheidol tank engine.

So would I, but unfortunately Maggie flogged it off.

 

[markle]

The French Régions are very keen to wrap their (TER) trains in local identities, typically with region names and coats of arms prominently displayed.
Similar in Germany, where the federal structure gives a strong local identity.
We still don't know how GBR will be organised (beyond Scotland, Wales, London and some other metro areas).
eg A "Birmingham" Region of GBR might well have a strong West Midlands (or possibly Mercian?) identity separate from the generic national one.

Whilst some regions go "all in" their regional branding, historically it has been more a case of regional logo placement; the challenge with the current GBR designs is that there really isn't the available space to place additional logos and not have it look too messy.

 

[Horizon22]

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.

On the flip side, the Union Flag should not just be commandeered by right-wing hack jobs and should be normalised - if not “reclaimed” - for general usage.

 

[DJP78]

I personally love the design. I think it’s sharp, modern and reflects a sense of speed in the way the lines trail back. Hey, we’re all different!

Far bigger issues to come with GBR restructuring, harmonising T’s & C’s, chronic need for investment, reducing fare prices, ROSCO’s excessive profits, improving punctuality and imbedding the single guiding mind philosophy to reduce complexity.

I hope the livery stays and people get behind GBR. Unlikely to ever be a better opportunity for positive change.

 

[Leyland Bus]

At least it gives people something to hate more than the seat cushions within the trains wearing it.

I don't hate it, I think it'll achieve what it wants to with some minor modifications.

I would consider a 2000s era First Bus 'Barbie' approach however, and only append it to vehicles that meet a designated interior standard.

Even that didn't last tbh with Barbie ending up on everything by the third iteration (including Bristol VRs!!)...

As for why have they done this if its not the final iteration, it's to show the travelling public that things are happening behind the scenes. I think this forum sometimes forgets that stuff done on the railways isn't for our benefit. Trains and stations won't be touched until atleast the spring. That gives plenty of time for the livery to be tweaked and likely "calmed down" somewhat. As a painter I can say its extremely fussy and will be a right pain to apply whether in paint or vinyl...

 

[norbitonflyer]

My bad video of London Bridge:
View attachment 193553

Actually it seems to work better on that 2-car unit. It's the repeated flashes on each carriage on the longer train that seem to jar. And I can't make out exactly what happens on the middle car.
It would also be nice if the slope of the flashes on the leading car of the streamlined units matches that of the nose, although that would obviously require slightly different treatment for different classes as there is no standard rake angle (compare a 701 to a Javelin, or even an Aurora to an Azuma)

 

[The exile]

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.

Couldn’t agree more - but this isn’t it! Having said that, as a first draft it’s not bad. It just needs a lot of tweaking - particularly on coaches that are never going to be at the end of a train.

 

[Harlequinuk]

For all that BR got criticised back in the day, the BR Design Panel knew its stuff and this would not have passed muster. And incidentally, the LUL livery was the subject of several failed efforts by external design consultancies before the one we know now was put together by the late lamented LUL Rolling Stock engineer, Mark Orsman. 30 years on it's still in use - what a legacy !

Jaffa Cake Liveries of 1994 say otherwise

 

[PLY2AYS]

When you flip and rotate the image, it shares a LOT of very similar lines to the Network Rail logo.

(Image is new GBR logo flipped and rotated 180° vertically above the Network Rail logo in the correct orientation for comparison)

 

[Warrior2852]

Do people actually like this?

I think it’s an awful idea. All under same name? Glad Scotrail will remain

ScotRail will remain, but they've still strangely stuck GBR branding all over the ScotRail parts of Glasgow Central this morning.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Actually it seems to work better on that 2-car unit. It's the repeated flashes on each carriage that seem to jar. And I can't make out exactly what happens on the middle car.

It indeed doesn't look terrible on the 156. The problem with it on an 80x is that its harsh lines don't follow the curves of the unit.

I'd agree on the middle car. Virgin of course only put red flashing on the end coaches of the Pendolinos. Putting it on every coach is a very FirstGroup style overbranding exercise.

 

[Northerngirl]

Actually it seems to work better on that 2-car unit. It's the repeated flashes on each carriage on the longer train that seem to jar. And I can't make out exactly what happens on the middle car.
It would also be nice if the slope of the flashes on the leading car of the streamlined units matches that of the nose, although that would obviously require slightly different treatment for different classes as there is no standard rake angle (compare a 701 to a Javelin, or even an Aurora to an Azuma)

100%, its still overdone but just having a colourful end and a blue line helps