The wayfinding guidance actually requires less white space either side of the lettering than the old BR signage, so this sign clearly isn't right. The size of the old sign it was replacing is at odds with the size that the new sign should be. The wayfinding guidance specifies that the sign should fit the lettering: but it looks like the Southern signage has been made to a standard length for all signs, so the posts are too far apart and the new sign has to be the 'wrong' size and looks odd. That's presumably going to be a problem at all stations where signs have been fitted to two immovable posts rather than one central one.
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Stations rebranded to Great British Railways design / Rail Alphabet 2 & 3
- Thread starter JaJaWa
- Start date
The wayfinding guidance actually requires less white space either side of the lettering than the old BR signage, so this sign clearly isn't right. The size of the old sign it was replacing is at odds with the size that the new sign should be. The wayfinding guidance specifies that the sign should fit the lettering: but it looks like the Southern signage has been made to a standard length for all signs, so the posts are too far apart and the new sign has to be the 'wrong' size and looks odd. That's presumably going to be a problem at all stations where signs have been fitted to two immovable posts rather than one central one.
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Leyland Bus
Member
Yet if they dug up the posts and reset them closer together there'd be complaints of wasting money just for a sign...
BurtonM
Member
Gipsy Hill had Southern signage, so it would have had a white border...
Some before/after photo sliders on here:
https://www.mynewsdesk.com/uk/gtr/p...dards-for-customer-service-and-design-3457697
Immediately you see 2 things.
Firstly, when you look through the barriers at the old signs pointing to the platforms, they are very clear and you are able to read them easily. When you swipe to the new white version it’s absolute rubbish and you really struggle to read them
Secondly, they agreed the white sign was complete garbage and promptly installed a new sign for the ticket office in the old colours. Bigger and better than the old one, but importantly not white. It looks very good and is super easy to read.
Finally (for now) I’d say the lighting maybe brighter, but it’s aesthetically unappealing. I quite liked the look of the pendant lights.
Firstly, when you look through the barriers at the old signs pointing to the platforms, they are very clear and you are able to read them easily. When you swipe to the new white version it’s absolute rubbish and you really struggle to read them
Secondly, they agreed the white sign was complete garbage and promptly installed a new sign for the ticket office in the old colours. Bigger and better than the old one, but importantly not white. It looks very good and is super easy to read.
Finally (for now) I’d say the lighting maybe brighter, but it’s aesthetically unappealing. I quite liked the look of the pendant lights.
I know it's more of a matter of opinion, but I think your first point is more dependent on perspective and image quality. I imagine it'd look much better in person, probably equally as readable. And the other platform signs above the maps are much better now, in my opinion.
I don't understand what your second point is though. There was no white sign for the ticket office, unless I'm missing something.
Ultimately, I think it's funny that this station (which looks really good!) was redone into a brand that has about a year left. Probably not great, as it means it'll need another rebrand, but funny. And while black on white signage (if we ignore the red highlights, which I don't think we should) is a bit boring and inoffensive, I think that's the idea. When done well, it works. I feel like it's a bit extreme to call a perfectly usable, relatively inoffensive sign 'complete garbage'.
I meant after trying white on the platform side they realised it was a terrible idea and went back to using colour, replacing the old coloured ticket office sign with a much bigger and better looking one. You’re right, there wasn’t a white sign for the ticket office.
traji00
Member
- Joined
- 17 Aug 2009
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- 241
Berrylands platform 1 has new signage as part of its platform rebuild. I couldn’t get a picture in time but to summarise :
Station name is black (possibly RA3) a white background of course.
Unlike at Gipsy Hill though, The fare zone “square” is retained as black text on orange.
(on the country end, the existing SWT-era signage currently remains in two places.)
Station name is black (possibly RA3) a white background of course.
Unlike at Gipsy Hill though, The fare zone “square” is retained as black text on orange.
(on the country end, the existing SWT-era signage currently remains in two places.)
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greaterwest
Established Member
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This is a shame IMO, as SWT / SWR's network has one of the most coherent wayfinding designs on the entire network.
As much as I like RA2 / RA3 when applied properly, I think they were wrong to re-do Berrylands here.
traji00
Member
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Leyland Bus
Member
That is definetly RA3 and is a heavier weight than previous iterations using RA2.
It'll look well if the Fare Zones are ever abolished
The heavier weight looks much better than the ones at Gipsy Hill.Here is Berrylands.
On closer inspection it appears the “Fare Zone 5” font is the same as the incumbent SWT/SWR signage.
Another variation
Not bad the sign, I would say better font than the one at Gipsy Hill.Here is Berrylands.
On closer inspection it appears the “Fare Zone 5” font is the same as the incumbent SWT/SWR signage.
Another variation
I’ll concede the font is a little heavier which helps, as does a splash of colour. Font size could be bigger though!Here is Berrylands.
On closer inspection it appears the “Fare Zone 5” font is the same as the incumbent SWT/SWR signage.
Another variation
Interestingly, I find the dark sign sticks out more initially, but the white one is far more readable when you are more zoomed in (or closer to both). I guess they could solve this by using a darker wall colouring around the signs.
Noticed Exeter Central is using black (G)BR double arrows for Platforms when it should be red double arrows (RA2) or a black train symbol (RA3)...
Source: https://x.com/lokiavivson/status/2087083987558662280
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TT-ONR-NRN
Veteran Member
I love the fact this forum has just collectively adopted the term "RA3" for RA2 in bold 
RA3 is a new font and there are various other differences on the signs at Cambridge South too (symbols in boxes, different symbols, thicker arrows, one arrow per line à la RA1 signs rather than one arrow per group with RA2 signs).I love the fact this forum has just collectively adopted the term "RA3" for RA2 in bold
This come up on a quick search but I’ve read other posts about it too:
Source: https://thebeautyoftransport.com/2025/12/22/union-flag-blues-the-branding-of-great-british-railways/
TT-ONR-NRN
Veteran Member
How interesting, thank you for this.
Leyland Bus
Member
"Tweaked" for legibility and accessibility reasons apparently (despite RA2 being designed especially for that reason and why they didn't refer back to Rail Alphabet in the first place). There were heavier weights of RA2 though they were seldom used...
Vexed
Member
150219
Member
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- 24 Nov 2009
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- 471
That's Akzidenz Grotesk and the kiosk sign is Gotham.
There are however some new RA signs appearing on the Chiltern managed stations, e.g., Monks Risborough, Haddenham, Denham Golf Club (black/white signs) and Warwick Parkway.
TT-ONR-NRN
Veteran Member
That’s not RA2.
Vexed
Member
I stand corrected. I saw the new (is it even a new design?) icon for the tickets icon and assumed it would be RA2.
The sign saying kiosk is definitely older and still has Chiltern colours.
The sign saying kiosk is definitely older and still has Chiltern colours.
pr1
Member
The differences are subtle and clear in almost equal measure, that's sans-serief typefaces for you!
Attached images show examples of the two typefaces in question. Differences include overall style of lower-case 'a', height of the lower-case 'd', and curves of upper-case "B"
150219
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It's the other way around. The Akzidenz Grotesk sign predates the kiosk sign. The Gotham signage is reasonably new. The blue High Wycombe cut out letters were in the early 2000's style, which was in a different weight of lettering to the original.