First unit in full GBR livery

[Turtle]

Hideous, fussy and overcomplicated.

 

[Mike Machin]

I would imagine as the new branding is rolled-out we shall see a mixture of mainly painted and mainly vinyl for the application of the new train liveries, depending on where the train is within its repainting schedule and how much longer the paint will be in warranty.

For example some stock will be coming up to a full ‘back to base’ repaint shortly, so these will almost certainly have the main elements painted, with vinyl just used for the smaller details and text/numbers etc.

Other units such as those in the Cross-Country fleet have only just been fully repainted and this paint will have many years of warranty left, so they will most likely fully wrapped when the new colours are applied.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Other units such as those in the Cross-Country fleet have only just been fully repainted and this paint will have many years of warranty left, so they will most likely fully wrapped when the new colours are applied.

With XC being one of the last to be nationalised the livery will have plenty of time.

 

[Mike Machin]

I would actually be quite supportive of the idea of keeping the name Network Rail for the infrastructure and using "Rail England" for English controlled passenger operationes, yes (though with "InterCity" taking bigger prominence on those service groups). Including those going into Wales and Scotland, just as we wouldn't be telling TfW they can't use their brand to operate to Manchester Airport and Birmingham Intl, nor would we be telling ScotRail they have to stop and change the livery before pulling into Carlisle.

Obviously structurally Rail England and Network Rail would still be the same organisation, but it would be a bit more appropriate in terms of relating to Scotland and Wales.

Using LNER's livery would be a tasteful analogy for St George's flag.

I also quite liked the idea of having a ‘Rail England’ customer-facing brand, with the reintroduction of Inter-City for long-distance express services.

The livery could have been very similar to that used by Greater Anglia. The rebrand could have been introduced comparatively quickly, as quite a large proportion of rolling stock features a white or light grey base so the various red and grey elements could have been easily applied.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 May 2026 ==

With XC being one of the last to be nationalised the livery will have plenty of time.

Well, yes and no, around 17 months.

 

[dorsetdesiro]

I would actually be quite supportive of the idea of keeping the name Network Rail for the infrastructure and using "Rail England" for English controlled passenger operationes, yes (though with "InterCity" taking bigger prominence on those service groups). Including those going into Wales and Scotland, just as we wouldn't be telling TfW they can't use their brand to operate to Manchester Airport and Birmingham Intl, nor would we be telling ScotRail they have to stop and change the livery before pulling into Carlisle.

Obviously structurally Rail England and Network Rail would still be the same organisation, but it would be a bit more appropriate in terms of relating to Scotland and Wales.

Using LNER's livery would be a tasteful analogy for St George's flag.

Exactly this, 100% agree with this

Don't really understand the snobbery or caution about the English identity/St George flag as Scots & Welsh are comfortable with their own branding in ScotRail & TfW respectively. It wouldn't be about racism or political correctness or classism etc, as most GBR services would be running in England then it would make more sense to use the English identity which is a fact not a political tool to bash immigration or look down on the less affluent.

Also ScotRail & TfW also cross into England, then what is the problem?? As suggested above, a separate intercity brand, akin to Ireland's Enterprise, for the cross-border routes should be neutral with politicial (when there shouldn't be, but there you go) sensitivities.

Also it defeats logic when a nationwide British brand like GBR is mostly visible in England, than the other 3 home nations so realistically a English brand should be used for English non-devolved services. GBR will only really work if TfW, ScotRail & Translink also adopt it which definitely will never happen anyway.

So GBR is now here, we just have to make the most of what it will bring or screw up for us that use it.

This for another subject, I don't really get any English person who insists they are British never English which with the Scots & Welsh, it would be the opposite. Come on, embrace the Englishness if you live in England!

 

[westcoaster]

Do a 700. I've never known such a boring livery as that. Dealer white with blue doors and a logo a 5 year old could have done in MS Paint.

Units are a greyish colour with white diagonal stripes added in vinyl. Im sure I saw 700011 going around and it has had the white stripes removed.

I quite like it more vibrant than a plain unit.