When are the first 377s heading to the gn side ?
As soon as the 700s come into service, so soon.
Presumably though no 377s will actually move until enough 700s are reliably in operation on the current TL side? And have the 377s been on testing runs up the GN routes?
377s have been operating from Hornsey to Kings Cross for years as ECS. Not quite sure what the latest clearance is but believe they should be fairly route cleared now as they are a known/proven stock compared to the 700s.
I'd have thought that the GN Thameslink services will simply be branded "Thameslink" whilst the Cambridge Express will be "Great Northern". But then christ knows which brand the Peterborough peak-hour extras will use!
any thing that runs throught the core will be Thameslink. Anything that doesnt will be GN.
Peak trains from KX will be 365s or 377s so will be GN.
Quite looking forward to seeing a 377 in Grey/white livery with the blue doors to be honest. Think it'll look smart on them.
Don't quite get the big issue understanding this. All Thameslink services will be branded as such. Its no different from being at Gatwick Airport and having three GTR brands serving the station.
On GN you will have Thameslink trains via St Pancras and GN branded services to Kings Cross or Moorgate. Fairly simple really.
The only question is will if TfL takes a leadership role in the Moorgate lines will they want them branded seperately or as part of LO. No-one will know this for several years and is thread drift however.
But that is not what GTR are saying now are they with this "new Thameslink" brand are they?
The new Thameslink brand is currently operated by GTR but will outlast them. Just like Scotrail, GWR, Northern, TPE, its a brand that a new operator is bringing in on behalf of DfT (others as well with some franchises or in Scotrail's case the Scottish government). The idea is to save all that money wasted as each franchise comes in and plastered its design and keep that for useful things. The savings are huge across the entire industry and ensures that the money generated by the railway issued better. After all no passenger cares what colour their train is, just its clean, chance of a seat and that they run on time.
Is changing Thameslink to ThamesLink/ really going to change anything?
What next, Great Northern becomes GreatNorthern/ or, to be edgy, maybe GreatNorthern\ ?
Seriously - I don't actually understand why it can even be considered anything more than a late logo change, that will cost the company money by having to reproduce posters/signs and other material (ID badges, internal forms etc).
Because GTR is contracted out to make strong brands by the DfT. The idea is these brands will then stay and form the next franchise. What's not decided if if these brands will stick together or be separate entities post 2021.
Let's not forget that they had to remove the FCC branding (for money reasons as well as First unlikely want to have its name plastered on something it doesn't control). This allowed time for a stronger brand to be developed.
It seems forgotten on here everything GTR does has to be cleared with the DfT so any changes, especially things like rebranding, will be taken by them and will only happen if GTR can sell the idea as part of their contract.
As for suggestions of replacing things, actually that's not the plan. Its all designed to be done as and when replacements are required, not before. So a natural cycle of replacement for the brand. The only major difference is the trains themselves.
