WMTrains livery and station branding

[Jamm]

As the West Midlands Metro is planned to reach the Airport and the NEC then logic would suggest a line from Coventry to connect with it.

It wouldn't be feasible though. The area between Birmingham city centre and Airport is high density urban suburbs with high demand for public transport. The area between the Airport and Coventry is mostly greenbelt land with a few villages in it.

Metro isn't meant to duplicate the functions of railway transport.

 

[Esker-pades]

Should 350373 have a note about the Pride vinyls that it is currently sporting?

 

[Lozzy0603]

The 350/4s also need to be considered

Are LNWR getting the 350/4s then after TPE get their new fleet?

 

[sd0733]

Are LNWR getting the 350/4s then after TPE get their new fleet?

Yes to join their /1 and /3 cousins at lnwr

 

[JordyWM]

This has recently appeared on Facebook, showing a 172 part-way through a new livery being applied. It is clear that this livery is different to what we have previously seen, with the purple ends apparently ditched in favour of orange.

Can’t be long until we see this in service then I guess. Looking much better than the previous attempt.

 

[Mollman]

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/first-blue-trams-now-red-14930424

What were you saying NX buses not losing their livery again hun? *sips tea*

Except of course NX buses were traditionally red except in Coventry where they are blue - this will be retained.

"Through the West Midlands Bus Alliance, TfWM is working with all operators on the use of the new regional branding. Buses operated in Coventry by National Express are expected to retain their distinctive sky blue livery but will carry the WMT logo."

https://www.tfwm.org.uk/news/a-bran...s-tfwm-reveals-new-public-transport-identity/

 

[DavidGrain]

Except of course NX buses were traditionally red except in Coventry where they are blue - this will be retained.

"Through the West Midlands Bus Alliance, TfWM is working with all operators on the use of the new regional branding. Buses operated in Coventry by National Express are expected to retain their distinctive sky blue livery but will carry the WMT logo."

https://www.tfwm.org.uk/news/a-bran...s-tfwm-reveals-new-public-transport-identity/

NXWM were red at the front and white at the back as it they had only got half way through the paint shop. there are still a few of these still around. Then they repainted them a much darker two tone red except for the ones they painted dark grey. We are now told that they will now be painted a different red all over.

I travelled on a wrong colour bus on Saturday. It should have been a grey bus but a two tone red turned up

 

[JordyWM]

Except of course NX buses were traditionally red except in Coventry where they are blue - this will be retained.

"Through the West Midlands Bus Alliance, TfWM is working with all operators on the use of the new regional branding. Buses operated in Coventry by National Express are expected to retain their distinctive sky blue livery but will carry the WMT logo."

https://www.tfwm.org.uk/news/a-bran...s-tfwm-reveals-new-public-transport-identity/

So Coventry are getting a WMTransport logo on their buses, but everywhere else will get a WMBus logo? How does that make sense? They keep changing their minds but still carping on about a cohesive brand, yet it’s becoming more fragmented by the day and most of it hasn’t even launched yet.

If it wasn’t already a farce...

Maybe they should just concentrate on getting one brand (WMR) right first before trying to change everything else while they keep changing their minds.

 

[birchesgreen]

I must admit i find the WMR/WMT thing ridiculous. Its like they have gone out of their way to be as confusing as possible.

 

[DavidGrain]

If I understand things (but I might not be right) Coventry buses will remain Blue/White as shown on this Coventry bus (which I photographed in Birmingham in May!)



The National Express Coventry logo will be replaced with a West Midlands Buses logo presumably with 'Proud to be operated by National Express' on the front

 

[Chris172]

No Coventry is having the 2 tone blue as their livery which is on some of their single deckers and doubles at the mo blue and white and the red and white are going

 

[whhistle]

Interesting.

Photo courtesy of David Rawlings

 

[Class172]

Unless that's not finished it looks like some of the LM livery design elements have been retained, with the window band and black portion below the window in the middle and rear portions of the carriage.

 

[sprinterguy]

Unless that's not finished it looks like some of the LM livery design elements have been retained, with the window band and black portion below the window in the middle and rear portions of the carriage.

Indeed. I wonder whether a "transitional" livery that retains the LM livery elements that you've described is planned to be applied to stock that's leaving the franchise? As the image shared on the previous page suggests that the 172s (which are staying with the franchise) will receive the full orange/purple treatment.

Nice to finally see some progress either way.

 

[Jamm]

Are they keeping the yellow at the cab end? I think it clashes with the gold colour quite badly.

 

[XCTurbostar]

About to form 5T02 1219 Dorridge to Tyseley L.M.D. on test
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O23244/2018/07/24/advanced

 

[318266]

5T02 1219 Dorridge to Tyseley L.M.D.:
Meant to take 14 minutes but took 13 minutes, left 20 down, arrived 19 down.

5T01 1200 Tyseley L.M.D. to Dorridge:
Meant to take 14 minutes but took 27 minutes, left 4 down, arrived 17 down.

 

[sprinterguy]

Are they keeping the yellow at the cab end? I think it clashes with the gold colour quite badly.

The 170s aren't fitted with compliant headlights that allow the yellow ends to be dispensed with, so they'll have to.

 

[birchesgreen]

Looks really good.

 

[59CosG95]

Looks proper nice that does.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Not sure if I like that or not to be honest. It's OK I guess. I think the purple should stay.

 

[507021]

Interesting.
View attachment 50016
Photo courtesy of David Rawlings

That looks smart, I like it.

 

[sufian123]

170503 with the new livery is out as 1650 new st-Hereford if anyone wants to see it. 1848 Hereford to Birmingham.

 

[DenmarkRail]

Unless that's not finished it looks like some of the LM livery design elements have been retained, with the window band and black portion below the window in the middle and rear portions of the carriage.

It is essentially the LM livery, but with a new frontal design... The centre parts of the train retain all the key elements of the LM livery. I like it though.

 

[jhy44]

So we now have the 172 in the initial livery, the 170 in this livery, another 172 soon to be launched in yet a different livery.

Three trains repained since franchise launch, all in different liveries? What a farce.

 

[Chris172]

Wonder if the 172 is getting a new interior?

 

[sprinterguy]

.
Three trains repained since franchise launch, all in different liveries? What a farce.

Not a unique situation. The last Northern franchise uhmmed and ahhed for at least two years over three different livery iterations on class 156 units before finally rolling out a squadron scheme. Even GNER took a little while to get it quite right in terms of decals and names in the first place. Though I agree that some consistency from the get go would have been preferable in this instance. The West Midlands Rail identity had already been under development for some time beforehand after all.

 

[ChrisHogan]

Wonder if the 172 is getting a new interior?

I hope not. We don't need these units out of service being repainted in pretty colours to suit politicians' and bureaucrats' egos until the 172/0s have entered service with WMT. A repaint programme now when rolling stock is so tight (both diesel and electric) with WMT is not sensible.

 

[XCTurbostar]

Some images I took of
1V21 1650 Birmingham New Street to Hereford

 

[DenmarkRail]

Some images I took of
1V21 1650 Birmingham New Street to Hereford

Yeah, as I thought they've just removed the green stripe, and revinyled the front ends, and left the rest. I do like it thohgh.