Another High Street Rebrand

[cwathen]

First sneak peak of an HST

https://www.flickr.com/photos/126796638 ... Uy8-wpxmkA

Really impressed with this livery despite the simplicity - I think the current FGW livery only really works in full dynamic lines garb, the simple livery they've put onto the cascaded 150s and some 153s has never done much for me, but this one looks stunning, and although it's supposed to be about the future I think it works really well on the older stock that will still form the mainstay of their service - pink doors on a 1970's train have never quite looked right to me.

I guess from the fact you can still see blue through the toilet windows that the interiors aren't getting done at the same time as with last time?

[Andrew]

I'm not a fan of a toc rebranding half way through their franchise period, as it just ends up with even more rebrands on top of the rebrand you get when the franchise changes hands anyway.

There are enough periods when rolling stock is in loads of different liveries without adding to it.

[james2001]

And presumably we have to pay for all this rebranding, changing livery, signage etc. through increased ticket costs too.

[Alexia]

I'm not a fan of a toc rebranding half way through their franchise period, as it just ends up with even more rebrands on top of the rebrand you get when the franchise changes hands anyway.

There are enough periods when rolling stock is in loads of different liveries without adding to it.

Sorry to have to correct you, but you are mistaken on two fronts there. This rebrand isn't in the middle of a franchise period, but rather it co-incides with the original start date of the beginning of a new 2 year management contract, which was subsequently extended to 4 years.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24378053
The DaFT decided that it would be better not to change the franchisee during such a period of upheaval (electrification) and as a sop to FG after the WCML debacle let them carry on running it.

Furthermore, this GWR brand is here to stay in perpetuity regardless of franchisee, so there will be no further rebrands for the forseeable future. It is the DaFT's will that TOC names be subsidiary to the service brand name. Hence why Thameslink is back after a few years as "Capital Connect". It's only C2C, Arriva Trains Wales and the two Virgin franchises that operate using non-generic geographical identities now. Everyone else has a straightforward name that can easily be prefixed or suffixed by an operator, almost like the FA Cup.

• Northern Rail
  Southern
  (Abellio) Greater Anglia
  Scotrail (operated by Abellio)
  (First) Transpennine Express
  MerseyRail
  CrossCountry
  South West Trains
  SouthEastern
  East Midlands Trains
  Chiltern Railways
  GWR (operated by First)
  Thameslink
  Great Northern
  London Midland
  London Overground / TfL Rail / Crossrail

Sure I've missed one out....

And presumably we have to pay for all this rebranding, changing livery, signage etc. through increased ticket costs too.

Cost of the rebrand is a mere drop in the ocean when it comes to railway costs.

[WillPS]

TOCs tend to use shit paint nowadays anyway, probably as a result of the mad frequency of change. Some of the Northern fleet are now on their 2nd Northern livery, the 2nd being identical or nearly identical to the 1st.

[Pete]

So to clarify, DafT have basically taken the ScotRail branding concept and are rolling it out nationwide?

[cwathen]

I'm not a fan of a toc rebranding half way through their franchise period, as it just ends up with even more rebrands on top of the rebrand you get when the franchise changes hands anyway.

The franchise period ended in April 2013, ever since they've been carrying on under a variety of extensions which will currently take them to April 2019 (and if there are further extensions, the extensions will end up lasting longer than the original franchise did!). Apart from little extensions when the franchise bid was delayed, their original main extension (after the franchise bid was cancelled) was to September 2015 - as Alexia has said, the rebrand in September marks the transition from the end of the that extension period to the start of the new one.

So to clarify, DafT have basically taken the ScotRail branding concept and are rolling it out nationwide?

That would appear to be the case. There also seems to align with what First Group are doing on a wider scale, having spent several years rationalising all of their bus operations under a single brand, they are now starting to rebrand some of them into stand-alone brands without any hint of First's corporate name or colours (and have at least introduced a local suffix onto others). Tim O'Toole would appear to have read the book on management theory of growing by stealth ('to be number 1 you act like number 2' and all that) rather than wanting to have First painted on everything they own.

[Alexia]

cf Hull Trains

And without wishing to overload this High Street thread with trains, here's a close up of the new livery.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivAWOIXmngo

Having seen it in the flesh, it's definitely one of those colours that looks better and brighter in better light.

[wells]

Pure Gym - Currently undergoing a nice rebrand.




Here's an old style website: http://www.puregym.com/gyms/puregym-liverpool-central
and new style one: http://www.puregym.com/gyms/bristol-union-gate

[Andrew]

Furthermore, this GWR brand is here to stay in perpetuity regardless of franchisee, so there will be no further rebrands for the forseeable future. It is the DaFT's will that TOC names be subsidiary to the service brand name. Hence why Thameslink is back after a few years as "Capital Connect". It's only C2C, Arriva Trains Wales and the two Virgin franchises that operate using non-generic geographical identities now. Everyone else has a straightforward name that can easily be prefixed or suffixed by an operator, almost like the FA Cup.

Is this actually a fact or just a coincidence as many of the operators you list have existed for a decade if not longer so can't be as a result of a current policy (except Scotrail).

The companies generally always have a geographical name its just some companies like to but their corporate brand on things more than others, and those that did, such as First and Arriva now do less so.

Virgin Trains have of course just added a corporate brand to East Coast after years of it being a generic name.

[WillPS]

Lenovo have changed their logo. I'm not sure why, I rather liked their previous one.