SWR after May

[Sun Chariot]

Theorising a bit - the 455s’ SWR logo looks weirdly patched on… like it’s ready to peel off and reveal something underneath.

SouthWest Trains? The 455s, 444s and 450s were all over-patched with SWR wording at its commencement. The 444s and 450s have, since then, lost their former SWT colours, so there's no patching on the SWR blue/white scheme.

 

[sugeypopplanet]

They've had those 'stickers' for a while now. I think when they rebranded from South West Trains to South Western Railway - easier to just cover it up rather than repaint

 

[Mainline421]

They've had those 'stickers' for a while now. I think when they rebranded from South West Trains to South Western Railway - easier to just cover it up rather than repaint

There's no SWT logos underneath (they were in a different place), but they have been like that since 2017

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

There's no SWT logos underneath (they were in a different place), but they have been like that since 2017

Come again?

 

[Towers]

Surely there’s a significant likelihood in all of this that the Tories get back into power at the next election, have a very different idea of what they want GBR to be, and decide that the existing TOC identities will stay - did I read somewhere that they’ve stated they’d re-let it all as franchises/contracts again? So it’s entirely plausible that there may in fact never be a GBR livery?!

 

[Class15]

Surely there’s a significant likelihood in all of this that the Tories get back into power at the next election, have a very different idea of what they want GBR to be, and decide that the existing TOC identities will stay - did I read somewhere that they’ve stated they’d re-let it all as franchises/contracts again? So it’s entirely plausible that there may in fact never be a GBR livery?!

Or Reform UK, however they say they would keep the railways nationalised.

 

[Towers]

Or Reform UK, however they say they would keep the railways nationalised.

But presumably with more union flags!

 

[Sun Chariot]

There's no SWT logos underneath (they were in a different place), but they have been like that since 2017

If you check Internet images, you'll see that 444, 450 and 455 had SWT lettering in the same place as SWR's overstickers.

158 and 159 units did, I agree, have SWT lettering at cantrail height. SWR placed its lettering on their lower bodysides.

 

[XCTurbostar]

At Waterloo today. Interesting - they have a GBR sign. Also, all trains now lack any text about FirstGroup (leaving a weird gap on the Arterios). Theorising a bit - the 455s’ SWR logo looks weirdly patched on… like it’s ready to peel off and reveal something underneath. Though I don’t know if it’s just like that.

The 455s have been like this since day one of SWR.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

The 455s have been like this since day one of SWR.

Well no, it took about six months for them all to get one, but that’s ridiculously pernickety of me there.

 

[irish_rail]

Or Reform UK, however they say they would keep the railways nationalised.

Wow, so they do have one credible policy!

 

[Kite159]

I wonder how long it will take for the 'we are recruiting, visit the first careers website ' messages to disappear from the PIS on the sprinters.

 

[vuzzeho]

It’s happened.

 

[OneTrackMinded]

SWR has officially passed to government ownership, marking the end of First MTR South Western Railway.

 

[vuzzeho]

Currently on the 06:14. Pretty exciting! But also very normal. I’m not surprised by how normal it is. Did see Heidi Alexander though so that’s cool. Interestingly enough, despite the hype about her riding the first ever renationalised SWR train… she got off at Vauxhall.

 

[Zomboid]

Interestingly enough, despite the hype about her riding the first ever renationalised SWR train… she got off at Vauxhall

Well it is pretty close to Westminster. And presumably she had no need to go to Shepperton at 6am on a Sunday.

 

[stadler]

Currently on the 06:14. Pretty exciting! But also very normal. I’m not surprised by how normal it is. Did see Heidi Alexander though so that’s cool. Interestingly enough, despite the hype about her riding the first ever renationalised SWR train… she got off at Vauxhall.

I wonder why they put that branded unit on the second nationalised service rather than the first. If they had put it on the first nationalised service (05:36 Woking to Surbiton 05:59) then it also would have been the first 701 on the Woking route which would have been good to see.

 

[ScottGallagher]

Currently on the 06:14. Pretty exciting! But also very normal. I’m not surprised by how normal it is. Did see Heidi Alexander though so that’s cool. Interestingly enough, despite the hype about her riding the first ever renationalised SWR train… she got off at Vauxhall.

Has the Arterio branding been removed?

 

[vuzzeho]

I wonder why they put that branded unit on the second nationalised service rather than the first. If they had put it on the first nationalised service (05:36 Woking to Surbiton 05:59) then it also would have been the first 701 on the Woking route which would have been good to see.

First out of Waterloo, I guess. Better photo ops than Woking at 5:36am on Sunday.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 May 2025 ==

Has the Arterio branding been removed?

Seems like it actually yeah

 

[Mrwerdna1]

I still find it perplexing that there will only be one unit with this vinyl. What a weird choice.

Interestingly, the BBC seems to call it the GBR livery, whilst the official government press release merely talks about a logo.

(...) Alexander is expected to travel on the first fully rail-operated route from London Waterloo to Shepperton in Surrey at 06:14.

It will be the first service with the new GBR livery. The words "Great British Railways" and "coming soon" are painted in white against a royal blue background decorated with part of a union flag. (...) Train carriages painted with the new GBR livery and logo at the South Western Railway depot in Bournemouth. (...)

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ceqg73znzzeo (25.05.2025)

vs.

(...) To commemorate this historic moment, the Secretary of State also unveiled a new ‘Coming soon’ logo on what will be the first publicly owned South Western Railway service to leave Waterloo at 06.14am today (25 May 2025), reiterating that our railways are coming back into the hands of the public.

Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/...south-western-services-return-to-public-hands (25.05.2025)

I think I’ll take it straight from the horse’s mouth, with the implication that this is not the (final) GBR livery I’d say. That makes sense to me, anyway.
But I don’t understand why they won’t apply this advertisement logo / banner / whatever you want to call it to more units?

 

[Class15]

It’s happened.

SWR has officially passed to government ownership, marking the end of First MTR South Western Railway.

I’m very impressed that you two stayed up until 2am to make these posts I must say!

I still find it perplexing that there will only be one unit with this vinyl. What a weird choice.

Interestingly, the BBC seems to call it the GBR livery, whilst the official government press release merely talks about a logo.


Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ceqg73znzzeo (25.05.2025)

vs.


Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/...south-western-services-return-to-public-hands (25.05.2025)

I think I’ll take it straight from the horse’s mouth, with the implication that this is not the (final) GBR livery I’d say. That makes sense to me, anyway.
But I don’t understand why they won’t apply this advertisement logo / banner / whatever you want to call it to more units?

It says ‘Great British Railways: Coming Soon’. When they’ve decided on actual branding it might be rolled out more widely.

 

[Farnborough]

It says ‘Great British Railways: Coming Soon’. When they’ve decided on actual branding it might be rolled out more widely.

"Coming soon" is a real hostage to fortune.

 

[nw1]

Wasn't the first privatised service e a bus? Fishguard to somewhere at silly o'clock in the morning?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 May 2025 ==


I disagree. 1st shoukd have been retained, and made better. A lot better!

Certainly the idea of 444s without first would be strange. They are basically used on inter-city (not InterCity!) routes so presumably need inter-city amenities.

Even the humble HAP had first class!

 

[stadler]

Certainly the idea of 444s without first would be strange. They are basically used on inter-city (not InterCity!) routes so presumably need inter-city amenities.

Even the humble HAP had first class!

London to Bournemouth / Portsmouth / Southampton / Weymouth is just as "intercity" of a service as London to Dover / Hastings / Margate / Ramsgate is and they no longer have first class. It is not really a proper long distance intercity. Getting rid of First Class on SWR would add some much needed extra capacity.

 

[nw1]

London to Bournemouth / Portsmouth / Southampton / Weymouth is just as "intercity" of a service as London to Dover / Hastings / Margate / Ramsgate is and they no longer have first class. It is not really a proper long distance intercity. Getting rid of First Class on SWR would add some much needed extra capacity.

Except Southampton, Portsmouth, and Bournemouth/Poole are significant-sized places which presumably attract a lot of business travel, more so than smaller towns in Kent. You might as well say that Leicester and Nottingham shouldn't get IC service because Kings Lynn doesn't.

The SWML in particular has always enjoyed a premier service, from steam expresses to REP/TC to 442s to 444s, and this premier service should stay because of the size and importance of the cities and towns it serves. And Bournemouth is pushing 2 hours from London.

Though to be honest I'd have kept first class (perhaps one half-carriage per 4-car unit) on anything going more than about 30 miles out of London.

 

[vuzzeho]

I’m very impressed that you two stayed up until 2am to make these posts I must say!

To be honest, I just sleep weirdly late.

 

[OneTrackMinded]

In a DfT article, the new MD of SWR, Lawrence Bowman, makes a statement:

I’m excited to join and lead the excellent team at South Western Railway, who come to work every day to deliver the best possible service for our customers and moving into public ownership will make it easier for them to do so.

My immediate priority is to work with colleagues to develop a plan for SWR, that will make the most of the new, simpler industry processes to deliver improvements in reliability and an increase in capacity.

Over the coming years, I will focus on ensuring SWR moves into Great British Railways as a truly integrated industry-leading operation that delivers an excellent service to its passengers and the local communities we serve.

Really hoping this plan actually happens. Most of the managers will likely say to him "it's fine already".

 

[Zomboid]

In a DfT article, the new MD of SWR, Lawrence Bowman, makes a statement:

Really hoping this plan actually happens. Most of the managers will likely say to him "it's fine already".

He's more likely to get about 5000 different and conflicting ideas for how to improve matters than many managers advocating for the status quo.

 

[[.n]]

London to Bournemouth / Portsmouth / Southampton / Weymouth is just as "intercity" of a service as London to Dover / Hastings / Margate / Ramsgate is and they no longer have first class. It is not really a proper long distance intercity. Getting rid of First Class on SWR would add some much needed extra capacity.

Can't speak for the other routes but the Waterloo-Weymouth route has reasonable use of what is left of the 1st class service - so I doubt its worth losing the revenue from this

 

[A S Leib]

I'm not sure if it's been mentioned in this thread or others, but what's happening with automatic ticket acceptance during disruption? I know it wouldn't apply to any other relevant TOCs yet, but that's the case for Southeastern as well.