GBR branded rolling stock

[LLivery]

I've just scrolled through the home pages of both and neither feature a flag even once. Likewise American business might fly their flag at their physical sites but when did you last see the stars and stripes feature as part of Apple's branding.

Sorry but this GBR branding is lazy, uninspiring, and unimaginative.

BA's tail fin. I'd argue it needs a refresh, however. It's been what, more than 20 years?

Here is someone who is absolutely clueless and has no idea what she's doing. This whole GBR thing is going to be an absolute shambles, trust me on this.

They have had all this time to come up with something fresh, exciting and brand new and this is the best they can do - a sticker.

GBR hasn't been launched yet, so why would you launch a brand before it's ready? TfL essentially did the same thing with TfL Rail and the Elizabeth Line. The only people who suggested there was going to be a big brand launch was a media that gets more things wrong about the railway than it gets right

 

[Western Sunset]

Here is 701046 reversing at Branksome on its run up to Waterloo overnight. Just stickers over the SWR branding...

 

[Noddy]

Because it's not unique, innovative, or creative. Name a single successful business that has a flag as part of its branding. There isn't one.

Scotrail.

Likewise American business might fly their flag at their physical sites but when did you last see the stars and stripes feature as part of Apple's branding.

Sorry but this GBR branding is lazy, uninspiring, and unimaginative.

Apple is a private company. If you give governments control, in these times of increasing nationalism (of all flavours) it’s hardly surprising that flags end up as part of the branding.

 

[Vexed]

I found a video of the Vinyl being applied. I think you might need to have Instagram to be able to watch it.

Department for Transport on Instagram: "When the tape peel hits... Now departed... the first publicly owned South Western Railway service out of London Waterloo Great British Railways... Coming Soon. #satisfying #asmr"

304 likes, 12 comments - transportgovuk on May 24, 2025: "When the tape peel hits... Now departed... the first publicly owned South Western Railway service out of London Waterloo Great British Railways... Coming Soon. #satisfying #asmr".

www.instagram.com

 

[DarloRich]

My goodness, that's underwhelming.

It is obviously a sticker over the old branding rather than a livery scheme.

 

[cactustwirly]

BA. Virgin Atlantic. Almost everything in America

VS has a miniscule flag it barely counts

To be fair BA is tastefully done, GBR looks like it's come from a UKIP manifesto

 

[OneTrackMinded]

Here is 701046 reversing at Branksome on its run up to Waterloo overnight. Just stickers over the SWR branding...

Not exactly the most relevant but still no new interior PIS update. Thought they might time it to coincide with this event.

 

[vuzzeho]

Okay, so if operators need to meet these 'rigorous performance standards' to earn the right to wear the GBR brand (like it's a medal or something)... who might be first? Who is good enough?

 

[tfw756rider]

I think you might need to have Instagram to be able to watch it.

No, I can watch it logged out.

 

[800001]

Not exactly the most relevant but still no new interior PIS update. Thought they might time it to coincide with this event.

What new PIS update are you expecting them to do?

 

[OneTrackMinded]

What new PIS update are you expecting them to do?

Status page still says TfL Rail on it for starters (which is probably the most major issue). The software is also just clearly unfinished as different screens have varying background colours (from white to light blue) and the announcements often repeat themselves. As a less essential thing, the side screens just have the SWR logo, time, destination and next stop on them.

 

[PLY2AYS]

BA. Virgin Atlantic. Almost everything in America

Ferrari, Corvette, Alpha Romeo… and that’s just automotive for a start.

 

[43096]

BA's tail fin. I'd argue it needs a refresh, however. It's been what, more than 20 years?

Why does it need a refresh, just because it is 20+ years old? That’s more a reflection that it has been a timeless bit of branding.

 

[Noddy]

Ferrari, Corvette, Alpha Romeo… and that’s just automotive for a start.

Many logos and/or crests comprise flags even though we might not realise it. The Porsche logo has stylised elements of three flags; the flag of the Duchy of Wurttemberg (three antlers on a yellow background), the flag of Kingdom of Wurttemberg (black and red stripes), and a black prancing horse on yellow background, which is on the flag and crest of Stuttgart. But it is slightly more imaginative than simply just using part or all of a flag as the logo.

 

[Steddenm]

Iarnród Éireann's logo is the Irish flag.

 

[norbitonflyer]

BA. Virgin Atlantic. Almost everything in America

 

[Bletchleyite]

I've just scrolled through the home pages of both and neither feature a flag even once. Likewise American business might fly their flag at their physical sites but when did you last see the stars and stripes feature as part of Apple's branding.

Sorry but this GBR branding is lazy, uninspiring, and unimaginative.

BA has a stylised flag on the tail. Virgin has it elsewhere on the livery, I forget where.

VS has a miniscule flag it barely counts

To be fair BA is tastefully done, GBR looks like it's come from a UKIP manifesto

There is no chance that that is the final branding. It's not even a full livery.

 

[generalnerd]

Here is someone who is absolutely clueless and has no idea what she's doing. This whole GBR thing is going to be an absolute shambles, trust me on this.

They have had all this time to come up with something fresh, exciting and brand new and this is the best they can do - a sticker.

It worked before, it’ll work again

 

[vuzzeho]

I don't know why people think it'll just be a straight up flag on the train. It will be a stylised version. Even the cropped flag in the 'Coming Soon' branding is a slightly stylised version.

 

[contrex]

What’s wrong with the Union Jack ?

How long have you got?

GBR looks like it's come from a UKIP manifesto

Precisely.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

How long have you got?

It’s the national flag of our country… there is no reason to vehemently dislike it.

 

[Western Sunset]

Does GBR cover TfW and Scotrail too, or do they remain separate?

 

[OneTrackMinded]

It’s the national flag of our country… there is no reason to vehemently dislike it.

Exactly…

 

[Lewisham2221]

It’s the national flag of our country… there is no reason to vehemently dislike it.

Agreed. Straying slightly off topic, but I do think all this "don't want to use the Union Jack in case people associate is with UKIP/Reform etc" actually plays into their hands and almost reinforces their "woke left won't fly the national flag in case it offends someone" mantra

Does GBR cover TfW and Scotrail too, or do they remain separate?

GBR will cover the Welsh and Scottish infrastructure (excluding the Valleys bits which are owned by TfW/Welsh Government now), as per Network Rail now. TfW and ScotRail will continue as separate operators though. What is less clear is what impact, if any, GBR will have on the English bits of those networks - especially the substantial chunk of the TfW network within England.

 

[Mrwerdna1]

Does GBR cover TfW and Scotrail too, or do they remain separate?

Devolved government TOCs remain untouched, although GBR does replace Network Rail and insofar will take over most of the rail infrastructure within Scotland and Wales. However, as hitherto, it will basically be subservient to the devolved governments. So I doubt GBR branding being used on stations in Wales and/or Scotland, though that is admittedly a bit of a grey area. I sure hope not in any case. But rolling stock outwith England will certainly be unaffected by any GBR branding/livery changes.

 

[generalnerd]

Does GBR cover TfW and Scotrail too, or do they remain separate?

They are remaining as separate contracts (concessions?) despite being nationalised already.

Same with merseyrail (although I believe that is planned to also go to government operations) and Elizabeth line (gts as of today) and overground ( arriva London)

 

[azOOOOOma]

Because it's not unique, innovative, or creative. Name a single successful business that has a flag as part of its branding. There isn't one.

Doesn’t the much loved Swiss railway have their flag or at least the colours of the flag on it?

Then there’s Emirates, AA, Aeroflot, Air France too.

 

[High Dyke]

A GBR paint job with SWR branding would have been more eye catching, better PR. But we're stuck with the sticker for now, and that is what it is.

It could be suggested that many sticking plasters have been applied over the years. As GBR isn't yet properly up and running, I'm not expecting too many changes in a rush.

 

[YamYamDave]

Okay, so if operators need to meet these 'rigorous performance standards' to earn the right to wear the GBR brand (like it's a medal or something)... who might be first? Who is good enough?

C2C? (once they get nationalised) Though they’re helped by the simplest operational headaches of TOCs.

 

[Mrwerdna1]

Okay, so if operators need to meet these 'rigorous performance standards' to earn the right to wear the GBR brand (like it's a medal or something)... who might be first? Who is good enough?

My money would be on Greater Anglia. In honesty, they'd have to mess things up pretty massively for it not to "deserve" the special GBR livery/branding post-nationalisation.