Current liveries

[pieguyrob]

Current liveries, why are the current franchise operators going with white? Is this because of the R.O.S.C.O.'s? This is an impossible colour to keep clean through my own experience of driving a white taxi.
Virgin have gone white, with red with their flowing silk livery.
Transport for Wales have gone white, with red.
SWT have gone white with grey.
Northern are white with purple.
L.N.E.R. are also white with red.
The Anglia franchise is white with red.
Crossrail are white.
The 717's for G.T.R. are white.
The 230's for the Marston Vale are white with green.

Is there a reason for this?

It just seems like certain operators (Northern) are trying to deliberately make their stock look dirty.
Intercity had it right with the lower browny coloured stripe just above the solebar to hide the brake dust.

 

[E_Reeves]

Easier to vinyl and also easier to remove company branding if they lose the franchise, hence the VTWC 390s having an all-white branding with minimal red on them.

 

[pieguyrob]

Had a feeling that maybe the case. It, with certain operators, it makes it look like they aren't keeping their trains clean. Which, is important to non- rail enthusiasts. Who want a clean train and a seat.
White is the worst colour for this, especially in winter.

 

[pieguyrob]

A white livery also gives a blank canvas to graffiti vandals.

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

Many years ago I learned that Stagecoach stuck with a mainly white livery for their buses so as to deliberately show the dirt. The idea was that it would make maintenance staff more aware of the need to keep buses clean, ie put them through the washer after each day in service. Of course this idea was eventually given up when they introduced the "beach ball" livery but the principle still has some merit. The problem with applying it to rail vehicles is that trains don't necessarily see a carriage wash plant every day, in fact they can sometimes go several days between such visits. Unfortunately this fact seems to be unknown to those choosing these largely white liveries.

 

[physics34]

being very pedantic, some of those mentioned are off-white/grey...maybe even the same shade as "blue/grey livery" grey. Its time for more standardised liveries generally. more stripes.