Network Rail's "Orange Army" nickname to be renamed "Team Orange"

[trainophile]

Couldn't find a thread about this (if there is one could admin please delete or merge this), but I wondered what people's thoughts are. Apparently the nickname Orange Army may be putting off female recruits! I call baloney (and it IS the Daily Mail), but wondered what the general forum opinion is.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5213889/Network-Rail-say-Orange-Army-nickname-macho.html

Network Rail stop calling their hi-vis-clad engineers the Orange Army because it is 'too macho' and they fear will put off possible recruits

• Instead the 30K-strong team working the festive period is named Team Orange
• Currently only about 4 per cent of all National Rail engineers are women
• Network Rail is facing a backlash from supporters of the Armed Forces

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...Orange-Army-nickname-macho.html#ixzz52y2HSps0

 

[Merseysider]

Slow news day for the Daily Heil Mail? I couldn’t find any other news outlets running this story, but it is possible I may have missed it.

 

[Marklund]

OA is a terrible name. Highly patronising. Glad it's being phased out.

 

[Mojo]

I did wonder why so much recent publicity referred to “Team Orange.” I seem to recall the term “Orange Army” first being given widespread publicity at the time of the Dawlish sea wall collapse.

 

[Andyjs247]

‘Team Orange’ makes me think of the Dutch national football team or maybe Blackpool FC.

 

[Highlandspring]

It was a directive from Mark Carne, he invited suggestions for an alternative on the NR Yammer social network last year.

 

[trainophile]

Team Orange sounds like an Olympics entry to me. Don't see the problem with Orange Army, that's what they look like when you see a group of them working on an area of track in all weathers. Not sure why it's considered patronising. Any NR members on here care to share their views?

It has been pointed out to me that this so-called change of name has only been published in one newspaper, so it might be a little adrift of the actual facts!

 

[theironroad]

I did wonder why so much recent publicity referred to “Team Orange.” I seem to recall the term “Orange Army” first being given widespread publicity at the time of the Dawlish sea wall collapse.

Yeah, orange army came in specifically after the dawlish track collapse and the monumental efforts to restore that line. Unfortunately it's been overused since to cover every time nr carry out routine, planned maintenance, ie over Christmas. I don't blame NR for changing it.

However, in that article is a quote saying more women would be attracted to NR engineering roles if the shifts weren't so long and at unsociable times. Maybe routine track ,patrolling should be carried out between 0800-1200 Monday to Thursday and rather than doing track renewals and replacement overnight , at weekends and during Christmas and other holidays they should also be carried out only between 0900-1700 Monday to Friday. WTF!

 

[Mag_seven]

Just as well Network Rail don't operate in Northern Ireland.

 

[trainophile]

It was a directive from Mark Carne, he invited suggestions for an alternative on the NR Yammer social network last year.

Oh, so it's true then? Well I hope the alteration doesn't somehow involve thousands of £££ in new logos or whatever!

 

[Elecman]

Oh, so it's true then? Well I hope the alteration doesn't somehow involve thousands of £££ in new logos or whatever!

Why would it? It’s a colloquial name, it’s not official and certainly isn’t on any Network Rail PPE

 

[Marklund]

Any NR members on here care to share their views?

Do NR refer to Milton Keynes and other office staff as the Pen Pushing Army, or Team Keyboard? No.

 

[acned]

So "orange army" puts women off joining the railway? Poppycock! Perhaps if Mr Carne got to grips with the spiralling costs of electrification, eliminated the engineering overruns and got to grips with the unreliable equipment on the WCML, once he has achieved those things, I might forgive him for wasting time, pontificating on internet forums, about what he should be calling his workforce this week!

Honestly, I cannot imagine the late great Sir Peter Parker getting involved in this sort of minutiae. Back then you were a 'railwayman' whether you wore a skirt or trousers! Bring back B.R.

 

[GatwickDepress]

Surely the name change is more likely to be because "Team Orange" evokes an idyllic corporate image of Network Rail working alongside railway companies, contractors, and other bodies as part of one unified team, rather than breaching Dawlish at dawn with camouflaged hi-vis and a battalion of tanks. I doubt its going to cost anything, since there is nothing to rebrand.

As an aside, "Team Orange" is currently in use on the Network Rail website.

The rest of the article just seems to be nonsense designed to make Daily Mail commenters splutter about "political correctness gone mad" and "wimmen". The source of it being 'too macho' is an unnamed rail source? Of course it is.

 

[DarloRich]

Surely the name change is more likely to be because "Team Orange" evokes an idyllic corporate image of Network Rail working alongside railway companies, contractors, and other bodies as part of one unified team, rather than breaching Dawlish at dawn with camouflaged hi-vis and a battalion of tanks. I doubt its going to cost anything, since there is nothing to rebrand.

As an aside, "Team Orange" is currently in use on the Network Rail website.

The rest of the article just seems to be nonsense designed to make Daily Mail commenters splutter about "political correctness gone mad" and "wimmen". The source of it being 'too macho' is an unnamed rail source? Of course it is.

Exactly.

Do NR refer to Milton Keynes and other office staff as the Pen Pushing Army, or Team Keyboard? No.

I think the correct phrase is tea drinking battalion.

 

[theironroad]

So "orange army" puts women off joining the railway? Poppycock! Perhaps if Mr Carne got to grips with the spiralling costs of electrification, eliminated the engineering overruns and got to grips with the unreliable equipment on the WCML, once he has achieved those things, I might forgive him for wasting time, pontificating on internet forums, about what he should be calling his workforce this week!

Honestly, I cannot imagine the late great Sir Peter Parker getting involved in this sort of minutiae. Back then you were a 'railwayman' whether you wore a skirt or trousers! Bring back B.R.

Honestly, you think there were loads of women working on the railways in Peter Parker's day? The national percentage of women train drivers is around 2-3% when the population is roughly 50/50.

 

[Gathursty]

They should be called the Orange People or the Network Rail Oompa-Loompas!

 

[Marklund]

I think the correct phrase is tea drinking battalion.

Looking forward to seeing that plastered around NR Media!

 

[Highlandspring]

I remember years ago Ian Coucher (who was, it must be said, a thoroughly unpleasant man) writing at length in his blog on Connect a sneering attack on what he called the "jeans and fleece department" of front line Operations staff - LOMs, MOMs, Controllers and Signallers. The phrase stuck with me and ever since then I've referred to myself as a 'jeans and fleece' railwayman.

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

Orange Army puts off women recruits? Because the army doesn't recruit women? FFS

 

[sheff1]

but wondered what the general forum opinion is.

My opinion is that links to Daily Mail 'stories' should be banned on the forum .

As Mr Carne is regularly seen wearing a grey suit perhaps he and his team should be referred to as Team Grey from now on.

 

[theironroad]

I remember years ago Ian Coucher (who was, it must be said, a thoroughly unpleasant man) writing at length in his blog on Connect a sneering attack on what he called the "jeans and fleece department" of front line Operations staff - LOMs, MOMs, Controllers and Signallers. The phrase stuck with me and ever since then I've referred to myself as a 'jeans and fleece' railwayman.

Wow! Although sounds like the same sort of contempt most TOC management have for drivers.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

To me it doesn't matter what they're called, as much as I care its Network Rail. I regard those who are out on the front line as either Orange Army, Team Orange or even Operation Orange, the latter when it comes to major works such as over Christmas.

I also find using Guardianistic or neutral terms rather too politcally correct and patronising such as orange people - which I should state could be regarded as "racist" to those in Essex who have been spray tanned. Lets face it, people are too sensitive these days and should lighten up.

 

[the sniper]

PR bulls*** replaced by PR bulls***. Fascinating. I wonder how many hours in meetings were wasted debating this big issue...

 

[D365]

I'm glad to learn what the popular opinion on the MK staff is..!

The trackside workers have a nickname of this sort because they are the most visible of Network Rail staff i.e. those with shovels on the ground.

 

[theageofthetra]

So "orange army" puts women off joining the railway? Poppycock! Perhaps if Mr Carne got to grips with the spiralling costs of electrification, eliminated the engineering overruns and got to grips with the unreliable equipment on the WCML, once he has achieved those things, I might forgive him for wasting time, pontificating on internet forums, about what he should be calling his workforce this week!

Honestly, I cannot imagine the late great Sir Peter Parker getting involved in this sort of minutiae. Back then you were a 'railwayman' whether you wore a skirt or trousers! Bring back B.R.

Nothing to do with the physical requirements of some track work & having to squat in a cess at 3am in the dark in the middle of nowhere to relieve themselves?

 

[lammergeier]

Both Orange Army and Team Orange have a whiff of a PR department trying to be hip, it's a little cringeworthy. Personally I prefer something like "our skilled engineers" or "engineering staff" but maybe I'm just old fashioned.

 

[Mojo]

I wonder how many hours in meetings were wasted debating this big issue...

By the sounds of it from a post earlier, none. As the boss apparently made a posting on Yammer and asked for contributions.

 

[AlterEgo]

By the sounds of it from a post earlier, none. As the boss apparently made a posting on Yammer and asked for contributions.

Indeed. But why let facts get in the way of a good old moan, eh?

 

[DarloRich]

PR bulls*** replaced by PR bulls***. Fascinating. I wonder how many hours in meetings were wasted debating this big issue...

By the sounds of it from a post earlier, none. As the boss apparently made a posting on Yammer and asked for contributions.

sshhhhhhhhhh - don't let the truth intrude