should LNR/WMR have been a single brand?

[Intercity110]

With the introduction of the class 730 Aventra trains on London Northwestern Railway (LNR, or LNWR) services, but using West Midlands Railway (WMR branding and livery, this has made me think the whole premise of two separate companies is rather silly, as they often use different 'operator's stock on another's service (350s on WMR services), and i see no tangible benefits to this. It may even potentially cost more, with the production of 2 websites, sets of publicity posters, etc.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The idea was that they would be split, with WMT becoming franchised by the WMCA like Merseyrail, but for various reasons it didn't quite happen.

 

[Snow1964]

Nothing wrong with having 2 brands, providing you keep them segregated and don't do idiotic things like using them interchangeably.

If can't keep them separate, and keep borrowing each other's equipment then it is dumb, because devalue both brands, and worse than having one fair brand.

 

[dorsetdesiro]

As it is really one company with two brands appearing like two separate companies, it might make more sense to have the whole company under one brand - West Midlands Railway - the whole franchise (inc LNR part) overseen by the WMCA as most routes go through Birmingham/West Midlands anyway?

Even if this would mean WMR running as far to Liverpool & Euston also parts not connected to Birmingham like Euston to Tring/Northampton, Abbey & MV lines.

Funnily with the launch of the 730s, we are seeing WMR at Euston even only temporarily to start with!

 

[Bletchleyite]

As it is really one company with two brands appearing like two separate companies, it might make more sense to have the whole company under one brand - West Midlands Railway - the whole franchise (inc LNR part) overseen by the WMCA as most routes go through Birmingham/West Midlands anyway?

If it was to be one brand, it would need to be one encompassing both operations. Like, er, London Midland?

WMT is not a sensible brand for services to London, really. It ignores that the majority of the custom of the green trains has nothing to do with the West Midlands whatsoever. Indeed I suspect the TOC as a whole carries considerably more passengers south of Northampton than north of it.

I think WMCA like their own brand, though, so it might be a hard sell. Separating it off at some point into a pseudo-Merseyrail probably does make sense now the nonsense about through services from Euston to half of the Midlands has been rightly dumped in the bin where it belongs.

 

[Helvellyn]

Is the WMT sub-brand any different from BR days when we had the PTEs with their liveries appearing on Provincial/Regional Railways stock?

• Strathclyde
• Tyne & Wear
• 'Metro' (West Yorkshire)
• Greater Manchester
• 'Merseyrail' (Merseyside)
• 'Midline', later 'Centro' (West Midlands)

In fact, apart from a sole Class 114 unit in brown and cream, South Yorkshire was the only PTE not to have trains in its livery.

Aside from services not conveniently ending at PTE boundaries units did escape. Over the years Carlisle saw Strathclyde 156s, Tyne & Wear 142s/143s, 'Metro' 144s, GMPTE 142s and 'Merseyrail' 142s!

 

[dorsetdesiro]

If it was to be one brand, it would need to be one encompassing both operations. Like, er, London Midland?

WMT is not a sensible brand for services to London, really.

The London Midland name would be a better choice obviously, however when it existed from 2007-17, it also ran services that never got anywhere near London such as the Stourbridge shuttle with "London" in the name, didn't seem to cause any issue at the time.

Also EMR runs to St Pancras, again no problems with the name, also stopping at Luton under Luton Airport Express sub-brand on its Connect services to Corby, with Luton & Bedford not being situated in the East Midlands.

If EMR has a presence in London then why not an enlarged WMR?