SWR after May

[Leyland Bus]

Quick!! Let's all get busy on Photoshop and Twitter ahead of Sunday... Blue and grey 701, anyone...?

Well, given the number of folk on here who fell for that Kestrel 69, that won't be difficult!

 

[vuzzeho]

It's embargoed until Sunday, though I wouldn't be surprised if it was leaked before then.

Guess that means I’ll have to wake up early for the 6:14.

 

[Russel]

So when are we likely to see this, Sunday or Monday?

 

[OneTrackMinded]

So when are we likely to see this, Sunday or Monday?

It’ll be running on Sunday

 

[weeklycommuter]

They could have had the guts to declassify or remove it entirely I suppose, as WMT have done.

All SWR electric train services should have been made standard class only like Southeastern and WMT. I hope this finally happens with full public ownership. The class 450 and class 444 trains should have been made standard class only when they were refurbished. At present SWR is running class 450 trains with sections at each end of each set labelled first class for some metro services which are standard class only.

 

[Zomboid]

There might be an argument for the 450s, but the long distance services can definitely support a first class offering.

 

[Russel]

There might be an argument for the 450s, but the long distance services can definitely support a first class offering.

It may be branded as First Class, but it really isn't.

 

[Zomboid]

Comfort is subjective, and I've no experience of SWR first, but that's also only part of the reason why people but first class tickets.

 

[weeklycommuter]

There might be an argument for the 450s, but the long distance services can definitely support a first class offering.

The London Waterloo to Weymouth train services are supposed to be operated exclusively with class 444 trains but London Waterloo to Portsmouth via Guildford and via Eastleigh are operated with a mixture of class 450 trains and class 444 trains so the only workable policy is to make all SWR electric train services standard class only. The London Waterloo to Salisbury and Exeter train services could continue to offer first class if the passengers who use those services want this as these services are operated with diesel trains not used for any of the electric train services. The Island Line and SWR metro services are standard class only.

 

[Mainline421]

It’s coming soon

Indeed, many here will be disappointed

 

[Transilien]

Indeed, many here will be disappointed

It looks more like like a nameplate than a livery of any kind

 

[XCTurbostar]

It would be even more funny if that specific 701 has never carried a passenger.. GBR coming soon.. 701s STILL coming soon.. too.

 

[Zomboid]

The London Waterloo to Weymouth train services are supposed to be operated exclusively with class 444 trains but London Waterloo to Portsmouth via Guildford and via Eastleigh are operated with a mixture of class 450 trains and class 444 trains so the only workable policy is to make all SWR electric train services standard class only. The London Waterloo to Salisbury and Exeter train services could continue to offer first class if the passengers who use those services want this as these services are operated with diesel trains not used for any of the electric train services. The Island Line and SWR metro services are standard class only.

I'm not sure it's "the only workable policy".

It would be entirely possible to have a batch of 450s with first class and a batch without. Indeed they did that once already with the 450/5 series - though those did sometimes get onto the wrong services.

When I was commuting the 450s on the Basingstoke stoppers had reasonably well occupied first class sections, so I don't think that just abandoning the whole this is necessary.

 

[Mrwerdna1]

It looks more like like a nameplate than a livery of any kind

That was my first though too. It's as if the government is confirming to keep the current TOC liveries as they are, but simply add this GBR "plaque" as soon as they "deserve it". Weird.

And this is only going on one train unit then? I am confused, I have to be honest.

 

[Brubulus]

Indeed, many here will be disappointed

If a tiny vinyl is all they're doing, why all the buildup and secrecy???

 

[Mrwerdna1]

If a tiny vinyl is all they're doing, why all the buildup and secrecy???

Quite.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Indeed, many here will be disappointed

Oh my god, how anti climatic.

 

[XCTurbostar]

That was my first though too. It's as if the government is confirming to keep the current TOC liveries as they are, but simply add this GBR "plaque" as soon as they "deserve it". Weird.

And this is only going on one train unit then? I am confused, I have to be honest.

This 701 has been debranded since the vinyl is in place of the SWR logo

 

[Brubulus]

The railway/DfT do a full wrap for pride, diversity, Railway 200 and yet it appears to be beyond them to do a full wrap to herald the largest change in the ownership/operation of the railway in 31 years! However it's more understandable if this is a short term measure, to be applied to all SWR units in place of current branding. However it's absolutely ridiculous lack of effort if it's just a single train and sets a really low bar for GBR.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

That was my first though too. It's as if the government is confirming to keep the current TOC liveries as they are, but simply add this GBR "plaque" as soon as they "deserve it". Weird.

And this is only going on one train unit then? I am confused, I have to be honest.

I feel like they probably have got a livery planned, and that’s what they mean TOCs will have to “deserve” before they get. There’s no way that blue and red long strip slapped over the very clashing colours of other TOCs can be the permanent look. Just imagine it on West Midlands Railway or TPE

 

[Mrwerdna1]

The railway/DfT do a full wrap for pride, diversity, Railway 200 and yet it appears to be beyond them to do a full wrap to herald the largest change in the ownership/operation of the railway in 31 years! However it's more understandable if this is a short term measure, to be applied to all SWR units in place of current branding. However it's absolutely ridiculous lack of effort if it's just a single train and sets a really low bar for GBR.

That is what is confusing me. Why go through all this hoo-ha just for one train with a small vinyl covering up the SWR logo?

But I think that is the plan. And I think it's because they really want to make something out of this "only once a TOC is brought up to standard do they deserve to carry the GBR branding".

I presume, though, that this will not be the final GBR branding. Surely. More of a one-off publicity livery / vinyl.

I feel like they probably have got a livery planned, and that’s what they mean TOCs will have to “deserve” before they get.

Yeah that would make the most sense. I don't think this is the livery they are talking about applying in future. Shame, I would have liked to have seen that livery. But seems we will have to wait for it.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

The railway/DfT do a full wrap for pride, diversity, Railway 200 and yet it appears to be beyond them to do a full wrap to herald the largest change in the ownership/operation of the railway in 31 years! However it's more understandable if this is a short term measure, to be applied to all SWR units in place of current branding. However it's absolutely ridiculous lack of effort if it's just a single train and sets a really low bar for GBR.

This is what I hope is the case, and what they were saying about “earning the right to wear the brand” applies to the full livery. The articles that mentioned it did say livery.

 

[moley]

It’s an acknowledgment that their branding strategy is not fully ready.

 

[Mrwerdna1]

It’s an acknowledgment that their branding strategy is not fully ready.

In fairness, how could it be, if GBR does not yet exist? In fact, the primary legislation for its creation has not even been introduced in parliament yet...

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Why does it say Coming soon when the day it’s revealed will be the day GBR (as an operator) has actually come?

 

[XCTurbostar]

Because GBR doesnt exist as an organisation. GBR will be a rebrand of Network Rail that consumes the DfT OLR operators.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

The London Waterloo to Weymouth train services are supposed to be operated exclusively with class 444 trains but London Waterloo to Portsmouth via Guildford and via Eastleigh are operated with a mixture of class 450 trains and class 444 trains so the only workable policy is to make all SWR electric train services standard class only. The London Waterloo to Salisbury and Exeter train services could continue to offer first class if the passengers who use those services want this as these services are operated with diesel trains not used for any of the electric train services. The Island Line and SWR metro services are standard class only.

That’s not the case in the slightest. You just advertise the 444 booked services as having first class (in timetables and journey planners), and the 450 booked services as not. Just like GWR do where IETs share routes with Castles and local stock, and where TfW do where 197s and MK4s share routes. And Southern do it too, about half of their services along the West Coastway have first class while others don’t.

 

[OneTrackMinded]

to be applied to all SWR units in place of current branding.

It’s only being applied to a single unit according to the articles, with the rest being a “long way off”.. apparently it’s quite difficult to put a sticker on a train.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

It would be even more funny if that specific 701 has never carried a passenger...

It's 701 046; it's been in service.

 

[XCTurbostar]

It's 701 046; it's been in service.

Thats a shame