Which train company brand names does the public know and use, and why?

[Nicholas43]

My friends and acquaintances generally say they get "the Eurostar" to (eg) Paris. They don't specify whether they get "the GWR" to Paddington, or "the Chiltern" to Marylebone. And friends in Surrey don't say they get "the Southwest" to Waterloo. Friends in Brighton just say they can't understand the palaver about tickets for a Govia train only (allegedly) being valid if the train's the right colour.
I just say I get a train to Paris, or wherever. To me "the Eurostar" is an unremarkable train, with unusually annoying queuing and faffing before you board.
I guess, but don't know, people may say they get "[the?] Lumo" to Edinburgh, and go on to tell you it was a lot cheaper than "[the?] LNER".
What do forum members say themselves, and hear others saying?

 

[swt_passenger]

My friends and acquaintances generally say they get "the Eurostar" to (eg) Paris. They don't specify whether they get "the GWR" to Paddington, or "the Chiltern" to Marylebone. And friends in Surrey don't say they get "the Southwest" to Waterloo. Friends in Brighton just say they can't understand the palaver about tickets for a Govia train only (allegedly) being valid if the train's the right colour.
I just say I get a train to Paris, or wherever. To me "the Eurostar" is an unremarkable train, with unusually annoying queuing and faffing before you board.
I guess, but don't know, that people may say they get "[the?] Lumo" to Edinburgh, and go on to tell you it was a lot cheaper than "[the?] LNER".
What do forum members say themselves, and hear others saying?

I’ve never quite understood “the Eurostar” usage either, as though there’s only one…

 

[Bletchleyite]

I’ve never quite understood “the Eurostar” usage either, as though there’s only one…

People often say brands that start with a vowel like that, because it makes it slightly easier to say them, e.g. "the Asda" or "the Aldi" but "Tesco" and "Lidl" without. Sometimes saying a word that doesn't start with a consonant on its own "feels" odd.

It's also potentially a contraction of "the Eurostar train". I certainly have heard "the Avanti".

People certainly do differentiate Chiltern/LNR/Avanti when talking about London to Brum.

 

[Gems]

I always thought the old GNER had a certain style about them. That colour scheme made them look royal.

The worst was Virgin. They never went all the way.

 

[Nicholas43]

People often say brands that start with a vowel like that, because it makes it slightly easier to say them, e.g. "the Asda" or "the Aldi" but "Tesco" and "Lidl" without.

In the hope of forestalling thread drift into phonetics, can I just point out that most people pronounce Eurostar as Yurostar, starting with the consonant y. So they say a [y]eurostar train, but an Avanti train.

I always thought the old GNER had a certain style about them.

Indeed. But did it make people say they got "[the] GNER" to (eg) Newcastle, or just a train?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I’ve never quite understood “the Eurostar” usage either, as though there’s only one…

It's better than "the Chunnel" .
Luckily I think that has dropped out of use except possibly in the US/Japan.

People used to recognise Arriva when they ran ATW, but probably never comprehended Arriva also run Cross Country and Chiltern, even when it says so on the trains.
Nor did they compute that Arriva was part of DB.
Transport for Wales as a brand is a bit of a mouthful by contrast, certainly outside Wales.
You'd also expect trains featuring white and green, and red dragons somewhere.
Scotrail is pretty obvious, although I'm not keen on the saltire livery, but Welshrail woudn't work.
East and West Midlands Trains are pretty anonymous when you are stood at Liverpool Lime St.
Trans Pennine Express works well in media terms, and Northern is obvious.
Avanti has a bit of work to do to be as recognisable as Virgin, particularly as VT is still used in timetables and PIS.
In fact, if branding means anything at all, the railway needs to update most of the obsolete abbreviations it uses for the TOCs.

 

[XAM2175]

I'd suggest it's possible that they're using the word "Eurostar" to describe the whole process of taking a train through the Channel Tunnel, rather than out of any desire to specifically note that Eurostar is a brand of train operator.

Remember as well that Eurostar have always been the sole operator on that route, so people haven't had their notion of the service mixed up in the same way that they might have in areas that have seen the parade of constantly-changing names and liveries.

 

[DelayRepay]

Avanti has a bit of work to do to be as recognisable as Virgin, particularly as VT is still used in timetables and PIS.

I know quite a few people who still say Virgin even though they stopped running the franchise a few years ago. The same people refer to the other operator as 'The Slow Train' and/or 'The Cheap Train' rather than London Northwestern.

I hear 'The Overground' used quite regularly to refer to National Rail services within London, not just those branded as London Overground.

 

[Halish Railway]

People still refer to Northern as ‘Northern Rail’ despite that company not existing since March 2016. Why? Probably because it’s replacement, ‘Northern’ isn’t a name that’s different enough. As well it took forever for any obvious new branding to become widespread such as new liveries and station branding.

 

[fgwrich]

I always thought the old GNER had a certain style about them. That colour scheme made them look royal.

The worst was Virgin. They never went all the way.

Indeed. Virgin Trains. A LOT of passengers will still believe Virgin runs Cross Country, probably because you've be hard pressed to think you weren't travelling in a Virgin Voyager from 2002*

*the slight irony being that Avanti's now feel different to their VT / XC cousins.

 

[TUC]

My friends and acquaintances generally say they get "the Eurostar" to (eg) Paris. They don't specify whether they get "the GWR" to Paddington, or "the Chiltern" to Marylebone. And friends in Surrey don't say they get "the Southwest" to Waterloo. Friends in Brighton just say they can't understand the palaver about tickets for a Govia train only (allegedly) being valid if the train's the right colour.
I just say I get a train to Paris, or wherever. To me "the Eurostar" is an unremarkable train, with unusually annoying queuing and faffing before you board.
I guess, but don't know, people may say they get "[the?] Lumo" to Edinburgh, and go on to tell you it was a lot cheaper than "[the?] LNER".
What do forum members say themselves, and hear others saying?

I suspect that's a very south east view of the world. Those of us in parts of the country with genuine competition much more hear people talking about catchimg Grand Central to London tomorrow etc.

 

[Gareth]

"Merseyrail" is used quite frequently, locally, although just "the train" is probably the most common.

Northern gets called anything from North Western, North West Trains, Northern Rail and Merseyrail* to Network Rail and British Rail.

Long distance stuff gets called things like British Rail, Virgin or "the pendolino". Never heard anyone utter the word "Avanti" in casual conversation.

*A fun one was hearing someone talking to someone else who would have to visit Manchester in the near future. The advice: "use the proper train, it gets you there quicker and is more comfortable. Merseyrail is crap".

 

[Mat17]

There was a time when 'Intercity 125' was well used.

 

[AgeoftheTrain7]

Less so a TOC itself, but I've heard departure boards people refer to some services as 'LNER Azuma', rather than just LNER.

I mean, what other class of train are they going to get?!

 

[Lloyds siding]

Northern is well known, usually with a prefix. ScotRail, Great Western, Transport for Wales are in the public's consciousness. Transpennine is also well known (it does what it says on the tin); but East Midlands gets confused with West Midlands Trains...and they can't decide if they are called West Midlands or London North Western. Merseyrail is very well known, even if their boundaries are not.
Avanti has been heard in conversation recently, so the fact that Virgin has gone is filtering through at last...even though the WCML trains are frequently referred to by the public as Pendolinos, whoever runs them.

 

[Tramfan]

A year or so ago, I overhead a couple on a TfW Class 158 commenting about how they were on the "Virgin Train" from Llandudno Junction. Not sure whether they (Virgin Trains) should take that as an insult in thinking a 2 car DMU is a Virgin Train, or as a compliment in that it meant the brand name was so well known.

 

[Bletchleyite]

*A fun one was hearing someone talking to someone else who would have to visit Manchester in the near future. The advice: "use the proper train, it gets you there quicker and is more comfortable. Merseyrail is crap".

I suspect by "Merseyrail" they were referring to the Chat Moss stopper to Piccadilly, which being a Class 319 feels similar to Merseyrail. A lot of people seem to use that from Castlefield, which demonstrates the demand for that location! The "proper train" I guess is TPE to Vic.

Unless they mean "don't go via Kirkby" which is a sentiment I would agree with, it is grindingly slow.

 

[Gareth]

This was a few years ago now, so I suspect they were talking about a pacer via the CLC, some of which were Merseyrail branded in the not too distant past.

 

[Horizon22]

I'd suggest it's possible that they're using the word "Eurostar" to describe the whole process of taking a train through the Channel Tunnel, rather than out of any desire to specifically note that Eurostar is a brand of train operator.

Remember as well that Eurostar have always been the sole operator on that route, so people haven't had their notion of the service mixed up in the same way that they might have in areas that have seen the parade of constantly-changing names and liveries.

I also think Eurostar is highly likely to be booked in advance process and is therefore a longer process and therefore you are more aware of Eurostar along the way. Plus as you say, it’s been there for a long time.

As with anyone this depends on the audience. More savvy commuters in Kent might know about Southeastern, others might just call it in the train or the “High Speed” if they’re getting it. In London you get a lot of people saying “overground train” to differentiate from the Tube. Others may know their operator because of how obvious it is on the ticket or how much attention they pay to the process. Others may have a vague idea - for instance “South Western” which could apply to the current “Rail” or previous “Trains” which covers a couple of decades.

 

[PeterC]

I do hear "Chiltern" used to distinguish them from the Metropolitan Line.

 

[dodecahedron67]

I find it's where there's multiple offerings that the TOC gets mentioned, fx I'd say I'm getting the northern/transpennine to see family (depending on which one I was using), whilst I'd be getting the LNER(/Grand Central, XC, Lumo, transpennine, etc.) to Edinburgh/London, the Thameslink in/out of London whereas than if I didn't mention the TOC my family would presume it was the Southeasterns. Further to this, I will get asked by family "is that on the thameslinks or southeastern" for some journeys.
ScotRail is a bit unique as I'd say if I was getting the train from Edinburgh to Inverness I'd specify LNER/SC, but with Glasgow to Edinburgh we (family) would say we were getting the Queen St Express (or the Grahamston, Helensburgh/Airdrie or Shotts, etc.) rather than the Scotrail

 

[plugwash]

I mean, what other class of train are they going to get?!

Have LNER now completely phased out the class 91/Mk5 sets?

 

[The exile]

I also think Eurostar is highly likely to be booked in advance process and is therefore a longer process and therefore you are more aware of Eurostar along the way. Plus as you say, it’s been there for a long time.

The other thing about a cross-channel journey is that it has two elements. “I’m driving to France” still begs the question “ferry” or “ tunnel”. “Going by Eurostar” makes clear that you’re not getting train / ferry / train - not to mention the fact that within living memory it was something exciting and new and thus worth dropping into a conversation. It’s also the only way I can think of if summing up the whole concept in one word….

 

[32475]

In my experience, anyone getting a sleeper to Cornwall or Scotland would say just that. Very few would specify in conversation that they were getting the Night Riviera or the Caledonian Sleeper.

 

[AlterEgo]

Have LNER now completely phased out the class 91/Mk5 sets?

No, regularly found on the Leeds trains these days.

 

[Western Lord]

Going on "The Eurostar" sounds like that awful American trait of putting the definite article where it is not needed, thus they used to talk about going on "the Concorde" and do talk about someone being in "the hospital", whereas we would just say on Concorde or in hospital.

 

[Efini92]

You always hear people in Manchester saying they are getting the tram, when in actual fact it’s a light rail vehicle. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone call it metrolink.

 

[Bletchleyite]

You always hear people in Manchester saying they are getting the tram, when in actual fact it’s a light rail vehicle. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone call it metrolink.

It's a rail vehicle adapted to run on roads. As such it's a tram. Don't fall for then-GMPTE's unwillingness to call a spade a spade. Trams are a subclass of LRVs, others being stuff like light rail metro vehicles.

They now do (finally) call it a tram. Which is what it is.

I have heard "the Met" though.

 

[lancededcena]

I never heard anyone say "Greater Anglia" or the "Anglian" in this area and just refer it to the train.

I'm assuming because we have no other TOC anywhere in our line and we don't cross paths with other TOCs at all, I think that is mostly the same for places served by only one TOC such as Chiltern and GWR mainline west of Reading.

 

[dosxuk]

Going on "The Eurostar" sounds like that awful American trait of putting the definite article where it is not needed, thus they used to talk about going on "the Concorde" and do talk about someone being in "the hospital", whereas we would just say on Concorde or in hospital.

"The Concorde" was definitely well used in the UK, and I've heard "the hospital" many times too - although in the case of the latter, it's primarily been when there's no confusion over which hospital is being referred to.

I see no difference to "the eurostar" vs "the plane" vs "the ferry" as an answer of "how are you getting to Paris?". To most people, the difference in how you access Eurostar services is enough to promote it to it's own mode of travel away from normal trains.