Why do most modern train liveries look so similar?

[43096]

You could be correct, this seems to complicate matters further.

Say if a new "Rail England" brand to be introduced and the cross-border intercity services, managed by RE-TfW-ScotRail, to be branded for example as "Entente".

The fleets of LNER, GWR, AWC, TPE and XC could be divided up with some going to "Entente" and others transferring to RE.

Some will join RE's other express services currently run by other TOCs. The rail fleet understandably will be varied to begin with but will continue to be dedicated only for the services they run (like 444s to Weymouth, 810s to Sheffield etc) however all will come under the single RE Express livery. The express fleet possibly could become standardised gradually over time (a long way off in the future) such as electrification & conversion from third rail to overhead, new rolling stock orders etc.

The cross-border fleet for "Entente", coming from LNER, AWC, GWR, TPE and XC, mostly consist of Hitachi AT300s with 390s & 397s.

"Entente" to operate from (also stopping at English stations on the way):
Euston-Glasgow/Edinburgh
Euston-Holyhead
Kings Cross-Edinburgh/Aberdeen/Inverness
Paddington-Swansea/Carmarthen
Cardiff-Penzance
Manchester/Liverpool-Glasgow/Edinburgh

Also there are cross-border regional services already run by TfW and ScotRail. GWR's Cardiff-Portsmouth/Brighton/Taunton services to run in RE livery.

Complicated I know! Ha ha!

Just ridiculously complicated and expensive, needing a bigger fleet.

The answer ought to be for Wales and Scotland to accept "English Rail" services in the same way that ScotRail and TfW operate into England.

 

[dorsetdesiro]

Just ridiculously complicated and expensive, needing a bigger fleet.

The answer ought to be for Wales and Scotland to accept "English Rail" services in the same way that ScotRail and TfW operate into England.

That of course makes more sense!

 

[Serathor]

I love class 91's in their original InterCity Livery, They look really smart IMO. As far as I am concerned they have never looked so smart.

 

[supervc-10]

I love class 91's in their original InterCity Livery, They look really smart IMO. As far as I am concerned they have never looked so smart.

It was a great livery. GNER blue looked great on them too IMO. The more angular design of the 91s suited the more angular design of the livery, the more 'swoopy' VTEC/LNER livery doesn't really fit IMO.

 

[xotGD]

It was a great livery. GNER blue looked great on them too IMO. The more angular design of the 91s suited the more angular design of the livery, the more 'swoopy' VTEC/LNER livery doesn't really fit IMO.

A 91 in rail blue with blue and grey stock would be even better.

 

[Lknowles78]

I think what would be more likely to happen would be that TfW and Scotrail remain as is currently. Either InterCity services would be regrouped and regional services regrouped to form something like the old BR sectors or the current franchises would remain but as state owned business units. Remember there is devolution to the metropolitan areas such as West Midlands which would remain in control or gain greater powers which still leads to a more fragmented railway than under BR.