Howdy! I was wondering what are your favourite and least favourite design and colour schemes from UK operators? Personally, my favourites are the old South West Trains liveries. Say what you will about Stagecoach, but whoever was in charge of design there was onto something. They’re bright, they look really inviting and just fun. My least favourite is easily the Avanti West Coast livery. It managed to be both offensive to the eyes and dull at the same time. Ew.
ScotRail is lovely. Was worried they were gonna change it when Abellio lost the license, thank god they didn’t.
SWT was done by Ray Stenning of Best Impressions. (A Brand consultancy specialising in Public Transport) He also did Midland Mainline, Virgin Black and Virgin Silver, Some WAGN units, London Midland and I believe Southern might be one of his too.
Quite a mixed portfolio. The Virgin trains are lovely too. Fits the brand without being too overbearing.
The LNER Azuma livery makes them the best looking trains running on our rails for me now and am very thhankful they have the yellow front as that just puts the icing on the cake. A livery I can't stand is the new orange and purple west midlands livery which I think is hideous.
Yea. I love the one they have at the moment. Personally I hated the Barbie one though. It looked so ugly on those trains.
Yea, I have to agree with you there. LNER liveries look great on all their trains but for West Midlands, I have to say... Orange and Purple? What were they thinking?
The classic SWT liverys are amazing. I am near that line and all 159/1s and a couple of 158s still have that livery. Here's an example from a few weeks ago.
Think I'm the only person who dislikes the 2000s SWR livery, I can't help but think of Brian Souter when I see it, heh. I do like the modern ScotRail livery - clean, unmistakably Scottish, adaptable to various uses. Shout out also to LNER's retro InterCity style, though the maroon makes me long for the old black.
Brian Souter’s an idiot of the highest regard, so I get that. LNER’s interesting because it feels like they’ve sort of remixed the old Virgin style, but added their own touches, which I quite like.
I like the restrained dignity of GWR green. I suppose others think it dull. (Hey, I like blood & custard, too) But I think Swallow was brilliant.
Best (in no particular order): ScotRail Saltire/Inter7city, Transpennine Express, Avanti, Grand Central, Heathrow Express Worst: Lumo
ScotRail (+ the 153 and HST liveries) LNER (Azuma & InterCity), and - going back into the old days here (a time I was never around for, though), Strathclyde Orange & Black. The inverse of British Rail Blue and still forever associated with the Glasgow region.
Intercity Swallow and Virgin Trains black and red for the best I do not care for the West Midlands mix of orange and purple
