First Great Western Rebrand

[whole diary]

[Plymboi]

I have heard rumours that first great Western will be rebranded as simply... Great Western. Dropping the first and having a new livery. It was end of last year but don't seem to find any info about it anywhere. I just wanted to ask here to know if anyone has heard anything.

Apologise if there has previously been a thread about this but couldn't find one so started a new one.

[ChrisB]

I haven't - and unless they are rebranding *all* their rail franchises, I somehow doubt it. Why have one without and the others still with?

[grahame]

I have heard rumours that first great Western will be rebranded as simply... Great Western. Dropping the first and having a new livery. It was end of last year but don't seem to find any info about it anywhere. I just wanted to ask here to know if anyone has heard anything.

Apologise if there has previously been a thread about this but couldn't find one so started a new one.

You may have noticed this forum has gently moved from being "First Great Western" toward "Great Western" branding over the last year or 18 months.  That's nothing to do with the current rumours; we were genearlising in case the new / next franchise was won and to be operted by a different company.

Of course, it could just be that the rumours have started now from someone erroneously noticing our change and reading too much into it - but I'm pretty sure that's not the case.

[paul7575]

Looked at nationally, there's also been the new TPE^▸ (Trans Pennine Express) Desiros introduced in a plain livery, (although PR^▸ (Public Relations) pics of them in 'First' are also around), and on the FCC^▸ (First Capital Connect) Great Northern (GN) route an EMU^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) has appeared in a neutral livery recently, and of course the Thameslink class 700 livery shown in various articles, (and on the recent mock up) is different as well.

I reckon the FCC Thameslink and GN stuff is more to do with awaiting the possible forthcoming change of franchisee and then the 2015 merger with 'Southern' - I don't think there's anything consistent going on across all the 'First' franchises though.

Paul

[trainer]

I know they're are a different division to the railway companies, but First Group are allowing their bus companies more local autonomy and the corporate First branding is disappearing from Somerset buses and other areas of the country.  This may have caused the rumour about FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to start.

[Rhydgaled]

Isn't there an IC125 set away being refurbished/refreshed at the moment? If FirstGW is getting a rebrand, wouldn't we find out when that first set is released from refurb/refresh?

[GBM]

I know they're are a different division to the railway companies, but First Group are allowing their bus companies more local autonomy and the corporate First branding is disappearing from Somerset buses and other areas of the country.  This may have caused the rumour about FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to start.

As in First Kernow for the Cornish bus fleet!

[Tim]

well these privateers do like their rebrands (a waste of money if you ask me) but wouldn't this be a very odd time in the life of the franchise for FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to do this?

[eightf48544]

Could it be that First Group  and other TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) applying minmum branding on stock until both the franchise awards and disposition of Rolling Stock becomes more apparent. It's presuambly cheaper to rebrand an unbranded vehicle. If it stays in First group it's presumably the right colour if it moves to another TOC it will have been cheaper to paint.

Another of the little quirks of privitisation.

[trainer]

As in First Kernow for the Cornish bus fleet!

Almost, except that the new Buses of Somerset rebrand doesn't mention the corporate name.

[Network SouthEast]

It does appear that grey is the order of the day as paul7755 says above. It started a few years ago with Transport Scotland having the entire ScotRail fleet repainted in Saltire livery, which is expected to be maintained in to the next franchise.

Meanwhile in England, new TPE^▸ (Trans Pennine Express) Desiros, the East Coast fleet, the 365s coming out of refurb and the future Thameslink Desiros will also be grey/silver.

In fact those who have been observant will have noticed a proliferation of plain liveries. Greater Anglia's livery is base white with red doors, whilst First Great Western's class 150s and 153s from London Midland were repainted in to blue instead of 'Local Lines' livery.

Nothing official has been announced for a FGW^▸ (First Great Western) rebrand - yet.

[Southern Stag]

Isn't there an IC125 set away being refurbished/refreshed at the moment? If FirstGW is getting a rebrand, wouldn't we find out when that first set is released from refurb/refresh?

There is a set having an overhaul in Kilmarnock but the first set has already returned from it's overhaul and it is still in the same livery.

[Southern Stag]

Meanwhile in England, new TPE^▸ (Trans Pennine Express) Desiros, the East Coast fleet, the 365s coming out of refurb and the future Thameslink Desiros will also be grey/silver.

From what I've seen the TPE 350s won't be staying grey for long, the livery for them has yet to be finalised yet though.

[SDS]

Out of First TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company).

Hull Trains (they sometimes forget the First bit on announcements and their website hasn't got first in it).
TransPennineExpress. (Again its officially First/Kelios TransPennineExpress) and they have only just recently decided to First brand it in the Helvetica Neue Font. Website has no first in it.
FCC^▸ (First Capital Connect) - Bringing out plain livery, which according to the internal brief, is because of the forthcoming franchise change. And the "DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) believe it is more cost neutral (wtf!) for future bidders to only change their relevant logos".
FGW^▸ (First Great Western) - We shall see, but I cant see First wanting to loose the First in the jewel of their network. But then it wouldn't be surprising to see a plain livery coming out. However don't FG own most of the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train).


The Bus re-branding exercise seems to have gone back to the old days of under the drivers window it would say the depot it was from. I remember the very early days of firstbus when Barbie came into being on route 173. It said the depot name on the right as you entered and the owning operator under the drivers window. e.g. Wells and Badgerline.

This new livery of light moave? purple? With the location name down the middle was tested by First Olympic Buses with "shuttle" down the middle.

Talking about re-branding what about this example in Manchester.

[Chris from Nailsea]

However don't FG own most of the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train).

Only five sets (and perhaps a few 'spare' carriages), I believe?