Uninspiring train liveries

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Seeing the photo of the new EMR livery on the front of the September issue highlights what to me is a retrograde step – I think this new scheme is most uninspiring.  

I have always thought that the old livery, predominantly white with red and blue trim, was rather smart and stylish, and always kept clean. In contrast, to me, the new scheme is just “sludge” colours, which will just merge into a purple blur from a distance. 

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LNER’s ‘Azuma’ livery has drawn considerable acclaim (and rightly), but when compared to a similar class of GWR, the unit looks so much classier as can be seen from set No. 800110 passing Frinkley Lane, Grantham on May 23. In contrast, the green on the GWR Class 802 No. 802010 at Hungerford Common, while traditional, could have been a little more exciting. 

Abellio has been adding ‘EMR Intercity’ or ‘EMR Regional’ to coach sides recently as an interim measure, and this actually looks quite good – couldn’t they have just left it at that?

I fear the designer of the infamous First Group ‘Barbie’ livery has struck again. 

He’s not colour-blind by any chance?

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David Jane, Sheffield

 Liveries on modern trains, like steam loco colours, are a hot topic of debate. Look at the contrast between the LNER and GWR Class 800 unit. A dark livery, if clean, looks great on a sunny day, but on a dull day just looks…er, dull – Ed.

Read more Letters, Opinion, News and Features in the October 2019 issue of The RM –on sale now!

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