Disruption to services

These are testing times for Britain’s antique railway network. It is buckling under the strain of emergency repair work, speed limits, poorly performing franchises and, yet again, the wrong sort of foliage. And Railtrack, the company which owns and operates the entire network, has issued a profit warning this week after bailing out train operators to save them from going bust.

For most rail networks, it is probably the worst time to think about transport design – getting trains running is their first priority. For the design industry, there has never been a better occasion. But should design work start even before trains are up and running?

“Rail transport design needn’t be all-singing, all-dancing,” says Tony Howard, head of design management under Jane Priestman at British Rail, 1988-1992, and now a transport design consultant. “The most successful design is not highly visible, but integral to the service. For example, the design-led, yellow Intercity [train] front-ends are actually highly reflective and play a vital safety role. Design should not be dismissed as decoration,” he adds.

But the fragmentation of the rail industry following privatisation under the Tories in 1992, has seen less commitment to, and understanding of design says Mike Denny, partner at London consultancy Roundel. The group has just branded train operator Govia’s new franchise, The New Southern Railway, which is set to take over from the poorly performing Connex South Central franchise.

Roundel was asked to develop exploratory branding and livery design “to create an initial sense of reality around the new brand name”, but little else. The work was carried out in record time – around two weeks. For his part, Denny feels there is a general lack of understanding about the importance of design among those buying it.

Similarly, South West design consultancy Bluestone has just completed a new identity for Wales and West Passenger Trains after designing an interim marque. “The ‘holding’ marque created an immediate distinction between the old South Wales and West Railway Company and highlighted the significance of the restructuring,” says a Bluestone spokesman.

Howard agrees that rail companies are not good at commissioning design, because they see their job as repairing the infrastructure and getting trains running. Design-wise, he says, they are often learning on the job.

“As soon as a franchise changes hands, a new identity is required. But the design work often stops there and further implementation of the brand doesn’t materialise,” he adds.

This type of “quick-fix” design work is not a long-term solution, but is vital to communicate the new brand to employees and passengers early on and show commitment to design, says Denny.

But Brand Environment director Rob Wood says the foundations of a train service must at least be in place before design can play its part. Brand Environment has recently created the identity for C2C, the new commuter line between Southend and London’s Fenchurch Street. Its sister company is the Stansted Express, the identity for which Brand Environment created in October (DW 6 October). “There is an immense loss of faith in rail networks and passengers are, rightly, extremely cynical,” says Wood. He says design for its own sake may be seen as vulgar, so must be seen to be working towards improving the service itself.

“We have created lots of internal design work, some invisible to the public, from staff uniforms and guidelines to a brand identity and drinks coasters,” he says. “In this way, employees are brought on board early to understand the brand, which is vital.”

He says longer franchises are the only way rail companies can pick up the pieces of neglected networks, before starting to apply external livery design fully. C2C won a 14-year franchise four years ago, and is still yet to replace a single train.

Howard welcomes this trend towards longer franchises, because it allows time for new designs to be implemented. Fouror five-year franchise leaves no time to spray trains with new liveries, he says. “You can’t take trains out of service to repaint them – particularly in the present volatile climate. This work must be carried out around other refurbishment programmes. People don’t realise how long it takes,” says Howard. “Shorter franchises mean companies often have three clashing liveries on the go- the old one, the semi-implemented one and the new one.”

The plethora of rail franchises nationwide – 25 in total – throws up another design conundrum: a lack of overall visual cohesion up and down the country.

Denny says design consistency has suffered immeasurably since British Rail was carved up. “Privatisation is clearly here to stay, so it’s time the rail industry, and particularly John Prescott, recognised that a standard information service for passengers is vital. Wayfinding graphics, for example, must be the same whatever network you use,” he says.

Howard, too, bemoans the lack of a single rail transport logo such as the “classic” British Rail double-arrow icon. He says it was implemented in the 1960s and is still a hugely recognisable emblem. “If you are in a town centre trying to find the station, you just look for the sign,” he says.

British Rail was one of the biggest buyers of design, according to Denny, but that has now changed since privatisation. “Broadly speaking, design is not an issue in today’s culture of franchises,” he says.

“Operators are after cheap and cheerful solutions – it’s bangs for bucks, and design is usually an afterthought. Privatisation of the rail network was a really good opportunity to show what design could do, but it has largely failed.”

Howard warns that the days of that bygone era should not be viewed through rose-tinted glasses. “Collectively, the rail franchises, post privatisation, have spent more on design than British Rail ever did.” But he says this is still not enough. “The total design spend should be four or five times higher than it is,” he says.

He says there are steps towards an integrated approach to transport. The Strategic Rail Authority is starting to get its voice heard, and is setting out rules for the rail franchises. “This is a huge opportunity for design to show what it can do,” he says.

“The kind of work we are trying to achieve with C2C is the standard designers all need to aim for if passengers are going to get the service they want,” adds Wood. “It will take time to rebuild the basic foundation of a good service after 30 years of neglect, but once that is in place, the need for competing companies to differentiate their service offers will only be achieved by building and delivering strong brands.”