Fury at rail logo route

Designers are condemning the use of “trainspotters” to create a logo for English Welsh & Scottish Railway, the UK’s newest and fifth biggest freight company.

Readers of Rail magazine and the company’s staff are invited to design the logo in pursuit of a prize – a footplate ride of their choice. The logo will be worked up by a design consultancy yet to be chosen for the job.

Roundel Design, which created award-winning identity work for BR’s freight group, denounces the move as “profoundly depressing”.

English Welsh & Scottish Railway, part-owned by US outfit Wisconsin Central, comprises four freight and parcels companies currently sporting professionally designed logos which were created specifically for their privatisation from British Rail.

Roundel’s Rail express systems logo was launched in 1991, Halpin Grey Vermeir created Mainline Freight, Venture designed Load Haul and Peartree Design Associates handled Transrail.

“We felt this time it would be better if we went out to the troops [the train enthusiasts and staff],” a consortium spokeswoman says of the competition.

Roundel Design managing/ design director Mike Denny condemns Wisconsin Central’s decision to ditch the existing marques. “And now they’re getting a bunch of trainspotters to do their logo,” he adds.

The new identity will be applied to various liveries on a maroon background – the new English Welsh & Scottish Railway colour scheme.

The deadline for entries is 24 May, judging is in June and the new look is scheduled to be in place from September.