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[[File:AWC's Progress train 390119 (Trainbow) at Coventry station, June 2023.jpg|thumb|250x250px|A notable trainbow, the [[Avanti West Coast]] Progress train.]]
[[File:AWC's Progress train 390119 (Trainbow) at Coventry station, June 2023.jpg|thumb|250x250px|A notable trainbow, the [[Avanti West Coast]] Progress train.]]
[[File:Thameslink Class 700 155 at Peterborough.jpg|thumb|[[Thameslink]]'s trainbow-liveried [[British Rail Class 700|Class 700]]]]


'''Trainbow''' is the nickname that is given to the [[LGBT marketing|LGBT marketing concept]] by [[Train operating company|train operating companies]], initially in the United Kingdom, to cover their trains and carriages in rainbows or [[pride flag]]s. The word is a pun on the words "train" and "rainbow".
'''Trainbow''' is the nickname that is given to the [[LGBT marketing|LGBT marketing concept]] by [[Train operating company|train operating companies]], initially in the United Kingdom, to cover their trains and carriages in rainbows or [[pride flag]]s. The word is a pun on the words "train" and "rainbow".


Revision as of 20:47, 14 May 2024

A notable trainbow, the Avanti West Coast Progress train.
Thameslink's trainbow-liveried Class 700


Trainbow is the nickname that is given to the LGBT marketing concept by train operating companies, initially in the United Kingdom, to cover their trains and carriages in rainbows or pride flags. The word is a pun on the words "train" and "rainbow".

History

The trainbow was started by Transport for London in June 2015 by decorating two DLR B92 trains for Pride in London, after previously doing it on a Routemaster bus and a London taxi under the phase "Ride with Pride".[1] After the success of the interest in rainbow-decorated light rail carriages, other train operating companies started decorating train locomotives in rainbow colours and LGBT symbols, notably starting in 2018. Later, the hashtag #trainbow came out on Twitter as a reference to these rainbow coloured trains.

Notable trainbows include a GWR Class 800 IET Alan Turing, serial number 800008, which has rainbow stripes on the front,[2] the Avanti West Coast Class 390 Pendolino Progress, serial number 390119, the first one that is covered from end-to-end in pride colours, [3] and the LNER Class 801 Azuma Together, serial number 801226, which has multiple stripes based on various pride flags.[4]

As of January 2024, the only British train operating companies (TOCs) that have not have trainbows are: Northern, Transport for Wales Rail, Hull Trains, CrossCountry, Merseyrail, Grand Central, West Midlands Railway, Caledonian Sleeper and Eurostar. When inquired, TfW Rail has said it has no plans to introduce trainbows on its train in the near future. [5]

A German trainbow, a decorated Deutsche Bahn Class 423

Trainbows have since expanded to other nations, starting in 2019, when France's SNCF wrapped a TGV inOui locomotive in rainbow colours to celebrate 50 years of Pride. [6] In June 2022, as part of the celebration of Dublin Pride, Ireland's Iarnród Éireann wrapped a CIÉ 8100 Class DART commuter train (serial number 8315). [7] In Belgium, in June 2023, a number of SNCB carriages of a SNCB Class 08 Desiro (serial number AM08 8586), had rainbow wrappings celebrating IDAHOBIT and Brussels Pride [nl]. [8] [9]

Germany has a number of trains which have been wrapped with rainbow decals. It first started in July 2021 with an ICE 3 nicknamed Rainbow Train (serial number 403 504-4), having its famous red stripe replaced with a rainbow stripe to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Deutsche Bahn's LGBT+ employee network, railbow. [10][11]

Trainbows were immortalised in miniature form in August 2023 when Hornby Railways began selling a miniature version of the GWR's Alan Turing train.[12]

A Northern Irish trainbow, a decorated NIR Class 3000 locomotive

NI Railways is unique in that while it does have a trainbow in the form of two wrapped NIR Class 3000 locomotives (serial numbers 3006 and 3021), which were wrapped in April 2020, they are dedicated to the local health service instead, as part of a COVID-19-related marketing campaign called #ChaseTheRainbow.[13]

Influence on other transport

Since the creation of trainbows, other forms of transport in the UK, including regional buses,[14] and even a Loganair Embraer 145 plane, have marked Pride. [15] [16]

References

  1. ^ "DLR Train Turns All The Colours Of The Rainbow". Londonist. 2015-06-23. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  2. ^ "GWR honours WWII codebreaker Alan Turing and unveils new 'Trainbow' livery". GWR News. 2022-05-26. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  3. ^ "Avanti West Coast launches the UK's first fully wrapped Pride train staffed by all LGBTQ+ crew". Avanti West Coast News. 2020-08-25. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  4. ^ Mansfield, Ian (2023-06-02). "LNER introduces Azuma Train in a celebration of Pride". ianVisits. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  5. ^ TfW Rail [@tfwrail] (25 January 2024). "Hi Philippe, I've been informed that we do not have any current plans for a trainbow livery. We have given this consideration in the past, but from engaging with colleagues we decided to move in a different direction (1/2)" (Tweet). Retrieved 2 February 2024 – via Twitter.
  6. ^ "Un TGV arc-en-ciel circule en France pour célébrer le mois des fiertés" [A rainbow TGV goes around France to celebrate a month of Pride.]. www.rtl.fr (in French). 2019-06-06. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  7. ^ Collins, Proinsias (2022-06-20). "Iarnród Éireann and NTA Wrap DART Carriages in Rainbow Colours to Celebrate Dublin Pride 2022". Transport for Ireland. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  8. ^ Belga (2024-01-22). "La SNCB met un train arc-en-ciel sur les rails en signe de lutte contre l'homophobie" [SNCB put out a rainbow train to signal the struggle against homophobia]. lavenir.net (in French). Archived from the original on 2024-01-22. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  9. ^ Timothy (2023-05-17). "NMBS / SNCB dons train in rainbow colours for pride". Trip By Trip. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  10. ^ "Que(e)r durch Deutschland: DB setzt mit Regenbogen-ICE Zeichen für Vielfalt und Toleranz" [Que(e)r through Germany: DB sets an example for diversity and tolerance with a rainbow ICE.]. Deutsche Bahn (in German). Retrieved 2024-01-28.
  11. ^ ""Deutlich machen, wofür man steht" – Bahn beklebt ICE in Regenbogenfarben" [“Make it clear what you stand for” – Deutsche Bahn puts rainbow colours on a ICE]. Stern.de (in German). 2024-01-28. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
  12. ^ "Hornby R3872 GWR, Class 800, Trainbow Train Pack - Era 11 :: Railway Models UK". railwaymodels.uk. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  13. ^ Conway, Gail (2020-04-22). "Transport company in NI spreads positivity in pandemic". RTÉ News.
  14. ^ "New Pride bus takes to the road". We Are Barnsley. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  15. ^ "Loganair's Pride Jet flying the flag for the LGBTQIA+ community". Loganair. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
  16. ^ Velani, Bhavya (2023-06-16). "Loganair Unveils UK's First Ever New Pride Jet for LGBTQ Community". Aviation A2Z. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
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