Pride-themed livery wrap for Avanti West Coast
Aura Brand Solutions were approached by Avanti West Coast to develop a new Pride-themed livery for their fleet that celebrated the LGBTQ+ community and highlighted the importance of diversity.
This train wrap was to be a part of their Live Proud programme – initiatives and commitments to making Avanti West Coast an inclusive place to work, where differences are celebrated and staff can be their authentic selves.
The train will become a permanent part of their fleet and is a huge testament to their efforts of making a difference.
Alongside providing the full wrap for the Pride train, Aura Brand Solutions also agreed to supply all access equipment. Working within all government advised social distancing measures, we ensured that health and safety was a top priority while installing.
This project coincided with Aura’s continued support of Avanti West Coast – running alongside recent contracts with them and Alstom including the exterior refurbishment of their Class 390, the interior refurbishment for the class 221 Avanti West Coast fleet with Bombardier, and various Covid-19 related solutions we have provided them over the last few months.
Bringing to life a rainbow on wheels
Wrapped in a progressive rainbow flag design that also represented trans people and people of colour, the train was to make its way from London Euston through to Manchester Piccadilly, manned by a full staff crew made up of members of the LGBTQ+ community.
The design of the train itself was provided by Avanti West Coast, and our in-house design team scaled all visuals for production and application to allow Avanti West Coast to complete all engineering changes.
- Aura Brand Solutions were asked to provide a new livery for a one-off, 11 carriage train set, designed to highlight and raise awareness of the LGBTQ+ community.
- Alstom completed all paint and corrosion repairs, and Aura Brand Solutions supplied and applied film for project.
- Aura Brand Solutions used a non-PVC film in our commitment to sustainability – using the 3M480, 8993 and 8588G conformable anti-graffiti film.
- All films were edge sealed, and printed in-house by our vast production facilities using 3M raw materials to ensure for maximum quality.
An innovative and inclusive solution
The Pride train wrap was all fitted in-house, and the installation process was completed during weekdays within a 5 day window. All installation was completed with the assistance of the Alstom depot and an expert project manager overseeing the entire contract from start to finish.
The end result was a beautiful myriad of vibrant colours, in celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, and the need for inclusivity for all. The train was a mobile rainbow on train tracks, instantly capturing the eye and imagination of those that it passed by.
Aura Brand Solutions also supplied Avanti West Coast with Pride-themed face coverings and rainbow flags, that were worn proudly by the train staff.
Mel Hockenhull, Avanti West Coast's Inclusion Lead said of the wrap: 'Aura has helped to bring a real splash of colour to the West Coast Main Line. The Pride Train’s striking design and vibrant vinyls are a real eye catcher, helping us to promote the importance of inclusion and diversity'.
The train was lauded as a huge, progressive success, and even gained nationwide coverage. A massive success all round, and a phenomenal project to be involved in.
