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The Railway Poster in Britain

British Rail

During the 1960's British Railways (BR) under went a radical re-organisation. The report 'The Reshaping of British Railways' was published in 1963.It presented a plan for a new, more efficient, and smaller service. This resulted in the closure of many minor routes and the emergence of a new railway. Modern diesel and electric trains replaced steam locomotives.These changes were promoted through their poster advertising. New, cleaner, faster trains featured prominently.

British Rail Inter-City poster

British Railways
Look what you gain when you travel by train 1977
© National Railway Museum / Science & Society Picture Library

As part of its new image, BR undertook a radical look at design across the whole company. It decided that it needed a new corporate identity and in 1965 launched a new corporate image. 

The whole railway was re-branded as British Rail, with the distinctive double arrow logo. Business sectors within the railway also received their own treatment within the overall corporate image. In 1966 the main-line express train services were branded 'Inter-City' and the freight operation 'Railfreight'.The results in poster advertising were clearly visible with a greater consistency of style that was tightly controlled.

The railway poster also had to appeal to changing consumer taste. Instead of station posters preaching to people who already used trains, they had to try to tempt back passengers who were increasingly turning to their cars as their preferred  transport. Similarly, advertising media became more diverse.Television commercials, newspaper advertising and mailshots delivered the message to the homes and offices of those who seldom used the railway. External advertising agencies were used. Media personalities were employed to attract the traveller, such as the pop group Abba and the disc jockey Jimmy Saville. These posters were brash but  reflected their times.

British Rail Christmas Shopping poster

British Rail - Intercity
Christmas Shopping in London?
"This is the age of the train" campaign. Figure-headed by Jimmy Saville, c1975
© National Railway Museum / Science & Society Picture Library

In the 1980s posters were used to project the latest stage of modernisation with the introduction of new high-speed trains. The stylish new Inter-City 125 trains reinforced Inter-City's visual identity, and the train was marketed as 'The journey shrinker'. These high-speed services were essential to win back travellers from the roads and to increase revenue for British Rail, which was under increasing financial pressure from the Government.

Operating sectors of BR were increasingly managed as separate businesses. Identities became confused and this was reflected in advertising images that regularly incorporated several logos.

In 1993 the Conservative Government passed legislation to take the railways out of public ownership: to 'privatise' them. From this process, largely completedin 1997, has emerged a whole series of new railway companies. Now again there are competing companies with a desire to increase their market sector.One of the products of this change is new brand images and a revival in railway poster advertising. The companies will no doubt draw on the rich heritage of railway posters from the past but they will hopefully combine these with an innovative new approach. Whatever happens the National Railway Museum will continue to document the ongoing story in its collection of railway posters.

Scotrail Tain by Train poster

ScotRail
ScotRail Highland Collection, Tain By Train by Brendan Neiland, 1996
© Brendan Neiland / Science& Society Picture Library