The Trainbow has become a ubiquitous sight across Britain’s railways over the last seven years. Numerous colourful designs have adorned everything from automated metro systems to long distance routes, with nearly every region benefitting from at least one Trainbow. Dedicated to showing support for the LGBTQ+ community, the creativity shown in Trainbow designs continues to evolve, ranging from a simple striped flag twinned with an operator’s livery, right through to bespoke wraps that make the most of the blank canvas a train has to offer.
Whilst we’re all still locked down and unable to enjoy the colourful rolling stock that’s out and about on the network, for LGBTQ+ History Month this year we decided to remember each of the Trainbows that’s appeared over the last few years – and then pit them against each other to find out which one will be crowned victorious.
From the O.G. Pride train of 2014 right through to the latest efforts in 2020, every day until the end of February we’ll be having a showdown between two popular fleet members – but there’s a twist! As the most inclusive Pride train, 390119 Progress is clearly the cut and dry winner. We couldn’t well include it in the competition, but hope that it will appear next year – along with, perhaps, a whole swathe of eleven-stripe Trainbows during this year’s Pride season. We’ve also added in two ‘wildcards’ to keep the competition alive – will they make it through the preliminary rounds, or is it a straight knock-out?
Following a live draw on Wednesday evening, the heats are set, with the first poll opening on Friday. After we got past the technical gremlins (apologies to you all watching at home!) each of our sixteen contestants were paired up – and so #Trainbow21 began.
Make sure you stay tuned in to our socials over the coming days to vote for your fave, and don’t forget to spread the word and lobby for support with the hashtag #Trainbow21. We’ll have more coming in the next few days – keep watching this space.
Which Trainbow will become the Best of the Rest? You decide.
