An HST in blue and grey

I was surprised at the decision by Great Western Railway (GWR) not to paint a complete High Speed Train into the original blue and grey livery in which British Rail launched the trains in 1976.

The 40th birthday of these iconic trains deserves a little bit more than the cheap vinyl covering of just one power car. The official statement by GWR that repainting in the original blue and grey would not be possible (due to rail vehicle regulation rules requiring the doors to be a different colour than the bodywork) puzzles me, because the coaches are original and not a new build.

And if this is the case, why is Chiltern Railways running the ex-Cargo D Mk 3s in blue and grey with no problem? And heritage railways all over the country are running coaches with the doors the same colour as the bodywork, with no problems.

Let’s hope that one of the other train operators that runs high speed trains recognises the historical importance of these trains, and restores one to its original livery for all of us to appreciate again, before their main line duties are over.